Accounting for the occupation of the marine environment as a natural resource in life cycle assessment: An exergy based approach

Sue Ellen Taelman, Steven De Meester, Thomas Schaubroeck, Egil Sakshaug, Rodrigo A.F. Alvarenga and Jo Dewulf

Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 2014, vol. 91, issue C, 1-10

Abstract: The human population is rising and the availability of terrestrial land and its resources are finite and, perhaps, not sufficient to deliver enough food, energy, materials and space. Thus, it is important to (further) explore and exploit the marine environment which covers no less than 71% of the earth's surface. The marine environment is very complex but can roughty be divided into two systems: natural (e.g. wild fishing) and human-made (e.g. artificial islands). In this study, characterization factors (CF) for natural and human-made marine systems were calculated in order to be able to assess the environmental impact of occupying marine surfaces, which was not possible so far in life cycle assessment. When accounting for natural resources while occupying one of these systems, it is important to consider the primary resources that are actually deprived from nature, which differs between the natural and human-made marine systems.

Keywords: Net primary production; Life cycle assessment; Exergy; Marine environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:recore:v:91:y:2014:i:c:p:1-10

DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.07.009

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