Lifecycle Assessment Assignment

Streamlined LCA [20pts] - BOTH Miller Poultry & Merry Lea Teaching Farm

1. [10%] Generally why do we do LCAs? How might LCAs be useful in evaluating broiler chicken rearing systems? 

2. [15%] The scope here is cradle-to-gate.  The goal is evaluating the the environmental impacts of producing broiler chickens (Miller compared to MLTF). Please elaborate on this.  Explain in your own words what processes will be involved in your scope of work and which chicken-related ones will be excluded due to being outside the scope.  What big differences between Miller and MLTF will not show up in this analysis because of the chosen scope?  Also, note that the unit is important.  For our purposes please look at environmental effects per chicken (though per pound of meat produced would be even better).  This is particularly important since MLTF raises 20 to 40 chickens per year whereas Miller Poultry processes over 600,000 per week!

3. [25%]Create a matrix for BOTH MLTF & Miller (2 total) showing life phases (column headers) and impacts (row headers).  Score each 0 to 4 -->  0 (highest impact) and 4 (least impact).  Here are the specific life phases and impacts we will be looking at:

   1. 1. • Impacts = (1) Water, (2) Air, (3) Land, (4) Global Warming Potential, (5) Human Health,

         • life phase = (i) Feed Production, (ii) Hatching, (iii) Rearing (other than feed), (iv) Processing, (v) Transport, (vi) Waste

4. [15%]For each Life Phase, write 2 or 3 sentences explaining why you scored it the way you did.

5. [25%] Using the two matrices you have created, make two spider plots  (one for MLTF and one for Miller) displaying your results in a graphical manner. See the blank one below for inspiration.  Look back to the LCA course info if you need to remember how this is done.

6. [10%] Step back and look at your results.  Write a paragraph describing what you observe.  Where are the biggest "levers" for change?  How do the two systems compare?  What are your thoughts on this?  Does anything stand out or surprise you?

Link for Diagram Materials