Toward Integration of Industrial Ecology and Ecological Engineering

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CBET-0829026B. BakshiOhio State UniversityThis research will integrate the Industrial Ecology and Ecological Engineering frameworks. It will expand Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to include the role of ecosystems. The resulting Ecologically-Based LCA (Eco-LCA) approach will be developed for use at multiple spatial scales with process or economic models. An Eco-LCA model of the 2002 U.S. economy will be developed by connecting the economic input-out model with relevant data and models about ecosystem goods and services. Hierarchical metrics for aggregating and interpreting the results will be developed based on quantities used for analyzing industrial or ecological systems such as energy, exergy, and emergy. The resulting insights about ecological implications of industrial processes will enable comprehensive analysis of coupled industrial and ecological systems. Collaboration with various industrial and academic partners along with the proposed software tools will ensure broad dissemination of the results. Applications to enhance campus sustainability will be completed via multidisciplinary courses at Ohio State University. A new website and teaching material about the role of ecosystems in industrial activities will be developed.