Define life cycle assessment (LCA) and its purpose.

• A. Evaluation of environmental impacts of a product/system from cradle to grave; includes inputs, outputs, and potential impacts across stages.
• B. A measure of the energy efficiency of a product during production.
• C. A local assessment of watershed areas.
• D. A calculator for greenhouse gas emissions of a single process only.

Answer: (C)

Life cycle assessment (LCA) measures environmental impacts of a product or service across its entire life cycle—from raw material extraction (cradle) to end of life (grave)—covering every stage in between. It tracks inputs such as energy, materials, and water, and outputs like emissions and waste, then translates those into environmental effects across categories like climate change, resource use, and pollution. The purpose is to compare different options, identify stages where impacts are highest, and guide design, production, and policy decisions toward reducing overall environmental burden. LCA differs from narrower analyses that focus only on a single process, a specific local area, or a single impact like greenhouse gas emissions from one step; it provides a holistic view of the product’s life cycle.