Environmental Value Engineering: An Environmental Life Cycle Assessment Methodology For Comparing Built Environment Alternatives

Engineering education should prepare graduates to properly consider the environmental impact of their decisions toward sustainable development. Built environment alternatives compete for inputs of environment, fuel energy, goods, and human services (labor). Current assessment methodologies for comparing built environment alternatives only consider money related to labor or embodied energy in terms of fuel energy. Environmental life cycle assessment methodologies are being developed that consider all inputs and related environmental impacts.