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The environmental impacts of operating an Antarctic research station
Author(s) -
Crossin Enda,
Verghese Karli,
Lockrey Simon,
Ha Hieu,
Young Gordon
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of industrial ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.377
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1530-9290
pISSN - 1088-1980
DOI - 10.1111/jiec.12972
Subject(s) - life cycle assessment , setpoint , environmental impact assessment , environmental science , cogeneration , industrial ecology , electricity , environmental economics , environmental resource management , environmental protection , electricity generation , sustainability , engineering , computer science , production (economics) , economics , ecology , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , biology , electrical engineering , macroeconomics
We present a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the operation of Casey Station in Antarctica. The LCA included quantifying material and energy flows, modeling of elementary flows, and subsequent environmental impacts. Environmental impacts were dominated by emissions associated with freight operations and electricity cogeneration. A participatory design approach was used to identify options to reduce environmental impacts, which included improving freight efficiency, reducing the temperature setpoint of the living quarters, and installing alternative energy systems. These options were then assessed using LCA, and have the potential to reduce environmental impacts by between 2% and 19.1%, depending on the environmental indicator.