Environmental Science, Sustainability, LCA, and Lab Safety Review

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering climate concepts, sustainability frameworks, life cycle assessment (LCA) terminology, GHS laboratory safety symbols, and quantitative mineralization calculations.

Thermohaline circulation

Ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity differences.

Reduced upwelling

An oceanographic change that leads to decreased nutrient delivery to surface waters.

The Montreal Protocol

An international agreement that primarily addresses the depletion of the ozone layer.

The Paris Agreement

A climate agreement aiming to keep global warming well below $2\text{ }^\text{o}\text{C}$ while pursuing efforts to limit it to $1.5\text{ }^\text{o}\text{C}$.

Kyoto Protocol

An agreement focused primarily on the main climate objective of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

Carbon isotope signatures

Isotopic evidence scientists examine to help identify carbon dioxide originating specifically from fossil fuels.

Triple bottom line

A framework consisting of three dimensions of sustainability: environmental protection, social equity, and economic viability.

Social sustainability

The dimension of sustainability directly related to topics such as the fair treatment of workers.

Environmental sustainability

The dimension of sustainability directly related to activities such as pollution prevention.

Economic sustainability

The dimension of sustainability directly related to achieving long-term profitability.

SA8000

A standard that primarily addresses social accountability.

Our Common Future

The title of the WCED report that introduced the widely cited definition of sustainable development.

WCED

World Commission on Environment and Development; defined sustainable development as meeting present needs without compromising future generations.

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency; credited with defining sustainability as combining economic prosperity, protection of natural systems, and quality of life.

Project Gigaton

A Walmart initiative designed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions across the value chain.

BD ecoFinity

A recycling initiative where recovered plastic is used specifically to make new collection containers.

Life cycle assessment (LCA)

An evaluation methodology that considers environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life cycle.

Functional unit

A reference unit providing a common basis for comparing different product systems based on equivalent product function.

Four basic phases of LCA

The essential steps of an LCA, comprising goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation.

Goal and scope definition

The LCA phase that establishes the study's purpose, intended application, intended audience, and boundaries.

Inventory analysis

The LCA phase that collects data on inputs and outputs, including materials, energy use, and emissions.

Impact assessment

The LCA phase that evaluates the potential environmental significance of the inventory analysis results.

Interpretation

The LCA phase that evaluates findings, draws conclusions, and makes recommendations.

Intended application

The portion of an LCA goal statement explaining how the results will be used (e.g., guiding future packaging redesign).

Intended audience

The component of an LCA goal statement identifying who will receive the study's results.

Comparative internal use

An LCA application in which a company compares package designs internally to assist its own design team.

Individual external use

An LCA application where a company reports the environmental profile of a single package to external customers without making comparative assertions.

Public comparative assertion

A claim made to the public stating that a package has lower environmental impacts than a competitor's package.

Critical review

A process required to establish credibility when an LCA is used for a public comparative assertion.

System boundary

An LCA specification defining which processes are included in or excluded from the study.

Environmental hotspot

A stage or component in a product's life cycle that makes a major contribution to overall environmental impact.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

A chemical document that provides critical details on chemical hazards and required protective measures.

Signal word

A GHS label element represented by words such as "Danger" or "Warning".

Product identifier

A GHS label element indicating the specific identity of a chemical.

Hazard statement

A GHS label phrase describing the nature of a hazard, such as "causes severe skin burns".

Precautionary statement

A GHS label phrase describing recommended measures to minimize or prevent adverse effects, such as "wear protective gloves".

Skull-and-crossbones pictogram

A GHS hazard pictogram indicating acute toxicity.

Flame-over-circle pictogram

A GHS hazard pictogram indicating an oxidizing hazard.

Person silhouette with starburst pictogram

A GHS hazard pictogram indicating a serious or chronic health hazard.

Corrosion pictogram

A GHS hazard pictogram depicting liquid damaging a hand and a metal surface.

Dead-tree-and-fish pictogram

A GHS hazard pictogram indicating an environmental hazard.

Exclamation-mark pictogram

A GHS hazard pictogram indicating irritation or other less-severe health hazards.

PLA percent mineralization result

The mineralization percentage calculated as $21.8\text{\%}$ for $1\text{ }g$ PLA releasing $600\text{ }mg$ CO2 relative to a $200\text{ }mg$ control release.

PCL percent mineralization result

The mineralization percentage calculated as $38.9\text{\%}$ for $1\text{ }g$ PCL releasing $1200\text{ }mg$ CO2 relative to a $300\text{ }mg$ control release.

Cellulose paper percent mineralization result

The mineralization percentage calculated as $36.8\text{\%}$ for $1\text{ }g$ cellulose paper releasing $800\text{ }mg$ CO2 relative to a $200\text{ }mg$ control release.