What is the purpose of life cycle assessment in energy resources?

• A. To ignore environmental costs
• B. To assess environmental impacts across a product's life cycle for comparing fuels and technologies
• C. To measure only financial cost
• D. To forecast market trends

Answer: (B)

Life cycle assessment looks at environmental impacts across the entire life of an energy resource—from raw material extraction and manufacturing through operation and end-of-life disposal or reuse. This approach lets us compare fuels and technologies on a common footing by considering multiple impact categories such as greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, energy use, and resource depletion. By evaluating the full cradle-to-grave picture, we can see which options have lower overall environmental footprints. It’s not about ignoring costs or focusing only on money, and it isn’t about predicting market trends. Using LCA helps policymakers and designers choose energy options that minimize environmental harm across their whole lifespan.