April 15 Event to Explore What’s Really ‘Green’

Contact: Anthony Halog, (207) 581-2944

A group of student and faculty researchers concerned about sustainability, the environment and validating that “green” products are really carbon-friendly and environmentally sound is holding a daylong event April 15 to explore some of the ubiquitous claims about products claiming to be sustainable.

The free program, “2011 Life Cycle Assessment Event” Friday, April 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UMaine’s Graduate School Center in Stodder Hall, will explore the flood of consumer information that can make it tough to figure out which products are green and which aren’t, and by what standard?

The University of Maine’s Research Group on Industrial Ecology, Life Cycle Assessment, and Systems Sustainability (IELCASS) invites the public and members of the UMaine community to engage with researchers and students to learn more about the importance of life cycle assessment (LCA).

LCA is a tool for measuring the environmental impacts of a product across its entire life cycle, according to Anthony Halog, a Certified Life Cycle Assessment professional in the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture.

At stake are global warming, human toxicity, ecosystem damage and smog formation, among other results associated with producing forest products, biofuels, building materials, nanomaterials, pulp and paper, industrial chemicals and energy systems.

For more information, contact Najet Bichraoui at najet.bichraoui@maine.edu or visit the website.