Christina Seidel

 

Education:

              Engineering Management, PhD program (currently enrolled)

                        The University of Alberta

              Master of Environmental Design (Environmental Science),

                        The University of Calgary (1992)

              Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

                        The University of Alberta (1984)

 

Professional History:

              Independent waste reduction/ resource conservation consultant

              Executive Director, Recycling Council of Alberta

              Regular speaker at waste management conferences on environmental impacts of waste management options

 

Thesis Title: Life-Cycle Assessment within a Public Policy Framework: The Alberta Scrap Tire Management Example

 

Public policy decisions around waste management are often made with little scientific background. Advocates of specific technologies or approaches may present claims of environmental advantages which may or may not be substantiated by research. Alberta’s Tire Recycling Management Program is an example of a program that has been facing questions regarding the best management option for waste materials. In order to properly assess the environmental implications of the options for scrap tires, each alternative must be assessed on a full life-cycle basis.

 

Limited current research exists on the relative environmental impacts of various scrap tire management options. Much of the research that is available has been conducted for European jurisdictions, where transportation and energy profiles are very different from Alberta. In addition, Alberta has a unique scrap tire management system that differs considerably from other programs.

 

This project includes the completion of a life-cycle assessment of scrap tire management options currently or potentially available within the Alberta context. This assessment will present the relative environmental impacts associated with the various options.

 

However, application of life-cycle assessment within the public policy arena can be problematic, as public officials may not have the scientific training to interpret life-cycle results. In addition, making decisions based on life-cycle assessment can be problematic, as the very nature of the results includes a variety of indicators that may not be directly comparable. Therefore, the process utilized to integrate life-cycle assessment results into public policy decisions is critical, and will form a strong element of this project.

 

Project Update: The life-cycle assessment portion of the research will be completed in the Summer of 2010, with additional application methodologies to be developed and integrated in the Fall. Final project completion is targeted for Spring, 2011.

 

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