The Experts below are selected from a list of 17679 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Susanna Sironen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Uncertainty in environmentally Conscious Decision making: beer or wine?
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012Co-Authors: Tuomas Mattila, Pekka Leskinen, Sampo Soimakallio, Susanna SironenAbstract:Purpose Life cycle assessment (LCA) is being used increasingly in Decision support situations. In actual cases, the sources of uncertainty are easily hidden in the complexity. Methods for taking uncertainty into account are recommended by LCA guidelines, but actual application remains rare. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the sources of uncertainty in a practical simple selection case wherein a customer makes a Decision between beer and wine in a restaurant, considering the selected criteria and the given information. The uncertainty in LCA results is connected to the broader scope of Decision analysis. Methods Life cycle inventories were collected for beer and wine production from existing literature. The functional unit was chosen to be one serving of alcohol: beer or wine. For illustrative purposes, only the global warming potential indicator was included in the LCA through carbon footprint (CF). Probabilistic uncertainty analysis was applied to the CF system using Monte Carlo simulation. Water footprint was also roughly considered. In addition, three non-environmental indicators were included in the Decision: weight control, price, and taste. The comparison between the two products was constructed as a multiple-criteria Decision analytical problem. Results and discussion The results indicated that beer had, on average, a higher CF value than wine did. However, the difference was not significant, and within the uncertainty range, also the opposite conclusion was possible. The ratio of wine to beer CF was dominated by the uncertainty in the N_2O emissions of wine production. When all of the Decision criteria were included, the level of uncertainty prevented robust overall conclusions about preference for beer or wine. However, depending on the utility differences assigned to subjective indicators, there existed also cases wherein Decisions could be made at a 10 % risk level regardless of high overall uncertainty. Conclusions In many cases, the uncertainties of LCA are dwarfed by the overall uncertainty of the Decision situation. However, as shown by our example, in many cases, reasonable Decisions can be made in spite of high uncertainties. The uncertainties of single LCA indicators should be considered in relation to the Decision-making problem, which depends on the uncertainty of LCA indicators but also significantly on the weighting of the indicators and the related uncertainty. Successful Decision making depends on both the magnitude of uncertainty and the differences in expected utility value between alternatives. More attention should be paid to uncertainty analysis considering the weighting factors.
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Uncertainty in environmentally Conscious Decision making: beer or wine?
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012Co-Authors: Tuomas Mattila, Pekka Leskinen, Sampo Soimakallio, Susanna SironenAbstract:Purpose Life cycle assessment (LCA) is being used increasingly in Decision support situations. In actual cases, the sources of uncertainty are easily hidden in the complexity. Methods for taking uncertainty into account are recommended by LCA guidelines, but actual application remains rare. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the sources of uncertainty in a practical simple selection case wherein a customer makes a Decision between beer and wine in a restaurant, considering the selected criteria and the given information. The uncertainty in LCA results is connected to the broader scope of Decision analysis.
Ellen Huang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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An Environmentally Conscious Decision Support System for Life‐Cycle Management
Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1998Co-Authors: Gautam Biswas, Kazuhiko Kawamura, David Hunkeler, Rajive Dhingra, Lochlin Caffey, Ellen HuangAbstract:Summary An Internet-based environmentally Conscious Decision support tool (EcoDS) has been developed for life-cycle management EcoDS involves an initial vertical streamlining step, where the significant life-cycle stages, stressors, and impact categories are selected and cross-correlated. Because the streamlining is performed prior to the inventory, the approach expedites data collection. Comparisons among alternative product designs or manufacturing processes are based on two metrics: financial risk (or cost) and “residual” risk. For purposes of evaluation these two indicators are individually aggregated using a user or organization-specified value system. A salient feature of EcoDS is that this output can be condensed into a single summary matrix akin to a hybrid pro forma income statement and environmental balance sheet. The clear delineation between the tradeoffs involved in each alternative facilitates Decision making by upper management. A case study on painting attematives is presented to illustrate the methodology
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an environmentally Conscious Decision support system for life cycle management
Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1998Co-Authors: Gautam Biswas, Kazuhiko Kawamura, David Hunkeler, Rajive Dhingra, Lochlin Caffey, Ellen HuangAbstract:Summary An Internet-based environmentally Conscious Decision support tool (EcoDS) has been developed for life-cycle management EcoDS involves an initial vertical streamlining step, where the significant life-cycle stages, stressors, and impact categories are selected and cross-correlated. Because the streamlining is performed prior to the inventory, the approach expedites data collection. Comparisons among alternative product designs or manufacturing processes are based on two metrics: financial risk (or cost) and “residual” risk. For purposes of evaluation these two indicators are individually aggregated using a user or organization-specified value system. A salient feature of EcoDS is that this output can be condensed into a single summary matrix akin to a hybrid pro forma income statement and environmental balance sheet. The clear delineation between the tradeoffs involved in each alternative facilitates Decision making by upper management. A case study on painting attematives is presented to illustrate the methodology
Tuomas Mattila - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Uncertainty in environmentally Conscious Decision making: beer or wine?
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012Co-Authors: Tuomas Mattila, Pekka Leskinen, Sampo Soimakallio, Susanna SironenAbstract:Purpose Life cycle assessment (LCA) is being used increasingly in Decision support situations. In actual cases, the sources of uncertainty are easily hidden in the complexity. Methods for taking uncertainty into account are recommended by LCA guidelines, but actual application remains rare. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the sources of uncertainty in a practical simple selection case wherein a customer makes a Decision between beer and wine in a restaurant, considering the selected criteria and the given information. The uncertainty in LCA results is connected to the broader scope of Decision analysis. Methods Life cycle inventories were collected for beer and wine production from existing literature. The functional unit was chosen to be one serving of alcohol: beer or wine. For illustrative purposes, only the global warming potential indicator was included in the LCA through carbon footprint (CF). Probabilistic uncertainty analysis was applied to the CF system using Monte Carlo simulation. Water footprint was also roughly considered. In addition, three non-environmental indicators were included in the Decision: weight control, price, and taste. The comparison between the two products was constructed as a multiple-criteria Decision analytical problem. Results and discussion The results indicated that beer had, on average, a higher CF value than wine did. However, the difference was not significant, and within the uncertainty range, also the opposite conclusion was possible. The ratio of wine to beer CF was dominated by the uncertainty in the N_2O emissions of wine production. When all of the Decision criteria were included, the level of uncertainty prevented robust overall conclusions about preference for beer or wine. However, depending on the utility differences assigned to subjective indicators, there existed also cases wherein Decisions could be made at a 10 % risk level regardless of high overall uncertainty. Conclusions In many cases, the uncertainties of LCA are dwarfed by the overall uncertainty of the Decision situation. However, as shown by our example, in many cases, reasonable Decisions can be made in spite of high uncertainties. The uncertainties of single LCA indicators should be considered in relation to the Decision-making problem, which depends on the uncertainty of LCA indicators but also significantly on the weighting of the indicators and the related uncertainty. Successful Decision making depends on both the magnitude of uncertainty and the differences in expected utility value between alternatives. More attention should be paid to uncertainty analysis considering the weighting factors.
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Uncertainty in environmentally Conscious Decision making: beer or wine?
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012Co-Authors: Tuomas Mattila, Pekka Leskinen, Sampo Soimakallio, Susanna SironenAbstract:Purpose Life cycle assessment (LCA) is being used increasingly in Decision support situations. In actual cases, the sources of uncertainty are easily hidden in the complexity. Methods for taking uncertainty into account are recommended by LCA guidelines, but actual application remains rare. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the sources of uncertainty in a practical simple selection case wherein a customer makes a Decision between beer and wine in a restaurant, considering the selected criteria and the given information. The uncertainty in LCA results is connected to the broader scope of Decision analysis.
Gautam Biswas - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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An Environmentally Conscious Decision Support System for Life‐Cycle Management
Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1998Co-Authors: Gautam Biswas, Kazuhiko Kawamura, David Hunkeler, Rajive Dhingra, Lochlin Caffey, Ellen HuangAbstract:Summary An Internet-based environmentally Conscious Decision support tool (EcoDS) has been developed for life-cycle management EcoDS involves an initial vertical streamlining step, where the significant life-cycle stages, stressors, and impact categories are selected and cross-correlated. Because the streamlining is performed prior to the inventory, the approach expedites data collection. Comparisons among alternative product designs or manufacturing processes are based on two metrics: financial risk (or cost) and “residual” risk. For purposes of evaluation these two indicators are individually aggregated using a user or organization-specified value system. A salient feature of EcoDS is that this output can be condensed into a single summary matrix akin to a hybrid pro forma income statement and environmental balance sheet. The clear delineation between the tradeoffs involved in each alternative facilitates Decision making by upper management. A case study on painting attematives is presented to illustrate the methodology
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an environmentally Conscious Decision support system for life cycle management
Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1998Co-Authors: Gautam Biswas, Kazuhiko Kawamura, David Hunkeler, Rajive Dhingra, Lochlin Caffey, Ellen HuangAbstract:Summary An Internet-based environmentally Conscious Decision support tool (EcoDS) has been developed for life-cycle management EcoDS involves an initial vertical streamlining step, where the significant life-cycle stages, stressors, and impact categories are selected and cross-correlated. Because the streamlining is performed prior to the inventory, the approach expedites data collection. Comparisons among alternative product designs or manufacturing processes are based on two metrics: financial risk (or cost) and “residual” risk. For purposes of evaluation these two indicators are individually aggregated using a user or organization-specified value system. A salient feature of EcoDS is that this output can be condensed into a single summary matrix akin to a hybrid pro forma income statement and environmental balance sheet. The clear delineation between the tradeoffs involved in each alternative facilitates Decision making by upper management. A case study on painting attematives is presented to illustrate the methodology
Ben R. Newell - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The primacy of Conscious Decision making
The Behavioral and brain sciences, 2014Co-Authors: David R. Shanks, Ben R. NewellAbstract:The target article sought to question the common belief that our Decisions are often biased by unConscious influences. While many commentators offer additional support for this perspective, others question our theoretical assumptions, empirical evaluations, and methodological criteria. We rebut in particular the starting assumption that all Decision making is unConscious, and that the onus should be on researchers to prove Conscious influences. Further evidence is evaluated in relation to the core topics we reviewed (multiple-cue judgment, deliberation without attention, and Decisions under uncertainty), as well as priming effects. We reiterate a key conclusion from the target article, namely, that it now seems to be generally accepted that awareness should be operationally defined as reportable knowledge, and that such knowledge can only be evaluated by careful and thorough probing. We call for future research to pay heed to the different ways in which awareness can intervene in Decision making (as identified in our lens model analysis) and to employ suitable methodology in the assessment of awareness, including the requirements that awareness assessment must be reliable, relevant, immediate, and sensitive.