If global warming had no impact on ecosystems or humans, would we care about it? Most likely not. We care about global warming because it has a negative impact on ecosystems and humans. It is truly difficult to measure ecosystem or human health damage -- we don't have the models or time to quantify it. So instead, we consider a metric that we can measure. Embodied carbon is a measurement, in "kg of carbon dioxide equivalent, ($kgCO_2 e$)". This metric is a measurement of the relative contribution of a system to global warming, which will ultimately impact ecosystems and human health. We call global warming a midpoint indicator, whereas ecosystem damage and human health damage are endpoint impacts. Essentially, midpoint indicators are used as proxies for endpoint impacts. There are many midpoint indicators that are reported by life cycle assessments (LCAs) of buildings. These include: - Acidification (kg SO2e): the process of changing the pH balance of water and soil, resulting in more acidic or more basic substances. - Climate change (kg CO2e): includes impacts of gasses contributing to global warming, including CO2, H2O, & CH4. Pseudonyms: Global Warming Impact (GWI), GHG Emissions, Carbon Footprint. - Eutrophication (kg PO4e): is the excess of biological activity in an aquatic system, typically resulting from the addition of nutrients to bodies of water. Pseudonym: Nutrient Pollution. - Ozone Depletion (kg CFC-11e): is the reduction in Ozone from the atmosphere via reaction with chlorinated compounds. - Smog (kg C2H4e): is the formation of ground-level ozone, which poses significant threats to human health. - Depletion of Non-Renewable Energy Resources (MJ): is the energy from the combustion of coal and/or use of crude oil in the manufacturing of a product. Midpoint indicators are commonly referred to as "environmental impacts". And while environmental impacts other than climate change are important to consider, the relative magnitude of their impact on ecosystem damage is lower. Yet, "[carbon tunnel vision](https://www.sei.org/perspectives/move-beyond-carbon-tunnel-vision/)" is real and something for the industry to consider addressing. # Navigation Return: [[Home]] Suggested Next: [[Life cycle stages and modules]]