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What Does “GREEN” Truly Mean? A Glossary of Green Terms1 Air Pollution: The presence of contaminants or pollutant substances in the air that interfere with human health or welfare, or produce other harmful environmental effects. Alternative Energy: Energy from a source other than the conventional fossil-fuel sources of oil, natural gas and coal (i.e., wind, the sun). Also see “renewable energy”. Biodegradable: Waste material composed primarily of constituent parts that occur naturally, are able to be decomposed by bacteria or fungi, and are absorbed into the ecosystem. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A naturally occurring greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. However the amount emissions increase with the burning of fossil fuels, leading to climate change. Climate Change: A long-term change in temperature and weather patterns due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, largely caused by human activity. Compost: Process whereby organic wastes, including food wastes, paper and yard wastes, decompose naturally, resulting in a product rich in minerals and ideal for gardening and farming as a soil conditioner, mulch, resurfacing material or landfill cover. Conservation: Preserving and renewing, when possible, human and natural resources. Leads to environmental and economic benefits through the use and protection of natural resources. Eco Label: Found on products with environmental certification from a third party organization. Eco Label Index is a great tool to find reliable certifications: http://www.ecolabelindex.com/ Emissions: The release of gases, liquids and/or solids from any process or industry. Carbon Footprint: A measure of impact on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. For an industrial setting, an environmental footprint is a company's environmental impact determined by the amount of raw materials and nonrenewable resources it consumes to make its products, and the quantity of waste and emissions that are generated in the process. Environmentally Responsible: Products that have received environmental certification(s) from a third-party organization (i.e. Eco Logo certified). Eco Friendly: Products or behaviour that are either not harmful/toxic to the environment, or contribute to the conservation of resources and the prevention of air, land and water pollution. Ensure third party guarantee of certification as the label “eco friendly” is self regulated. Energy Star: An international standard used to measure the energy efficiency of consumer goods. The Energy Star symbol is used to identify the most energy efficient appliances and electronics. Fair Trade: Trade partnerships between producers and consumers that ensure social and environmental standards. Guarantees that producers receive a minimum set price for goods, financial and technical support, healthy and safe working conditions, and community economic development. For a product to be Fair Trade Certified it must receive third party certification. (see www.ecolabelindex.com) Fossil Fuel: Fuel, such as oil, gas, or coal, extracted from the earth. Global Warming: An increase in the average temperature of the earth, attributed to the burning of fossil fuels. The term is outdated and now more commonly referred to as climate change. Gray water: Residential wastewater — from household processes such as dish washing, bathing, and laundry — that does not contain serious pollutants and can be recycled to water plants or wash cars. Greenhouse Gasses: Atmospheric gasses that trap heat from escaping the Earth. Greenhouse gasses are a natural part of the atmosphere, but due to human activity the amount emissions have increased, therefore causing climate change. Green Power/Energy: Electricity produced from renewable and non-polluting energy resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and lowimpact small hydroelectric sources. Green Energy does not produce greenhouse gases. Green Procurement: The purchase of environmentally friendly products and services. Hybrid Cars: Vehicles that use more than one fuel source (i.e. gasoline engine and electric motor), therefore creating fewer emissions. Light emitting diodes (LEDs): Small light sources that become illuminated by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material. LED lighting is more energy efficient, durable, versatile and longer lasting than incandescent and fluorescent lighting. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design): A self-assessing system designed for rating new and existing commercial, institutional, and residential buildings. It evaluates environmental performance from a "whole building" perspective over a building's life cycle, providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a green building. Life-cycle assessment: A technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life (from production to disposal). Using life-cycle assessment evaluates total potential environmental impact, provides assistance in informed purchasing decisions through the comparison of products and allows the inventory of a product’s flows to and from nature. Organic Products: Agriculture produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial chemicals. Phantom power (also "vampire power" or "phantom load"): Refers to the power drawn by appliances and electronics even when switched off or not in use. Post-Consumer Content: Material from products that were used by consumers and would otherwise get discarded as waste. These materials are recovered through consumer recycling, and include items such as newspapers, cardboard, aluminum, glass and plastics. Non-Renewable Energy: Energy derived from depletable fuels (oil, gas, coal) created through lengthy geological processes and existing in limited quantities on the earth. PVC: Polyvinyl chloride, a commonly used plastic found in many products. Commonly used because of durability, PVC is neither biodegradable nor degradable and is extremely difficult to recycle. Rain barrel: Mosquito-proof container used to collect and store rainwater that would otherwise wind up in storm drains and streams. The rain collected provides free "soft water" to homeowners-containing no chlorine, lime, or calcium-that can be used to water gardens and houseplants, or for car and window washing. Recycled Material: Waste material that has been reconditioned for a new function /use. Renewable Energy: Electricity that has been produced using renewable resources such as wind, solar, etc. These are considered clean energy sources as they do not consume depletable resources or create greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable: Practices that ensure the continued viability of a product or practice into the future. Sustainable development is an approach that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. Total Cost of Ownership: A process of estimating the total costs of ownership, operation, maintenance and disposal of an item during its projected life. Typically used in comparing alternative equipment design or purchase options in order to select the most appropriate design. VOCs: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a variety of chemicals that are emitted as gases from certain solids and liquids. VOCs may have adverse shortand long-term health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors than outdoors and can be emitted from a wide array of products. 1 References: http://houseplansandmore.com/resource_center/green_terms_glossary.aspx http://lifegoggles.com/652/the-green-glossary-environmental-terms-explained/ http://www.carbondiet.ca/green-living/green-terms.html http://www.epa.gov/greenhomes/TopGreenHomeTerms.htm