Eco Glossary

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Alternative Energy – Energy produced from renewable sources, such as sunlight or wind. Does not generate heat-trapping “greenhouse” gases.

Biodegradable – A material or substance which will decompose quickly and without harmful effects to the environment when left exposed to nature.

Biofuels – Fuels from recently living plants and animals, or metabolic byproducts such as manure from cows.

Bio-accumulation - Refers to toxins residing in the fatty tissues of organisms and increasing in trophic levels on the food chain.

Carbon Footprint – Measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

Certified Wood – Under the guidance of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), wood-based materials used in building construction that are supplied from sources that comply with sustainable forestry practices, protecting trees, wildlife habitat, streams and soil.

CFC: Chlorofluorocarbons. Used in refrigerants, cleaners and aerosols and in the making of plastic foams, CFCs are greenhouse gases. They also cause ozone depletion in the stratosphere.

CFL – Compact Fluorescent Light – A smaller version of a fluorescent lamp that fits into a standard light bulb socket. Fluorescent bulbs create light in a more energy-efficient way. According to General Electric, a 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt regular incandescent bulb.

CSA – Community Supported Agriculture – Supporting a local farm(s), usually seen in the form of weekly fresh organic produce home deliveries.

Downcycle – The capacity to recycle one material into another material of lesser quality.

Eco-Friendly: An alternative to goods or services that takes the ecology in mind, and adheres to using the principals of sustainability. It’s imperative to read the fine print, a commonly used deceptive term used in marketing.

Endocrine Disruptor – A synthetic chemical that harms your endocrine system. The foundation of your endocrine system are hormones and glands. Endocrine glands — such as the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, thymus, pancreas, ovaries, and testes — send 20 major hormones directly into your bloodstream so they can be transported to cells in other parts of your body. As your body’s chemical messengers, hormones transfer information and instructions from one set of cells to another.

Endocrine disruptors, however, mimic or block hormones and thereby disrupt normal functions in your body.

Energy audit – Process of determining energy consumption of a building or facility.

Environmental footprint - The impact of an organization in categories such as resource use and waste generation. A “carbon footprint” details how much carbon dioxide an organization adds to the atmosphere.

EMF (Electromagenetic Field) – A physical field that is developed from objects that are electrically charged.  EMF’s are known to effect the natural electromagentic field of human beings.  Causing insomnia, irritability and lack of concentration.

Ethanol - An automotive fuel derived from grass, sugar cane or corn. Burning ethanol adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, but it is seen as a renewable fuel, like solar power, that does not deplete natural resources, but is very controversial.

Forestry Stewardship Council - The Forestry Stewardship Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially and economically viable management of the world’s forests. FSC-labeled wood products indicate that the wood is harvested from sustainably-managed forests.

GMO – Genetically Modified Organisms – Food that has been chemically altered to resist infestation and absorb fertilizers.

GEO – Genetically Engineered Organisims – Engineered foods that have been biologically altered (same as GMO).

Graywater - Wastewater generated from domestic processes such as dish washing, laundry, and bathing usually naturally treated in greywater ponds to be used to water gardens and landscaping.

Greenhouse Effect - The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere attributed to a buildup of carbon dioxide and other gases that retain heat and warm the planet’s surface.

Grid – The standard method of utility companies storing and transmitting energy from various points to consumers.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) – As sunlight strikes the surface of the Earth, some of this sunlight is re-radiated back into space in the form of infrared radiation or heat. Atmospheric gases, absorb this radiation and trap heat in the atmosphere. Many of these gases are naturally occurring, while others that are man made.

Green Washing – A term used to describe the deception of consumers that are being misled by a company regarding the environmental practices of said company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

LEED (Leadership for Energy Efficiency) – A standard by the US Green Building Council that uses a Green Building rating system, and has a 3rd party certification program recognized nationally for commercial and residential buildings.

Life-cycle Assessment (LCA) – The assessment of raw material production, manufacture, transportation, distribution, use and disposal including all steps necessary or caused by the product’s existence. The sum of all those steps – or phases – is the life cycle of the product.

Multi-functional – Something that serves more than one purpose. In product and furniture design, multi-functional pieces reduce the need for multiple products, thus using less raw resources and reducing clutter in modern homes.

Natural - A product that is made from materials and ingredients found in nature, with little or no human intervention. For example, wood is a natural material while plastic is not. Does not confirm that a product was harvested or attained in a sustainable manner. These days many things that are not natural are being labeled as such; be discerning and read the labels.

Offset: The ability for an individual or company purchase carbon offsets to mitigate their own greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, electricity use, and other sources.

Organic – A term used to identify a by-product from plant or insect origin. Products labeled organic are usually supported by third party certifications to assure quality.

Phantom Load – Also known as stand-by energy, it refers to energy that energy that is consumed by electronics and appliances that may be off, but are still plugged in and is considered to be on stand-by mode.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) – Chemicals that are proven to persist in the environment and result in bioaccumulation in our food supply. The properties of these chemicals results in these chemicals moving up the food chain and concentrating in human fatty tissue.

Phthalates: Chemicals used as solvents and plasticisers. Often found in mattress covers, plastic toys and feeding vessels. They have been associated with birth defects and reproductive problems in boys. The European Union has outlawed their use in children’s toys.

PBDE (Polybrominated diphenyl ethers)– Many household products were required by law to be sprayed with PBDE as a safety precaution against fire.

Amongst the products commonly effected by fire retardants are children’s clothing, soft furnishings, bedding and mattresses

Renewable – A raw material that can be replenished within a reasonable amount of time. Example, bamboo and sustainably-harvested woods are renewable. Gold and precious stones are not renewable.

Recycle – Recycling is an integral part of a healthy waste stream and should be seen as a way to reduce the demand for virgin materials. Basic materials that are usually recycled are aluminum, glass, metal, plastic, and electronics. Each municipality is different and knowing what city recycles allow for optimum recyclability.

Soil – Top soil is a critical part of the survival of humanity. It changes in characteristic based on location and condition. Healthy soil is built by nurturing the land with proper agricultural practices, composting and land stewardship. Soil is not dirt, it is alive and bustling with millions of microorganisms that help sustain life above the ground.

Sustainable – Actions and products that meet current needs without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Sustainability is a broad term and often refers to the desire to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future.

Sustainably-harvested – A renewable resource that as been harvested in a way that allows inherent regeneration and continued ongoing supply.

Toxic-Runoff: – Chemicals used in farming practices that leach into local waterways affecting the food grown in that region, in addition to the local water supply.

Upcycle – The waste diversion process by which materials, intended for the landfill, are converted into a new product. The process not only reduces landfill waste but the need for virgin material.

VOC’s: Volatile organic compounds – Airborne contaminants that are toxic and contribute to ozone levels.

Water Footprint – the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual, business or nation.

Zero Net – The capacity for a building to produce as much energy, or more, as it consumes with the ability to provide to the grid.