A

• Alternative Energy Energy from sources other than fossil fuels (coal, natural gas), such as renewable sources like wind, sun, or running water.

B

• Biodegradable Able to decompose or break down by a natural process without harm to the environment.
• Biodiesel A renewable fuel for diesel engines made of renewable organic raw materials like soybean oil or vegetable or animal fat that is then combined with alcohols like ethanol or methanol.
• Biodiversity Large variety of different species represented in a certain area.
• Biofuel Fuel produced from renewable sources such as food waste, used oil from fast-food fryers, or poultry litter.
• Biomass Cultivated vegetation used as a fuel or a source of energy.

C

• Carbon Footprint The total amount of carbon dioxide emitted over a given time by a person, organization, or state. Usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
• Carbon Neutral A process that doesn't add to the net amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
• Carbon Offset Compensating for greenhouse gas emissions through carbon emissions trading.
• Carbon Sequestration The uptake and storage of carbon.
• Cellulosic Ethanol A type of biofuel produced from lignocellulose, a structural material that comprises much of the mass of plants. Lignocellulose is composed mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Corn stover, switchgrass, miscanthus and woodchip are some of the more popular cellulosic materials for ethanol production. Cellulosic ethanol is chemically identical to ethanol from other sources, such as corn starch or sugar, but has the advantage that the lignocellulose raw material is highly abundant and diverse. However, it differs in that it requires a greater amount of processing to make the sugar monomers available to the microorganisms that are typically used to produce ethanol by fermentation.
• Chlorofluorocarbons Any of a class of organic compounds in which the hydrogen atoms of a hydrocarbon are replaced with those of chlorine and fluorine; formerly used as refrigerants and aerosol can propellants but withdrawn due to causing damage to the ozone layer.
• Climate Change Changes in the Earth's climate.
• Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) A kind of fluorescent lamp that uses less power and last longer than regular incandescent bulbs of the same percieved power of light.
• Compostable Organic matter that will break down naturally in a compost bin. Items can include coffee filters, grounds, paper towels, and food items except for dairy, meat, and bones.
• Co-op Short for co-operative. This can be a business, housing, retail, or agricultural organization where workers, customers, or tenants have partial or full ownership of the organization.
• Co-op America A non-profit consumer organization that promotes a socially and economically just society by harnessing the economic power of consumers, investors, and businesses.

D

• Deforestation The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation, often for forest areas to be converted into non-forest land. This results in a loss of biodiversity and has been cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenouse effect due to the release of carbon dioxide by the burning and decomposition of wood, as well as the loss of trees able to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
• DIY Do-It-Yourself.
• Dual-flush toilets Toilets designed to conserve water by letting consumers choose either a low-flush or full-flush capacity.

E

• Eco-chic A product or good that is both eco-friendly and hip.
• Eco-friendly Products made with ecology and the environment in mind.
• Ecosystem The interconnectedness of organisms (plants, animals, microbes) with each other and their environment.
• Emission Controls Any measure that limits and reduces the release of emissions.
• Energy Efficiency Products and systems that use less energy but maintain the same result or performance.
• Energy Star A joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy dedicated to helping consumers save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.
• Environmental Footprint The environmental impact of a company produced by the raw materials and nonrenewable resources/products it wastes.
• Ethanol Fuel Ethanol (ethyl alcohol), is the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. It can be used as a fuel, mainly as a biofuel alternative to gasoline, and is widely used in cars in Brazil. Because it is easy to manufacture and process, and can be made from very common materials, such as sugar cane, it is steadily becoming a promising alternative to gasoline throughout much of the world.

F

• Fair Trade A social movement that promotes standards for international labor and creates a market-based model of internation trade that promotes payment of a fair price to economically disadvantaged populations.
• Flat-pack Ready-to-assemble furniture that packs flat for transportation. These designs reduce shipping costs and fuel for transportation.
• Fossil Fuel Fuel created from decomposed plants and animals such as oil, natural gas, and coal. Burning these fuels generates carbon dioxide.
• FSC-certified Wood or paper products showing this label have been approved under the Forest Stewardship Council as products compliant with sustainable forestry practices.
• FTF Fair Trade Federation. An association of fair trade wholesalers, retailers, and producers.

G

• Geothermal Energy Heat under the ground used to heat water and make steam to turn generator turbines and make electricity.
• Global Warming A progressive and sustained rise in the earth's average temperature. Thought to be caused by the greenhouse effect and responsible for climate change and changes in global climate patterns.
• Going Green A phrase referring to individual action that a person can consciously take to curb harmful effects on the environment through consumer habits, behavior, and lifestyle.
• Gray Water Water that has been used in the home such as dish, shower, sink, or laundry water that is nondrinkable, but may be used for other purposes such as landscape irrigation or flushing toilets.
• Green Building A building designed to increase efficiency with the resources it uses, such as energy, water, and material or land.
• Green Design A term used in the building, furnishings, and product industries to indicate design sensitive to environmentaly-friendly, ecological issues.
• Green Seal A non-profit organization that certifies environmentally responsible products and services.
• Green Tags Also known as Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), Renewable Energy Credits, or Tradable Renewable Certificate (TRCs). These certificates represent electricity generated for a renewable energy source and are bought to offset conventional fuel use. What you pay for when you buy renewable energy certificates is the benefit of displacing other non-renewable sources from the regional or national electric grid.
• Greenhouse Effect The process by which the planet is warmed by its atmosphere through the trapping and build-up of heat near the Earth's surface. Some of the heat flowing back toward space from the Earth's surface is absorbed by water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and several other gases in the atmosphere and then reradiated back toward the Earth's surface. If the atmospheric concentrations of these greenhouse gases rise, the average temperature of the lower atmosphere will gradually increase.
• Greenhouse Gas Any gas, such as carbon dioxide or CFCs, that contributes to the greenhouse effect when released into the atmosphere.
• Greenwashing A term that describes marketers and businesses misleading consumers about their environmental practices or the enviromental benefits of a product or service.

H

• Hybrid A car that runs on both electric battery and fuel, making the gas mileage extremely efficient and also produces fewer emissions which help control pollution in the environment.
• Hydroelectric Energy obtained by converting the energy of moving water.

I

• Incandescent Light Bulb A source of light that works by incandescence using a a thin filament inside a glass bulb.

J

K

L

• LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. A certification process by the U.S. Green Building Council that provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction.
• Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) Devices that contain chemical compounds that illuminate when they come into contact with electricity. LEDs don't require a heating filament so they burn cooler and use less electricity to produce light. They also last longer than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.
• Low-VOC A term referring to reduced amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint and finishes. Low-VOC paints do not off-gas as much as conventional paints and contain less toxins that are harmful to the environment.

M

N

• Nonrenewable Resource A natural resource that can't be replenished because the rate of formation is slower than the rate of consumption. Fossil fuels, metals, other minerals and groundwater are nonrenewable.

O

• Organic Products made from natural resources as well as food or food products grown free of artificial chemicals. Organic materials are often certified by a regulatory body.
• Ozone Depletion Deconstruction of the earth's ozone layer.

P

• Post-Consumer Refers to recycled material that was used first by a consumer. A high post-consumer content helps divert materials from ending up in landfills.
• Post-Consumer Waste Waste created from unused portions of a product such as packaging, kleenex, batteries, or other common items that are routinely discarded.
• Pre-Consumer Refers to recycled material that came from the manufacturing process. Pre-consumer recycling of scraps and discards diverts waste that may otherwise end up in landfills, and reduces use of raw materials.

Q

R

• Recyclable Able to be recycled or re-used in some way.
• Recycling Collecting and reprocessing a resource so it can be used again. An example is collecting aluminum cans, melting them down, and using the aluminum to make new cans or other aluminum products.
• Reforestation Replanting of forests on lands that have recently been harvested.
• 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.
• Renewable Energy Energy obtained from naturally replenished sources such as sun, rain, wind, tides, and geothermal heat.
• Repurpose Taking a thing or a material and using it for a purpose not originally intended.

S

• Solar Power The technology that we use to obtain energy from sunlight.
• Sustainability Configuring human activity so that a sociey and its economy can meet present needs without compromising the environment and working to maintain the productivity of natural ecosystems for the future.
• Sustainable Development Meeting the needs of the present while growing without compromising the future environmental state.

T

• Tidal Power Power obtained by catching the energy of moving water masses due to tides.

U

V

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Substances produced from solids and liquids that convert to gases, such as benzene and methylene chloride, that may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Avoid products that contain VOCs, which can be found in paints and adhesives.

W

• Wind Power Converting wind into energy, usually by wind turbines, that spin as wind blows.
• Windows with Low E Glass Windows built with glass that has been treated to prevent heat or cold emission.

X

• Xeriscaping Landscaping based on native, water-efficient plants to minimize the need for irrigation.

Y

Z