Glossary of Terms

Air pollution – contaminants or substances in the air that interfere with human health or produce other harmful environmental effects.

Alternative energy– usually environmentally friendly, this is energy from uncommon sources such as wind power or solar energy, not fossil fuels.

Biodegradable – something when left alone break down and be absorbed into the eco-system.

Biodiversity  - means the variety of life. It includes everything from animals, plants and fungi to habitats such as woodland, heathland or saltmarsh. It is a collective term for all life.

Blackwater – the wastewater generated by toilets.

Carbon dioxide – CO2 is a naturally occurring greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. However the amount of it increases when we burn fossil fuels, leading to global warming.

Carbon footprint – a measure of the your impact on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

Carbon monoxide – a colourless, odourless and highly toxic gas commonly created during combustion.

Carbon neutral – a company, person or action either not producing any carbon emissions or if it does have been offset elsewhere.

Climate change – a change in temperature and weather patterns due to human activity like burning fossil fuels. 

Composting – a process whereby organic wastes, including food and paper, decompose naturally, resulting in a produce rich in minerals and ideal for gardening and farming as a soil conditioner, mulch, resurfacing material, or landfill cover.

Eco - anything pertaining to the positive interaction between manmade processes and the delicate organic balance found in our environment.

Eco-Friendly - having minimal to no harmful or threatening impact on the natural environment.

Energy efficiency – ways and technology that can reduce the amount of electricity or fuel used to do the same work. Such as keeping a house warm using less energy.

Energy saving light bulbs – light bulbs which use far less energy than conventional bulbs.

Geothermal energy – heat that comes from the earth.

Glass recycling – glass bottles and jars can be recycled endlessly. That means that unlike some other recycled products, a recycled bottle can be recycled into another glass bottle. And another, and so on forever.

Green - a philosophy of creating eco-friendly products, using sustainable technologies that will not deplete our planet of its remaining resources. 

Green design – a design, usually architectural, conforming to environmentally sound principles of building, material and energy use. A green building, for example, might make use of solar panels, skylights, and recycled building materials.

Greenwashing - Providing misleading information to conceal abuse of the environment to obtain a more positive impression.  

Landfill – area where waste is dumped and eventually covered with dirt and topsoil.

Life cycle assessment – methodology developed to assess a product’s full environmental costs, from raw material to final disposal.

Lead– harmful to the environment used in a lot of paints. It’s also toxic to humans.

Light pollution – environmental pollution consisting of the excess of harmful or annoying light.

Low-emission vehicles – cars etc which emit little pollution compared to conventional engines.

Non-renewable resources – Resources that are in limited supply, such as oil, coal, and natural gas.

Offsetting – the process of reducing carbon emissions by ‘offsetting’ it. An example is by taking a flight and in compensation paying a company to plant trees to equal the carbon use out.

Organic foods -  are grown with the minimum use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Processed Organic foods contain fewer artificial additives, flavorings and preservatives. Animals reared Organically enjoy a high standard of care and welfare during their lives.  Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water.  Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.

Photovoltaic panels – solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity. Power is produced when sunlight strikes the semiconductor material and creates an electrical current.

Recycling – the process of collecting, sorting, and reprocessing old material into usable raw materials.

Reduce – not using or buying products in the forst place so less waste, less recycling and less reusing.

Renewable energy – alternative energy sources such as wind power or solar energy that can keep producing energy indefinitely without being used up.

Renewable resources – Like renewable energy, resources such as wind, sunlight and trees that regenerate.

Reuse – before throwing away or recycling, a product that can be reused until its time to recycle.

Solar heating– heat from the sun is absorbed by collectors and transferred by pumps or fans to a storage unit for later use or to the house interior directly. Controls regulating the operation are needed. Or the heat can be transferred to water pumps for hot water.

Sustainable development - is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs