WHAT DOES GREEN MEAN?
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ALTERNATIVE ENERGY |
Usually environmentally friendly, this is energy from uncommon sources
such as wind power or solar energy, not fossil fuels. |
ALTERNATIVE FUEL |
Similar to alternative energy. Not fossil fuels, but different
transportation fuels like natural gas, methanol, bio fuels and
electricity. |
BIO DEGRADABLE |
A material or substance capable of decomposing quickly and without harmful
effects to the environment when left exposed to nature. |
BIO-FUELS |
Fuels that are made from renewable raw materials, such as plant biomass
or vegetable oils; considered to burn cleaner than petroleum-based fuels
that pollute the environment. |
CARPOOLING |
(Also known as car-sharing, ride-sharing, lift-sharing). The shared
use of a car by the driver and one or more passengers, usually for
commuting. Carpooling reduces the costs involved in repetitive or long
distance driving by sharing cars, reducing the number of cars on the
road, decreases pollution, the need for parking space and, in a global
perspective, reduces greenhouse gas emissions. |
CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) |
An atmospheric gas that is a major component of the carbon
cycle. Although produced through natural processes, carbon dioxide is
also released through human activities, such as the combustion of fossil
fuels to produce electricity. Carbon dioxide is the predominate gas
contributing to the greenhouse effect, and as such is known to contribute
to climate change. |
CARBON FOOTPRINT |
The total amount of carbon dioxide emitted on the environment (i.e.,
travel needs, electricity demands from fossil fuel burning power plants
which effects climate change). Reducing carbon footprints would mean a
healthier earth. |
CARBON NEUTRAL |
A company, person or action either not producing any carbon emissions
or, if it does, having been offset elsewhere. |
CARBON OFFSET |
Carbon offsetting is the act of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by
allowing company's to do emissions trading. For example, a factory or
production facility may be unable to reduce its own carbon footprint
through its own actions, so it may voluntarily purchase credits from
another party to offset their actions. The goal of carbon offsets is to
attain a carbon neutral overall balance. |
CARBON SINK |
Carbon dioxide is naturally absorbed by things such as oceans, forests
and peat bogs. These are called carbon sinks. |
CERTIFIED |
Acknowledging that a product's claims are genuine, typically having gone
through a process similar to obtaining a license. |
CERTIFIED GREEN
LOCAL GOVERNMENT |
The Florida
Green Building Coalition's Green Local Government Standard designates
Green Cities and Green Counties for outstanding environmental
stewardship. |
COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMP (CFL) |
(Also known as a compact fluorescent light bulb) Is a type of fluorescent
lamp designed to replace an incandescent lamp. Compared to incandescent
lamps of the same luminous flux, CFLs use less energy and have a longer
rated life. In the United States, a CFL can save over $30 in electricity
costs over the lamp’s lifetime compared to an incandescent lamp and, save
2000 times their own weight in greenhouse gases. |
COMPOSTING |
The controlled biological decomposition of organic material consisting
of partially or wholly decayed vegetable matter that provides nutrients
for plants and increases the ability of soil to retain water. |
CONCENTRATED PRODUCTS |
An amount of a substance mixed with another substance, resulting in less
packaging and less energy to transport to the store, saving money as
well as natural resources. |
CONSTRUCTION WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN (CWMP) |
An act of diverting construction debris and waste materials resulting
from remodeling, repair, demolition of homes and commercial buildings
and other structures and pavements, through a conscientious plan to
recycle, salvage and reuse. |
CONVENTIONAL POWER |
Power produced from non-renewable fuels such as coal, oil,
natural gas and nuclear material. Conventional fuels are finite
resources that cannot be replenished once they are extracted and used. |
DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT |
Energy conservation and efficiency programs
developed for, and used by, residential and business consumers to reduce
their use of electric energy. |
EARTH DAY |
One of two observances, intended to inspire awareness of and appreciate
the Earth's environment. |
ECO-ASSESSMENT |
An evaluation of your home or workplace with the aim of cutting your
energy and water usage. |
ECO-SYSTEM |
A interaction between organisms and their ability to
sustain one another in their natural environment. |
ECO-FRIENDLY |
Goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm, with the
environment and the ecology in mind. |
ECO-TOURISM |
Responsible travel with minimal impact on the environment, providing a
direct financial benefit to the host community and respecting the
natural area and social climate. |
ENERGY EFFICIENT |
Products and systems that use less energy to perform as well or better
than standard products. Although they can be costly, their use over a
lifetime would be inexpensive when factoring in the cost of energy
used (i.e. fluorescent light bulbs vs. incandescent bulbs). |
ENERGY STAR |
A joint program of the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy to help
consumers save money and protect the environment through
energy-efficient products and practices. With the help of ENERGY STAR,
Americans saved enough energy to avoid increasing greenhouse gas
emissions and saved on their utility bills. |
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) |
An independent agency of the government, established in 1970 that sets and enforces national
pollution-control standards to protect the public health and environment. |
FAIR TRADE |
A commercial agreement under which distributors sell products or
commodities of a given class at no less than the minimum price set by the
manufacturer while promoting standards for international labor. |
FLORIDA FRIENDLY LANDSCAPE |
Landscape focusing on plants and trees that are
tolerant of the climate and thrive in varied weather conditions and do
not require extensive supplemental irrigation. This new green initiative
implemented at Tampa's fire stations helps beautify neighborhoods and is
environmentally responsible. |
FLORIDA GREEN BUILDING COALITION (FGBC) |
A nonprofit Florida corporation dedicated to improving the built
environment. Their mission is "to provide a statewide green building
program with environmental and economic benefits. |
FOSSIL FUELS |
The nation's principal source of electricity, largely due to their low costs. Fossil
fuels come in three major forms: coal, oil and natural gas. They are finite resources and cannot be replenished once they
are extracted and burned and non-renewable. |
FUEL CELL |
A technology that uses an electrochemical process to convert energy into
electrical power. Often powered by natural gas, it is
cleaner than grid-connected power sources and hot water as a by product. |
GEOTHERMAL |
Geothermal power uses heat from the earth to generate electricity. It's
harnessed by Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP), underground coils
to transfer heat from the ground to the inside of residential and
commercial buildings, that can be used to provide heating, cooling and
hot water. |
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE |
Climate change refers to any significant change in measures of climate
(such as temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended
period (decades or longer). |
GOING GREEN |
A phrase referring to action that a person can consciously
take to better the environment, them self (financially of otherwise) through his
or her habits, behavior and lifestyle. |
GREYWATER |
Waste water that does not contain sewage or fecal contamination (such as
from the shower) and can be reused for irrigation after filtration. |
GREYWATER / BLACKWATER |
Both are waste water, but the former is generated by washing dishes,
laundry and bathing while the latter is generated from toilets and
contains much higher levels of bacterial pollutants. According to the
USGBC, greywater "makes up 50-80 percent of residential wastewater" and
can be recycled for irrigation. New residential systems redirect it for
use in toilets. |
GREEN BUILDING |
The practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use
resources, such as energy, water, and building materials or land. Green
buildings may use one or more renewable energy systems for heating and
cooling, such as solar electric, solar hot water, geothermal biomass or
any combination of these. |
GREEN BUSINESS |
An enterprise that has no negative impact
on the global or local environment, community or society. |
GREEN DESIGN |
A term used in the building, furnishings and product industries to
indicate design sensitive to environmentally-friendly, ecological
issues, while reducing building impacts on human health and the
environment, through better seating, design, construction, operation,
maintenance, and removal, the complete building life cycle. |
GREEN OFFICER (TAMPA) |
Tampa's official, responsible for coordinating Florida Green Local
Government (FGLG) certification efforts and other city initiatives,
including staff training programs, researching the possibility of bonus
densities to encourage green building, and the review of existing land
development regulations to remove any impediments to green building
practices and, overall improvements to our environment. |
GREEN TAG |
Green tags are Renewable Energy Credits HVACL (Heating,
Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Lighting), sold by power companies to
customers who want to support the development of renewable energy, e.g.,
solar and wind power, as well as watershed restoration. Purchasing Green Tags help
offset the carbon emissions from your home, travel, event or business. |
GREEN TECHNOLOGY |
Systematic knowledge and application to production processes making
efficient use of natural resources, while reducing or recycling waste
and controlling and minimizing the risks of chemical substance while
reducing pollution. |
GREENHOUSE EFFECT |
Greenhouse gases traps heat inside the earth's atmosphere. It’s a
natural phenomena that when the carbon dioxide or methane amounts are
too large, the earth gets out of balance and experience a rise in
temperature or climate change on the earth's surface. |
GRID |
The network of wires and cables that transport electricity from a power
plant to your home or business. |
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A vehicle which combines a conventional propulsion system with an
on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to achieve better
fuel economy than a conventional vehicle without being hampered by range
from a charging unit like a battery electric vehicle (BEV), which uses
batteries charged by an external source. |
KILOWATT-HOUR |
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a standard metric unit of measurement for
electricity. The average home in the United States uses approximately
900 kWh/month or 10.8 MWh/year of electricity. |
LEED |
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). A green
building rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
that provide standards for environmentally sustainable construction. |
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT |
A methodology developed to assess a product’s full environmental costs from raw material to final disposal. |
LOW VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS |
A term referring to reduced amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
in paint and finishes. They do not release significant pollutants and
are virtually odor free. Paints, adhesives, and other protective
finishes are often formulated with solvents (or VOCs) to improve
performance and durability. |
MEGAWATT-HOUR |
A
standard unit of electrical power equal to 1,000 kilowatts, or 1 million
watts. |
NATIVE LANDSCAPING |
Plants that are indigenous to your area and are better adapted to
the local climate, use appropriate amounts of water, resist local pests
and provide food for area wildlife. |
NONRENEWABLE ENERGY |
Sources of energy that comes out of the ground as
liquids, gases and solids (oil, natural gases & coal), which are known
as fossil fuels and cannot be replaced or made again in a short period
of time. |
ORGANIC |
Agricultural products using or grown with fertilizers
and mulches consisting only of animal or vegetable matter, with no use
of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. |
OZONE LAYER |
In the upper atmosphere about 15 miles above sea level, it forms a
protective layer which shields the earth from excessive ultraviolet
radiation and occurs naturally. |
PASSIVE SOLAR |
This refers to capitalizing on the warmth and light of the sun with
simple strategies instead of complex technologies, such as the use of
windows and heat-absorbing and/or reflective materials as opposed to
heating and cooling systems. |
PEAT BOG |
A swamp where peat (partially carbonized vegetable matter used for
fertilizer and fuel) has accumulated. |
PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS |
Solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity. Power is produced
when sunlight strikes the semi-conductor material and creates an
electrical current. |
POST-CONSUMER |
Garbage that individuals routinely throw away in a waste receptacle; not properly recycled. |
PRE-CONSUMER |
Waste or scrap commonly used in manufacturing industries,
often not considered recycling in the traditional sense. |
RAINWATER HARVESTING |
The gathering or accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse. |
RAPIDLY RENEWABLE MATERIALS |
Resources that can be rapidly replenished as they are used, such as some
woods, grasses and cork. |
RECYCLE |
The process of separating garbage or waste, such as paper, metals,
plastics and glass to be reused again by putting through a cycle to
extract useful materials. |
RELOCALIZATION |
A strategy to build societies based on the local production of food, energy and goods, and the local development of currency, governance and culture. The main goals of relocalization are to increase community energy security, to strengthen local economies, and to dramatically improve environmental conditions and social equity.. |
RENEWABLE |
A product or material that has been used and can be restored, as if new
again. |
RENEWABLE ENERGY |
Energy generated from natural resources such as sunlight, rain,
wind, tides and geothermal heat which is naturally replenished. |
REPURPOSE |
To use or convert a material for use in another format or product. |
RUNOFF |
The overflow from rainfalls that have not been absorbed
by the soil. Wastewater that flows into our sewer systems from
gardens, lawns, driveways, streets and manufacturers that carries
various pollutants, including fertilizers and pesticides, which can flow
into the waterways and degrade the water quality for humans and animals
and destroy plant life. |
SOLAR ENERGY |
Energy from the sun. |
STORMWATER |
Water that originates during precipitation events (rain). It may also
be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt or runoff water
from overwatering that enters the stormwater system. |
STORMWATER RUNOFF |
Unfiltered water that reaches streams, lakes, ponds and oceans by means
of flowing across impervious surfaces. Stormwater that
does not soak into the ground becomes surface runoff, which either flows
into surface waterways or is channeled into storm sewers. |
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM |
Tourism meeting the needs of visitors and ensuring the same opportunity
and experience for future visitors. |
SUSTAINABLY HARVESTED |
A renewable resource that sustains life and the environment that has
been harvested in a way that allows its inherent regeneration and
continued ongoing supply (wood, grain, oil). |
U.S. CLIMATE PROTECTION ACT |
An agreement that urges the federal and state governments to enact
policies and programs to reduce global warming pollution and seeks to
promote positive climate change at the municipal level. |
U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL (USGBC) |
A nonprofit community of leaders working to make green buildings
available to everyone within a generation. |
VOC |
Toxins commonly found in
conventional paints, sealers and finishes, emits gas into the air that
diminishes air quality, and are not good for people or the environment. |
WASTE MINIMIZATION |
Elimination or reduction, to the extent feasible, of water that is
generated that would otherwise be treated, stored or disposed. |
WASTE REDUCTION |
A process that seeks to reduce or eliminate the amount of waste
generated at its source (humans, manufacturing plants, landfills); or to
reuse products and materials that have been discarded. |
WASTEWATER |
Water that has been used and contaminated by runoff of
lawns that contain pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals; and
manufacturing plants that uses various chemicals in there products. |
WIND POWER |
Energy generated from large propellers that, when spun by the wind, drive
turbines that power generators and create electricity. |
WIND TURBINE |
A machine that captures the energy of the wind and transfers the motion
to an electric generator shaft for the creation of electricity. |
ZERO-CARBON BUILDINGS |
Structures with no emissions of carbon dioxide at all from any of the systems
and appliances. |
ZERO-ENERGY BUILDINGS |
Structures incorporating systems to both generate and
conserve en. |
