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Browse Glossary :
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Frequently Searched Terms
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Definition of Nonrenewable resource
Nonrenewable resourceWe're using them up faster than they are made. These natural resources-including forests, coal, and oil-either do not replenish themselves or do so much more slowly than they are consumed. 
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| Acid rain |
| This environmental buzzword may take you back a few years, and it's true it gets less press today,... more |
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| Acrylic |
| A fleece blanket, an artist's paint, an airplane windshield. What these things might have in common... more |
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| Aggregate |
| As a kid, you might have known aggregate as the worst part of getting a skinned knee. This... more |
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| Antimony |
| This brittle, silvery white heavy metal occurs naturally in the Earth's crust. Antimony is mixed... more |
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| Asbestos |
| There is little debate about the dangers of this silicate mineral fiber, once commonly used in... more |
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| Bagasse |
| Here's a sweet find: This byproduct of sugarcane processing is a type of biomass, an organic,... more |
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| Bamboo fabric |
| What's soft and light and "green" all over? This fabric, which is made from the pulp of the same... more |
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| Bamboo flooring |
| Not just for pandas anymore, bamboo is an up-and-coming option for flooring. This eco-friendly... more |
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| Batt insulation |
| A familiar sight in unfinished attics, this material is also called blanket insulation. It is... more |
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| Bioaccumulate |
| Exposure to dangerous chemicals adds up over time. This term refers to just that-the gradual... more |
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| Biodegradable |
| Nine lives might be fine for a cat, but when it comes to trash, who wants it to last forever? A... more |
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| Biodiversity |
| This is the great variety of life, in all its forms. The term refers to diversity in a range of... more |
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| Biomass |
| Renewable energy doesn't come only from the sun, wind, and water. Biomass, which is any organic,... more |
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| Bioplastic |
| If The Graduate were remade today, it might be this phrase ringing in Dustin Hoffman's ears as the... more |
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| Blown-in insulation |
| There are numerous ways to add a layer of protection between your interior living spaces and the... more |
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| Borate |
| This mineral is a salt of boric acid. Borate is often added to cellulose, cotton, and other natural... more |
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| Brownfield |
| It's more than just a bad view. Ever wonder why that old factory site or gas station was never... more |
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| Building envelope |
| In a nutshell, it's the shell: Everything that separates and protects indoors from out-including... more |
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| Cadmium |
| This is one of many toxic heavy metals that exist naturally in the Earth's crust. Industrially,... more |
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| Carbon dioxide (CO2) |
| People breathe it out, plants breathe it in: a perfect balance, at least in theory. This colorless... more |
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| Carbon footprint |
| Always wanted to make your mark on the world? This probably isn't how you imagined doing it. This... more |
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| Carbon market |
| How much does it cost to pollute? Very often, it doesn't cost a dime. The principle of a carbon... more |
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| Carbon monoxide (CO) |
| It packs one less O, and a lot more toxicity, than its cousin CO2. Colorless and odorless, this gas... more |
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| Carpet backing |
| This is something you might be tempted to sweep under the rug. Carpet backing, which holds carpet... more |
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| Cellulose |
| Cellulose is a natural polymer that is the basic component of plant fibers, including wood fibers.... more |
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| Clear-cutting |
| The problem with clearcutting is pretty clear-cut. This forestry technique, which is commonly... more |
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| Closed loop production |
| A sustainable system in which a product is created using renewable energy, with no pollutant output... more |
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| Compact fluorescent lamp |
| Here's a bright idea: an energy-efficient alternative to age-old incandescent lighting. These bulbs... more |
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| Composting |
| The word may not conjure beds of roses, but this easy, natural form of recycling is a gardener's... more |
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| Composting toilet |
| OK, joke all you want about this. The composting toilet has a rep that puts it almost on par with... more |
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| Cool roof |
| Wearing white on a hot summer day makes sense for you, and it does for your roof as well. A cool... more |
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| Cooling/heating load |
| This HVAC industry term refers to the amount of energy it takes to reach and maintain a desired... more |
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| Cork flooring |
| Pop the cork for cork. This durable, comfy-under-bare-feet flooring material is definitely worth... more |
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| Cross-ventilation |
| This was your grandmother's approach to air-conditioning: air that flows from one side of a room or... more |
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| Daylighting |
| Here's an energy-saving idea that is as cheerful as it sounds: This approach to lighting a home is... more |
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| Deconstruction |
| Not so fast with that wrecking ball, folks. A building that has outlived its usefulness doesn't... more |
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| Deforestation |
| This destructive practice affects a lot more than the landscape. Deforestation refers to the... more |
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| Demand water heater |
| Also called tankless water heater or instantaneous water heater. Hot water when you need it,... more |
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| Dioxins |
| Some of the most unpleasant things are the hardest to get rid of. This tenacious family of... more |
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| Disassembly |
| Disassembly embraces the idea that the whole is not necessarily greater than the sum of its parts.... more |
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| Double-glazed window |
| Glazing is another word for window glass, and this type of window has two panes instead of one, for... more |
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| Downcycling |
| Think of a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy. With every successive copy, the quality... more |
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| Drip irrigation |
| Sure, sprinklers are a lot of fun on a hot day. But if you want to conserve water while giving... more |
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| Drywall |
| If your home was built in the last 50 years or so, you're probably surrounded by the stuff. Give it... more |
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| E-waste |
| This term doesn't refer to all the spam filling your email box, though those messages do waste... more |
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| Eco-tourism |
| More than just a nature tour. This trend in traveling is about visiting natural areas responsibly,... more |
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| Eco-travel |
| More than just a nature tour. This trend in traveling is about visiting natural areas responsibly,... more |
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| Ecological footprint |
| Always wanted to make your mark on the world? This probably isn't how you imagined doing it. This... more |
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| Ecosystem |
| In nature, everything has a purpose. This is a community of living things-animals, plants, and... more |
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| Electronic waste |
| This term doesn't refer to all the spam filling your email box, though those messages do waste... more |
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| Emissivity |
| This term describes the ability of a material to release, or radiate, heat. When a window is... more |
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| Emittance |
| This term describes the ability of a material to release, or radiate, heat. When a window is... more |
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| Energy efficiency |
| Energy efficiency is all about bang for the buck and a boon for the environment. Systems or... more |
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| Energy efficiency ratio (EER) |
| Ready for a chill? This standard air-conditioning system rating refers to the cooling capacity of a... more |
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| Energy Star |
| In the vast universe of appliances and home improvement products, these are the stars to look for.... more |
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| EnergyGuide label |
| If you're appliance shopping, you can't miss it: This bright yellow label, created by the Federal... more |
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| Engineered wood |
| The Lorax, the creature dreamed up by Dr. Seuss to speak for the trees, might be somewhat heartened... more |
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| Environmental footprint |
| Always wanted to make your mark on the world? This probably isn't how you imagined doing it. This... more |
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| Environmental impact |
| Very simply, this is any change, positive or negative, to land, ecosystems, and human health as a... more |
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| Environmental justice |
| This term might bring to mind a super hero-"eco-man"-clad in green tights and traveling the world... more |
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| Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
| This is the U.S. government agency responsible for the development and enforcement of environmental... more |
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| Environmental racism |
| Racial discrimination takes many insidious forms. This term refers to a situation in which... more |
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| Ethanol |
| Fill the tank with liquor? This alcohol, made from corn and other starchy grains, can be used as a... more |
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| Evaporative cooling |
| What happens when you perspire on a hot day? The sweat evaporates, using heat from your body in the... more |
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| Fiber-cement siding |
| Looking for a siding material that looks like wood but is resistant to fire, rot, and insects? This... more |
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| Fiber-reactive dye |
| Ever had a red sock turn all your white shirts pink in the wash? That's one of the troubles of... more |
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| Fiberglass |
| Many of us think of it as that pink, cotton-candy-like stuff that lines the attic. Fiberglass is... more |
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| Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) |
| "There's got to be a better way," captures the essence of the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC... more |
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| Formaldehyde |
| The smell of this highly toxic volatile organic compound (VOC) could virtually transport you right... more |
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| Fossil fuel |
| It's ingenious if you think about it: Long-dead plants and animals are reborn as fuel for our... more |
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| Fuel cell |
| A battery-like device that converts chemical energy, from a fuel such as hydrogen or alcohol,... more |
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| Geothermal heat pump |
| Looking for an efficient heat source? A geothermal heat pump could be the solution. This appliance... more |
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| Glazing |
| This is the part you see through. It's the glass, or other transparent material, that forms the... more |
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| Global warming |
| As hard as it may be to believe on the chilliest days of the year, the Earth is getting warmer, and... more |
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| Graywater |
| That water swirling down the drain doesn't have to go to waste. Well, not all of it. Graywater is... more |
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| Green building |
| You may be new to building or renovating, but this "green" is not about a lack of experience, it's... more |
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| Green roof |
| You might call it a living roof, an eco-roof, or even a rooftop garden; in every case it's a roof... more |
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| Greenhouse gas |
| This is actually any of a number of gases, accumulating in the Earth's atmosphere, that act just... more |
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| Greenwashing |
| Here's an unfortunate trend, and one that eco-friendly consumers need to watch out for. Derived... more |
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| Halogen light bulb |
| As incandescent light bulbs go, this one is hot. By that we mean that is gets extremely hot while... more |
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| Hardwood |
| Cherry, maple, oak, elm and other deciduous trees fall into this category of wood. They are... more |
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| Harvested rainwater |
| Here's a good rainy day project: Collecting water-from a roof, driveway, or other hard surface... more |
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| Hazardous chemical |
| Warning-these are chemicals that should be used, and disposed of, with the utmost care. Any... more |
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| Hazardous waste |
| This is among the more unpleasant byproducts of households and industrial processes: It's waste... more |
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| Heat gain |
| There's nothing worse than a crowded room on a hot day. It isn't your imagination-human bodies do... more |
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| Heat island effect |
| It's no wonder so many urbanites flee the cities on summer weekends. It really is hotter in the... more |
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| Heat pump |
| Just as it sounds, this product, typically powered by electricity, pumps heat into a building... more |
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| Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) |
| Looking for the perfect climate? You could hightail it to San Diego, or you could get it in your... more |
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| Heavy metals |
| Maybe this term makes you think of your music collection back in high school. Environmentally... more |
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| Hemp |
| It's not just for hippies anymore. This is the common name for the cannabis sativa plant, a cousin... more |
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| High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter |
| You might know it as a designation for vacuum cleaner or air purifiers. In a consumer context,... more |
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| House wrap |
| Just like that windbreaker you slide into on a chilly day, this protective barrier helps to keep... more |
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| Hybrid |
| While the totally electric car might not be within reach for the average consumer quite yet, more... more |
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| Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) |
| It wasn't so long ago that we cooled our cars with Freon and sprayed our hair with aerosols without... more |
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| Hydronic radiant floor heating system |
| If you're the type who gets cold feet, your toes will love this. It's a network of pipes beneath... more |
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