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Browse Glossary :
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Frequently Searched Terms
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Definition of Methane (CH4)
Methane (CH4)Can we lay a little blame for global warming on anyone else? Like cows, maybe? Actually, yes. By producing methane-a colorless, odorless, flammable gas, composed of carbon and hydrogen-cattle and other stock animals add to the problem. They create this major greenhouse gas through their digestive processes and exhale it too. Methane is also created by other natural processes, such as the decomposition of organic matter in wetlands. Still, humans are generating the bulk of it-60 percent according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-through activities such as coal mining and landfill accumulation. Since methane is also the primary component of natural gas, used for heating, home cooking, and numerous commercial and industrial applications, scientists are looking into ways of harnessing methane emissions, to keep them out of the atmosphere and redirect them for use as an energy source.
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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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