With energy conservation and environmental awareness common topics of everyday conversation, green lingo is everywhere. Practically a language of its own, echo-savvy talk requires a bit of education and explanation when it comes to understanding those green terms. Here is a list of the most popular green lingo out there.Adaptive Reuse - Renovation of a building or site to include elements that allows a particular use or uses to occupy a space that originally was intended for a different use.
Alternative Energy - Energy from a source other than the conventional fossil-fuel sources of oil, natural gas and coal (i.e., wind, running water, the sun). Also referred to as "alternative fuel."
Biodegradable - Waste material composed primarily of constituent parts that occur naturally, are able to be decomposed by bacteria or fungi, and are absorbed into the ecosystem. Wood, for example, is biodegradable, while plastics are not.
Biosphere - The part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life. The ecosystem composed of the earth and the living organisms inhabiting it.
Carbon Footprint - A measure of impact on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.
Climate Change - The term "climate change" is sometimes used to refer to all forms of climatic inconsistency, but because the earth's climate is never static, the term is more properly used to imply a significant change from one climatic condition to another. In some cases, "climate change" has been used synonymously with the term "global warming"; scientists, however, tend to use the term in the wider sense to also include natural changes in climate. Also referred to as "global climate change." Also see "Global Warming."
Compost - Process whereby organic wastes, including food wastes, paper and yard wastes, decompose naturally, resulting in a product rich in minerals and ideal for gardening and farming as a soil conditioner, mulch, resurfacing material or landfill cover.
Conservation - Preserving and renewing, when possible, human and natural resources. The use, protection and improvement of natural resources according to principles that will ensure their highest economic or social benefits.
Energy Efficiency - Principles and technology that reduce electricity or fuel usage while doing the same work, such as keeping a house warm using less energy.
Energy Vampires - This term refers to electric appliances such as televisions, chargers, and clock radios that use energy even when turned off. The energy they use is also called a “phantom load.”
Environmental Impact - Any change to the environment, whether positive or negative, resulting from human activity, industry or natural disasters.
Global Warming - A process that raises the air temperature in the lower atmosphere due to heat trapped by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, CFCs and ozone. It can occur as the result of natural influences, but most often is a direct result of human activities (i.e., car and factory emissions, cigarette smoke)
Green Design – Design that adheres and conforms 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. View True Homes Green Homes
LEED™ Rating System - LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a self-assessing system designed to rate commercial and residential buildings. The system evaluates environmental performance over a building's life cycle, determining the true “green” of the building and what is required to bring it up to energy and environmental standards.
Renewable Energy – Energy that comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, and geothermal heat and is naturally replenished.
Recycling - The process by which waste materials are collected, processed and returned to the economic mainstream to be reused in the form of raw materials or finished goods.
Sustainability - Practices that ensure the continued viability of a product or practice well into the future.
True Homes is the largest home builder in Charlotte, North Carolina, with new communities in Charleston, South Carolina. For more information on building your True dream home, visit www.truehomesusa.com or contact us at 704-937-2307
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