Carbon Footprint Facts Glossary
Are you confusing your carbon footprint with your carbon offsets? Still not quite sure what organic really means? You've come to the right place. The Carbon Footprint Facts Glossary lists and defines a variety of keywords so that you are in the know. Our glossary is continually updated so feel free to check back soon.
Alternate Energy - energy generated from a natural, renewable source such as solar or wind power; an alternative to burning fossil fuels.
Biodegradable - a substance that can break down into elements found naturally in a relatively short period of time
Biodiesel - A biodegradable fuel made from vegetable oil designed to power diesel vehicles. It's non-toxic and creates 60% less carbon dioxide compared to petroleum based fuel.
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs - Energy efficient light bulbs that last 10 times as long as regular incandescent bulbs and use much less energy.
Car Sharing - A program, mainly available in bigger cities, that allows people to rent a car by the hour rather than by the day. Many people who car share find that they don't need to own a car themselves.
Carbon Emissions - Greenhouse gases released into the air, mainly in the form of carbon dioxide, that contribute to pollution and global warming.
Carbon Footprint - The amount of greenhouse gases that an individual or household creates in one year.
Carbon Footprint Calculator - A way of estimating the amount of greenhouse gases that an individual or household creates in a year.
Carbon neutral - a balance of choices and changes in lifestyle that in total do not put additional carbon dioxide into the environment. To be carbon neutral, people often purchase carbon offsets to balance against their carbon producing behaviors (i.e. air travel, car travel, household emissions, etc.)
Carbon Neutral Products - Products that are created by companies that offset the carbon emissions created manufacturing the products.
Carbon Offset - an activity or project that reduces the the amount of carbon dioxide in the environment, typically measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Energy Efficient - Products and appliances that operate using less energy compared to similar products available on the market.
Energy Star Rating - Products with an Energy Star rating meet the minimum requirements for energy efficiency as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Energy Star label will often tell you how much energy and how much money you could save by using the appliance or product.
Fuel Efficiency - The number of miles a vehicle can travel per gallon of fuel. There is usually a separate rating for driving in the city versus driving on the highway.
Greenhouse Gasses - Gases in the atmosphere that contribute to global warming. The most prevalent greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide.
Hybrid Cars - A fuel efficient car that uses both a rechargeable battery and gasoline as a fuel source.
Organic - Foods and fibers grown without using pesticides, fertilizers, synthetic hormones, antibiotics, GMOs or irradiation in accordance to the National Organic Standards Act. Just because it says "organic" doesn't mean that it's completely organic. Look for products that are certified by the USDA as 100% organic.
Phantom Load - The amount of energy an electrical appliance consumes when it is not in use. Most electrical appliances, especially those with a clock or indicator light, still draw electricity even when they are not being used for their primary purpose.
Post-consumer content - The amount of recycled material in a product that was actually used by people before being recycled. Other recycled material comes from scraps of material left over after the manufacturing process. Look for materials that have the highest post-consumer content.
Recycle - When a used item is remade into a new, usable product.
Solar Energy - Energy created by converting sun light into electricity by using photovoltaic cells. Solar energy is one of the cleanest ways to produce energy available today.
Sustainable Living - A lifestyle that can be maintained without depleting the world of its natural resources. In other words, a lifestyle that does not use trees (or oil or anything else) faster than it can be replaced.
Vegan - A diet that does not include meat or any products made by animals.
Vegetarian - A diet that does not include meat, but that may include eggs, milk, and other animal products.
Vermiculture - Composting that uses worms to speed the decomposition process.
Wet Cleaning - A professional cleaning alternative to dry cleaning.
Wind Power - Power collected using windmills and converted into electrical energy - used on a large scale by power plants.
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