Search Glossary
A term now extensively used to describe buildings designed and constructed with a minimum negative impact to the environment, with an emphasis on conservation of resources, energy efficiency, and healthful interior spaces.
The concept that new development must meet the needs of the present without compromising those of the future. Sustainability is measured in three interdependent dimensions: environment, economics, and society—often referred to as the “triple bottom line.”
a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
- Greenhouse Gasessearch for term
-
Any gas that absorbs infrared radiation in the earth’s atmosphere. Common greenhouse gases
include water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halogenated fluorocarbons (HCFCs), perfluorinated carbons (PFCs), hydrofluoro-carbons (HFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxides are of particular concern due to their long residence time in the atmosphere.The rise of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere is widely considered to contribute to environmental disruption, known as global warming. The belief that human industrial activity is responsible for the rise of greenhouse gas, due to industry's release of the above compounds into the atmosphere, is known as anthropogenic global warming. Many of the sustainability efforts described in these pages are aimed at reducing the release of greenhouse gases, which is thought to reduce
or eliminate this phenomenon.
The North Carolina Solar Center estimates that a typical home is responsible for 23,406 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
- Sustainable Building Resource Directory
