WEEE Recycling Directive
EU legislation that sets criteria for the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment. It makes producers (manufacturers, sellers and resellers of own-brand equipment, and importers and exporters) responsible for financing most of these activities. This directive requires the collection and treatment of any electrical or electronic equipment which is waste […]
Ecotourism
Engaging in responsible travel to natural areas while conserving the environment and improving the well-being of local people. Those who lead or participate in ecotourism activities strive to: Minimize their impact Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts Provide direct financial benefits for conservation Provide financial benefits […]
Globalization
The worldwide integration of products, services, employment, people, cultures, markets, and economies and the compression of both time and distance that often accompanies it. Globalization often refers specifically to the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide through increasing cross-border transactions in goods and services, free flow of international capital, and more rapid and widespread diffusion […]
Radical Resource Productivity
Obtaining the same or increased amount of utility or work from a product or process while using fewer resources, including energy, man-made materials, and natural resources such as air, water, or minerals. The Industrial Revolution sparked a radical increase in human productivity, which relied on a seemingly unlimited supply of natural resources. Similarly, a radical […]
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a type of fuel that is highly suitable for diesel engines. More specifically it is derived from a variety of oils such as soybean, corn, algae, and peanut oil, and is distinct from its origin in that it is more easily combustible due to a process of glycerin removal; it can be easily […]
Net-Zero Energy Home
A home employing site-appropriate passive solar design, site-appropriate renewable energy products, and proven energy efficiency/conservation technologies and practices, resulting in an annual contributionto the electricity grid that is equal to or greater than the amount of power the home uses from the grid. Common sources of energy generation for the N-ZEH are PV panels and […]
Green Tech
Alternatively referred to as environmental technology or cleantech, this term is used to describe a collection of modern technologies and approaches that maximize human, environmental, and economic benefits. Specifically, green tech utilizes advancements of modern environmental science, biotechnology and engineering to provide products and services in a way that least degrades natural resources, and in […]
Overharvest
The act of removing more than the sustainable amount of a resource that would insure its renewal for future generations. Typically related to fishing practices, the term can be applied to timber or the harvest of any natural resource.
Overconsumption
The act of consuming something in excess of its ability to be renewed.
Marketing
The process of understanding people and markets in order to provide better products and services and differentiate offerings. Marketing consists of both the “inhale” (customer and market research aimed at understanding needs, desires, and cultural contexts as well as competitors), and the “exhale” (the creating of messaging to effectively communicate offerings in appropriate ways). Too […]
