A Top

Reducing the degree or intensity of, or eliminating, pollution.

 n.  Acid precipitation falling as rain, snow, sleet, fog and any other forms of precipitation.  It is produced as industrial byproducts in emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides from burning coal and petroleum products.  Found throughout the world, its heaviest concentrations are in urban areas.  Among other things, it harms aquatic wildlife, corrodes monuments and bridges, destroys exterior paint, kills forests, damages some agricultural soils, makes drinking water toxic by leaching lead from pipes and reduces visibility.

 n. The use of direct, occasionally confrontational action, such as a demonstration or strike, in opposition to or support of a cause.

afforestation:  

Conversion of bare or cultivated land into forest.  See reforestation.

agricultural waste:  

Poultry and livestock manure or residual materials in liquid or solid form generated in the production and marketing of poultry, livestock, fur-bearing animals and their products, rice straw, rice husks and other plant wastes.

air pollution:  

Simple rootless plants that grow in sunlit waters in proportion to the amount of available nutrients. They can affect water quality adversely by lowering the dissolved oxygen in the water. They are food for fish and small aquatic animals.

algae blooms:

Sudden spurts of algae growth, which can affect water quality adversely and indicate potentially hazardous changes in local water chemistry.

aquifer:

An underground geological formation, or group of formations in the ground, which is usually composed of rock, gravel, sand or other porous material and which yields groundwater to wells or springs.  Can be polluted through poorly capped wells, injection waste disposal and other entries below ground.

asbestos:

A mineral fiber that can pollute air or water and cause cancer or asbestosis when inhaled. EPA has banned or severely restricted its use in manufacturing and construction.

 n. The gaseous mass or envelope surrounding a celestial body, especially the one surrounding the earth, and retained by the celestial body's gravitational field. The air or climate in a specific place. Abbr. atm Physics. A unit of pressure equal to the air pressure at sea level. It equals the amount of pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 millimeters high at 0 degrees Celsius under standard gravity, or 14.7 pounds per square inch (1.01325 × 105 pascals).

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biodiesel:  

 n. The number and variety of organisms found within a specified geographic region. The variability among living organisms on the earth, including the variability within and between species and within and between ecosystems.

buyback center:  

Facility where individuals or groups bring recyclables in return for payment.

C Top

 n. <oncology> The first historical description of this condition as in relation to breast carcinoma. This is now a general term for more than 100 disease that are characterized by uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells. Cancer can spread locally or through the bloodstream and lymphatic systems to other parts of the body.

 n. <Symbol C> A naturally abundant nonmetallic element that occurs in many inorganic and in all organic compounds, exists freely as graphite and diamond and as a constituent of coal, limestone, and petroleum, and is capable of chemical self-bonding to form an enormous number of chemically, biologically, and commercially important molecules.

carbon dioxide:

 n. A colorless, odorless, incombustible gas, CO2, formed during respiration, combustion, and organic decomposition and used in food refrigeration, carbonated beverages, inert atmospheres, fire extinguishers, and aerosols. Also called carbonic acid gas.

 n. A colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas, CO, formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon or a carbonaceous material, such as gasoline.

 n.  A cancer-causing substance or agent.

 n.  A binary compound of chlorine.

 n. <Symbol Cl>   A highly irritating, greenish-yellow gaseous halogen, capable of combining with nearly all other elements, produced principally by electrolysis of sodium chloride and used widely to purify water, as a disinfectant and bleaching agent, and in the manufacture of many important compounds including chloroform and carbon tetrachloride.

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs):  

A family of inert, nontoxic, and easily liquefied chemicals used in refrigeration, air conditioning, packaging, insulation, or as solvents and aerosol propellants. Because CFCs are not destroyed in the lower atmosphere they drift into the upper atmosphere where their chlorine components destroy ozone.

clean coal technology:  

Any technology not in widespread use prior to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. This Act will achieve significant reductions in pollutants associated with the burning of coal

clean fuels:  

Blends or substitutes for gasoline fuels, including compressed natural gas, methanol, ethanol, and liquified petroleum gas.

cleanup:   

Actions taken to deal with a release or threat of release of a hazardous substance that could affect humans and/or the environment. The term "cleanup" is sometimes used interchangeably with the terms remedial action, removal action, response action, or corrective action.

clear cut:  

Harvesting all the trees in one area at one time, a practice that can encourage fast rainfall or snow melt runoff, erosion, sedimentation of streams and lakes, and flooding, and destroys vital habitat.

n. The meteorological conditions, including temperature, precipitation, and wind, that characteristically prevail in a particular region. A region of the earth having particular meteorological conditions: Lives in a cold climate. A prevailing condition or set of attitudes in human affairs: a climate of unrest.

commercial waste:  

All solid waste emanating from business establishments such as stores, markets, office buildings, restaurants, shopping centers, and theaters.

commingled recyclables:  

Mixed recyclables that are collected together.

community:  

Organisms live in communities.  Certain species live together in an area characterized by certain environmental factors, and this combination of species tends to recur as the habitat recurs.  If the organisms of a site are destroyed, a similar community tends to be restored by successional processes.  A system composed of species populations bound together by co-actions.  An ecosystem consists of the community (or individual, or population) and its habitat (in the widest sense).

community-level traits:  

Species composition, diversity, stratification and food-chains.

compost:  

The relatively stable humus material that is produced from a composting process in which bacteria in soil mixed with garbage and degradable trash break down the mixture into organic fertilizer.

The controlled biological decomposition of organic material in the presence of air to form a humus-like material. Controlled methods of composting include mechanical mixing and aerating, ventilating the materials by dropping them through a vertical series of aerated chambers, or placing the compost in piles out in the open air and mixing it or turning it periodically.

n. The act or process of conserving. Preservation or restoration from loss, damage, or neglect: Manuscripts saved from deterioration under the program of library conservation. The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and of natural resources such as forests, soil, and water. The maintenance of a physical quantity, such as energy or mass, during a physical or chemical change.

n. The act or process of consuming. The state of being consumed. An amount consumed. Economics. The using up of goods and services by consumer purchasing or in the production of other goods.

contact pesticide:  

A chemical that kills pests when it touches them, instead of by ingestion. Also, soil that contains the minute skeletons of certain algae that scratch and dehydrate waxy-coated insects.

contaminant:  

Any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter that has an adverse effect on air, water, or soil.

contamination:  

Introduction into water, air, and soil of microorganisms, chemicals, toxic substances, wastes, or wastewater in a concentration that makes the medium unfit for its next intended use. Also applies to surfaces of objects, buildings, and various household and agricultural use products.

coral reef degradation:  

Caused by natural and man-made events including hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, disruptive invasion by marine organisms, turbidity caused by silt and sedimentation, dumping trash, chemical pollution, pesticide pollution, the practice of collecting shells and corals, and destructive fishing methods such as dynamiting or bumping the coral bottom (called muro-ami) with fishnet weights.

curbside collection:  

Method of collecting recyclable materials at homes, community districts or businesses.

D Top

 tr.v. deforested, deforesting, deforests.

deforestation:

To cut down and clear away the trees or forests from an area.  The loss of tropical forests due to collection of fuel wood, commercial logging, shifting cultivation, grazing, road construction, ranching, mining and fire.  Leads to soil erosion and flooding and endangers wildlife through habitat destruction.

deodorant stone:

n. all-natural potassium alum; used in the armpit area to prevent germs which cause odors. Dr. Stonerock's blog about the deodorant stone

n. Any of several carcinogenic or teratogenic heterocyclic hydrocarbons that occur as impurities in petroleum-derived herbicides.  According to the EPA dictionary:  Any of a family of compounds known chemically as dibenzo-p-dioxins. Concern about them arises from their potential toxicity as contaminants in commercial products. Tests on laboratory animals indicate that it is one of the more toxic anthropogenic (man-made) compounds.

drop-off:  

Recyclable materials collection method in which individuals bring them to a designated collection site.

E Top

ecology:

 n. pl. ecologies: The science of the relationships between organisms and their environments. Also called bionomics. The relationship between organisms and their environment. The branch of sociology that is concerned with studying the relationships between human groups and their physical and social environments. Also called human ecology. The study of the detrimental effects of modern civilization on the environment, with a view toward prevention or reversal through conservation. Also called human ecology.

ecosystem:

The interacting system of a biological community and its nonliving environmental surroundings.

The "edge" or interface between two different ecosystems, associated with an obligatory overlap, however large or small.

edge-effect:  

The overlap phenomenon of the ecosystem interface and its associated activity.

 n. pl. efficiencies: The quality or property of being efficient. The degree to which this quality is exercised: The program was implemented with great efficiency and speed. The ratio of the effective or useful output to the total input in any system. The ratio of the energy delivered by a machine to the energy supplied for its operation.

 n. A substance discharged into the air, especially by an internal combustion engine. According to the EPA dictionary:  Pollution discharged into the atmosphere from smokestacks, other vents, and surface areas of commercial or industrial facilities; from residential chimneys; and from motor vehicle, locomotive, or aircraft exhausts.

end user:  

Consumer of products for the purpose of recycling. Excludes products for re-use or combustion for energy recovery.

endanger:

 tr.v. endangered, endangering, endangers:  To expose to harm or danger; imperil.  To threaten with extinction.

endangered species:  

According to the EPA dictionary:  Animals, birds, fish, plants, or other living organisms threatened with extinction by anthropogenic (man-caused) or other natural changes in their environment. Requirements for declaring a species endangered are contained in the Endangered Species Act.

 n.To expose to harm or danger; imperil. To threaten with extinction.

energy:  

 n.The capacity for work or vigorous activity; vigor; power. Exertion of vigor or power: a project requiring a great deal of time and energy. Vitality and intensity of expression: a speech delivered with energy and emotion. Usable heat or power: Each year Americans consume a high percentage of the world's energy. A source of usable power, such as petroleum or coal. Physics. The capacity of a physical system to do work.

energy recovery:

Obtaining energy from waste through a variety of processes (e.g., combustion).

n.  environmentalist:  Advocacy for or work toward protecting the natural environment from destruction or pollution. The theory that environment rather than heredity is the primary influence on intellectual growth and cultural development.

erosion:

The wearing away of surface soil by wind or water, intensified by land-clearing practices related to farming, residential or industrial development, road building, or logging. Leads to sedimentation and siltation of waterways, which destroy aquatic and marine habitats, makes water undrinkable and clog water-dependent industry machinery and other intake equipment.

estuary:  

Region of interaction between rivers and near-shore ocean waters, where tidal action and river flow mix fresh and salt water. Such areas include bays, mouths of rivers, salt marshes, and lagoons. These brackish water ecosystems shelter and feed marine life, birds, and wildlife.

ethanol:  

An alternative automotive fuel derived from grain and corn; usually blended with gasoline to form gasohol.

Adj. No longer existing or living: An extinct species. No longer burning or active: An extinct volcano. No longer in use: An extinct custom.

F Top

food chain:  

A sequence of organisms, each of which uses the next, lower member of the sequence as a food source.

fossil fuel:  

Fuel derived from ancient organic remains; e.g., peat, coal, crude oil, and natural gas.

fresh water:  

Water that generally contains less than 1,000 milligrams-per-liter of dissolved solids.

fumigant:  

A pesticide vaporized to kill pests. Used in buildings and greenhouses.

fungicide:

Pesticides which are used to control, deter, or destroy fungi.

G Top

garbage:  

Animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, storage, sale, preparation, cooking, and serving of foods. According to the EPA dictionary.

genetic engineering:  

A process of inserting new genetic information into existing cells in order to modify a specific organism for the purpose of changing one of its characteristics.

A computer system designed for storing, manipulating, analyzing, and displaying data in a geographic context.

geothermal / ground source heat pump:  

These heat pumps are underground coils to transfer heat from the ground to the inside of a building. (See: Heat pump; water source heat pump,)

n.  An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause climatic change.  According to the EPA dictionary:  An increase in the near surface temperature of the Earth. Global warming has occurred in the distant past as the result of natural influences, but the term is most often used to refer to the warming predicted to occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases. Scientists generally agree that the Earth's surface has warmed by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past 140 years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently concluded that increased concentrations of greenhouse gases are causing an increase in the Earth's surface temperature and that increased concentrations of sulfate aerosols have led to relative cooling in some regions, generally over and downwind of heavily industrialized areas.

greenhouse effect:  

The theory that continued burning of fossil fuels will increase concentrations of carbon, thereby trapping dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, thereby causing the warming of the Earth's atmospheres; some scientists think that this buildup allows the sun's rays to heat the Earth, while making the infrared radiation atmosphere opaque to infrared radiation, thereby preventing a counterbalancing loss of heat.  As a result of this hothouse effect, the temperatures of the Earth rise, causing glaciers to melt and seal levels to rise.

greenhouse gas:

A gas, such as carbon dioxide or methane, which contributes to potential climate change.

n. Water beneath the earth's surface, often between saturated soil and rock, that supplies wells and springs.  According to the EPA dictionary:  The supply of fresh water found beneath the Earth's surface, usually in aquifers, which supply wells and springs. Because groundwater is a major source of drinking water, there is growing concern over contamination from leaching agricultural or industrial pollutants or leaking underground storage tanks.

pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) People or society at a local level rather than at the center of major political activity. Often used with the. The groundwork or source of something.

green washing:  

Blatant environmental claims which have enormous potential to deceive the customer because individuals have little or no ability  to evaluate for themselves whether the claims made about the product are true.  Misleading claims thereby damage efforts to use the enormous collective purchasing power of consumers to foster environmental improvements in the products we all buy.  An abuse of “green marketing".

H Top

n. The total sum of an area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs: a marine habitat. The place where a person or thing is most likely to be found. A structure that affords a controlled environment for living in extremely inhospitable locations, such as an underwater research laboratory.

hazardous waste:  

Byproducts of society that can pose a substantial or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly managed. Possesses at least one of four characteristics (ignitability, explosive, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity), or appears on special EPA lists.

hemp:

The bark of the hemp stalk contains bast fibers which are among the Earth's longest natural soft fibers and are also rich in cellulose; the cellulose and hemi-cellulose in its inner woody core are called hurds. Hemp stalk contains no THC. Hemp fiber is longer, stronger, more absorbent and more insulative than cotton fiber.  Industry precedes the beginnings of pottery, over 10,000 years ago.  Hemp grows well without herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides.

hemp fiberboard:  

Hemp fiberboard produced by Washington State University was found to be twice as strong as wood-based fiberboard.

hemp paper:  

Hemp produces more pulp per acre than timber on a sustainable basis, and can be used for every quality of paper. Hemp paper manufacturing can reduce wastewater contamination. Hemp's low lignin content reduces the need for acids used in pulping, and it's creamy color lends itself to environmentally friendly bleaching instead of harsh chlorine compounds. Less bleaching results in less dioxin and fewer chemical byproducts.  Hemp fiber paper resists decomposition, and does not yellow with age when an acid-free process is used. Hemp paper more than 1,500 years old has been found. It can also be recycled more times.

hemp seed:  

Far more nutritious than even soybean, contains more essential fatty acids than any other source, is second only to soybeans in complete protein (but is more digestible by humans), is high in B-vitamins, and is 35% dietary fiber. Boiled down makes make hemp oil.  Hemp Seed does not contain THC.

herbicide:  

A chemical pesticide designed to control or destroy plants, weeds, or grasses.

household hazardous waste:  

Hazardous products used and disposed of by residential as opposed to industrial consumers. Includes paints, stains, varnishes, solvents, pesticides, and other materials or products containing volatile chemicals that can catch fire, react or explode, or that are corrosive or toxic.

n. Genetics. The offspring of genetically dissimilar parents or stock, especially the offspring produced by breeding plants or animals of different varieties, species, or races. Something of mixed origin or composition. Something, such as a computer or power plant, having two kinds of components that produce the same or similar results.

I Top

Adj. Emitting visible light as a result of being heated.  

incineration:  

According to the EPA dictionary:  A treatment technology involving destruction of waste by controlled burning at high temperatures; e.g., burning sludge to remove the water and reduce the remaining residues to a safe, non-burnable ash that can be disposed of safely on land, in some waters, or in underground locations.

industrial waste:  

Unwanted materials from an industrial operation; may be liquid, sludge, solid, or hazardous waste.

insecticide:  

A pesticide compound specifically used to kill or prevent the growth of insects.

insulation:

n. The act of insulating or the state of being insulated. A material or substance used in insulating: Soundproof cork insulation; a layer of trapped air that serves as insulation.

irritant:  

A substance that can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, or respiratory system. Effects may be acute from a single high level exposure, or chronic from repeated low-level exposures to such compounds as chlorine, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric acid.

L Top

landfills:  

1. Sanitary landfills are disposal sites for non-hazardous solid wastes spread in layers, compacted to the smallest practical volume, and covered by material applied at the end of each operating day. 2. Secure chemical landfills are disposal sites for hazardous waste, selected and designed to minimize the chance of release of hazardous substances into the environment.

landscape:

The traits, patterns, and structure of a specific geographic area, including its biological composition, its physical environment, and its anthropogenic or social patterns. An area where interacting ecosystems are grouped and repeated in similar form.

v. tr. To remove soluble or other constituents from by the action of a percolating liquid.

v. intr. To be dissolved or passed out by a percolating liquid.

n. The act or process of leaching

leachate:  

The liquid, usually rainwater, that collects contaminants as it trickles and percolates through wastes, pesticides or fertilizers. Leaching may occur in farming areas, feedlots, and landfills, and may result in hazardous substances entering surface water, groundwater, or soil.

leaching:  

The process by which soluble constituents are dissolved and filtered through the soil by a percolating fluid.

litter:  

The highly visible portion of solid waste carelessly discarded outside the regular garbage and trash collection and disposal system.

M Top

marsh:

A type of wetland that does not accumulate appreciable peat deposits and is dominated by herbaceous vegetation. Marshes may be either fresh or saltwater, tidal or non-tidal.

mercury (Hg):

Heavy metal that can accumulate in the environment and is highly toxic if breathed or swallowed.

n. An odorless, colorless, flammable gas, CH4, the major constituent of natural gas, that is used as a fuel and is an important source of hydrogen and a wide variety of organic compounds.  According to the EPA dictionary:  A colorless, nonpoisonous, flammable gas created by anaerobic decomposition of organic compounds. A major component of natural gas used in the home.

methanol:  

An alcohol that can be used as an alternative fuel or as a gasoline additive. It is less volatile than gasoline; when blended with gasoline it lowers the carbon monoxide emissions but increases hydrocarbon emissions. Used as pure fuel, its emissions are less ozone-forming than those from gasoline. Poisonous to humans and animals if ingested.

mulch:  

A layer of material (wood chips, straw, leaves, etc.) placed around plants to hold moisture, prevent weed growth, and enrich or sterilize the soil.

N Top

nematocide:  

A chemical agent which is destructive to nematodes.

nitrate:  

A compound containing nitrogen that can exist in the atmosphere or as a dissolved gas in water and which can have harmful effects on humans and animals. Nitrates in water can cause severe illness in infants and domestic animals. A plant nutrient and inorganic fertilizer, nitrate is found in septic systems, animal feed lots, agricultural fertilizers, manure, industrial waste waters, sanitary landfills, and garbage dumps.

nitric oxide (NO):  

A gas formed by combustion under high temperature and high pressure in an internal combustion engine; it is converted by sunlight and photochemical processes in ambient air to nitrogen oxide. NO is a precursor of ground-level ozone pollution, or smog.

nitrogen dioxide (NO2):  

The result of nitric oxide combining with oxygen in the atmosphere; major component of photochemical smog.

nitrogen oxide (NOx):  

The result of photochemical reactions of nitric oxide in ambient air; major component of photochemical smog. Product of combustion from transportation and stationary sources and a major contributor to the formation of ozone in the troposphere and to acid deposition.

non-potable:  

Water that is unsafe or unpalatable to drink because it contains pollutants, contaminants, minerals, or infective agents.

non-road emissions:  

Pollutants emitted by combustion engines on farm and construction equipment, gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment, and power boats and outboard motors.

Contamination of water resources by excessive inputs of nutrients. In surface waters, excess algal production is a major concern.

O Top

ocean dumping:  

The use of various techniques for disposing of hazardous waste and other wastes in open seas.  Has included bulk disposal of liquid or slurry-type wastes, hazardous sludge from dredged materials and the sinking of containerized hazardous substances.

oil spill:  

An accidental or intentional discharge of oil which reaches bodies of water. Can be controlled by chemical dispersion, combustion, mechanical containment, and/or adsorption. Spills from tanks and pipelines can also occur away from water bodies, contaminating the soil, getting into sewer systems and threatening underground water sources.

organic:

adj. Of, relating to, or derived from living organisms: Organic matter. Of, relating to, or affecting a bodily organ: An organic disease. Of, marked by, or involving the use of fertilizers or pesticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable origin: Organic vegetables; an organic farm. Raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals: Organic chicken; organic cattle farming. Serving organic food: An organic restaurant. Simple, healthful, and close to nature: An organic lifestyle. Having properties associated with living organisms. Resembling a living organism in organization or development; interconnected: Society as an organic whole. Constituting an integral part of a whole; fundamental.

n. A substance, especially a fertilizer or pesticide, of animal or vegetable origin.

Carbonaceous waste contained in plant or animal matter and originating from domestic or industrial sources.

overfishing:  

The practice of commercial and noncommercial fishing which depletes a fishery by catching so many adult fish that not enough remain to breed and replenish the population.  Overfishing exceeds the carrying capacity of a fishery.

overgrazing:  

The practice of grazing too many ruminants (cattle) on land unable to recover its vegetation or of grazing ruminants on land not suitable for grazing because of its slope.  Overgrazing exceeds the carrying capacity of a pasture.

over plowing:  

The practice of moving agriculture activity onto marginal land, which often is steep-sloped, of low fertility and subject to low and unreliable rainfall.

over population:  

According to the Answer.com:  The geometric expansion of a biological population, especially the unchecked growth in human population resulting from a decrease in infant mortality and an increase in longevity.

ozone:  

n. An unstable, poisonous allotrope of oxygen, O3, that is formed naturally in the ozone layer from atmospheric oxygen by electric discharge or exposure to ultraviolet radiation, also produced in the lower atmosphere by the photochemical reaction of certain pollutants. It is a highly reactive oxidizing agent used to deodorize air, purify water, and treat industrial wastes. Informal. Fresh, pure air.

ozone depletion:   

Destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer which shields the earth from ultraviolet radiation harmful to life. This destruction of ozone is caused by the breakdown of certain chlorine and/or bromine containing compounds (chlorofluorocarbons or halons), which break down when they reach the stratosphere and then catalytically destroy ozone molecules.

ozone hole:  

A growing hole in the stratospheric ozone layer. Designation of amount of such depletion as an "ozone hole" is made when the detected amount of depletion exceeds fifty percent. Seasonal ozone holes have been observed over both the Antarctic and Arctic regions, part of Canada, and the extreme northeastern United States.

ozone layer:   

The protective layer in the atmosphere, about 15 miles above the ground, that absorbs some of the sun's ultraviolet rays, thereby reducing the amount of potentially harmful radiation that reaches the earth's surface.  A potential effect of the loss of this protective layer could be a sharp rise in the incidence of skin cancer.

P Top

particulate:  

Adj. Of, relating to, or formed of minute separate particles.

n. A minute separate particle, as of a granular substance or powder. Particulate matter. Often used in the plural: Diesel particulates; a high level of atmospheric particulates. According to the EPA dictionary:  1. Fine liquid or solid particles such as dust, smoke, mist, fumes, or smog, found in air or emissions. 2. Very small solids suspended in water; they can vary in size, shape, density and electrical charge and can be gathered together by coagulation and flocculation.

persistent pesticides:  

Pesticides that do not break down chemically or break down very slowly and remain in the environment after a growing season.

pest:   

An insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed or other form of terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life that is injurious to health or the environment.

pesticide:  

n. A chemical used to kill pests, especially insects.  According to the EPA dictionary:  Substances or mixture there of intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Also, any substance or mixture intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant.

pollutant:  

n. Something that pollutes, especially a waste material that contaminates air, soil, or water.

pollution:   

n. The act or process of polluting or the state of being polluted, especially the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere by the discharge of harmful substances. Something that pollutes; a pollutant or a group of pollutants: Pollution in the air reduced the visibility near the airport. According to the EPA dictionary:  Generally, the presence of a substance in the environment that because of its chemical composition or quantity prevents the functioning of natural processes and produces undesirable environmental and health effects.  Under the Clean Water Act, for example, the term has been defined as the man-made or man-induced alteration of the physical, biological, chemical, and radiological integrity of water and other media.

post-consumer materials / waste:   

Recovered materials that are diverted from municipal solid waste for the purpose of collection, recycling, and disposition.

post-consumer recycling:   

Use of materials generated from residential and consumer waste for new or similar purposes; e.g. converting wastepaper from offices into corrugated boxes or newsprint.

precycling:  

The first step to waste reduction-- makes recycling even easier and saves time and money by eliminating the need to recycle. Precycling focuses on reducing and reusing. The amount that needs to be recycle is reduced by buying products that can be reused. This includes buying in bulk or buying products that come in containers that can be reused once they are empty. Precycling also includes shopping for products that come in containers that can be recycled safely and efficiently if and when they are not reusable.

R Top

radioactive waste:   

Conventional materials that have been contaminated with radiation.  In the US, radioactive wastes are not classified as hazardous, but are controlled by various specific government regulations.

rain forest or rainforest:  

n.A dense evergreen forest occupying a tropical region with an annual rainfall of at least 2.5 meters (100 inches).

recycle: 

tr.v. recycled, recycling, recycles

adj. & n. recyclable: To put or pass through a cycle again, as for further treatment. To start a different cycle in. To extract useful materials from (garbage or waste). To extract and reuse (useful substances found in waste). To use again, especially to reprocess: Recycle aluminum cans; recycle old jokes. To recondition and adapt to a new use or function: Recycling old warehouses as condominiums.

recycling and reuse business assistance centers:  Located in state solid-waste or economic-development agencies, these centers provide recycling businesses with customized and targeted assistance

recycling mill:  Facility where recovered materials are remanufactured into new products.

red tide:   

A proliferation of a marine plankton toxic and often fatal to fish, perhaps stimulated by the addition of nutrients. A tide can be red, green, or brown, depending on the coloration of the plankton.

reforestation:   

The replanting of cut or bare forests. See afforestation.

renewable:  

Adj. That which can be renewed: a renewable membership; renewable subscriptions. Relating to or being a commodity or resource, such as solar energy or firewood, that is inexhaustible or replaceable by new growth.

residential waste:   

Waste generated in single and multifamily homes, including newspapers, clothing, disposable tableware, food packaging, cans, bottles, food scraps, and yard trimmings other than those that are diverted to backyard composting.

resource:  

n. Something that can be used for support or help: The local library is a valuable resource. An available supply that can be drawn on when needed. Often used in the plural. The ability to deal with a difficult or troublesome situation effectively; initiative: a person of resource. Means that can be used to cope with a difficult situation. Often used in the plural: Needed all my intellectual resources for the exam.

resources:   

The total means available for economic and political development, such as mineral wealth, labor force, and armaments.

The total means available to a company for increasing production or profit, including plant, labor, and raw material; assets. Such means considered individually.

re-use:   

Using a product or component of municipal solid waste in its original form more than once; e.g., refilling a glass bottle that has been returned or using a coffee can to hold nuts and bolts.

road less:  

Adj. Not containing or crossed by any roads: Road less wilderness.  Forbidden by law to contain or be crossed by any roads or to be entered by any vehicles: Tracts of land designated by the government as road less areas.

rodenticide:  

A chemical or agent used to destroy rats or other rodent pests, or to prevent them from damaging food, crops, etc.

rubbish:  

Solid waste, excluding food waste and ashes, from homes, institutions, and workplaces.

run-off:  

That part of precipitation, snow melt, or irrigation water that runs off the land into streams or other surface-water. It can carry pollutants from the air and land into receiving waters.

S Top

safe:   

Condition of exposure under which there is a practical certainty that no harm will result to exposed individuals.

safe water:  

Water that does not contain harmful bacteria, toxic materials, or chemicals, and is considered safe for drinking even if it may have taste, odor, color, and certain mineral problems.

sediments:   

Soil, sand, and minerals washed from land into water, usually after rain. They pile up (sedimentation) in reservoirs, rivers and harbors, destroying fish and wildlife habitat, and clouding the water so that sunlight cannot reach aquatic plants. Careless farming, mining, and building activities will expose sediment materials, allowing them to wash off the land after rainfall.

siltation:   

The same as sedimentation.

sludge:   

A solid, semisolid  or liquid waste residue from any of a number of air or water treatment processes; can be a hazardous waste.

smog:   

Air pollution typically associated with oxidants.

solar energy:  

n : Energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy.

solid waste:   

Non-liquid, non-soluble materials ranging from municipal garbage to industrial wastes that contain complex and sometimes hazardous substances. Solid wastes also include sewage sludge, agricultural refuse, demolition wastes, and mining residues. Technically, solid waste also refers to liquids and gases in containers.

soybean:  

n. A southeast Asian annual leguminous plant (Glycine max), widely cultivated for forage and soil improvement and for its nutritious seeds. The seed of this plant.

surfactant:  

A detergent compound that promotes lathering.

sustain:  

tr.v. sustained, sustaining, sustains:  To keep in existence; maintain. To supply with necessities or nourishment; provide for. To support from below; keep from falling or sinking; prop. To support the spirits, vitality, or resolution of; encourage. To bear up under; withstand: Can't sustain the blistering heat. To experience or suffer: Sustained a fatal injury. To affirm the validity of: The judge has sustained the prosecutor's objection. To prove or corroborate; confirm. To keep up (a joke or assumed role, for example) competently.

sustainable development:   

The concept of using resources in an ecologically sound manner so that they will be sustainable over the long term.  Put another way, by the Executive Secretary of the UN Economics and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, it is "an approach to progress that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

swamp:   

A type of wetland dominated by woody vegetation but without appreciable peat deposits. Swamps may be fresh or salt water and tidal or non-tidal.

systemic pesticide:   

A chemical absorbed by an organism that interacts with the organism and makes the organism toxic to pests.

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thermal pollution:   

Discharge of heated water from industrial processes that can kill or injure aquatic organisms and other species using the same habitat.

tidal marsh:  

Low, flat marshlands traversed by channels and tidal hollows, subject to tidal inundation; normally, the only vegetation present is salt-tolerant bushes and grasses.

tires:   

According to the EPA dictionary:  As used in recycling, passenger car and truck tires (excludes airplane, bus, motorcycle and special service military, agricultural, off-the-road and-slow speed industrial tires). Car and truck tires are recycled into rubber products such as trash cans, storage containers, rubberized asphalt or used whole for playground and reef construction.

toxic metals:   

Often called heavy metals because most are high density metallic elements such as mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic and lead, which are generally toxic to plants and animal life in low concentrations.

toxic pollutants:   

Materials that cause death, disease, or birth defects in organisms that ingest or absorb them. The quantities and exposures necessary to cause these effects can vary widely.

toxic substances:   

Poisonous substances known or believed to be harmful to people's health, often producing chronic, irreversible physical problems and possibly harming subsequent generations.  Examples are acrylonitrile, arsenic, asbestos, benzene, beryllium, cadmium, chloroform, chromates, EDB, ethylene oxide, mercury, PCBs and many others.

toxic waste:  

A waste that can produce injury if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin.

toxin:  

n. A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms and is capable of causing disease when introduced into the body tissues but is often also capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies or antitoxins.

trash:   

Material considered worthless or offensive that is thrown away. Generally defined as dry waste material, but in common usage it is a synonym for garbage, rubbish, or refuse.

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underground sources of drinking water:   

Aquifers currently being used as a source of drinking water or those capable of supplying a public water system. They have a total dissolved solids content of 10,000 milligrams per liter or less, and are not "exempted aquifers." (See: Exempted aquifer.) Underground Storage Tank (UST): A tank located at least partially underground and designed to hold gasoline or other petroleum products or chemicals.

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waste:  

1. Unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process. 2. Refuse from places of human or animal habitation.

waste stream:  

The total flow of solid waste from homes, businesses, institutions, and manufacturing plants that is recycled, burned, or disposed of in landfills, or segments thereof such as the "residential waste stream" or the "recyclable waste stream."

wastewater:   

The spent or used water from a home, community, farm, or industry that contains dissolved or suspended matter.

water pollution:  

The presence in water of enough harmful or objectionable material to damage the water's quality.

wetlands:   

An area that is saturated by surface or ground water with vegetation adapted for life under those soil conditions, as swamps, bogs, fens, marshes, and estuaries.

wind energy / windmill energy:  

Power provided by using the wind to work turbines.  Individuals with windmills or wind turbines could go “off the grid” on windy days.  Need at least one acre of land.  Beware of high restrictions.  Need to have a clear wind path.  Look for state rebate programs that pays for half the equipment.  Check with tax professional to see if tax credits are available.

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Xeriscape:   

Landscaping that conserves water while it protects the environment.   (See Xeriscaping)

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zeolite:  

n. Any one of a family of hydrous aluminum silicate minerals, whose molecules enclose cations of sodium, potassium, calcium, strontium, or barium, or a corresponding synthetic compound, used chiefly as molecular filters and ion-exchange agents.