Sustainability Glossary
Good Ideas: A Sustainability Glossary
Triple Bottom-Line:
The traditional business model puts profit above all else. But a triple-bottom-line business puts importance on people and planet as well. Social progressiveness and environmental excellence are as important as profitability. We believe this is key to sustainability in business, and that the strength of one adds to the strength of all. In fact it’s something that’s very near and dear to us at Nature’s Path: “take care of the land, and it will take care of you.”
Renewable:
Does it grow back? It’s renewable, simple as that. Trees grow back, so they can make renewable fiber. Crops grow back, so they can make renewable biofuels. Wind and sun are renewable sources of energy, even though they don’t grow.
Ecology:
The relationships and connections between organisms and their environment. Organisms can be small, like the tiniest microbe in the soil, or they can be big, like the obnoxious neighbor who sprays weed killer into your driveway. Clearly some organisms are more beneficial than others.
Zero Waste:
Definitions like this one really drive us nuts, where a word is defined by using the exact same words in a different order, with maybe a few extra words thrown in for fun. But here goes. Zero waste means the amount of waste you produce is zero. Now here’s why it’s on this list: it’s a concept that requires us to change our thinking, so that nothing is viewed as waste, and nothing gets thrown away. When we do this, we can use usable stuff for all sorts of useful uses—and stop wasting perfectly good resources. Learn more at http://www.zerowaste.org/#why.
Composting:
Have you ever put off raking the leaves in the backyard until, say, April? If you have, then you know what happens to the ones at the bottom of the pile. They fall apart, and they turn into dirt. This is the natural process of decomposition that occurs when plant waste is piled up and left to its own devices. When you do this in a concentrated area, with a healthy mix of organic materials, you get a microbe cocktail sure to delight any garden. The soil that’s left behind is full of nutrients, and helps the plants that grow in it ward off disease. And, here comes this one again, it’s zero waste!
Green roof/living roof:
A roof on a building covered with grass or moss. Intentionally (that’s key). Why go green? We’ve got 5 good reasons: a) it helps insulate the building; b) it reduces reflection in the summertime, keeping temperatures that much cooler; c) it reduces the torrents of wastewater that would otherwise run down the gutters after a downpour; d) it absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen in an urban landscape; and e) it looks really nice. Learn more:
