Definitions - g

The process by which an organic material, such as biomass, is converted into synthetic gas, a mixture of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide. The synthetic gas can then be used to produce various synthetic fuel constituents.

The portion of charge current that goes into electrolytical production of hydrogen and oxygen from the electrolytic liquid. This current increases with increasing voltage and temperature.

A global, three-dimensional computer model of the climate system; GCM's are highly complex and they represent the effects of such factors as reflective and absorptive properties of atmospheric water vapor, greenhouse gas concentrations, clouds, annual and daily solar heating, ocean temperatures and ice boundaries. The most recent GCM's include global representations of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface.

They are often used to model the effects of human induced climate change into the future; but the accuracy of the models are highly dependent upon:

• The accuracy of the initial starting conditions;
• The accuracy of how the climatic processes are modeled, and;
• The accuracy of the assumptions made in the model construction.

Gas or liquid fuel made from plant material (biomass). Includes wood, wood waste, wood liquors, peat, railroad ties, wood sludge, spent sulfite liquors, agricultural waste, straw, tires, fish oils, tall oil, sludge waste, waste alcohol, municipal solid waste, landfill gases, other waste, and ethanol blended into motor gasoline.

A geoexchange system is an electrically powered heating and cooling system for interior spaces. This system utilizes the earth (or a pond or lake) is both a heat source and a heat sink. Components of the system include a heat pump, a hydronic pump, a ground heat exchanger and a distribution subsystem. Most geoexchange systems utilize air ducting for the distribution system and polyethylene piping in the earth for the heat exchanger.

Pertaining to those processes that affect the form or shape of the surface of the earth.

The soils, sediments, and rock layers of the Earth's crust, both continental and beneath the ocean floors.

A theoretical horizontal wind blowing in a straight path, parallel to the isobars or contours, at a constant speed. The geostrophic wind results when the Coriolis force exactly balances the horizontal pressure gradient force.

A variety of fabrics made from recycled materials used in soil containment and stabilization.

Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to:

• Prevent the waste of potentially useful materials,
• Reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials,
• Reduce energy usage,
• Reduce air pollution (from incineration),
• Water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and,
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production.

A Geothermal heat pump is the pump system used in a ground heat transfer system to heat a property using the latent heat in the earth.

Land used to grow feed for animals being reared for meat and dairy production. Ghost acres are often in poorer countries, used to grow feed for cattle in richer nations, and so are not seen by consumers in rich countries, hence the term.

Goddard Institute of Space Studies – a US NASA unit.

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years. Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity. The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.

See the full entry on wikipedia

Glass bottles and jars can be recycled endlessly. Which means that unlike some other recycled products, a recycled bottle can be recycled into another glass bottle, and another, and so on forever.

The ratio of interior illuminance at a given point on a given plane to the exterior illuminance under overcast sky conditions.

The balance of the exchanges (incomes and losses) of carbon between the carbon reservoirs or between one specific loop (e.g., atmosphere biosphere) of the carbon cycle. An examination of the carbon budget of a pool or reservoir can provide information about whether the pool or reservoir is functioning as a source or sink for CO2.

A balance, which implies that globally the amount of incoming solar radiation must on average be equal to the sum of outgoing reflected solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation emitted by the climate system.

The average of the sea temperature in the first few meters of the oceans and the temperature 1.5 m above ground on land surfaces.

Note: This is very subjective, the method of calculation and extrapolation to synthesis temperature for regions where there is scant direct temperature measurement (such as at the Poles), varies a lot.

Gas or liquid fuel made from plant material (biomass). Includes wood, wood waste, wood liquors, peat, railroad ties, wood sludge, spent sulfite liquors, agricultural waste, straw, tires, fish oils, tall oil, sludge waste, waste alcohol, municipal solid waste, landfill gases, other waste, and ethanol blended into motor gasoline.

The GWP is the ratio of the warming caused by a substance to the warming caused by a similar mass of carbon dioxide. Thus, the GWP of CO2 is defined to be 1.0 . CFC-12 has a GWP of 8,500, while CFC-11 has a GWP of 5,000.

A polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride bag-like enclosure affixed around an asbestos-containing source (most often thermal system insulation) permitting the material to be removed while minimizing release of airborne fibers to the surrounding atmosphere.

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years. Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity. The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.

See the full entry on wikipedia

Gluten Free refers to food or a diet which has a greatly reduced amount of Gluten in it. It may indeed be totally gluten free but it practice this is usually very hard to achieve as gluten is found in so many off the shelf foods and ingredients - often not directly referred to in the labeling.

The exact level at which gluten is harmless is uncertain and controversial. A recent systematic review tentatively concluded that consumption of less than 10 mg of gluten per day is unlikely to cause histological abnormalities, although it noted that few reliable studies had been done.

Also exactly what the label gluten-free actually means on food varies markedly by country.

A Gluten Free Diet is a diet which has had all gluten removed from it.

Gluten Intolerance (or Gluten Sensitivity) is a spectrum of disorders, including coeliac disease and wheat allergy, in which gluten has an adverse effect on the body. It can be defined as a non-allergic and non-autoimmune condition in which the consumption of gluten can lead to symptoms similar to those observed in Coeliac Disease or wheat allergy (other conditions which fall under the gluten-related disorders spectrum).

Research as to the exact mechanism in play is still ongoing and how it fits in with other food disorders.

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years. Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity. The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.

See the full entry on wikipedia

A government solar rebate is where the government provides a payment or rebate against the cost of installing a solar power system.

This is either in the form of a direct payment or carbon credit multipliers (where the number of carbon credits the system has is multiplied).

Usually you don't get to deal with the rebate directly, the system installer will take care of the paperwork for you and your installation cost will be discounted by the amount of the rebate.

There is some debate over whether the rebate mechanism has 'distorted' the market and made solar seem overly competitive when compared to other methods of generating power.

filtering system often used in small water systems and individual homes to remove organics. Also used by municipal water treatment plantsd. GAC can be highly effective in lowering elevated levels of radon in water.

A green roof is a conventional roof covered with a layer of vegetation, also known as “living roofs”. Green roofs serve several purposes for a building, such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating a wildlife habitat and helping to lower urban air temperatures and combat the urban heat island effect. There are two types of green roofs: intensive roofs, which are thicker and can support a wider variety of plants but heavy and require ongoing maintenance, and extensive roofs, which are covered in a light layer of vegetation and are lighter than an intensive green roof.

Green Advertising is either the advertising of a green product or service, or the act of advertising itself is green (such as reverse graffiti or green graffiti).

Gas or liquid fuel made from plant material (biomass). Includes wood, wood waste, wood liquors, peat, railroad ties, wood sludge, spent sulfite liquors, agricultural waste, straw, tires, fish oils, tall oil, sludge waste, waste alcohol, municipal solid waste, landfill gases, other waste, and ethanol blended into motor gasoline.

A general term that describes environmentally-conscious design techniques in the field of architecture. Sustainable architecture is framed by the larger discussion of sustainability and the pressing economic and political issues of our world. In the broad context, sustainable architecture seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by enhancing efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space. Most simply, the idea of sustainability, or ecological design, is to ensure that our actions and decisions today do not inhibit the opportunities of future generations.

This term can be used to describe an energy and ecologically conscious approach to the design of the built environment.

Wikipedia Entry

Gas or liquid fuel made from plant material (biomass). Includes wood, wood waste, wood liquors, peat, railroad ties, wood sludge, spent sulfite liquors, agricultural waste, straw, tires, fish oils, tall oil, sludge waste, waste alcohol, municipal solid waste, landfill gases, other waste, and ethanol blended into motor gasoline.

This is clothing and other accessories that are designed to use organic and recycled materials, less packaging and more energy-efficient manufacturing.

A green-collar worker is a worker who is employed in the environmental sectors of the economy, or in the agricultural sector. Environmental green-collar workers satisfy the demand for green development. Generally, they implement environmentally conscious design, policy, and technology to improve conservation and sustainability. Formal environmental regulations as well as informal social expectations are pushing many firms to seek professionals with expertise with environmental, energy efficiency, and clean renewable energy issues. They often seek to make their output more sustainable, and thus more favorable to public opinion, governmental regulation, and the Earth's ecology.

Wikipedia Entry

Describes becoming tired with some of the constant messages of corporate green credentials and tales of impending global doom.

Green Finance is money that is provided to fund Green Projects and is often supplied by a dedicated Green Fund or business. The idea being that the money is put to good use on Green causes and any profit made is then further spent on other Green Projects.

Green Graffiti is an environmentally friendly form of outdoor art (or advertising), idea being to leave the place where the art occurs greener than prior to the art. How this greening is achieved is usually by one of three means:

• Painting with a bio sourced natural paint equivalent (like moss, for a recipe see here and examples here) such that the living form is the art or advertising message, or,
• Planting into a structure or wall so that the planting forms the art or advertising message, or,
  
• Cleaning a surface in such a way as to leave the art or advertising message as required by the act of careful cleaning alone (also referred to specifically as reverse graffiti).
  

Green Graffiti Removal refers to the usage of green methods of removing graffiti; e.g. no nasty chemicals or processes are used that could damage the environment.

A 'green house' used to just refer to a building with lots of glass designed to trap heat for the purpose of growing plants. Nowadays it also refers to a home that has been specially designed to follow 'green' design principals by reducing energy consumption and damage to the environment.

Energy Efficiency is when you use less energy to accomplish the same task, for example heating your home or washing clothes. Using less energy by being more efficient means less air pollution and lower costs.

To save energy in your home, you can use weather stripping, solar water heating, passive solar or compact fluorescent light bulbs. Also when shopping for household appliances, look for the Energy Star to find appliances that use less energy and lower your electricity costs.

You can also reduce your heating and cooling costs by installing better insulation.

In agriculture, a green manure is a type of cover crop grown primarily to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Typically, a green manure crop is grown for a specific period, and then plowed under and incorporated into the soil.

Global warming is the name given to the theory that there is increase in the average temperature of the Earth surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.

The exact mechanism of warming is not precisely understood, although it is strongly suspected that Greenhouse gases are to blame, as increasing concentrations of such gases help trap heat in the atmosphere and so raise mean temperatures.

Wikipedia Entry

Green pesticides, also called ecological pesticides, are pesticides derived from organic sources which are considered environmentally friendly and causing less harm to human and animal health, and to habitats and the ecosystem.

For example, Hewlett-Packard adopted the Electronics Industry Code of Conduct in 2004, and has now signed up 557 of its biggest suppliers. The code covers a wide range of issues including: the environment, ethics, how workers are treated and safe working conditions.

A green roof is a conventional roof covered with a layer of vegetation, also known as “living roofs”. Green roofs serve several purposes for a building, such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating a wildlife habitat and helping to lower urban air temperatures and combat the urban heat island effect. There are two types of green roofs: intensive roofs, which are thicker and can support a wider variety of plants but heavy and require ongoing maintenance, and extensive roofs, which are covered in a light layer of vegetation and are lighter than an intensive green roof.

A Green Search refers to the act of using the internet to find environmental or green related information and facts. This is often performed on 'green search engines' that are dedicated to the task and focused on indexing solely green and environmentally related sites (as the EcoWho search engine does).

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years. Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity. The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.

See the full entry on wikipedia

Green washing is a superficial nod to the environment that marketers and businesses that historically were not interested in sustainable concerns, are doing in order to improve their public relation standings with the consumer or public. 

GreenGuard certification for a product indicates it has been tested to ensure chemical and particle emissions meet acceptable standards. It uses performance-based standards to define goods such as building materials, interior furnishings, furniture, cleaning and maintenance products, electronic equipment and personal care products with low chemical and particle emissions for use indoors.

The standards establish certification procedures including test methods, allowable emissions levels, product sample collection and handling, testing type and frequency, and program application processes and acceptance.

Gas or liquid fuel made from plant material (biomass). Includes wood, wood waste, wood liquors, peat, railroad ties, wood sludge, spent sulfite liquors, agricultural waste, straw, tires, fish oils, tall oil, sludge waste, waste alcohol, municipal solid waste, landfill gases, other waste, and ethanol blended into motor gasoline.

Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years. Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity. The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.

See the full entry on wikipedia

Grid connected refers to a solar panel electrical system which is connected to the mains power grid, so any excess power it generates can be fed back into the mains power grid. The owner of the solar panel system can often earn 'credits' for feeding in such power.

A grid-forming inverter is a new type of inverter that actively sets and regulates the grid's voltage and frequency, unlike traditional grid-following inverters which synchronize to an existing grid signal. This provides stability sufficient restart the grid after an outage (black start), and allows the support of microgrids or systems with high levels of inverter-based resources like solar and wind.

This refers to devices used to change DC Power into AC Power. Grid tie Inverters are different from regular Inverters in that they are designed to 'feed-into' the existing electric supply to your building.

An alternative phrase for Green Graffiti.

These heat pumps are underground coils to transfer heat from the ground to the inside of a building.

The supply of fresh water found beneath the Earth's surface, usually in aquifers, which supply wells and springs. Because ground water is a major source of drinking water, there is growing concern over contamination from leaching agricultural or industrial pollutants or leaking underground storage tanks.

Ground water entering near coastal waters which has been contaminated by landfill leachate, deep well injection of hazardous wastes, septic tanks, etc.

Guerrilla gardening describes the unauthorized cultivation of plants or crops on vacant public or private land. The aim being to improve the often neglected, barren or overgrown spaces. Often its also done as a form of political or social statement.

The act of guerrilla gardening is either often done overnight to avoid unwanted attention; or it is done in plain sight to get community involvement.

A current of warm ocean water that flows from the Gulf of Mexico to the coasts of Europe, providing heat that keeps Europe warmer in winter than regions of North America at the same latitude.