Definitions - l

A nearly level land area that was formed as a lake bed.

A wind blowing onshore from the surface of a lake.

Land waste disposal site in which waste is generally spread in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of soil each day.

Gas that is generated by decomposition of organic material at landfill disposal sites. Landfill gas is approximately 50 percent methane.

The study of the distribution patterns of communities and ecosystems, the ecological processes that affect those patterns, and changes in pattern and process over time.

Carbon Footprint refers to the the total greenhouse gas emissions that result from a person, organization, product or service over a given time.

It tends to act as an umbrella term for any attempt to measure greenhouse gas emissions and as a result can refer to simply the emissions that result from a single activity, such as flying; the emissions that result from an organization or building over the course of a year; or the full lifetime emissions of a product or organization, including emissions from the supply chain or disposal of resources.

While carbon footprints colloquially refer to the amount of CO2 emitted, the UK Carbon Trust endorses a wider definition and considers all six of the Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases - Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxide, Hydro fluorocarbons, Perfluorocarbons, and Sulfur hexafluoride - when measuring a carbon footprint.

The comprehensive examination of a product's environmental and economic effects throughout its lifetime, including raw material extraction, transportation, manufacturing, use and disposal.

The estimated cost of owning and operating a system for the period of its useful life. usually applied to photo voltaic systems and renewable energy systems.

Manufacturing activities that use moderate amounts of partially processed materials to produce items of relatively high value per unit weight (see Heavy Industry).

A type of fast acting fuse used to protect the solar power system in the event of a lightning strike.

Use of a limestone and water solution to remove gaseous stack-pipe sulfur before it reaches the atmosphere.

A toilet that uses less water than a traditional unit, thereby lowering costs. Dual-flush toilets are a good example a low-flush technology.