Whether you subscribe to the Three P’s of People, Planet and Profit or the The E’s of Economy, Environment and Equity, the Triple Bottom Line is an approach to business where instead of viewing economic gain, environmental prosperity and social justice as conflicting concepts, all three are seen as important considerations in smart decision making.
Archive for the ‘Standards’ Category
CALGreen
26
Mar
The CALGreen building code, more formally known as the California Green Building Standards Code, is the nation’s first mandatory statewide set of standards for green construction, with the objective of reducing the impact of climate change. The standard went into effect in the state of California on January 1, 2011.
California Green Building Standards Code
The purpose of the code as defined is:
…to improve publichealth, safety and general welfare by enhancing the design andconstruction of buildings through the use of building conceptshaving a reduced negative impact or positive environmental impact and encouraging sustainable construction practices inthe following categories:
1. Planning and design
2. Energy efficiency
3. Water efficiency and conservation
4. Material conservation and resource efficiency
5. Environmental quality
Green Building
26
Mar
According to the EPA
Green building is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building is also known as a sustainable or high performance building.
Remediation
26
Mar
Remediation is the process of through which a brownfield site is inspected for contamination, and where the contamination found is properly ‘addressed’ through such actions including removal — with the purpose of eliminating the exposure.
Precautionary Principle
13
Feb
An approach to determining whether a given process or policy should be pursued or continued based on an analysis of the social, economic, or environmental risks associated with that activity. Not all risks are known when a new practice is introduced or a current one is re-examined, and the ethical approach in light of implied or expected (but not confirmed) negative impacts is to stop such practices as a precaution until more is known about the impacts. The Precautionary Principle has been used in many health and environment-related issues, such as food safety, industrial manufacturing, product recalls, and the approval or recall of pharmaceuticals.
Kyoto Protocol
13
Feb
An agreement developed by and for industrial nations in 1997 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in Kyoto, Japan, to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 5% below 1990 levels by 2012. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 2005 without the US ratifying it. Currently, the EU expects to achieve the goals two years early, in 2010.
ISPRA Guidelines
13
Feb
Guidelines for the assessment of PV power plants, published by the Joint Research Centre of the Commission of the European Communities.
Zero Waste
13
Feb
The goal of developing products and services, managing their use and deployment, and creating recycling systems and markets in order to eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials and conserve and recover all resources. Implementing zero waste eliminates all discharges to land, water, or air that may be a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health. Many cities and states already have set zero-waste goals. For example, San Francisco and other cities have set a goal to create zero waste by 2020.
Design for Environment (DfE)
13
Feb
A process used to help organizations improve the environmental impact of their products and services throughout the development process.
National Electrical Code (NEC)
13
Feb
National Electrical Code contains guidelines for all types of electrical installations. Article 690 applies to guidelines for installing solar photovoltaic systems.