501(c)3

Denotes non-profit status as defined by the United States government; to be declared tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Code.

Alternative Currency

Alternative currency is a term that refers to any currency used as an alternative to the dominant national or multinational currency systems.

Alternative Fuels/Alternative Energy

Energy from a source other than the conventional fossil-fuel sources of oil, natural gas and coal (i.e., wind, running water, the sun) that do not use up natural resources or harm the environment.

Alternative/Complementary Health Care

Health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine and typically do not rely on pharmaceuticals for results.

Barter/trade system

A medium in which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods and/or services without a common unit of exchange (such as money).

Biodegradable

Capable of decaying through the action of living organisms; capable of being broken down especially into innocuous products by the action of living things (as microorganisms).

Biodiesel Conversion

The process of converting waste vegetable oil to an alternative fuel called biodiesel (or biodiesel conversion) which is then poured into unmodified diesel tanks in place of petroleum-based diesel. Or, the conversion of the engine rather than the oil, modifying a normal diesel engine to where it can run on unmodified waste vegetable oil (grease, fat, lard, etc.), in essence turning it into a "biodiesel engine".

BPA

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic resins, epoxy resins, and other products.

Buy Local Campaign/Movement

A means of educating individuals about buying from locally owned, independent retailers in order to strengthen local economies. Money spent at these locally owned establishments is said to stay within the community three times longer than if spent in "chain" stores or stores with a national presence.

Carbon offsets

Credits earned for activities that help balance CO2 emissions, such as planting trees. They can also be bought from a provider who uses the money to plant trees, generate renewable energy or conserve energy.

CFLs

Compact Florescent Lightbulbs. Lightbulbs that are more energy efficient (approximately 20-40%) than standard incandescent light bulbs and last longer. The are more efficient because more of the energy input is converted to usable light and less is converted to heat (allowing fluorescent lamps to run cooler). They are often color-adjusted to create light closer to real sunlight.

Community/Local Currency

A currency not backed by a national government (and not necessarily legal tender), and intended to trade only in a small area.

Conflict Diamonds/Blood Diamonds

Diamonds that originate from conflicted areas, usually conflicted due to the diamond trade. Sale of these diamonds contributes financially to the continuation of these conflicts and associated human rights violations.

Conservation

The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of natural environments and the ecological communities that inhabit them. Conservation is generally held to include the management of human use of natural resources for current public benefit and sustainable social and economic utilization.

Corporate social responsibility

(CSR) is the decision-making and implementation process that guides all company activities in the protection and promotion of international human rights, labor and environmental standards and compliance with legal requirements within its operations and in its relations to the societies and communities where it operates. CSR involves a commitment to contribute to the economic, environmental and social sustainability of communities through the on-going engagement of stakeholders, the active participation of communities impacted by company activities and the public reporting of company policies and performance in the economic, environmental and social arenas.

Energy Audits

An inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows for energy conservation in a building, process or system to reduce the amount of energy input into the system without negatively affecting the output(s).

Energy Star

Introduced in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy efficient products to help reduce greenhouse emissions by identifying energy efficient products. Originally designed for computers and monitors, it has now expanded to include office products, major appliances, lighting, home electronics and more.

Fair trade

A market-based model of international trade that focuses on: fair prices, fair labor conditions, direct trade, democratic and transparent organizations, community development and environmental sustainability.

Free Range

(of livestock and domestic poultry) Permitted to graze or forage rather than being confined to a feedlot.

FSC Certified Lumber

Forest Stewardship Council, a nonprofit organization that promotes forestry practices that are sustainable from environmental and social standpoints; FSC certification on a wood product is an indicator that the wood came from a well-managed forest.

Gluten free diet

Eliminates such foods as wheat and rye and oats and beans and cabbage and turnips and cucumbers that are rich in gluten; often prescribed to treat celiac disease.

Gold Star Status

A special designation awarded to My Green Cities member businesses and organization who have incorporated a commitment to issues of environmental sustainability and/or social awareness into their mission and daily business practices.

Grass fed

A cattle feeding production system under which grass is the forage that composes all or at least the great majority of the cattle’s diet, thought to be the most natural diet for cattle. This is as opposed to a feedlot feeding production system under which cattle are fed grain and supplements, veterinary drugs and growth hormones to increase production.

Green

A common term used to denote a healthier way of life for individuals and communities. Green may pertain to products, services or activities. Typical, this designation or term assignment denotes that a product does not contain chemicals or may be closer to its natural form. See related: sustainability

Green Roofs

Growing roof systems utilizing a specialized undercarriage for the waterproof membrane and excess water removal. Various types of vegetation are set into a special growing media and help to replace displaced vegetation in the building footprint as well as greatly reducing the heat island effect. Green roofs can create pleasant gardens and help regulate storm water flow.

Kimberly Process

A process, recognized by the United Nations, designed to certify the origin of rough diamonds from sources which are free of conflict fueled by diamond production and thus do not fund rebel groups or associated human rights violations.

LEED/LEED Certification

Certification through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design process, currently the most definitive such process. LEED certification is based on a variety of categories, such as site sustainability, energy, materials, and indoor quality. It divides buildings into four categories: basic certification, silver, gold, and platinum.

Living Wage

A real wage that is high enough for the worker and family to survive and remain healthy and comfortable, sometimes called meeting basic needs. An alternative to the minimum wage, thought by some to be too low to meet the above standard.

Local Food Movement

A "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place."

Low-flow toilet

On the market since around 1994. By law they can use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush, conserving water and reducing water bills. Low-flow toilets now save the average U.S. household (2.64 people) about 25 gallons of water per day, or more than 9,000 gallons per year.

Monkey and Maggie Approved

A special designation for My Green Cities member businesses who routinely offer parents and children options for living a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle; provide activities that challenge and engage a child's mind and body; provide children with opportunities for education in the areas of healthy living, environmental sustainability, social awareness, creativity/self expression, making a difference and being a member of a community.

Motion sensor faucets

Faucets that are activated by movement and turn off when not in use.

Natural

A term widely used but with little meaning and sometimes misleading since all foods come from natural sources. No legal definition seems possible but guidelines suggest the term should be applied only to single foods that have been subjected only to mild processing, i.e. largely by physical methods such as heating, concentrating, freezing, etc., but not chemically or ‘severely’ processed.

Organic

Of or relating to foodstuff grown or raised without sewage sludge, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and hormones/genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Organic food production focuses on cycling resources for soil integrity, maintenance of ecological balance and biodiversity.

PERC (Perchloroethylene)

A toxic substance used in conventional dry cleaning. it's a chlorinated solvent that accumulates in body fat and has been listed as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Permaculture

A design science that is rooted in the observation of nature. It’s a positive, solution-based way of thinking, using a practical set of ecological design principles and methods. Permaculture principles provide a way of thinking that enables people to provide for food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs. (from www.regenerativedesign.org)

Puppy Mills/Puppy Farms

A commercial dog breeding facility that is operated with an emphasis upon profits above animal welfare and is often in substandard conditions regarding the well-being of dogs in their care.

Raw Foodism

A lifestyle promoting the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic food as a large percentage of the diet. Raw foodists typically believe that the greater the percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits, can include only vegan foods or can include raw meats and fish.

Reclaimed Lumber

Lumber reclaimed by "deconstruction" of a building or structure which can be reused to meet non-structural needs in a new building or project.

Renewable Energy

Energy generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable (naturally replenished) at the same rate at which they are used.

Smart Powerstrips

Cut the power to your electronic devices when your devices are off, to decrease the “phantom” or waste electricity used even when devices are not in use or turned off.

Social Responsibility

An ethical or ideological theory that an entity whether it is a government, corporation, organization or individual has a responsibility to society at large.

Socially responsible investment/ethical investment

Socially Responsible Investment or, Ethical Investment is the strategy of making investment decisions to achieve a social, environmental as well as financial return. Socially responsible investment identifies companies that are deemed to be financially sound, and then considers labour environmental, social and ethical issues in the assessment opportunity and risk. There are three basic strategies used by socially responsible investors: (1) screening companies based on a range of social and environmental criteria; (2) shareholder activism to change company policy through filing shareholder resolutions and meeting with company management and (3) community investing which provides low interest loans to support development in low-income communities.

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This pertains to the conservation and responsible use of resources, including those from renewable and non-renewable sources. Often, sustainability focuses on the transition from non-renewable resources to renewable resources to best ensure the needs of future generations are met.

Sustainable Fishing Guidelines

Guidelines meant to prevent overfishing in order to maintain biodiversity.

USGBC

US Green Building Council - a 501(c)(3) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation.

Vegan

A diet consisting of foods that do not contain any animal products, including honey (from bees), dairy, eggs, etc.

Vermiculture (worm farming)

The science of using worms to break down organic material to create nutrient rich compost that can be mixed with soil.

VOC

(Volatile Organic Compounds) Off gasses from such products as carpet adhesive and paint usually that often cause allergic reactions.

Vulnerable groups

Human rights law has long recognised that certain groups need special protection. Such groups include landless peasants, marginalised peasants, rural workers, rural unemployed, urban unemployed, urban poor, migrant workers, indigenous peoples, children, elderly people, women and the disabled. They are vulnerable to human rights abuses because of their physical attributes (e.g. the disabled) or because they have suffered discrimination for a long time (e.g. women) and do not have equal power in society preventing them from protecting their rights. There are two obligations in relation to vulnerable groups. First, businesses should make sure that their activities do not hurt (even unintentionally) these vulnerable groups. Second, human rights law allows, and sometimes requires, temporary positive discrimination in favour of these groups, in order to right a historical wrong that may otherwise never be rectified by time. As an example of human rights guarantees for vulnerable groups, we will look at protections for indigenous peoples.

Whole Foods

Whole foods are those that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed.