GREEN DESIGN
Green Design is consciously supporting or promoting the protection of the environment by utilizing products manufactured or produced in an environmentally and ecologically friendly way. It aims at incorporating those attributes without compromising performance, quality, functionality, and the useful life of the item. Green Building is designing to increase efficiency with the resources that will be used, such as energy, water, material or land.
At Sense of Style Interiors, we specify Green products as often as possible due to our commitment to protecting our beautiful planet and keeping its inhabitants safe while on it! The ever increasing market popularity of Green goods makes available many affordable options for delightful, eco-friendly products for your space!
To ensure high quality performance standards without a negative impact upon the earth, we:
• Do extensive research on the Green products that we specify for your home or office.
• Look to manufacturers that abide by strict labor and fair-trade laws, and that don’t use sweat-shops.
• Use only products that are not tested on animals.
• Back up our specifications with proof of their environmentally-friendly nature.
We also take pride in finding products that are produced or manufactured locally in the United States whenever possible.
• LINK to Additional Information for Product Research and Green Design
GREEN DESIGN GLOSARY
Biodegradable: Made of substances that will decay relatively quickly as a result of the action of bacteria, and break down into elements such as carbon that are recycled naturally.
Biodiversity: Large variety of different species represented in a certain area.
Carbon emissions: Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide produced by motor vehicles with internal combustion engines, and/or industrial processes producing pollutants in the atmosphere.
Carbon Footprint: The total amount of carbon dioxide emitted over a given time by a person, organization, or state. Usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Climate Change: Any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences. Average weather may include average temperature, precipitation and wind patterns. It involves changes in the variability or average state of the atmosphere over durations ranging from decades to millions of years. These changes can be caused by dynamic process on Earth, external forces including variations in sunlight intensity, and more recently by human activities.
Compact Fluorescent: A CFL is a kind of fluorescent lamp that uses up to 75% less power and lasts up to 10 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs of the same perceived power of light.
Conservation: The preservation and protection of natural resources, such as wildlife, soil, natural energy and forestry expressly for their continued sustainable use by humans.
Deforestation: The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation, often for forest areas to be converted into non-forest land. This results in a loss of biodiversity and has been cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect due to the release of carbon dioxide by the burning and decomposition of wood, as well as the loss of trees able to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Fair Trade: A social movement that promotes standards for international labor and created a market-based model of international trade that promotes payment of a fair price to economically disadvantaged populations.
Fossil Fuel: Fuel created from decomposed plants and animals such as oil, natural gas, and coal. Burning these fuels creates carbon dioxide.
FSC-Certified: Wood or paper products showing this label have been approved under the Forest Stewardship Council as products compliant with sustainable forestry practices.
Global Warming: The increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century and its projected continuation. The global average air temperature near the Earth's surface rose ± 0.32 °F during the hundred years ending in 2005. Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to the observed increase in human produced greenhouse gas concentrations called the greenhouse effect.
Green: Of the color, often seen in nature; to support or promote the protection of the environment; products manufactured are produced in an environmentally and ecologically friendly way, for example, using renewable resources; go green: to become actively interested in environmental issues and support environment causes, to consciously curb harmful effects on the environment through consumer habits, behavior and lifestyle.
Green Building: A building designed to increase efficiency with the resources it uses, such as energy, water, material or land.
Greenhouse Effect: The process by which the planet is warmed by its atmosphere through the trapping and build-up of heat near the Earth's surface. Some of the heat flowing back toward space from the Earth's surface is absorbed by water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and several other gases in the atmosphere and then reradiated back toward the Earth's surface. If the atmospheric concentrations of these greenhouse gases rise, the average temperature of the lower atmosphere will gradually increase.
Greenwashing: A term that describes marketers, businesses, and organizations misleading consumers about their environmental practices or the environmental benefits of a product or service, they could even be acting in ways that hurt the environment.
Hybrid: A car that runs on both electric battery and fuel, making the gas mileage extremely efficient and also produces fewer emissions which help control pollution in the environment.
LED: Light emitting diodes are devices that contain chemical compounds that illuminate when they come into contact with electricity. LEDs don't require a heating filament so they burn cooler and use less electricity to produce light. They also last longer than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.
LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a certification process by the U.S. Green Building Council that provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction.
Non-renewable Resource: A natural resource that can't be replenished because the rate of formation is slower than the rate of consumption. Fossil fuels, metals, some wood species and other minerals and groundwater are non-renewable.
Organic: A product or food that is produced without the use of synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or fertilizers. A living thing, that occurs naturally without being forced or contrived. Organic materials are often certified by a regulatory body.
Post-consumer: Refers to recycled material that was used first by a consumer. A high post-consumer content helps divert materials from ending up in landfills.
Recycle: To process used or waste material so that it can be used again, or to reprocess waste into something useful such as recycling post-consumer bottles into decorative glass tiles.
Renewable Resource: A natural resource that is able to be sustained or renewed indefinitely, either because of inexhaustible supplies or because of new growth.
Sustainable: To use natural resources without destroying the ecological balance of an area, to meet the needs of the present while growing without compromising the future environmental state.
VOC: Substances produced from solids and liquids that convert to gases, such as benzene and methylene chloride, that may have short and long-term adverse health effects. Avoid products that contain VOCs, which can be found in paints and adhesives. Low-VOC is a term referring to reduced amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint and finishes. Low-VOC paints do not off-gas as much as conventional paints and contain fewer toxins that are harmful to the environment and indoor air quality.
Green Design is consciously supporting or promoting the protection of the environment by utilizing products manufactured or produced in an environmentally and ecologically friendly way. It aims at incorporating those attributes without compromising performance, quality, functionality, and the useful life of the item. Green Building is designing to increase efficiency with the resources that will be used, such as energy, water, material or land.
At Sense of Style Interiors, we specify Green products as often as possible due to our commitment to protecting our beautiful planet and keeping its inhabitants safe while on it! The ever increasing market popularity of Green goods makes available many affordable options for delightful, eco-friendly products for your space!
To ensure high quality performance standards without a negative impact upon the earth, we:
• Do extensive research on the Green products that we specify for your home or office.
• Look to manufacturers that abide by strict labor and fair-trade laws, and that don’t use sweat-shops.
• Use only products that are not tested on animals.
• Back up our specifications with proof of their environmentally-friendly nature.
We also take pride in finding products that are produced or manufactured locally in the United States whenever possible.
• LINK to Additional Information for Product Research and Green Design
GREEN DESIGN GLOSARY
Biodegradable: Made of substances that will decay relatively quickly as a result of the action of bacteria, and break down into elements such as carbon that are recycled naturally.
Biodiversity: Large variety of different species represented in a certain area.
Carbon emissions: Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide produced by motor vehicles with internal combustion engines, and/or industrial processes producing pollutants in the atmosphere.
Carbon Footprint: The total amount of carbon dioxide emitted over a given time by a person, organization, or state. Usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Climate Change: Any long-term significant change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences. Average weather may include average temperature, precipitation and wind patterns. It involves changes in the variability or average state of the atmosphere over durations ranging from decades to millions of years. These changes can be caused by dynamic process on Earth, external forces including variations in sunlight intensity, and more recently by human activities.
Compact Fluorescent: A CFL is a kind of fluorescent lamp that uses up to 75% less power and lasts up to 10 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs of the same perceived power of light.
Conservation: The preservation and protection of natural resources, such as wildlife, soil, natural energy and forestry expressly for their continued sustainable use by humans.
Deforestation: The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation, often for forest areas to be converted into non-forest land. This results in a loss of biodiversity and has been cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect due to the release of carbon dioxide by the burning and decomposition of wood, as well as the loss of trees able to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Fair Trade: A social movement that promotes standards for international labor and created a market-based model of international trade that promotes payment of a fair price to economically disadvantaged populations.
Fossil Fuel: Fuel created from decomposed plants and animals such as oil, natural gas, and coal. Burning these fuels creates carbon dioxide.
FSC-Certified: Wood or paper products showing this label have been approved under the Forest Stewardship Council as products compliant with sustainable forestry practices.
Global Warming: The increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century and its projected continuation. The global average air temperature near the Earth's surface rose ± 0.32 °F during the hundred years ending in 2005. Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to the observed increase in human produced greenhouse gas concentrations called the greenhouse effect.
Green: Of the color, often seen in nature; to support or promote the protection of the environment; products manufactured are produced in an environmentally and ecologically friendly way, for example, using renewable resources; go green: to become actively interested in environmental issues and support environment causes, to consciously curb harmful effects on the environment through consumer habits, behavior and lifestyle.
Green Building: A building designed to increase efficiency with the resources it uses, such as energy, water, material or land.
Greenhouse Effect: The process by which the planet is warmed by its atmosphere through the trapping and build-up of heat near the Earth's surface. Some of the heat flowing back toward space from the Earth's surface is absorbed by water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and several other gases in the atmosphere and then reradiated back toward the Earth's surface. If the atmospheric concentrations of these greenhouse gases rise, the average temperature of the lower atmosphere will gradually increase.
Greenwashing: A term that describes marketers, businesses, and organizations misleading consumers about their environmental practices or the environmental benefits of a product or service, they could even be acting in ways that hurt the environment.
Hybrid: A car that runs on both electric battery and fuel, making the gas mileage extremely efficient and also produces fewer emissions which help control pollution in the environment.
LED: Light emitting diodes are devices that contain chemical compounds that illuminate when they come into contact with electricity. LEDs don't require a heating filament so they burn cooler and use less electricity to produce light. They also last longer than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.
LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a certification process by the U.S. Green Building Council that provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction.
Non-renewable Resource: A natural resource that can't be replenished because the rate of formation is slower than the rate of consumption. Fossil fuels, metals, some wood species and other minerals and groundwater are non-renewable.
Organic: A product or food that is produced without the use of synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or fertilizers. A living thing, that occurs naturally without being forced or contrived. Organic materials are often certified by a regulatory body.
Post-consumer: Refers to recycled material that was used first by a consumer. A high post-consumer content helps divert materials from ending up in landfills.
Recycle: To process used or waste material so that it can be used again, or to reprocess waste into something useful such as recycling post-consumer bottles into decorative glass tiles.
Renewable Resource: A natural resource that is able to be sustained or renewed indefinitely, either because of inexhaustible supplies or because of new growth.
Sustainable: To use natural resources without destroying the ecological balance of an area, to meet the needs of the present while growing without compromising the future environmental state.
VOC: Substances produced from solids and liquids that convert to gases, such as benzene and methylene chloride, that may have short and long-term adverse health effects. Avoid products that contain VOCs, which can be found in paints and adhesives. Low-VOC is a term referring to reduced amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint and finishes. Low-VOC paints do not off-gas as much as conventional paints and contain fewer toxins that are harmful to the environment and indoor air quality.
