Glossary

Decode the eco-speak with our friendly glossary list of green buzzwords and certifications.

Cadmium: Used in the manufacturing process of computers and computer components, cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal and a probable human carcinogen that can cause kidney and liver damage.
Campylobacter: A common bacteria that lives in the intestines of poultry and is rampant on both large and small farming operations. Campylobacter is the most commonly recognized cause of bacterial diarrhea in the U.S.
Carbamates: Pesticides often used in flea powders, including the active ingredients carbaryl and propoxur, that work by disrupting the nervous systems of insects, and unfortunately, they have the same effect on birds—the Audubon Society reports that carbamates have poisoned over 100 bird species—and fish. They also interfere with pet and human nervous systems. Young children are particularly susceptible, since they crawl around on carpeting that traps pesticide residues, and have a propensity for hugging family pets then putting their hands in their mouths (carbamates are more hazardous if ingested orally than if absorbed through skin).
Carbon Footprint: The calculation of an individual’s, factory’s, or other entity’s impact on the environment, measured as the total amount of carbon dioxide. See Greenhouse gases.
Carbon Offsetting: The act of mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions you produce from your activities, from transportation to energy use, through payment of a fee to fund projects that reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions.