Environmental issues glossary

A glossary of words and phrases used in green construction and sustainable development.

I

Impermeable surface

An artificial non-porous surface that generates a surface water Runoff after rainfall.

Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare

The most advanced alternative indicator to GDP to measure economic welfare. A measure of the economic activity that increases our quality of life, eg. it subtracts air pollution caused by economic activity but adds unpaid household labour such as childminding.

Indicator

A summary measure that provides information on the state of, or change in, a system.

Indoor air quality (IAQ)

The cleanliness or health effects of air in a building is affected by the amount of compounds released into the space by various materials, Carbon dioxide levels, and microbial contaminants. IAQ is heavily influenced by both choice of building materials and ventilation rates.

Industrial Revolution

Occurred in the late eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries in Europe and North America when new machinery and the use of fossil fuels to generate energy led to the start of modern industry.

Infiltration

The air that leaks in around doors, windows, and electrical outlets, etc. which can be a major source of heat loss

Infiltration basin

A dry basin designed to promote Infiltration of surface water to the ground.

Infiltration potential

The rate at which water flows through a soil (mm/h).

Infiltration trench

A trench, usually filled with stone, designed to promote Infiltration of surface water to the ground.

Intelligent buildings

Buildings designs featuring extensive use of sensors, microprocessor controls, and automated systems and able to detect, diagnose, and control the response to varying environmental conditions or operational requirements. Also called smart buildings.

Integrated Resource Planning (IRP)

IRP develops the concepts of Least cost planning to more readily take into account environmental resources, which are not always considered in least cost planning. IRP tends to focus more heavily on total kWh supplied rather than peak kW demand.

Interflow

Shallow Infiltration to the soil, from where it may infiltrate vertically to an aquifer, move horizontally to a watercourse or be stored and subsequently evaporated.

ISO 9000 and ISO 14000

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies. ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 are families of standards and guidelines relating to management systems. ISO 9000 is associated with quality management. ISO 14000 is associated with environmental management.

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