Biodegradability: The chemical breakdown of materials by a physiological environment.*

Biodiversity: is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biomel, or on an entire planet.*

Biodynamic: Is a method of organic farming that treats farms as unified and individual organisms, emphasizing balancing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants, animals as a self-nourishing system without external inputs insofar as this is possible given the loss of nutrients due to the export of food.

Carbon Footprint: The total set of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product.*

Carbon Offset: Is a reduction in emissions of carbon or greenhouse gases made in in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere.*

Certification: Refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, or assessment.*  In the case of the Green Grocery Guide, certification refers to to third party organizations who have developed their own criteria for labeling (e.g. Canada Organics, Eco Logo, Fair Trade, etc.).

CFLs: Compact Fluorescent Lamps, they use less power and have a longer rated life.

Eco-friendly, Environmentally Friendly, Green: Are synonyms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies considered to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment.*

Endangered Species: A population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters.*

Energy Star: An international standard for energy efficient consumer products originated in the United States of America.*

Fair Trade: A financial relationship between producers, sellers, and consumers based on the principle of equity within the exchange of goods. Equity is achieved via creating a platform for trade that is transparent and therefore accountable for the just treatment of all producers.*

Free Range: Produced by hens that can roam freely outdoors and return to sheds or henhouses at night.

Free Run: Produced by hens allowed to roam around an enclosed barn and provided with nesting boxes in which to lay eggs.

Genetically Modified: The human manipulation of an organism’s genetic material in a way that does not occur under natural conditions.*

GMO: Genetically modified organism, whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.*

Halogens: Incandescent bulbs that contain halogen gas within the bulb.

Hormone Fed/Raised: Chickens grow much more rapidly than they once did and some consumers have concluded that this rapid growth is due to the use of hormones in these animals.*

LEDs: Light-Emitting Diodes, consists of a cluster of many diodes.

Lumen Output: The amount of light perceptible by the human eye: the higher the lumens, the brighter the light.

Organic: Food or food products, grown in an environment free from artificial agrichemicals, and possibly certified by a regulatory body.*

Threatened Species: Any species of organism that is vulnerable to extinction in the near future.*

VOC: Volatile Organic Compound, chemical compounds which can significantly vaporize under conditions of normal atmospheric temperature and pressure.*

*Definitions have been compiled from Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org)