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carbon dioxide / or co2 the main greenhouse gas produced from the burning of carbon based fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas.
carbon index this is a measure of the carbon emitted to the atmosphere from the heating and hot water used in a building. it is measured per square metre of floor area in a year, on a log scale of 0-10.
carbonlite programme a measure of housing energy efficiency devised and run by the aecb
casement a window hinged at one edge and designed to open inwards or outwards.
climate change short-term climate variability and longer-term trends or shifts in climate caused by natural mechanisms or by human activity (see also global warming).
chlorofluorocarbon gases used as refrigerants, now banned in europe and other parts of the world, due to the damage they cause to the ozone layer.
cob a traditional mixture of earth, sand, straw and water mixed by hand or machinery. formed into lumps and pressed together to form the walls of a building, rather like building a giant clay pot. cob structures are load bearing. excellent thermal mass which is necessary for passive solar design.
coir coir is fibre taken from the husk (fibrous outer shell) of a coconut. the fibres are used in interior design to make mats and rugs that are naturally waterproof.
cold bridging occurs between building materials and is a major cause of condensation and mould growth in buildings. there are several varieties of mould that can grow on the inside surface of buildings in certain conditions and some can be toxic. products with little or no cold bridging are thus provide a healthy environment by reducing moisture and mould growth.
condensation when water vapour from the air comes into contact with cold surfaces, the vapour condenses on the cooler surface
conservatories conservatories can help to harness passive solar energy and provide shelter to external walls. however, they should be carefully incorporated into a design to ensure effective distribution of heat around the home, avoid heat loss in winter through large glazed areas, and prevent over-heating in summer. it is important to be able to thermally isolate a conservatory from the rest of the house to prevent excessive heat loss.
cooling and preventing excessive solar gain with predicted increases in summer temperatures, building design will need to ensure there is adequate cooling to prevent uncomfortable internal temperatures. as a first priority, measures (such as shutters or brise-soleil) are simple and effective in preventing excessive solar gain, especially on large glazed solar-orientated elevations.
caliche a type of soil containing calcium carbonate that makes a very hard brick/block without firing, common in the southern usa and south america.
cap-and-trade system a regulatory or management system that sets a target level for emissions or natural resource use, and, after distributing shares in that quota, lets trading in those permits determine their price.
carbon credit are measured in units of certified emission reductions (cers). each cer is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide reduction. developed countries that have exceeded the levels can either cut down emissions, or borrow or buy carbon credits from developing countries.
carbon footprint a representation of the effect human activities have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced (measured in units of carbon dioxide).
carbon management a strategy for large organisations who wish to manage and reduce their carbon emissions while growing profitably; provides a strategic view of how carbon impacts the organisation by identifying the risks and opportunities associated with climate change
carbon monoxide (co) a colourless, odourless, very toxic gas made up of carbon and oxygen that burns to carbon dioxide with a blue flame and is formed as a product of the incomplete combustion of carbon.
carbon sequestration refers to the process by which atmospheric carbon is absorbed in to carbon sinks such as the oceans, forests and soil.
carbon sink is a carbon reservoir that is increasing in size, the main natural sinks are the oceans, and plants and other organisms that use photosynthesis to remove carbon from the atmosphere by incorporating it into biomass. the concept of carbon sinks has become more widely known because the kyoto protocol allows this as a form of carbon offset.
carbon tax a tax on energy sources which emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. it is an example of a pollution tax, which has been proposed by economists as preferable because it taxes a bad, rather than a good, issue.
catchment the area contributing surface water flow to a point on a drainage or river system; can be divided into sub-catchments.
certified emission reduction (cer) each cer is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide emissions reduction. a cer is the technical term for the output of clean development mechanism (cdm) projects, as defined by the kyoto protocol.
chloroflourocarbon (cfc) a chemical compound made up of carbon, fluorine, and chlorine. cfcs have been used as propellants in spray cans, coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, and in foam, plastics, and cleaning solvents. they are very stable in the troposphere, but are broken down by strong ultraviolet light in the stratosphere and release chlorine atoms which have been shown to deplete the ozone layer.
city system the people, goods and information flows which enter and leave a city, creating a system of inputs and outputs.
city metabolism using a view of cities as organisms, describes the way in which they operate to enable continued growth and functioning.
climate change refers to the variation in the earth's global climate or in regional climates over time. it describes changes in the variability or average state of the atmosphere over time scales ranging from decades to millions of years. these changes may come from processes internal to the earth, be driven by external forces or, most recently, be caused by human activities.
closed loop-recycling a recycling system in which a particular mass of material is remanufactured into the same product.
combined heat and power (chp) a method of using the heat that is produced as a by-product of electrical generation and that would otherwise be wasted; the heat can be used for space heating of buildings or for industrial purposes. utilising the heat in this way means that 70-85% of the energy converted from fuel can be put to use, rather than the 30-50% that is typical for electrical generation alone.
combined sewer a sewer designed to carry foul sewage and surface runoff in the same pipe.
community plan a plan which is developed at local authority level involving local communities to promote and put sustainable development into practice in the locality.
compost material resulting from the controlled microbial transformation of organic materials under aerobic, high temperature conditions.
composting a waste management option involving the controlled biological decomposition of organic materials into a relatively stable humus-like product that can be handled, stored, and applied to the land without adversely affecting the environment.
composting toilet a toilet which uses little or no water in which the waste composts to a material which can be safely used as a soil additive.
compressed earth blocks earth that is mechanically compressed into a block form, often stabilised with cement, and having a higher compressive strength and better weatherability characteristics than adobe.
contaminated land land that retains undesirable residues resulting from a previous use or recent incident.
corporate social responsibility (csr) a concept that suggests that commercial corporations have a duty of care to all of their stakeholders in all aspects of their business operations. csr is closely linked with the principles of sustainable development which argue that enterprises should be obliged to make decisions based not only on financial/economic factors but also on the social, environmental and other consequences of their activities
cost-benefit analysis the appraisal of an investment or a policy change that considers all associated costs and benefits, expressed in monetary terms, accruing to it.
cradle-to-cradle design, industrial, management and economic activities which ensure that materials and products are cared for throughout their life cycle, so that once their current use life is complete they are returned to new use lives or functions
curtilage land area within property boundaries.

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