It is expected that within the next few of decades, Earth will have absolutely nothing left to offer whoever/whatever is capable of surviving on it. Although the human race is solely responsible for the damages done to the planet, a thin silver lining can still be seen if radical changes were to be done to the way we live on Earth and how we sustain it.
Since architects and designers carry a responsibility of building a substantial future, we have put together an A-Z list of every sustainability term that you might come across. Every week, a new set of letters will be published, helping you stay well-rounded on everything related to sustainable architecture and design. Here are the terms that start with letters J, K, and L.
J
Joule: Energy’s measurement unit is the joule (J).
K
Kerbside Collection: Household garbage and recyclable objects and materials that are left at the kerbside (the side of the pavement) for collection by local collection services.
Kyoto Protocol: An international agreement verified and adopted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, which determines required emission targets for developed countries.
L
Landfill: A site of solid waste disposal, in which the waste is buried between layers of soil to reclaim low-lying ground. It is also considered the oldest form of waste treatment.
Landfill Gas: The gas emitted from biodegrading waste in landfill. Some of these gasses include CO2, CH4, small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen, and benzene to name a few.
Landfill Levy: A type of tax rate applied to licensed landfills, which varies from one country to another. Levies were set in the hopes of reducing the amount of waste being landfilled, and promoting recycling.
Land-use / Land-use Planning: Land use is the management and regulation of built environments / settlements in an efficient way, which targets the products obtained from the land and its management actions.
Leaching: the loss of nutrients and chemicals in the upper layers of soil due to rainfall or irrigation.
Leachate: The mixture of water and dissolved solids or waste that accumulates as water passes through landfill sites.
Lilacwater: Recycled water that is unsuitable for drinking.
Linear Metabolism:The direct conversion of resources into waste, which are sent directly to landfill sites. Linear Metabolism cities are cities that consume resources and pollute at a very high rate.
Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE): A strong and flexible plastic usually used for packaging, bags and other industrial products.
Lighting Control System: A network-based lighting system that integrates communication between multiple networks or software with the use of central computing devices. These systems aim to provide the right amount of light where and when it is needed.
Louvres: Shutters or window blinds with angled horizontal slats which admit light and air, but keep out rain and direct sunshine.
Life Cycle: All stages of a product's development: from obtaining its raw materials, to manufacturing, consumption, and final disposal.
LCA / Life Cycle Analysis: The evaluation of a product’s full costs - starting from raw material to final disposal - in terms of consumption of resources, energy, and waste.
