Sustainability Plan for University City - Revised 01-08-12

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Sustainability Strategic Plan for the City of University City, Missouri September 12, 2011/ REVISED JANUARY 8, 2012 Page 36 Glossary AIA: American Institute of Architects ASHRAE: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials International Carbon Emissions: Carbon dioxide (CO2) that enters the atmosphere as a result of human activity, especially the burning of carbon-based fuels. Carbon Footprint: A way of expressing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted as a result of a person's day-to-day life. For a business or a government, it is the CO2 emitted as a result of its operations. Carbon footprints are usually expressed in tonnes of CO2 emitted per year. Combined Sewer System: A system in which both sewage/waste water and storm water are conveyed together in the same pipe to a treatment plant system. During a heavy rain (> ½ inch) the volume may be too much for the system, and the combined flow is discharged directly to local streams. In University City, it overflows into the River des Peres. Compost: Organic materials derived from plant and animal matter that have been decomposed largely through aerobic decomposition. The process of composting is simple and practiced by individuals in their homes, farmers on their land, and industrially by cities and factories. Compost is often rich in nutrients, and is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture and agriculture. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital nutrients, and as a natural pesticide for soil. In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover. Construction and demolition debris recycling: Recycling materials discarded from building or demolition projects. Construction and demolition debris are generally considered to be not water soluble and non-hazardous in nature, including steel, glass, brick, concrete, asphalt material, pipe, gypsum wallboard, and lumber. Construction and demolition debris also includes rocks, soils, tree remains, trees, and other vegetative matter which normally results from land clearing or land development operations for a construction project; as well as clean cardboard, paper, plastic, wood, and metal scraps from a construction project. These materials can be diverted from landfills and recycled. Ecosystem: Stable, though not necessarily permanent, community of plants that have developed interrelationships with each other and with native wildlife to form a distinct, self-sustaining system. A few examples of ecosystems are tallgrass prairie, boreal forest, estuary, and oak savannah.