USGBC Updated LEED-Green-Associate Exam Questions and Answers by alisha

The term “LEED certified building” is the correct usage according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This term indicates that a building has met the standards set by the LEED rating system and has been officially certified by the USGBC. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

An externality is a consequence of an economic activity that affects other parties who are not directly involved in the activity. Externalities can be positive or negative, depending on whether they create benefits or costs for others. When a developer builds a new shopping center in a rural area, one externality might be an increase in traffic on adjacent roads. This is a negative externality because it imposes costs on other road users who are not part of the development project, such as increased travel time, fuel consumption, air pollution, noise pollution, and accident risk13. References: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate Handbook1, Investopedia’s Externality

A closed system is a type of approach that promotes the conservation of materials and resources by linking elements in order to form relationships with their function1. A closed system is one that does not exchange matter or energy with its surroundings, and therefore minimizes waste and maximizes efficiency2. A closed system aims to achieve a circular economy, where resources are reused, recycled, or recovered, rather than disposed of3. A closed system can also enhance resource productivity, reduce environmental impacts, and foster innovation4.

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Zero Waste Definition

Closed system | physics

Material Resources, Productivity and the Environment

Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead

Using materials with a high recycled content is a strategy to reduce construction waste. Recycled content materials are made from pre-consumer or post-consumer waste that has been diverted from landfills or incinerators and reprocessed into new materials. Using recycled content materials reduces the demand for virgin materials, saves energy and resources, and prevents waste generation. The other options are not strategies to reduce construction waste. Performing a waste stream audit is a strategy to measure and analyze the types and quantities of waste generated by a building or project. Developing a construction waste management policy is a strategy to establish goals and procedures for diverting construction waste from landfills or incinerators. Hiring a consultant to sort construction waste off site is a strategy to outsource the responsibility of separating recyclable or reusable materials from construction waste, but it does not necessarily reduce the amount of waste generated. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, page 26; USGBC, [Materials and Resources], page 2.