Glossary

Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum
Sustainability

Built Environment

The result of human intervention in the natural physical world, where places with different characteristics and identities are created, and the means to keep them functional and interdependent are established.

Conservation

The act of preserving or protecting natural resources; to prevent harm and depletion.

Degradation

The act of reducing the quality, wearing down, or worsening of someone or something.

Ecosystem

A system formed by the interaction of organisms with their environment.

Gender Equality

Giving males and females equal treatment, opportunities, and civil rights.

Hectare

A unit of land or surface area equal to 10,000 square meters or 2.471 acres.

Malaria

Disease transmitted to the human bloodstream by the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms include chills, fever and sweating.

Mortality

Death.

Natural Resources

Natural wealth consisting of land, forests, soils, minerals, water, etc.

Sustainability

Maintaining a resource or system so that it does not degrade. Sustainability also means considering all economic, environmental, and social costs and benefits of an activity, instead of only one type of cost.

Sustainable Development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future to meet its needs.

Tuberculosis

An infectious disease that most often affects the lungs, but may also affect other tissues.

Watershed

The area drained by a river, stream, etc.

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