Glossary of Common Sustainability Terms (The M’s)

GreenBusinessOwner.com’s green glossary is an ever-growing list of constantly updated key sustainable business terms for sustainability professionals (so don’t mind the date and time stamp above).

If you feel that we’re missing something, we appreciate you letting us know by adding it as a comment at the bottom.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P-Q | R | S | T | U-V-W-X-Y-Z

Mercury – a heavy metal that is liquid at room temperature. Mercury is highly toxic and can cause brain damage. Mercury has been used as a filling for cavities for more than 50 years, and many people are choosing to find a qualified dentist to remove mercury fillings that, they claim, are impairing their health by leaching into their system. Mercury, whose chemical symbol on the periodic table is Hg, is also a component of compact fluorescent lightbulbs, making CFL’s difficult to dispose of properly. CFL’s can be taken to many stores, including Ace Hardware, where they will be recycled and the mercury properly disposed of.

Methane – CH4, as it is known in the chemical world, methane is also known as natural gas. Methane is a product of decomposition, and is odorless and tasteless. It is a powerful greenhouse gas, with about 18-22x the greenhouse gas effects of carbon dioxide. Methane is also a by-product of digestion, especially in ruminants like cows, which is one of the main reasons that the United Nations believes that a vegetarian diet free of beef and dairy products can reduce a person’s carbon footprint as much as switching from a gas-guzzling SUV to a Prius.

Michael Pollan – sustainable food activist and author. Pollan’s books include Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food and the Botany of Desire.

Microenterprise – a term used to describe the small businesses that typically don’t require a lot of startup capital or expertise, and can potentially reinvigorate the economy. A good example of a microenterprise is a mobile food truck or a consignment store. Many microenterprises don’t grow much beyond their original premise, but provide decent jobs and local control.

Mountaintop Removal Mining – a term used to describe the technology in which a mountain is completely destroyed in order to harvest the coal or other minerals found inside. Rather than digging a traditional mine shaft, a mining company can recognize some financial savings and lay off workers by simply chopping the top off the mountain and sifting through the rubble to pull out the coal. Here’s a before and after picture of mountaintop removal, courtesy of GoogleEarth and our friends at ThinkProgress.

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