The overarching goal of environmental education is to create an environmentally literate citizen. The test of environmental literacy is the capacity of an individual to have a broad understanding of how people and societies relate to each other and to natural systems.
Environmental literacy can be defined as the ability to read, understand and act on information regarding the environment. Environmental literacy may translate into taking simple actions or behaviors to protect and conserve the environment. For example, buying "green" products, or taking public transportation instead of driving a car to reduce air pollution. Environmental literacy evolves over one's lifetime and is impacted by a range of factors, including educational, psycho-social and cultural factors, as well as community networks.
Health literacy is the ability to understand, evaluate, and act on oral, written, and visual health information in order to mitigate risk and live healthier lives. Health literacy refers to more than the ability to read health information. Health literacy encompasses an understanding of the health care system, having enough information to make informed decisions and to advocate for yourself and your community, and ultimately leads to improved health and quality of life.
Environmental health literacy integrates concepts from both environmental literacy and health literacy to develop the wide range of skills, and competencies that people need in order to seek out, comprehend, evaluate, and use environmental health information to make informed choices, reduce health risks, improve quality of life and protect the environment. Environmental issues, and conservation and planning efforts are often not about nature as much as they are about humans and human behavior. Therefore, health educators can play an important role in promoting healthy behavior changes that would positively impact both public health and the environment.
Due to the underlying need to increase understanding of the ways in which our natural environment are linked to public health, SOPHE has dedicated the first quarter of the "Finding the Key: Healthier Homes & Communities" Campaign to focus on environmental health literacy.
University of Albany Webcast on Environmental Health Literacy
Environmental Literacy Council's Environmental Health Page
National Environmental Education Foundations Health & Environment Program