Topic Specific Vocabulary-Environment

• Global warming – The rise of average Earth temperatures.
• Droughts – It is a state or condition when human demands for water exceed its natural availability.
• Deforestation – Deforestation is the clearing of trees without the intent of replanting them.
• Biodiversity – is the variety of all living things on Earth which include plants, animals, and microorganisms.
• Extinction – Certain species no longer exist on the planet.
• Habitat – the natural environment of a plant, animal, or another organism.
• Ecosystem – any community of living and not living things that work together.
• Ozone layer – a belt of naturally occurring ozone gas that sits above the earth and serves as a shield from the harmful ultraviolet radiation.
• Carbon footprint – The amount of greenhouse gases emitted by something during a given period of time.
• Hazardous waste – Dangerous unwanted or unusable material, substances, or by-products.
• Contamination – the action or state of making or being made impure by polluting or poisoning.
• Pesticides – chemicals that kill or manage pests.
• Landfill – Landfill is an area of land that is used to dispose of waste.
• Renewable energy sources – A renewable energy source is a natural source which will replenish to replace the portion depleted by usage and consumption.
• Tidal energy – a power produced by the surge of ocean waters during the rise and fall of tides.
• Fossil fuels – a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.
• Climate change – changes in the Earth’s weather patterns.
• Acid rain – rain that contains dangerous chemicals because of smoke from cars and factories.
• Industrial waste – damaged, defective, or superfluous material produced by industry.
• Urbanization – the process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more and more people begin living and working in central areas.
• Biodegradable – Capable of being slowly destroyed and broken down into very small parts by natural processes, bacteria, etc.
• Environmentalist / Environmental activist – a person who works to protect the natural world from pollution and other threats.
• Natural disaster – a sudden and terrible event in nature (such as a hurricane, tornado, or flood) that usually results in serious damage and many deaths.
• Hybrid cars – cars in which two or more distinct types of power, such as internal combustion engine+electric motor are used.
• Fertilizers – a substance (such as manure or a special chemical) that is added to soil to help the growth of plants.
• Rainforest – a tropical forest that receives a lot of rain and that has very tall trees.
• Chemicals – substances obtained by a chemical process or producing a chemical effect.
• Sustainable agriculture – is the act of farming based on an understanding of ecosystem services, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment.
• Adverse environmental effects – abnormal, harmful, or undesirable impact on the environment.
• Climate change mitigation – consists of actions to limit the magnitude or rate of long-term climate change.
• Emissions – substances discharged into the air (as by a smokestack or an automobile engine)
• Exhaust fumes – gases ejected from an engine as waste products;
• To conserve energy – use energy carefully in order to prevent loss or waste;
• Toxic – containing poisonous substances;
• To recycle – to send (used newspapers, bottles, cans, etc.) to a place where they are made into something new;
• The three Rs concept – reducing, reusing, recycling.
• Toxic waste – poisonous waste.
• Dump waste – dispose of in an irresponsible manner.
• Searing heat – extreme heat.
• Dire consequences – extremely serious results.
• Food miles – distance food has to travel between where it is grown or made and where it is consumed.
• Offsetting carbon emissions – paying for an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide to be saved elsewhere (eg petrol and battery).