Vocabulary on environment

Acid rain: acidic precipitation (rainfall) that causes harm to the environment. It is formed in the atmosphere
when industrial waste gases combine with water.

Activists: people who show their strong support of a cause through action, especially political action.

Animal rights: the natural rights of animals to live free of human dangers and exploitation.

Aqueduct: an artificial channel for transporting water, often in the form of a bridge.

Biodegradable: generally referring to packaging, it means something than can be decomposed by bacteria or
other organisms.

Breeding in captivity: the reproduction of animals in confinement, not in their natural habitats.

CFC gases: (Chlorofluorocarbon) gases that are harmful to the ozone layer in the Earth's atmosphere.

Condensation: water that has been transformed from a gas to a liquid and appears on a cold surface.

Conservation: the protection and preservation of the natural environment.

Conservation program: a formalized action plan for protecting or restoring a natural area.

Conserve: to care for, preserve and protect.

Contaminated: polluted, usually by toxic waste

Decay: to rot or decompose; also, to decline in quality, energy, etc.

Drought: the continuous absence of rain, thus causing the land to dry up.

ssions: toxic gases from factories and machinery that are then leaked into the atmosphere.

Endangered species: a species of plant or animal that are in danger of becoming extinct.

Environmentalist: a person who actively works to promote the protection of the environment.

Erosion: the process of the wearing away of land due to there being little to no vegetation.

Erupt: when a volcano becomes active and begins to eject lava.

Evaporation: the process of a liquid heating up and turning into a gas or vapor.

Extinct: when a plant or animal species ceases to exist entirely.

Fault line: a fissure in the Earth's crust where the tectonic plates move against each other causing an
earthquake.

Flood: when a body of water, such as a river, becomes too full and water overflows beyond its normal
confines.

Fossil fuels: fuel formed naturally over many years from the remains of animals, such as coal, oil, and natural
gas.

Fumes: gases and vapor (usually harmful).

Genetically modified: normally related to food, it's when an object's genetic makeup has been altered.

Global warming: an increase in the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere, which is due to the greenhouse
effect.
Greenhouse effect: the trapping of the sun's heat in the atmosphere caused by greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases: any gas, especially carbon dioxide, which contributes to the greenhouse effect.

Landfills: large areas of land where waste and garbage are disposed.

Landslide: when a large amount of land slides down from a mountain or cliff.

Natural resources: materials found in nature which are often exploited for economic gains.

Ocean: a large body of salt water spanning between continents.

Organic: without chemicals (such as sprays) or other man-made additives.

Organic farming: producing crops without the use of chemical pesticides or herbicides.

Ozone layer: the lower part of the atmosphere which contains a high level of ozone that absorbs the majority
of the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Poaching: the illegal hunting of animals.

Pollute: to contaminate a natural area

Pollution: contamination or toxic bi-products from factories

Power Lines: they're used to conduct electricity to houses and buildings, and are often supported high above
the ground by wooden poles or large metal structures.

Expressions
the root cause: the main reason for something

 The root cause of the endangerment of condors is the development and destruction of their habitat.

to stem from: to be caused by

 Scientists say that global warming partly stems from emissions from the numerous cars driven.

Set 1: The natural world

wildlife

part of speech: noun

meaning: animals and plants that grow in natural conditions

collocations: endangered wildlife

local/native wildlife
preserve/protect/save wildlife
endanger/threaten/damage/harm wildlife
wildlife conservation/protection

example: It is well known that the use of pesticides harms wildlife, yet we continue to use them.
 pronunciation: /ˈwaɪld.laɪf/

biodiversity

part of speech: noun

meaning: the variety of life (plants and animals) found in a particular place

collocations: preserve biodiversity

biodiversity conservation
loss of biodiversity

example: I believe more funding should be made available for biodiversity conservation.

pronunciation: /ˌbaɪ.əʊ.daɪˈvɜː.sə.ti/

ecology

part of speech: noun

meaning: the relationship between living things and their environment in a particular area

collocations: animal/human/marine/plant
fragile ecology
damage/disrupt the ecology

example: Water pollution has caused great damage to the marine ecology.

pronunciation: /iˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/

natural resources

part of speech: noun

meaning: any of the materials that exist in nature and that can be used by people

collocations: natural resources conservation/management

use of natural resources
rich in natural resources

example: Saudi Arabia is a country rich in natural resources, particularly in oil.

pronunciation: /ˈnætʃ·ər·əl ˈri·sɔrs, ˈri·sɔʊrs/

species

part of speech: noun

 meaning: a group of animals or plants in which

collocations: living species

endangered/threatened species
extinct species
protected species
species of (fish, bird, insect, etc.)

example: Sadly, most of the endangered species are at risk due to human activity.

Set 2: Environmental issues

emission

part of speech: noun

meaning: an amount of something, particularly a harmful gas, that is sent out into the air

collocations: emissions of greenhouse gases/carbon dioxide

cut/reduce/limit emissions
emission cuts/reductions/control

example: I think developed countries should aim to reduce emissions, even if it means slower econo

pronunciation: /ɪˈmɪʃən/

global warming

part of speech: noun

meaning: an increase in the earth’s temperature that causes changes in climate

collocations: fight/combat/tackle global warming

contribute to global warming
the effects of global warming

example: Some people think that it’s too late to reverse the effects of global warming.

pronunciation: /ˌɡləʊ.bəl ˈwɔː.mɪŋ/

carbon footprint

part of speech: noun

meaning: a measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide that a person or organization produces
 collocations: reduce the carbon footprint of

example: Nowadays, more and more organizations are committed to reducing their carbon footprint.

pronunciation: /ˌkɑː.bən ˈfʊt.prɪnt/

dumping ground

part of speech: noun

meaning: a place where things that are not wanted are left

collocations: a dumping ground for

example: We must stop treating our oceans like a dumping ground.

pronunciation: /ˈdʌm.pɪŋ ˌɡraʊnd/

oil spill

part of speech: noun

meaning: an accident in which oil has come out of a ship and into the environment, and caused pollu

collocations: victims of oil spills

large scale oil spills

example: Many species of fish and birds are often victims of oil spills.

pronunciation: /ˈɔɪl ˌspɪl/

Set 3: Helping the environment

carbon-neutral

part of speech: adjective

meaning: If a person, activity or organization is carbon-neutral, it does things like planting trees to red
dioxide by the same amount as it produces it.

collocations: become (totally) carbon-neutral

example: Being carbon-neutral should be the goal of every responsible company.

pronunciation: /ˌkɑː.bənˈnjuː.trəl/

environmentally-friendly

part of speech: adjective

 meaning: not harmful to the environment

collocations: environmentally-friendly business/company

environmentally-friendly practices
environmentally-friendly technologies
environmentally-friendly products

example: It is important that, as customers, we demand environmentally-friendly products.

pronunciation: /ɪn.vaɪ.rənˌmen.təl.i ˈfrend.li/

preserve

part of speech: verb

meaning: to keep something as it is

collocations: preserve the environment

seek to/try to preserve
help (to) preserve

example: We must help to preserve the environment for future generations.

pronunciation: /prɪˈzɜːv/

sustainability

part of speech: noun

meaning: the idea that we should meet our own needs in ways that do not damage the environment and that do not u
cannot be replaced

collocations: environmental sustainability

sustainability of sth
promote sustainability

example: From recycling to using public transport, there are many things that we can all do to promote sustainability.

pronunciation: /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti/

biodegradable

part of speech: adjective

meaning: able to decay in a natural way that is not harmful to the environment

collocations: biodegradable packaging/materials

 example: I always buy products that come in biodegradable packaging.

pronunciation: /ˌbaɪəʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbl/

Nature and environment idioms

idiom meaning example

Mother Nature nature or weather considered as a force that It’s easy to forget about all of the wonders
controls all living things that Mother Nature provides us.

T To go/get back to nature to start living a simpler life, one that allows us to be I was ready to get away from the city and
more in tune with nature go back to nature.

T To go green to choose an environmentally-friendly lifestyle We’ve decided to go green by eating

natural, organic, locally produced foods.