pollute the environment

to pollute = contaminate

pollutant = contaminant

air/chemical/industrial/water pollutant

to protect the environment

to protect = to preserve = to safeguard = to conserve

environmental/ecological catastrophe

catastrophe = cataclysm = disaster = calamity

a disaster strikes/hits = happen suddenly

disaster relief

ecology: the way in which plants, animals, and people are related to each

other and to their environment, or the scientific study of this

fragile ecology (=weak or damaged, and in danger of being destroyed

completely)

marine ecology

ecologist

habitat: the natural home of a plant or animal

a wildlife habitat

a coastal habitat
habitat loss

shrinking habitat

the destruction of a habitat

the food chain: all animals and plants considered as a group in which a

plant is eaten by an insect or animal, which is then eaten by another

animal and so on

global warming

climate change

the greenhouse effect

the depletion of the ozone layer/destruction of the ozone layer/the hole

in the ozone layer

rising sea level

above/below sea level

the destruction of rainforest/the depletion of rainforest

deforestation

reforestation: the practice of planting trees in an area where they were

previously cut down, in order to grow them for industrial use or to

improve the environment

endangered species = threatened species

extinction of endangered species

go extinct
to be close to extinction

to be on the verge of extinction =be at the point of almost not existing

to be on the brink of extinction

face extinction (=be likely to stop existing soon)

imminent/impending extinction: likely to happen soon

desertification: the process by which useful land, especially farmland,

changes into desert

soil erosion

marine/coastal erosion
air/soil/water/noise/light/marine pollution

greenhouse gases

fumes

exhaust fumes

smog

traffic congestion/traffic jam

stuck in a traffic jam

pesticide

herbicide: a substance used to kill unwanted plants

insecticide: a chemical substance used for killing insects

genetically modified foods/crop

toxic waste/hazardous waste/e-waste/household waste/nuclear waste

dispose of waste

waste disposal

recycle waste

dump waste

fossil fuels
acid rain: rain that contains harmful acid which can damage the

environment and is caused by chemicals in the air, for example from

cars or factories

environmentally friendly = eco-friendly = ecologically sound

renewable energy/resources

non-renewable

finite resources

infinite # finite

organic food/vegetables/milk

sustainable: able to continue without causing damage to the environment

promote sustainable agriculture

the sustainable use of rainforest resources

unsustainable

alternative energy

solar power/wind power/wave power

onshore/offshore wind farm

car pool: a group of people who agree to travel together to work, school

etc in one car and share the cost

bus lane/cycle lane

to be harmful the environment

pose the risk/danger/threat to (public health)

weather pattern

experience searing heat/heatwave

to experience a problem

to experience = to suffer = to sustain = to endure = to be subject to

temperatures soar

to soar

suffer widespread flooding

widespread = prevalent = ubiquitous = omnipresent = common

dire consequence

dire = devastating = destructive = disastrous = catastrophic = calamitous

irreversible climate change

irreversible = unavoidable = inevitable inexorable

reduce carbon footprint

reduce food miles

offset carbon emission

vehicle emissions

hybrid cars
develop alternative energy sources

solar heating

build offshore wind farms

introduce green taxes

incentive

create/provide/give somebody an incentive

eco-friendly design

threat to biodiversity

loss of biodiversity
climate change sceptics

sceptic

exert severe pressure on

ecological balance # ecological imbalance

demographic projection

grow exponentially = grow extremely rapidly

deplete resources

precious commodity

scarce resource
water security # water insecurity

water/food/financial/energy insecurity

the worst-case scenario

the worst-case/worst scenario (=the worst thing that might happen)

the best-case scenario

pristine environment

oil wells

offshore drilling platforms

to explore resources
to exploit resources

coal-fired power station

thermal power

hydroelectric power

biomass: plant and animal matter used to provide power or energy

geothermal energy

reduce energy consumption

power-hungry appliances

power-hungery # energy efficient

gas-guzzler

green party

environmentalist/conservationist/enviromental activist/environmental

group

develop nature reserves

sanctuary: an area for birds or animals where they are protected and

cannot be hunted

bird/wildlife etc sanctuary

cut down on the use of fossil fuels

invasive species
an invasive plant spreads quickly in a garden or other area, so that it

becomes a problem

intensive farming = factory farming

factory farming: a type of farming in which animals are kept inside, in

small spaces or small cages, and made to grow or produce eggs very

quickly

overgrazing

graze: if an animal grazes, or if you graze it, it eats grass that is growing

overfishing: the process of taking too many fish from the sea, a river etc,

so that the number of fish in it becomes too low

biodegradable # non-biodegradable
biodegradable plastic

bottle bank: a container in the street that you put empty bottles into, so

that the glass can be used again

biofuel: a substance made from plants or animal waste that can be used

to produce heat or power

 F
L

G
 H

A
 case
gases
doom
Global level
animals
fuels
dioxide
pressure
sustainable

b a l a n c e
p r i s t i n e
p r o p h e t
d e p l e t e
p r e c i o u s
v
s c e p t i c
g r e e n
w a s t e
i
c o n t a m i n a t e
y

a pristine environment resources

emissions sustainability
prophet habitats
deforestation polar
climate change demographic