Vocabulary Related to the Environment

• Atmosphere – the mixture of gases that surround the Earth
• Catastrophe – a terrible event in which there is a lot of destruction, suffering or death
• Contaminate – to make a place or substance dirty or harmful by putting something such as chemicals or poison in it.
• Conservation – the protection of natural things such as animals, plants, forests etc. to prevent them being spoiled or destroyed.
• Sustainable – able to continue without causing damage to the environment
• acid rain - rain which contains large amounts of harmful chemicals as a result of burning substances such as coal and oil.
• carbon dioxide - the gas formed when carbon is burned, or when people or animals breathe out.
• Climate - the general weather conditions usually found in a particular place.
• Deforestation - the cutting down of trees in a large area; the destruction of forests by people.
• Drought - a long period when there is little or no rain.
• Earthquake - a sudden violent movement of the Earth's surface, sometimes causing great damage.
• endangered species - endangered birds/plants/species animals or plants which may soon not exist because there are very few now alive. Many species of plants and animals are in danger of/threatened with extinction (being destroyed so that they no longer exist)
• Environment - the air, water and land in or on which people, animals and plants live.
• Flood - a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry.
• Fumes - strong, unpleasant and sometimes dangerous gas or smoke.
• natural resources - things such as minerals, forests, coal, etc. which exist in a place and can be used by people.
• global warming - a gradual increase in world temperatures caused by polluting gases such as carbon dioxide which are collecting in the air around the Earth and preventing heat escaping into space.
• greenhouse effect - an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere which is believed to be the cause of a gradual warming of the surface of the Earth.
• green peace - an organization that fights for the protection of the environment.
• renewable energy - describes a form of energy that can be produced as quickly as it is used.
• ozone layer - a layer of air high above the Earth, which contains a lot of ozone, and which prevents harmful ultraviolet light from the sun from reaching the Earth.
• Pollution - damage caused to water, air.... by harmful substances or waste.
• recycle waste - to collect and treat rubbish to produce useful materials which can be used again.
• Tsunami - an extremely large wave caused by movement of the earth under the sea, often caused by an earthquake (= when the Earth shakes)
• unleaded petrol - describes a type of petrol or other substance that does not contain lead.
• Volcano - a mountain with a large circular hole at the top through which lava (= hot liquid rock), gases, steam and dust are or have been forced out.
• Waste - unwanted matter or material of any type, often that which is left after useful substances or parts have been removed.
• Other related vocabulary: rubbish, garbage, trash.