The environment
Learn the English words to talk about climate change, pollution, and protecting the planet.
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Terms in this deck
- climate changethe long-term change in the earth's weather patterns
- global warmingthe gradual increase in the earth's temperature
- pollutionharmful substances damaging the environment
- air pollutionharmful gases and particles in the air
- water pollutionharmful substances damaging rivers, lakes, or oceans
- recyclingthe process of turning waste into reusable material
- renewable energyenergy from sources that don't run out, like sun or wind
- solar powerelectricity generated from sunlight
- wind powerelectricity generated from wind
- fossil fuelfuel like oil, gas, or coal formed from ancient remains
- greenhouse gasa gas that traps heat and warms the planet
- carbon footprintthe amount of carbon emissions caused by a person or activity
- deforestationthe clearing of forests, usually for other land use
- endangered speciesa type of animal or plant at risk of dying out
- extinctionthe complete dying out of a species
- sustainabilitythe practice of using resources without depleting them
- sustainableable to continue without harming the environment
- eco-friendlynot harmful to the environment
- plastic wastediscarded plastic that pollutes the environment
- single-use plasticplastic designed to be used once and thrown away
- compostdecayed organic material used to fertilize soil
- landfilla site where waste is buried
- natural disastera serious event caused by nature, like a flood or earthquake
- wildlifeanimals living in their natural environment
- conservationthe protection of nature and natural resources
- ecosystema community of living things and their environment
- biodiversitythe variety of plant and animal life in an area
- ozone layerthe layer of the atmosphere that blocks harmful sun rays
- wildfirea large, uncontrolled fire in nature
- environmental protectionefforts to preserve the natural environment
- clean energyenergy that doesn't pollute the environment
- electric vehiclea vehicle powered by electricity instead of gas
- reusable baga bag meant to be used many times instead of thrown away
- carbon emissionscarbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
- littertrash left carelessly in a public place
- oil spillan accidental release of oil into the sea or land
- acid rainrain made acidic by air pollution
- habitatthe natural home of an animal or plant
- overfishingcatching fish faster than they can reproduce
- overpopulationwhen there are too many people for the resources available
- melting ice capsthe shrinking of polar ice due to rising temperatures
- sea level risethe increase in ocean water levels caused by climate change
- natural resourcesmaterials from nature that people use, like water or wood
- non-renewable resourcesresources that will eventually run out, like oil or coal
- environmentalista person who works to protect the environment
- pollutanta substance that causes pollution
- toxic wastewaste that is harmful to health or the environment
- water shortagea lack of enough water to meet people's needs
- food wasteedible food that is thrown away instead of eaten
- carbon neutralnot adding any net carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
- environmental impactthe effect an action has on the environment
- carbon offsetan action that balances out carbon emissions produced elsewhere
How to study this deck
This vocabulary appears in news, debates and exams. Study by topic: problems (climate change, pollution, global warming), causes (fossil fuel, greenhouse gas) and solutions (recycling, solar power, renewable energy). Practice giving opinions about the environment with phrases like "I think we should..." or "It is important to...".
The trickiest words
- climate / weather: climate is the long-term pattern of a region; weather is what happens today.
- pollution: it is uncountable: "air pollution", "some pollution".
- renewable energy: it is energy that does not run out, like solar or wind. It is used in the singular.
Examples in context
Climate change is affecting the whole planet.
The country invested in renewable energy.
The panda is an endangered species.
Many stores banned single-use plastic bags.
The rainforest has incredible biodiversity.
Bring a reusable bag to the store.
Overpopulation puts pressure on natural resources.
The factory released harmful pollutants.
Mini dialogue
- A: Climate change is a serious problem.
- B: I agree. We should use more solar power.
- A: Recycling helps reduce pollution.
- B: And fewer fossil fuels means less greenhouse gas.