Environment

Environment · View all words

0marked difficult
adjective

sustainable

/səˈsteɪnəbl/

able to continue without damaging the environment

Cities need more sustainable transport systems.

renewableviablelasting
noun

emission

/ɪˈmɪʃn/

gas or heat released into the air

Factories must reduce carbon emissions.

releasedischargeoutput
noun

conservation

/ˌkɑːnsərˈveɪʃn/

protection of nature and resources

Wildlife conservation requires public support.

protectionpreservationcare
noun

habitat

/ˈhæbɪtæt/

the natural home of an animal or plant

Deforestation destroys the habitat of many species.

homeenvironmentterritory
adjective

renewable

/rɪˈnuːəbl/

replaced naturally and not used up permanently

Solar power is a renewable source of energy.

reusablesustainablereplaceable
noun

biodiversity

/ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɜːrsəti/

the variety of living things in an area

Rainforests contain remarkable biodiversity.

varietylife diversityspecies range
noun

degradation

/ˌdeɡrəˈdeɪʃn/

the process of becoming damaged or worse

Soil degradation can reduce crop production.

declinedamagedeterioration
verb

mitigate

/ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/

to make a problem less serious

Tree planting can help mitigate urban heat.

reduceeaselessen
noun

pollution

/pəˈl(j)uːʃn̩/

harmful substances in air, water, or land

Pollution from the factory has affected the nearby river.

termideaconcept
noun

deforestation

/dɪˌfɒɹɪsˈteɪʃən/

the clearing of forests by people

Deforestation in the region has led to serious flooding problems.

termideaconcept
noun

ecosystem

/ˈiːkəʊˌsɪstəm/

a community of living things and their environment

The coral reef supports a delicate ecosystem full of colorful fish.

termideaconcept
noun

climate

/ˈklaɪmɪt/

the usual weather conditions in a place

The region's climate is dry and hot for most of the year.

termideaconcept
noun

drought

/drought/

a long period with little or no rain

The drought lasted for three years, leaving the crops dead.

termideaconcept
noun

flood

/flʌd/

water covering land that is usually dry

The heavy rain caused a flood that damaged several homes.

termideaconcept
noun

landfill

/ˈlænd.fɪl/

a place where waste is buried

The old landfill on the edge of town is finally being closed.

termideaconcept
noun

waste

/weɪst/

unwanted material that is thrown away

We try to reduce the waste we produce at home.

termideaconcept
noun

recycling

/recycling/

the process of using old materials again

Our neighborhood started a recycling program last year.

termideaconcept
noun

wildlife

/ˈwaɪldlaɪf/

animals and plants living in nature

The nature reserve protects a wide variety of wildlife.

termideaconcept
noun

species

/ˈspiːsiːz/

a group of similar living things

Scientists discovered a new species of frog in the rainforest.

termideaconcept
noun

resource

/ɹɪˈsɔɹs/

something useful that people can use

Fresh water is becoming a scarce resource in many regions.

termideaconcept
noun

shortage

/shortage/

a lack of enough of something

The city is facing a serious water shortage this summer.

termideaconcept
noun

contamination

/kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃən/

the process of making something dirty or harmful

Contamination of the river forced the town to find another water source.

termideaconcept
noun

erosion

/əˈɹəʊʒən/

the gradual wearing away of soil or rock

Erosion along the coastline has destroyed several homes over the years.

termideaconcept
noun

greenhouse gas

/greenhouse gas/

a gas that traps heat in the atmosphere

Carbon dioxide is the most well-known greenhouse gas.

termideaconcept
noun

carbon footprint

/carbon footprint/

the amount of carbon pollution caused by someone or something

Flying less often can reduce your carbon footprint significantly.

termideaconcept
noun

fossil fuel

/fossil fuel/

coal, oil, or gas formed from ancient life

Burning fossil fuel releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

termideaconcept
noun

solar power

/solar power/

energy produced from sunlight

The village now relies entirely on solar power for electricity.

termideaconcept
noun

wind power

/wind power/

energy produced from moving air

The town now relies heavily on wind power for its electricity.

termideaconcept
verb

protect

/pɹəˈtɛkt/

to keep something safe from harm

We wear helmets to protect our heads while cycling.

useapplyperform
verb

preserve

/pɹəˈzɜːv/

to keep something in good condition

Local volunteers work hard to preserve the old forest.

useapplyperform
verb

reduce

/reduce/

to make something smaller or less

I'm trying to reduce my plastic waste by using reusable bags.

useapplyperform
verb

reuse

/reuse/

to use something again

We reuse old jars for storing spices in the kitchen.

useapplyperform
verb

recycle

/recycle/

to process used material so it can be used again

Our town encourages people to recycle glass bottles and paper.

useapplyperform
verb

pollute

/pollute/

to make air, water, or land dirty or harmful

Factories along the river continue to pollute the water with chemical waste.

useapplyperform
verb

consume

/consume/

to use energy, resources, or goods

The factory consumes large amounts of water every day.

useapplyperform
verb

adapt

/adapt/

to change in order to suit new conditions

Animals must adapt quickly to survive changing habitats.

useapplyperform
verb

restore

/restore/

to bring something back to a good condition

Scientists are working to restore the damaged forest.

useapplyperform
verb

deplete

/deplete/

to use up a resource

Overfishing will deplete the ocean's fish stocks.

useapplyperform
adjective

endangered

/endangered/

at risk of disappearing forever

Several endangered species live in that protected forest.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

urban

/urban/

related to towns and cities

Traffic congestion is a common problem in urban areas.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

rural

/rural/

related to the countryside

She moved from the city to a rural village.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

toxic

/toxic/

poisonous or harmful

The factory was fined for dumping toxic waste into the river.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

scarce

/scarce/

not available in large enough amounts

Fresh water is becoming scarce in many parts of the world.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

eco-friendly

/eco friendly/

not harmful to the environment

They switched to eco-friendly packaging for all their products.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

biodegradable

/biodegradable/

able to break down naturally

The company switched to biodegradable packaging to reduce waste.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

efficient

/efficient/

using little waste or energy

Solar panels are an efficient way to generate clean energy.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

fragile

/fragile/

easily damaged

The fragile ecosystem of the coral reef needs protection.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

irreversible

/irreversible/

not able to be changed back

The extinction of a species is irreversible.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

global

/global/

affecting the whole world

Climate change is a global problem affecting all nations.

clearusefulrelated
adjective

natural

/ˈnætʃəɹəl/

existing without being made by people

The beach is covered with natural rocks and shells.

clearusefulrelated