sustainable
/səˈsteɪnəbl/
able to continue without damaging the environment
“Cities need more sustainable transport systems.”
/səˈsteɪnəbl/
able to continue without damaging the environment
“Cities need more sustainable transport systems.”
/ɪˈmɪʃn/
gas or heat released into the air
“Factories must reduce carbon emissions.”
/ˌkɑːnsərˈveɪʃn/
protection of nature and resources
“Wildlife conservation requires public support.”
/ˈhæbɪtæt/
the natural home of an animal or plant
“Deforestation destroys the habitat of many species.”
/rɪˈnuːəbl/
replaced naturally and not used up permanently
“Solar power is a renewable source of energy.”
/ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɜːrsəti/
the variety of living things in an area
“Rainforests contain remarkable biodiversity.”
/ˌdeɡrəˈdeɪʃn/
the process of becoming damaged or worse
“Soil degradation can reduce crop production.”
/ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/
to make a problem less serious
“Tree planting can help mitigate urban heat.”
/pəˈl(j)uːʃn̩/
harmful substances in air, water, or land
“Pollution from the factory has affected the nearby river.”
/dɪˌfɒɹɪsˈteɪʃən/
the clearing of forests by people
“Deforestation in the region has led to serious flooding problems.”
/ˈiːkəʊˌsɪstəm/
a community of living things and their environment
“The coral reef supports a delicate ecosystem full of colorful fish.”
/ˈklaɪmɪt/
the usual weather conditions in a place
“The region's climate is dry and hot for most of the year.”
/drought/
a long period with little or no rain
“The drought lasted for three years, leaving the crops dead.”
/flʌd/
water covering land that is usually dry
“The heavy rain caused a flood that damaged several homes.”
/ˈlænd.fɪl/
a place where waste is buried
“The old landfill on the edge of town is finally being closed.”
/weɪst/
unwanted material that is thrown away
“We try to reduce the waste we produce at home.”
/recycling/
the process of using old materials again
“Our neighborhood started a recycling program last year.”
/ˈwaɪldlaɪf/
animals and plants living in nature
“The nature reserve protects a wide variety of wildlife.”
/ˈspiːsiːz/
a group of similar living things
“Scientists discovered a new species of frog in the rainforest.”
/ɹɪˈsɔɹs/
something useful that people can use
“Fresh water is becoming a scarce resource in many regions.”
/shortage/
a lack of enough of something
“The city is facing a serious water shortage this summer.”
/kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃən/
the process of making something dirty or harmful
“Contamination of the river forced the town to find another water source.”
/əˈɹəʊʒən/
the gradual wearing away of soil or rock
“Erosion along the coastline has destroyed several homes over the years.”
/greenhouse gas/
a gas that traps heat in the atmosphere
“Carbon dioxide is the most well-known greenhouse gas.”
/carbon footprint/
the amount of carbon pollution caused by someone or something
“Flying less often can reduce your carbon footprint significantly.”
/fossil fuel/
coal, oil, or gas formed from ancient life
“Burning fossil fuel releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.”
/solar power/
energy produced from sunlight
“The village now relies entirely on solar power for electricity.”
/wind power/
energy produced from moving air
“The town now relies heavily on wind power for its electricity.”
/pɹəˈtɛkt/
to keep something safe from harm
“We wear helmets to protect our heads while cycling.”
/pɹəˈzɜːv/
to keep something in good condition
“Local volunteers work hard to preserve the old forest.”
/reduce/
to make something smaller or less
“I'm trying to reduce my plastic waste by using reusable bags.”
/reuse/
to use something again
“We reuse old jars for storing spices in the kitchen.”
/recycle/
to process used material so it can be used again
“Our town encourages people to recycle glass bottles and paper.”
/pollute/
to make air, water, or land dirty or harmful
“Factories along the river continue to pollute the water with chemical waste.”
/consume/
to use energy, resources, or goods
“The factory consumes large amounts of water every day.”
/adapt/
to change in order to suit new conditions
“Animals must adapt quickly to survive changing habitats.”
/restore/
to bring something back to a good condition
“Scientists are working to restore the damaged forest.”
/deplete/
to use up a resource
“Overfishing will deplete the ocean's fish stocks.”
/endangered/
at risk of disappearing forever
“Several endangered species live in that protected forest.”
/urban/
related to towns and cities
“Traffic congestion is a common problem in urban areas.”
/rural/
related to the countryside
“She moved from the city to a rural village.”
/toxic/
poisonous or harmful
“The factory was fined for dumping toxic waste into the river.”
/scarce/
not available in large enough amounts
“Fresh water is becoming scarce in many parts of the world.”
/eco friendly/
not harmful to the environment
“They switched to eco-friendly packaging for all their products.”
/biodegradable/
able to break down naturally
“The company switched to biodegradable packaging to reduce waste.”
/efficient/
using little waste or energy
“Solar panels are an efficient way to generate clean energy.”
/fragile/
easily damaged
“The fragile ecosystem of the coral reef needs protection.”
/irreversible/
not able to be changed back
“The extinction of a species is irreversible.”
/global/
affecting the whole world
“Climate change is a global problem affecting all nations.”
/ˈnætʃəɹəl/
existing without being made by people
“The beach is covered with natural rocks and shells.”