Environment Vocabulary

all levels

Do you like talking about environmental issues like pollution, wildlife protection and endangered
species, climate change, renewable energy, etc? Learning the following words will help you express your
thoughts and concerns in English. You can check your understanding by doing the Environment
Vocabulary Quiz.

Word Example sentence Meaning

acid rain noun Burning fossil fuels in one rain that contains harmful
country can cause acid rain in chemicals that collect in the
other countries. atmosphere when fossil
fuels are burned

ban verb Our school has banned plastic to not allow something (eg.

bottles because they're so bad smoking, alcohol, plastic
for the environment. bags, protest marches, etc.)

carbon-dioxideor carbon(colloq.) Trees and plants absorb carbon- a gas that's released by

noun dioxide and release oxygen into plants and by burning fossil
the air. fuels

carbon footprintnoun Travelling by air, driving a car or a measurement of the

using coal-generated electricity amount of carbon-dioxide a
will make your carbon person adds to the
footprintbigger. atmosphere

carcinogen noun Cigarette smoke contains a a substance that has been

number of carcinogens. linked to causing one or
more types of cancer

carpool verb I carpool to work with two of my to share a car instead of

neighbours who also work driving one alone
downtown.

clear-cut verb Forests never recover fully after to destroy a forest by

Word Example sentence Meaning

being clear-cut. cutting down all the trees

clearcutting(alsoclearfelling) noun Did you know that clearcutting is a forestry or logging practice

the worst way to use a forest's in which most or all trees in
resources? an area are cut down

climate changenoun Do you really think you know global changes in

more about climate change than temperature, wind patterns,
a real climate scientist? rainfall, etc. mainly caused
by the burning of fossil fuels
like coal and oil

compost verb Since we to put organic waste like

started composting we've vegetable peels, uneaten
reduced our garbage by half. food, grass clippings and
leaves into a large container
that breaks it down into
healthy soil

commute verb Imagine how much pollution you to travel from home to work
cause by commuting by car for and back
two hours a day?

conservationnoun Conservation wasn't a big issue the protection and

until the book Silent Springwas preservation of natural
published in 1966. environments and resources

consume verb Americans consumemore than to use things like energy,

their share of the earth's fuel, materials, food, water,
resources. etc.

contaminatedadj. Their contaminatedmilk powder carrying harmful bacteria or

made lots of babies really sick. toxins that can cause
disease or death
Word Example sentence Meaning

developing country noun We moved our factory to a poor nation that's

a developing country because of gradually becoming richer
cheap labour and weak and more advanced
environmental laws.

domestic waste(also household How much domestic waste does rubbish or garbage from a

waste) noun your family produce every day? house or apartment

donate verb If you donate money to give money or goods to

to Greenpeace, you'll be helping an organization you want to
endangered animals. help or support

dump verb You can be sent to jail to put waste in the wrong

for dumpinghazardous waste, place (eg. put toxic waste
you know. into a river)

eco-communityor ecovillagenoun Our kids want to live in that eco- a community with

community near the forest. environmentally-friendly
buildings, clean technology
and renewable energy like
solar and wind

endangered species noun Every year more animals are animals or plants in danger
listed as endangered species. of becoming extinct or
disappearing in the near
future

energy-efficientadj. Those energy-efficient light bulbs able to use less energy (esp.

are much cheaper these days. of vehicles, appliances,
buildings, etc.)

environmentalistnoun Fossil fuel companies have tried a person who protects the
to damage the image natural world and educates
of environmentalistsand climate others about environmental
Word Example sentence Meaning

scientists. problems

ecosystem noun All those plants, insects and birds the complex system of
in your garden are part of relationships between living
an ecosystem. things and their
environment

emit verb Cars emit harmful pollutants into to release or project

the atmosphere. something (eg. light, sound,
smoke, gas, radiation, etc.)

extinct adj. Lots of Australian animals have no longer existing or lost

become extinct since the British forever (of an animal, bird
took control. or plant species)

fertilize verb If you are going to fertilize your to add chemicals or organic

lawn, make sure to use an material to soil so that
organic fertilizer. plants grow better

food chain noun We need to know where each the order in which

species fits in the food chain. organisms in an ecosystem
eat one another

fossil fuel noun Burning fossil fuels is a major a fuel like oil or coal formed
cause of global warming. from very old plant and
animal fossils

global warming(also climate Rising sea levels, melting ice caps higher air and sea
change) noun and coral reef bleaching are temperatures partly caused
caused by global warming. by man-made increases in
greenhouse-gas levels

green adj. If you want to save the planet, concerned with protecting

Word Example sentence Meaning

join one of the green political the natural environment

parties. and the planet

greenhouse gasnoun The more greenhouse gaseswe a gas in the atmosphere that

produce, the worse climate stops heat from escaping
change will get. into space

habitat noun Lots of animals will become the place in which a species

extinct if their normally lives
natural habitats are destroyed.

hazardous waste noun They increased their profits by dangerous substances that

dumping hazardous waste into need careful disposal (eg.
the ocean. toxic or nuclear waste)

minimize verb Taking public transport instead of to reduce as much as

driving a car minimizes your possible
impact on the environment.

pesticide noun Can't we find a pesticide that's a chemical that's sprayed on

safe? crops to stop insects from
destroying them

pollutant noun The Environmental Protection a substance or material that

Agency checks levels damages the natural
of pollutants. environment

pollute verb Fumes from factories pollute our to release waste substances

air. into the air, water and soil

pollution noun All the pollutionaround here the contamination of the

comes from factories and mines. environment, esp. by
industrial waste products
Word Example sentence Meaning

and chemicals like pesticides

preserve verb We need stronger laws in order to keep something in its

to preserve our forests. original state

protect verb It's really important to keep from harm

to protect our water supply.

protest verb Environmentalists will protest if to show you disagree with

the loggers try to destroy the something, esp. as part of a
forest. group of protesters

recycle verb The green bin's for things that to make something new
can be recycled like paper and from materials that have
glass. been used before

reduce verb You can reduce your household to use less or make

waste by buying products with something smaller
less packaging.

reforestationnoun Plant twenty trees in the planting of trees and

our reforestationproject and plants to help a damaged or
you'll get into our dance party for destroyed forest recover
free!

renewable adj. We're producing can be used without running

cheaper renewableenergy these out, esp. of energy sources
days. like solar and wind

renewables noun If you want to make money, forms of energy that can be

invest in renewables. replaced naturally, such as
hydro-electricity, solar
energy and wind power
Word Example sentence Meaning

rely on verb We won't have to rely on power to depend on (or need)

companies if we use solar and someone or something
wind power instead.

reuse verb We try to reuse things like plastic to use again

bags and bottles.

self-sufficientadj. We're going to live in a self- able to function, or produce

sufficientfarming community. all that's needed, without
outside help

smog noun The smog was so bad that we a thick dirty cloud at ground

had to wear air-filter masks. level caused by pollutants
reacting to sunlight

throw away verb Don't throw awayyour grass to get rid of something you

clippings; leave them on your don't want
lawn.

toxic adj. After the mine deadly or poisonous (of

released toxic waste into the waste, chemicals,
river, all the fish died. pollutants, etc.)

toxin (toxic chemical) noun Smoke from factories often a poisonous substance that
contains dangerous toxins. damages health or the
environment

use up verb We are using up the earth's to use something until

natural resources faster than there's none left
ever.
Word Example sentence Meaning

waste verb Don't waste toilet paper; use one to use more than necessary,

or two sheets instead of three or or to use inefficiently
four.

wildlife noun I love taking pictures animals, birds, insects, etc.

of wildlife in the forest. living naturally in the wild

zero-emissionadj. Zero-emissionvehicles like releasing no greenhouse

electric cars are much cheaper gases like carbon-dioxide or
now. methane