The environment
the environment noun [singular] the air, water, and land on Earth, which can be harmed by man's activities.
environmental, environmentally
ecosystem noun [countable] technical the animals, plants etc that exist in a place, and are dependent on each other to live:
habitat noun [countable] the natural home of a plant or animal.
the biosphere noun [singular] technical the surface and atmosphere of the Earth where animals and plants can live.
ecology noun [uncountable] the scientific study of the way in which the plants, animals, and natural features of a place affect and depend on each other.
eco- prefix relating to the environment:
Eco-education (=education about ecological issues) fosters within young people the knowledge and skills necessary to inspire ecologically sound decisions and actions.
biodiversity noun [uncountable] technical the variety of plants and animals in a place.
the food chain noun [singular] all animals and plants considered as a group in which a plant is eaten by an insect or animal, which is then eaten by another animal and so on.
Signs of damage to the environment
global warming noun [uncountable] a general increase in the temperature of the world, caused by pollution from cars, factories etc:
climate change noun [uncountable] changes in the weather around the world, which result in much higher or lower temperatures, violent storms, floods, or droughts.
the greenhouse effect noun [singular] the natural process in which gases build up in the atmosphere and prevent heat from escaping, causing the earth to get warmer. Pollution from cars, factories etc is causing this process to go out of control.
the hole in the ozone layer noun [singular] a hole in the layer of natural gases that surround the Earth. These gases protect the Earth from the harmful effects of the sun's rays. The hole is caused by pollution, and means that the Earth is losing some of its protection.
endangered species noun [countable] a type of animal that is likely to stop existing completely, for example because of hunting, pollution, or humans damaging its habitat.
extinction noun [uncountable] a situation in which all of a type of animal die and there are no more left.
soil erosion noun [uncountable] the process by which soil is gradually destroyed by wind or rain.
desertification noun [uncountable] technical the process by which useful land, especially farmland, changes into desert because of climate change or overgrazing.
things that harm the environment
pollution noun [uncountable] harmful chemicals, gases, or waste materials from factories, cars, etc, that have gone into the air, land, or water.
pollute verb [transitive] to make air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use.
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pollutant noun [countable] technical a substance that makes air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty, and is caused by cars, factories etc.
hazardous waste noun [uncountable] dangerous waste materials, for example produced by industries, hospitals etc.
greenhouse gases noun [plural] gases that form a layer around the Earth and keep the heat in, causing global warming.
acid rain noun [uncountable] rain that contains pollution from factories, power stations etc, which causes damage to forests
toxic waste noun [uncountable] very dangerous waste materials, for example from nuclear power stations or chemical factories.
e-waste noun [uncountable] waste consisting of old electronics products such as computers, batteries, and mobile phones which people no longer want and which often contain poisonous substances.
pesticides noun [plural] chemicals used for killing insects and animals that attack crops. They can be harmful when they are absorbed into crops or the soil.
fossil fuels noun [plural] fuels such as coal or oil. Burning these fuels causes a lot of carbon gases to be released into the atmosphere.
deforestation noun [uncountable] technical a situation in which most of the trees in an area are cut down or destroyed, resulting in great damage to the environment
fumes noun [plural] harmful gas or smoke, for example from cars, factories etc, which can damage people's health.
carbon emissions noun [plural] carbon dioxide gas which is sent into the air when fossil fuels are burnt.
overpopulation noun [uncountable] a situation in which too many people livec in a particular place.
overfishing noun [uncountable] the process of taking too many fish from the sea, a river etc, so that the number of fish in it becomes too low
overgrazing noun [uncountable] the process of letting animals feed on plants for too long so that the land is damaged by soil erosion or desertification.
intensive farming noun [uncountable] farming which produces a lot of food from a small area of land by using modern industrial methods including the use of pesticides and growth hormones. Intensive farming is sometimes criticized for damaging the environment and treating animals badly, for example by keeping them in overcrowded conditions
invasive species noun [countable] a group of animals or plants which are introduced by humans to a place where they did not exist naturally before and which can have a damaging effect on the animals or plants already there.
food miles noun [plural] a unit for measuring the distance which food is transported from the place where it is grown to the place where it is sold or eaten.
