ESL Vocabulary about Environment

ESL Vocabulary about topic 'Environment', a small word group with meanings and sentences. The vocabulary has 55 words. The sample words are as follows: air pollution, noise pollution, marine pollution, overpopulation, result, drain, oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon emissions, climate change, environmentally friendly, waste disposal, .... It helps to enhance speaking and writing skills efficiently in English tests, especially for ESL students who are working for IELTS and TOEFL. Vocabularies to talk about a topic
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 Environment Vocabulary Word List All Topics List  
air pollution  Speak
n.
air that contains pollutants
Diesel exhaust is a major contributor to air pollution.
noise pollution  Speak
n.
harmful or annoying levels of noise, as from air-planes, industry, etc...
Noise pollution should be no less a consideration.
marine pollution  Speak
n.
the pollution of our oceans and seas
Marine pollution results in damage to the environment, to the health of all organisms, and to economic structures worldwide.
overpopulation  Speak
n.
the increasing population of the world
Overpopulation is one of the country's most pressing social problems.
result  Speak
v.
occur or follow as the consequence of something
Overpopulation has resulted in the growth of urban settlements which in turn increases deforestation, land degradation, waste and pollution.
drain  Speak
v.
cause the water or other liquid in (something) to run out, leaving it empty
We drained the pond and filled it with fresh water.
oxygen  Speak
n.
a chemical element that is a gas with no smell or colour
Oxygen forms a large part of the air on earth, and is needed by animals and plants to live.
carbon dioxide  Speak
n.
the gas formed when carbon is burned, or when people or animals breathe out (CO2)
The increased use of natural gas will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
carbon emissions  Speak
n.
carbon dioxide that planes, cars, factories, etc. produce, thought to be harmful to the environment
We all need to do more to reduce carbon emissions.
climate change  Speak
n.
changes in the world's weather, particularly an increase in temperature, thought to be caused by things such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
The President called for urgent action on climate change.
environmentally friendly  Speak
a.
not harmful to the environment
Cycling is an environmentally friendly form of transport.
waste disposal  Speak
n.
an electrical machine, connected to a kitchen sink, that cuts up food waste so that it will flow easily through the pipes (US: garbage disposal)
New sites for waste disposal will be determined having regard to environmental matters.
combustion  Speak
n.
the process of burning something
The energy is released by combustion on the application of a match.
automobiles  Speak
n.
road vehicles
An automobile is a car.
potential  Speak
a.
possible when the necessary conditions exist
Many potential customers are waiting for a fall in prices before buying.
endanger  Speak
v.
put (someone or something) at risk or in danger
We must be careful not to do anything that might endanger the economic recovery.
ecosystem  Speak
n.
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Pollution can have disastrous effects on the delicately balanced ecosystem.
smog  Speak
n.
air pollution caused by smoke or chemicals mixing with fog
We get a lot of smog downtown.
smoke  Speak
n.
the grey, black, or white mixture of gas and very small pieces of carbon that is produced when something burns
The fire produced a pall of smoke visible 20 miles away.
hazardous  Speak
a.
something that is hazardous is dangerous, especially to people's health or safety
Passive smoking can be hazardous to health.
chronic  Speak
a.
(especially of a disease or something bad) continuing for a long time
She suffers from chronic pain in her knees.
estimate  Speak
v.
roughly calculate or judge the value, number, quantity, or extent of
The bridge was begun five years ago and the estimated cost has already doubled.
premature  Speak
a.
happening or done too soon, esp. before the natural or desired time
A spokesman said it was premature to comment on the negotiations.
deforestation  Speak
n.
the cutting down of trees in a large area, or the destruction of forests by people
Deforestation is destroying large areas of tropical rain forest.
destroy  Speak
v.
to damage something so badly that it cannot be used
Most of the old part of the city was destroyed by bombs during the war.
destruction  Speak
n.
the act of destroying something, or the fact of being destroyed
Many people are very concerned about the destruction of the rain-forests.
cutting down  Speak
v.
to do or use less of something
I'm trying to cut down on caffeine.
large scale  Speak
a.
involving large numbers or a large area
We must improve our response to large-scale natural disasters.
affect  Speak
v.
to have an influence on someone or something, or to cause a change in someone or something
I was deeply affected by the film.
atmosphere  Speak
n.
the mixture of gases around the earth
These factories are releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere.
water cycle  Speak
n.
the way that water is taken up from the sea, rivers, soil, etc. and then comes back down as rain or snow
The operation of the process on water cycle tail - chlorine gas description process were discussed.
biodiversity  Speak
n.
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem
We definitely know what’s causing biodiversity loss, and it's also us.
species  Speak
n.
a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other
Over a hundred species of insect are found in this area.
remain  Speak
v.
to stay in the same place or in the same condition
He remained silent.
habitat  Speak
n.
the environment in which an animal or plant normally lives or grows
With so many areas of woodland being cut down, a lot of wildlife is losing its natural habitat.
absorb  Speak
v.
to take in a liquid, gas, or chemical
The black clay soil around here doesn't absorb water very well.
give sth off  Speak
v.
to produce heat, light, a smell, or a gas
That tiny radiator doesn't give off much heat.
soil erosion  Speak
n.
the movement of top layer of soil by the the action of water and wind causing soil degradation and soil pollution
The area is plagued by soil erosion and flooding.
expose  Speak
v.
to remove what is covering something so that it can be seen
He damaged his leg so badly in the accident that the bone was exposed.
evaporate  Speak
v.
to cause a liquid to change to a gas, esp. by heating
Some water evaporates to form clouds.
nutrients  Speak
n.
any substance that plants or animals need in order to live and grow
It's good soil - full of nutrients.
reverse  Speak
v.
move backward
Now that you have a job and I don't, our situations are reversed.
acid rain  Speak
n.
rain which is polluted by chemicals
Acid rain is harmful to the environment.
contain  Speak
v.
to have something inside or include something as a part
Raw vegetables contain more potassium than cooked ones.
particle  Speak
n.
a minute portion of matter
They rewrote the particle program to include a genetic algorithm.
lung  Speak
n.
either of the two organs in the chest with which people and some animals breathe
The knife went through his ribs and punctured his lung.
seep  Speak
v.
to move or spread slowly out of a hole or through something
Radioactive water had seeped into underground reservoirs.
exhaust fumes  Speak
n.
gases, ejected from an engine as waste products
Sometimes exhaust fumes escape into the vehicle.
fossil fuel  Speak
n.
a fuel such as gas, coal, and oil that has been produced in the earth from plants and animals
In recent times, agriculture has become a major fossil fuel energy user.
global warming  Speak
n.
an increase in temperature, caused by gases, esp. carbon dioxide, surrounding the earth
Reversing the effects of global warming may be the greatest challenge of our time.
greenhouse effect  Speak
n.
heating of the atmosphere due to the carbon dioxide and other gases
They claim that the floods are a result of the greenhouse effect.
natural disaster  Speak
n.
a natural event which causes a lot of damage and kills a lot of people
JAPAN has a history of surviving natural disasters stretching back for thousands of years.
recycle  Speak
v.
to sort and collect rubbish in order to treat it and produce useful materials that can be used again
The Japanese recycle more than half their waste paper.
poacher  Speak
n.
one who kills or takes wild animals illegally
The rangers' main job is to deter poachers.
dry up  Speak
v.
If a river, lake, etc. dries up, the water in it disappears
Reservoirs are drying up and farmers have begun to leave their land.