General Climate Change Vocabulary
Chemical/Natural fertiliser – A substance containing chemicals designed to increase the amount of crops/ A natural substance used to increase the amount of crops
CO2/Carbon dioxide – A gas that is produced when carbon is burnt and absorbed by plants
Contaminate – Make something impure by adding additional substances/pollutants
Crops – A plant that is grown as food
Deforestation – The cutting down of trees from forests.
Ecosystems – A community of organisms and their relationship to the environment
Fossil fuels – A natural fuel that is formed from dead organisms. For example, oil, gas, and coal
Global warming – The gradual rise in the earth’s temperature
Grazing – The land where farm animals eat grass and plants
Groundwater – Water that is held underground in soil
Land degradation – The reduction of biological productivity of the soil
Landslides – The rapid downward movement of rocks and earth, often after heavy rain
Organic – Produced without the use of chemicals
Sustainable – Able to be performed at a level that does not cause damage
Water bodies – Any geographical feature containing water. For example, rivers, lakes, ponds etc…
Climate Change Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, and Collocations
A drop in the ocean – An amount so small that it does not help the overall problem
Carbon footprint – The amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a person or group’s activities
Cool down – To reduce in temperature
Cut down on – To lower the consumption of something or reduce the practice of something
Die out – To become extinct or not in use
Electric vehicles – Vehicles that use batteries and not fossil fuels
Environmentally conscious – A person who considers how their actions impact the environment
Food miles – How far food travels from where it is produced to where it is consumed
Get out of hand – To become out of control
Greenwashing – To mislead people into thinking something is more environmentally friendly than it actually is.
Harmful gases – Gases that cause environmental damage
Heat up – To become hotter in temperature
Hybrid vehicles – Vehicles that use a combination of battery and fossil fuels
Phase-out – To slowly reduce the use of something
Raise livestock – To keep and take care of animals to produce meat, eggs, milk etc…
Run out of something – To not have any more available
Scale down – Reduce the use or practice or something
See with your own eyes – To see something in person rather than hearing about it from someone else
Wipe out – To eliminate something or make extinct
Vocabulary for Environment
Atmosphere – The combination of gasses surrounding the earth
Biodegradable – Something that can decay naturally without causing harm
Climate change – The warming of the earth’s climate as a result of human action
CO2 / Carbon Dioxide – The gas formed when carbon burns or when animals and people exhale
Conservation – The act of trying to preserve and protect the environment
Conservationist – A person engaged in protecting the environment
Contamination – The presence of a substance in a place where it does not belong, or at higher levels than normal
Energy conservation – The process of using less energy
Environment – The air, land, and water where animals and people live
Environmentalist – A person who campaigns or acts for the protection of the environment
Environmentally-friendly – Something that does not harm the environment
Pollution – The environmental harm caused by contamination to either land, water, or air
Renewable energy – Energy sourced from wind, sun, or water
Rural – A location outside a large city or town.
Solar power – Energy sourced from the sun
Urban – A city or town location
Vocabulary for Plants & Animals
Agriculture/ Farming – The production of meat, vegetables, or other foods from plants or animals
Anatomy – The physical parts of a plant or animal
Biodiversity – The range of different plants or animals that create a balanced environment
Breed – (n) A type of animal that has been bred by humans in a specific way. For example, dogs, cats, and farm animals
Breed – (v) The act of reproduction in animals
Carnivore – A plant or animal that eats meat
Ecology – The relationship between plants, other living things, and the environment / A field of study
Ecosystem – The plants and animals in a specific area and their relationship to the environment – Below are the main types of ecosystem – Desert – High temperature / low rainfall – Less diversity of plants and animals – Freshwater – The plants and animals in ponds, lakes, and rivers – Grassland – High amounts of grass with few trees – Highly diverse range of wildlife – Jungle/Rainforest – High rainfall / high temperature – Highly diverse range of wildlife – Savannah – High temperature / moderate rainfall – Diverse range of plants/wildlife – Temperateforest – Climate varies with seasons – Highly diverse range of vegetation/wildlife – Tundra – Low temperature/ Close to the polar areas so biodiversity is low
Birds – An egg-laying animal with feathers, wings, and a beak. Can usually fly.
Endangered species – A type of animal that is in danger of becoming extinct
Evolve – The process of adapting with time to survive changes in the environment
Extinct – No longer existing
Fauna – The animals living in a specific area
Flora – The plants in a specific area
Fungus – An organism that grows on plants or decaying matter, for example, mushrooms.
Habitat – The place where a plant grows or where an animal lives
Herbivore – Eats a plant-based diet
Hibernation – A state of deep sleep that many animals do during the winter months
Insects – A small animal with 6 legs and often including wings
Livestock – The animals kept on a farm
Mammal – An animal that gives birth to live offspring and feeds its young milk.
Marine – Plants and animals that are related to the sea
Migrate – To move from one place to another with the change of season
Nocturnal – Active at night
Omnivore – Eats both plants and meat
Protected species – A type of plant or animal which has legal protections
Reptile – A cold-blooded animal with scales that lays eggs. For example, snakes, crocodiles, and lizards
Soil – The top layer of earth where plants and trees grow from
Species – A group that shares the same characteristics and can reproduce
Vocabulary for Environmental Issues
Air quality – A measure of how clean or polluted the air is
Deforestation/reforestation – Cutting down of trees/planting of trees
Drought – A period of low rainfall which often causes crops to fail
Environmental disaster – A catastrophic event for the natural environment
Environmental hazard – A substance, state, or event that threatens the environment
Flood – A flow of water over what is normally dry land
Fossil fuels – Coal, oil, and natural gas
Glacial melt – Ice changing from a solid to a liquid because of warming temperatures
Greenhouse effect – The capture of heat in the lower atmosphere due to gases
Landfill – The place where non-recyclable waste is buried and covered with soil
Litter – Rubbish which has been left in a public place
Oil spill – accidental discharge of oil into bodies of water
Poaching – Illegal hunting of animals
Recyclable – Something that can be recycled and reused
Recycling – The process of collecting disused material and making it suitable for use again
Single-use plastics – Plastics that cannot be used more than once
Smog – Haze or fog caused by atmospheric pollutants such as CO2 or smoke
Sustainability – The ability to maintain activity at a level that doesn’t harm the environment
Toxicwaste – Waste that can cause environmental harm
Word list and definitions
outskirts of large towns: areas outside the city centre, suburbs or industrial district
factory emissions: smoke and pollution from factories
toxic fumes: smoke which is poisonous
traffic jams: large queues of cars not moving
pollutants in foods: dangerous chemicals
pesticides: chemicals to keep bugs and animals away from plants
chemical fertilizers: chemicals added to make soil stronger
commute to work: drive or travel to work every day
Mantra: frequently repeated statement
reuse and recycle: use products again or find another purpose for them
industrial waste is incinerated: waste which is burnt
facilities for recycling: places where you can dispose of plastic / cardboard
education programme: teaching and learning in school or elsewhere
consequences: the outcomes
interspersed with (birds): mingled with, mixed with
campaign: high profile policy for the public
scientists predict: ideas for the future
disintegrate: break down into small particles
microplastics: very tiny pieces
single-use applications: use once then throw out
own- brand products: unique to the shop or supermarket
policy should be rolled out: implemented all over the country
documentaries: factual TV programmes
Vocabulary list and definitions:
The ravages of something: destruction of something
Hybrid car: a car that uses both petrol and electricity
Carbon footprint: how much carbon dioxide is released as a result of one’s activities
Recycle: breaking down products to create new products from the materials
Growing season: the time of the year when plants grow
Yields: amount of a crop produced
Crops: a plant grown in large amounts
Eco-conscious: describes someone who shows concern for the environment
Natural fertilizer: fertilizers that come from animal waste, animal matter or plant matter
Chemical fertilizer: fertilizers that are made from synthetic materials
Contaminate: to make something impure, poisonous or polluted
Groundwater: water that is below the earth’s surface
Vegetable scraps: bits of vegetables that are discarded
Non-chemical compost: decaying matter such as food, leaves or manure used to fertilize soil
Organic: describes something that does not use chemical fertilizers
Commute: travel to and from work
Solar panels: panels that collect rays from the sun to be used as energy for electricity or heating
Household cleaning products: products that are used to clean one’s home
Time-consuming: describes something that takes a lot of time
Environmentally conscious: when a person or business is aware of their effect on the environment and attempts to minimize this affect
Green lifestyle: a way of living that attempts to reduce usage of water & power, waste and toxic substances
Sustainable: describes something that causes minimal damage to the environment
Emulate: to copy someone’s behavior out of respect
Conventional products: products that have been in use for a long time
Energy saving: describe products designed to reduce use of electricity or other form of energy
Fuel emissions: gases that lead to air pollution through the burning of fuel
Electric cars: vehicles that run on electricity
Food miles: the distance food travels from the time it is produced until it reaches its end customer
Local food: food that is produced a short distance from where it is consumed
Fossil fuels: coal, gas or oil that is used in industry, homes and vehicles
Carbon monoxide: a dangerous gas produced from the partial burning of fuels
Dispose: throw away
Waterways: lakes, rivers, oceans and canals
Ecosystem: the geographic area where animals, plants and other organisms interact
Natural habitat: the area where a plant or animal normally lives
Tackle: to try to deal with a problem
Collective effort: when a group of people try to do something
Forge: to create something strong or successful