Topic 1: Environment

A. Environmental problems
The greenhouse effect (noun phrase): connect to global warming
E.g.: Global warming and greenhouse effect are believed to be the greatest threats to the
Earth
The natural world (noun phrase): include both animal and plant life
E.g.: The habitats of the natural world are now under serious threat from deforestation
and global warming
The Earth (noun phrase): The planet
Green issue (noun phrase): common synonym for environmental problem
E.g.: Pollution is one of the most pressing green issues in many large cities in China
Global warming (noun phrase): example of mans effect on the environment
E.g.: Global warming is probably the topical environmental issue that grabs the most
attention of the world today
Habitat (noun): Living environment
E.g.: The habitats of many wildlife animals are seriously being threatened by human
industrial activities
Biodiversity (noun): variety of plant and animal life in a region
E.g.: Amazon jungle is well-known for its biodiversity
Species (noun): a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of
exchanging genes or interbreeding
E.g.: Panda has been recently put on the list of endangered species that need special
preservation
Ice cap (noun): A covering of ice over a large area, especially over the polar region of the
planet
E.g.: The melting polar ice cap is causing the sea level to rise
Ecosystem (noun): the system where plants and animals support one another
E.g.: It is crucial to keep the ecosystem of the earth in balance
Rainforest (noun): a type of forest common in tropical regions
E.g.: Peculiar kind of animal usually lives deep in the rainforest
Drought (noun): a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of
water
Flood (noun): an overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits
E.g.: During climate extremes, whether droughts or flooding rain, those on the land feel
the most

Deforestation (noun): cutting down forests

Soil erosion (noun phrase)
E.g.: Deforestation is one of the contributing factors of soil erosion in the forest.
Climate change (noun phrase)
E.g.: People all over the world are experiencing the adverse impacts of climate changes
Fossil fuel (noun): A natural fuel such as coal or gas
E.g.: Burning coal or oil, which releases carbon dioxide from when fossil fuel was
formed, has a serious global warming effect
Oil deposit (noun phrase)
E.g.: Middle East countries are well known worldwide for having a high number of oil
deposits
Exploitation (noun)
E.g.: The over exploitation of fossil fuel has expedited the running out of those limited
resources
(Limited) Natural resources
E.g.: Natural resources such as oil, gas and fossil fuels are limited and expected to be
used up in the next 50 years
Alternative resources/ Renewable energy (incl. solar/ wind/ geothermal etc.)
E.g.: Developed countries are switching to renewable energy such as solar or geothermal
energy for the sake of sustainable living
B. Pollution
Pollutant(s) (noun): a substance that causes pollution
E.g.: Lead is a good example of a nasty environmental pollutant
Smog (noun): extreme form of air pollution. This is the combination of two words:
smoke and fog
E.g.: Exhaust emissions are usually responsible for the smog
Chemical(s) (noun): a substance that has been artificially prepared
E.g.: Industrial plants are mainly responsible for dumping chemicals and toxic waste
into the river
Fumes (noun): an amount of gas or vapour that smells strongly or is dangerous to
inhale. Commonly seen as exhaust fumes. Similar meaning with smoke, vapour
E.g.: Clouds of exhaust fumes produced by cars
Emission (noun): the production or discharge of something, especially gas or radiation.
Also commonly seen as exhaust emission
E.g.: The effects of lead emissions on health
Emit (verb): to produce or discharge something (especially gas or radiation)
E.g.: Even the best cars emit carbon dioxide

Dump (verb): to deposit or dispose of (rubbish, waste etc.) typically in a careless or

hurried way
E.g.: It is illegal to dump any waste material at sea
Carbon monoxide CO and carbon dioxide CO2: names of the two types of gas. Useful for
discussing acid rain and the greenhouse effect
C. Useful verbs/nouns
Harm (v): to damage or to destroy
E.g.: Smoking when pregnant can harm your body
Harm (n): damage
E.g.: I never mean to cause him any harm
Contaminate (v): to pollute/ poison => Contamination (n)
E.g.: The site was found to be contaminated by radioactivity
Endanger (v): to threaten
E.g.: He was driving in a manner that is likely to endanger life
Alleviate (v) = ease : To make something less severe
E.g.: A number of measures were taken to alleviate the problem
Gravity (n) a cause for worry
E.g.: Many people did not realise the gravity of air pollution in the city
Deplete (v) to reduce sth by a large amount -> (n) Depletion
E.g.: Fossil fuels were severely depleted
Deteriorate: to become worse ->(n) Deterioration
E.g.:The environment has become deteriorating
D. Useful adjectives:
Harmful (to) = Detrimental (to)
E.g.: Smoking is detrimental to/ harmful to human health
Environmentally (Un) friendly
E.g.: Burning fossil fuel for power is environmentally unfriendly
Sustainable (Development): conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of
natural resources
E.g.: Our fundamental commitment to sustainable development
Irreparable: impossible to rectify or repair
E.g.: Human has, to some degrees, done irreparable harm to the planet
Endangered (Species): seriously at risk of extinction
E.g.: Elephants are acutely endangered in East Africa

Destructive : causing destruction or damage

E.g.: Coal mining is among the most environmentally destructive activities
E. Collocationse
Have an impact on something
E.g.: Financial crisis has had a significant impact on unemployment
Give rise to something = Cause something to happen = Lead to = Result in
E.g.: Globalization has given rise to international tourism
E.g.: Closing the plant will lead to 300 job losses
Attribute A to B: regard B as the cause of A
E.g.: He attributed the firms success to the efforts of the managing director
Attributable/ Attributed to: Caused by
E.g.: His resignation was attributed to stress
Contribute to: help to cause or bring about
E.g.: The government imposed a tax on fuels which contributed to global warming
Put at risk = Put in danger
E.g.: The lives of wildlife animals are being put at risk with the increasing rate of
deforestation
Pose a threat to: present a problem or danger
E.g.: The rising number of visitors is posing a threat to the area
Do more harm than good: inadvertently or accidentally make a situation worse than
better
E.g.: Hasty legislation does more harm than good