Environment vocabulary and terms for ESL learners

Acid rain	Acid rain is rain mixed with sulphuric, nitric and other acids formed by gases released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Acid rain is considered responsible for damaging forests and crops, and is particularly harmful to fish and other aquatic life in rivers and lakes.
Aquifer	An aquifer is an underground layer of rock and sand that stores water and transmits it to wells and springs. This water, called ground water, can be used for drinking or other purposes.
Arid	Land or climate that is extremely dry due to very low rainfall. Agriculture in arid regions is impossible without irrigation.
Asbestos	A fire-resistant mineral once used in insulation and home products that can cause respiratory diseases
Asthma	Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder which is characterized by shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and tightness of the chest. Asthma often arises from allergies or can be caused by exposure to polluted environments.
Awareness	Consciousness that a condition or event exists.
Ban	Forbid or prohibit something.
Biodegradable	Capable of being broken down or decomposed by natural biological processes. The term is used to refer to "environmentally friendly" products. Many chemicals, food scraps, cotton, wool, and paper are bio-degradable; plastics and polyester generally are not.
Biotechnology	The application of technology to the study or manipulation of living things in areas such as agricultural production, hybrid plant development, medicine, environmental research, etc.
Carbon footprint	A measure of the effect that human activities have on the climate (measured in units of carbon dioxide).
Carcinogenic Carcinogen	Capable of causing cancer. A substance that may cause cancer in animals or humans.
C0	Carbon monoxide : a colourless, odourless, poisonous gas, produced by incomplete burning of organic materials such as oil, coal, and wood.
C02	Carbon dioxide: a colourless, odourless, non-poisonous gas that is a normal part of the air. It is absorbed by plants and exhaled by humans and animals. Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, wood) increases carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
Climate change	Climate change, which is often called global warming, refers to changes in weather patterns including: - a rise in global temperatures - changes in rainfall patterns, which result in flooding and droughts - a rise in sea level. Climate changes can be caused both by natural forces and by human activities.
Compost	A mixture of decaying organic matter, such as leaves, wood and manure. Compost is used in gardening and agriculture to fertilize and enrich the soil.
Conservation	Protecting, maintaining or improving natural resources, to keep them safe from destruction or degradation and conserve them for future generations. Clean rivers and lakes, wilderness areas, wildlife, healthy soil, and clean air are natural resources
Dead zone	Area of water containing low levels of oxygen in which fish, plants and other aquatic life find it difficult to survive.
Deforestation	Destruction of forests to make land for agriculture. Cutting down trees, which provide oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, is seen as a cause of increased greenhouse effect. Deforestation also entails the destruction of animal habitats.
Desalinisation	Desalinisation is the removal of salts from saline water to obtain fresh water suitable for animal and human consumption, or for irrigation.
Desertification	The change from once fertile land into desert as a result of factors including climatic variations and human activities (overgrazing by animals, deforestation, poor irrigation practices).
Disposable	Refers to material designed to be thrown away after use.
Drought	A prolonged period of abnormal dryness, with little or no rainfall.
Dump	Location where garbage, rubbish or waste is taken and just dumped, without environmental controls. Problems associated with dumps include multiplication of disease-carrying organisms together with air and water pollution.
Ecology	The study of the relationship of living things (plants, animals and humans) with each other and with their environment.
Ecosystem	A community of plants, animals and other organisms living in an area which provides what they need in order to survive. The different species depend on the environment and the environment depends on them. An ecosystem can be as small as a tiny pool or as large as a huge desert.
Emission	The release or discharge into the air of pollutant substances such as gas or smoke.
Endangered species	Animals and plants in danger of becoming extinct.
Environment	The surroundings and external conditions that affect the growth and development of living things
Food chain	A representation of the relationship between plants and animals showing what eats what (for example : grass, mouse, snake). Energy is passed from one organism to another through the food chain.
Fossil fuels	Fuels that are formed in the ground from the remains of dead plants and animals. Oil, natural gas and coal are all fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are not a renewable resource. Once consumed they are gone forever. When burned, they are a major cause of greenhouse gases and global warming.
Fungi (plural of fungus)	Plantlike organisms, without leaves or roots, that lack chlorophyll, so they must obtain their nutrients from their environment. Mildew, yeast and mushrooms are fungi.
Fungicide	A pesticide used to control or destroy fungi on food or grain crops.
Genetic engineering (GE)	Technology used to modify the genetic material of a cell or organism in order to produce desired effects or traits and to eliminate undesirable ones.
Genetic modification Genetically Modified (GM)	Modification of the characteristics of an organism by inserting genes from another organism into its DNA. (also called genetic engineering).
Global warming	A gradual warming of the earth's surface temperature reportedly caused by the emission of gases that trap the sun's heat in the earth's atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases form a blanket around the earth (similar to the walls of a greenhouse), holding heat and raising temperatures on the ground. Climate change is believed to be linked to global warming.
Greenhouse gases	Greenhouse gases are gases that trap the heat of the sun in the earth's atmosphere, producing the greenhouse effect. The result is an increase in the temperature of the earth’s surface. Greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.
Ground water	Water found below the surface of the land, usually in porous rock formations. Ground water is the source of water found in wells and springs and is frequently used for drinking.
Habitat	The natural home of a plant or animal.
Herbicide	A chemical used to kill or prevent the growth of unwanted plants.
Insecticide	A pesticide compound used to kill or prevent the growth of insects.
Irradiation	A process that uses radiation to reduce or destroy bacteria and germs in food products in order to prevent illnesses and to lengthen the shelf life of the products. Some people are unsure of the long-term health effects of irradiated food.
Landfill	A landfill is an area designated to receive household garbage, solid waste and construction debris. Also referred to as a garbage dump.
Methane	An odourless, colourless, flammable gas formed when organic matter decomposes. More than 80% of methane comes from human activities such as burning fossil fuels.
Nuclear energy	Energy produced by the process of nuclear reaction (fission or fusion) inside a nuclear reactor, or by radioactive decay.
Oilrig	Structure used in drilling for oil or gas
Organic	General term used for a type of gardening or agriculture using no chemical or synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
Pesticide	Substance that repels or kills plant or animal pests. Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, etc. are all pesticides.
Plume	A visible or measurable concentration of a contaminant from a given point of origin.
Pollution	Contamination of the air, water, or soil with substances that can cause harm to human health or the environment.
Recycling	The process of minimising waste by recovering materials and transforming them into new products.
Septic tank	An underground storage tank for wastes from homes not connected to a municipal sewer system.
Smog	Originally smog meant a mixture of smoke and fog. Today, it is used for any kind of air pollution found in cities, including dust, smoke, exhaust gases or chemical fumes.
Surface water	Water above the surface of the earth, including lakes, rivers, seas, streams, ponds, floodwater etc.
Sustainable development	Economic development which ensures that the use of resources and the environment today does not compromise the needs of future generations.
Volatile	Any substance that evaporates quickly.
Waste	Anything that is unwanted or unused and is thrown away.
Wetlands	Areas of marshy or swampy ground, or any land area that tends to be regularly wet or flooded. Wetlands are among the most fertile, natural ecosystems in the world and often host plants, birds and animals specially adapted to life in very wet conditions.
Wind farm	Large open site on which a number of wind turbines generate wind power electricity for private or commercial use.
Wind turbine	A device for converting wind energy into electrical energy. A wind turbine typically has one, two or three blades.