ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Part A

environmental awareness

an understanding of the environment, the impact of human behaviour on it, and the importance of its protection

deterioration / degradation of natural resources

the decline in the quality (2) of natural resources

land degradation

the physical, chemical and biological decline in soil quality

water scarcity [ˈskeəsəti]

water shortage

melting of the polar ice

thawing of the ice covering the areas at the North and South Poles

shrinking glaciers [ˈɡlæsiəz] or [ˈɡleɪʃəz]

the decrease in size of glaciers (large masses of ice)

global sea level rise

an increase in the level of the world's oceans due to global warming

species extinction

the dying out of types of animals / plants

habitat loss

the reduction of places where animals live and breed

urbanization

the increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities

drought [draʊt]

a long period of dry weather

flood

a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry

marine eco-systems

all the living things in the sea and the way they affect each other and the environment

smog

air pollution found in cities caused by a mixture of smoke, gases and chemicals

a pea-souper

a very thick and often yellowish, greenish or blackish fog caused by air pollution

irreparable environmental damage

damage to the environment that can't be undone

to emit / discharge / release gases into the atmosphere

to send out (3) gases into the atmosphere

emissions / discharges / releases

harmful gases sent out into the atmosphere (3)

carbon output

the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that a person's or a cities' activities produce

greenhouse gases

gases that prevent heat from the earth escaping into space, causing the greenhouse effect

exhaust fumes [ɪɡˈzɔːst]

the waste gas from a car's engine

to exacerbate climate change [ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt]

to make climate change even worse

congestion

heavy traffic

congestion charge

an amount of money that you have to pay each day to drive into a city centre, charged in order to reduce traffic

T-charge

toxicity charge (older, more polluting vehicles pay much more to travel around central London)

low-emission zone

an area where access by some polluting vehicles is restricted with the aim of improving air quality

a smoke-free zone

a legally defined area where only approved fuels can be used within buildings

park and ride facility

a place in or near a town or city where you can park your car cheaply and take a bus or other form of public transport into the centre

carpooling

the activity of a group of people travelling together in a car, especially to work or school

unleaded fuel [ʌnˈledɪd]

petrol that doesn't contain lead (a toxic substance)

The Paris Agreement

the global agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions signed in Paris in 2015

to call for smth

to say publicly that smth should happen or is necessary

to remedy the environment [ˈremədi]

to help the environment

to enact solutions

to put smth into action, especially to make smth law

to tackle / combat / curb (pollution)

to try to deal with or stop smth (3)

to alleviate [əˈliːvieɪt] (poverty)

to make the problem (of poverty) less severe

carsharing

a model of car rental where people rent cars for short periods of time, an alternative to owning a car

to scrutinize something

to examine something very carefully

to urge somebody

to strongly advise or try to persuade someone to do a particular thing

to breach something

to break a law, agreement

Carbon output

total CO₂ emissions released by human activity

Sustainability/sustainable

using resources in a way that doesn’t harm future generations.

An eco-system

community of living organisms interacting with their environment