Environmental issues

caused by humans, especially in relation to climate change and global warming

biodegradable substances can be separated into very small parts by bacteria so that they are not harmful to the environment

biohazard (noun)

something that may cause harm to people or to the environment, especially a poisonous chemical or an infectious disease

biological control (noun)

a method of reducing the number of harmful insects by using other insects or small animals that feed on them

carbon capture and storage (noun)

the process of collecting carbon dioxide that is produced by burning coal or oil and storing it to stop it getting into the atmosphere

the carbon cycle (noun)

biology the movement of carbon between living things and their environment. Carbon dioxide is taken from the atmosphere and used by plants. It then moves from plants eaten as food to animals, and is returned to the atmosphere by the respiration of plants and animals and by the burning of plant material.

carbon footprint (noun)

the amount of carbon dioxide a person, organization, building, etc produces, used as a measure of their effect on the environment

carbon-neutral (adjective)

a carbon-neutral activity, company etc balances the amount of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide it produces with actions that are designed to protect the environment, for example planting trees or using less electricity

carbon sink (noun)

an ocean, forest, or other area of vegetation (=plants and trees) that helps to protect the environment by taking in large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

carbon trading (noun)

a system that allows a company or country that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide it produces to below a particular level to sell the extra reduction as a credit to a company or country that has not reduced the amount it produces enough

catalytic converter (noun)

a piece of equipment fitted to a car in order to reduce the amount of poisonous gases that it sends into the air

clean (adjective)

clean machines and processes do not create a lot of pollution

cleanly (adverb)

without creating a lot of mess or pollution

cleantech (noun)

technology which provides benefits such as clean energy, and environmentally sustainable products and services

cleantech (noun)

using or based on cleantech

clean up ()

to remove pollution from a place or an industrial process

clean-up (noun)

the process of removing pollution or waste from a place or an industrial process

climate change (noun)

the changes that are thought to be affecting the world’s weather so that it is becoming warmer

conservation (noun)

the management of land and water in ways that prevent it from being damaged or destroyed

conservation (noun)

the careful use of energy, water, and other resources, so that they are not wasted or lost

conservation area (noun)

an area of land that is protected from being damaged

conserve (verb)

to prevent land, water, or other natural resources from being damaged or destroyed

conserve (verb)

to use very little of something such as electricity or water so that it is not wasted

contaminate (verb)

to make something dirty, polluted, or poisonous by adding a chemical, waste, or infection

contaminated (adjective)

made dirty, polluted, or poisonous by the addition of a chemical, waste, or infection

contamination (noun)

the process of making something dirty, polluted, or poisonous by adding a chemical, waste, or infection

decarbonize (verb)

to reduce the amount of gaseous carbon compounds released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity

deforestation (noun)

the process of removing the trees from an area of land

dispersant (noun)

a chemical substance used to break up a liquid, especially oil floating on the sea, into tiny pieces so that it spreads over a wide area and causes less harm

eco- (prefix)

relating to the environment: used with some nouns and adjectives

ecocide (noun)

damage to or destruction of the natural environment, especially as caused by human activity such as pollution or war, or an example of this

eco-friendly (adjective)

designed to cause as little harm as possible to the environment

ecological (adjective)

working to protect the environment

ecoterrorist (noun)

someone who tries to stop or damage organizations that cause harm to the environment

ecotourism (noun)

the business of creating and selling holidays that give people the chance to learn about a natural environment, and cause as little damage to the environment as possible

ecotown (noun)

in England, a new town that is designed in a way that reduces people's impact on the environment to a minimum

emissions trading (noun)

the practice of buying and selling the right to produce chemicals and other substances that have a harmful effect on the environment

endangered species (noun)

a type of animal or plant that may soon become extinct (=disappear from the world)

environmental (adjective)

relating to the natural world and the effect that human activity has on it

environmental (adjective)

intended to help or protect the environment

environmental accounting (noun)

a way of calculating the cost of a business decision that includes all its good and bad effects on, for example, the environment and people’s health, as well as the direct costs

environmentally (adverb)

in a way that affects the environment or is related to it

environmentally friendly (adjective)

designed not to harm the natural environment

environmentally sensitive area (noun)

an area where the natural environment can easily be harmed

feed-in tariff (noun)

a payment made by the government to someone who produces energy that is renewable (= that can be replaced and is never completely used up)

global warming (noun)

the slow increase in the temperature of the Earth caused partly by the greenhouse effect increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

green (adjective)

used about places in which the environment is protected

green (adjective)

green issues are issues that affect the environment

green (verb)

to change a place or activity in a way that protects the environment or limits damage to the environment

Green (adjective)

designed to protect the environment or to limit damage to the environment

green audit (noun)

an examination of what a company is doing to prevent its business activities from harming the environment

green belt (noun)

an area of land around large cities where no buildings are allowed in order to protect the countryside

the greenhouse effect (noun)

the process in which heat is unable to escape from the atmosphere and causes the temperature of the Earth to rise. The rise in temperature is called global warming.

greening (noun)

the process of taking a greater interest in environmental issues and acting to protect the environment

greenly (adverb)

in a way that does not harm the environment

greentailing (noun)

the business of selling products that are not harmful to the environment

greentailing (noun)

the use of products that are not harmful to the environment in business

greenwash (noun)

showing disapproval activities by a business or other organization that are intended to show that the organization is concerned about the environment

naturalise ()

a British spelling of naturalize

naturalize (verb)

to encourage plants to grow or animals to live in an area where they are not usually found

nature reserve (noun)

an area of land that is protected so that people cannot harm the animals and plants that live there

the nitrogen cycle (noun)

the series of processes by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is changed into nitrogen compounds in soil from and taken in by plants. These compounds spread into the atmosphere when the plants decay or are eaten by animals and are passed from their bodies as waste. They are then changed back into nitrogen in the atmosphere.

non-renewable (adjective)

non-renewable types of energy exist in limited amounts, and when these are all used there will be none left

ozone-friendly (adjective)

chemicals that are ozone-friendly do not cause pollution that damages the ozone layer

poison (verb)

to create pollution that damages part of the environment

pollute (verb)

to make air, water, or land too dirty and dangerous for people to use in a safe way

polluter (noun)

a person or company responsible for causing pollution

pollution (noun)

the process of damaging the air, water, or land with chemicals or other substances

preservation (noun)

the process of working to protect something valuable so that it is not damaged or destroyed

preservation (noun)

involved in preservation

preserve (verb)

to take care of a place or building in order to prevent it from being harmed or destroyed

protected (adjective)

used about animals, plants, and other things that the law prevents people from harming

rainforest (noun)

a forest in a tropical region of the world where it rains a lot. Rainforests are considered to be important environmental areas and many people want them to be protected by law

reclaim (verb)

to improve an area of land so that it can be used

recyclable (adjective)

able to be recycled

recycle (verb)

to change waste materials such as newspapers and bottles so that they can be used again

recycling (noun)

the process of changing waste materials such as newspapers and bottles so that they can be used again

reforestation (noun)

the act of putting new trees into a place where the original trees have been cut down

reintroduce (verb)

to return a type of animal or plant to an area where it lived in the past so that it can continue to develop there

release (verb)

science to let a substance or energy spread into the area or atmosphere around it, especially as part of a chemical reaction

release (noun)

science a situation in which something such as a chemical is spread into the area or atmosphere around it

renewable (adjective)

renewable energy and natural materials replace themselves by natural processes, so that they are never completely used up

reprocess (verb)

to process a waste substance so that it can be used again

reserve (noun)

British an area of land where wild animals or plants are officially protected

rewilding (noun)

a form of conservation which aims to return areas of land to their natural wild state, especially by bringing back animal species that used to live there

sanctuary (noun)

a special area where animals live in a natural environment protected from people

sustainable (adjective)

using methods that do not harm the environment

sustainable development (noun)

the development of a country or region that does not use more natural resources than can be replaced and so does not harm the environment

toxic (adjective)

poisonous and harmful to people, animals, or the environment

unleaded (adjective)

unleaded petrol does not contain lead and is therefore less harmful to people and to the environment

unsustainable (adjective)

unsustainable farming methods, industries etc damage the environment because they use up more energy, wood, coal etc than can be replaced naturally

U-value (noun)

a measure of how well a part of a building, for example a window or a roof, prevents heat from escaping

the water cycle (noun)

the continuous process by which water in seas, rivers, soil, living things etc evaporates into the atmosphere, where it forms clouds that produce rain or snow so that it goes back into the seas, rivers, soil etc again

zero carbon (adjective)

not causing carbon emissions (=carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the atmophere)

Synonyms and antonyms of Environmental issues in British Thesaurus