Tetwet

BASIC WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS acid rain [uncountable]
SGE rain that contains harmful acid which can damage the environment and is caused by chemicals in the air, for example from cars or factories

alteration of natural processes

animal welfare, n the viewpoint that animals, especially those under human care, should not suffer unnecessarily, including where the animals are used for food, work, companionship, or research. This position usually focuses on the morality of human action (or inaction), as opposed to making deeper political or philosophical claims about the status of animals, as is the case for an animal rights viewpoint. For this reason animal welfare organizations may use the word humane in their title or position statements.

CFCs /chlorofluorocarbons/

a gas used in fridges and aerosol cans, believed to be responsible for damaging the ozone layer

conservation, n
1SGE the protection of natural things such as animals, plants, forests etc, to prevent them being spoiled or destroyed [= preservation; ↪ conserve]: wildlife conservation, a local conservation group conservation of conservation of the countryside
2 when you prevent something from being lost or wasted [↪ conserve]: energy conservation conservation of the conservation of resources through recycling

conservation area [countable]
1SGE an area where animals and plants are protected

damage noun - harm/injury; a bad effect on something
ADJ. considerable, enormous, great, serious, severe substantial, untold I minor, slight | extensive, wide spread | irreparable, irreversible, lasting, long-term, permanent The incident did permanent damage to relations between the two countries. | criminal, malicious wilful He was prosecuted for criminal damage to a vehicle | accidental The insurance policy covers the building for accidental damage. | emotional, environmental, mechanical, psychological, structural | brain She suffered serious brain damage at birth.

VERB + damage cause, do, inflict The earthquake caused widespread damage to property. They inflicted severe psychological damage on their opponents. | suffer | repair | prevent

PREP, -by The palace suffered extensive damage by fire in 1825. -from Crops are sprayed with chemicals to prevent damage from insects. - to lasting damage to the environment

PHRASES the cost/value of the damage The cost of the damage is estimated at around $2 billion, the extent of the damage At the moment it is difficult to assess the extent of the damage.

damage verb to have a bad effect on something or someone in a way that makes them weaker or less successful:
ADV. badly, seriously, severely The building was badly damaged by fire. | slightly | irreparably, permanently She may have damaged her health irreparably.

damaging adj. affecting someone or something in a bad way:
VERBS be, prove | become

ADV. deeply, extremely, gravely, highly, immensely, profoundly, seriously, severely, very This scandal could prove seriously damaging to the government. | quite, rather | possibly, potentially | positively These new measures will do nothing to raise school standards: they may be positively damaging. | economically, environmentally, politically, psychologically Building the proposed new road would be environmentally damaging.

PREP, to Smoking is damaging to health.

danger noun the possibility that someone or something will be harmed, destroyed, or killed: adj. big, considerable, enormous, extreme, grave great, mortal, obvious, real, serious, terrible They are in grave danger of losing everything. She knew that she was now in mortal danger. There is a real danger that the bridge will collapse from the weight of traffic. | acute, immediate, imminent, impending They are in imminent danger of attack. | constant, ever-present the ever present danger of crime | long-term | inherent There art inherent dangers in the system. | slight | possible, potential | personal | physical | public The pollution from the factory is a public danger.

verb + danger be exposed to, face On their journey across the desert they faced danger of all sorts. | be fraught with, involve The task was fraught with danger. | cause He was convicted of causing danger to other road users. | pose the dangers posed by the possession of nuclear weapons | be aware of, foresee, identify, realize, recognize, see, sense, smell, spot No one foresaw the danger. The animal seemed to sense danger. | avert Vigorous action is needed to avert the danger of runaway inflation. | lessen, minimize, reduce | avoid, escape | ignore

danger + verb exist, face sb, lie (in sth), lurk, threaten sb One of the biggest dangers facing us may be climate change. The danger lies in becoming too complacent. Where would they hide if danger threatened? | rise, come (from sb/sth) The biggest danger to gorillas comes from humans. | pass We waited until all danger had passed.

danger + noun area, spot, zone Despite the high levels of radiation, people are now moving back into thedanger zone. |signals, signs He recognized the danger signs and gave up smoking

prep, in - We weren't in any danger, in - of The plant is now in danger of extinction, out of- They ran until they me out of danger. -to There is no danger to the public from these chemicals.

PHRASES be off/on the danger list He was admitted to hospital in critical condition, but is now off the danger list.

dangerous adj. able or likely to harm or kill you [↪ harmful]: verbs be, look, prove, seem, sound | become, get the situation could get quite dangerous. | remain | make smth The ice is making the roads very dangerous tonight. | consider sth, regard sth as

ADV. exceedingly, extremely, highly, incredibly, really, terribly, very a highly dangerous situ-ation | increasingly | a bit, a little, quite, rather, slightly | possibly, potentially | downright, positively It's a risky idea, if not downright dangerous! | inherently | notoriously This route through the mountains is notoriously dangerous. I politically Raising income tax is considered politically dangerous.

PREP, for This treatment is extremely dangerous for the mother, to not dangerous to humans

destroy verb - to damage sth so badly that it no longer exists adv. completely, entirely, totally, utterly | all but, almost, effectively, practically, virtually Their lives have been virtually destroyed by this tragedy. | largely | partly | systematically The rainforest is being systematically destroyed. | by fire The building was destroyed by fire last year.

verb + destroy can/could Drugs can destroy the health and lives of young people. | threaten to This disease threatens to destroy many of our native trees.

phrases an attempt to destroy sth a new attempt to destroy enemy positions be capable of destroying sth These weapons are capable of destroying the entire planet.

destruction noun the act or process of destroying something or of being destroyed

adj. complete, total, wholesale | large-scale, mass, massive, widespread modern weapons of mass destruction | rapid | systematic | wanton the wanton destruction of public property | environmental, forest, habitat the environmental destruction caused by road building

verb + destruction bring (about), cause, lead to, result in, wreak (formal) the destruction brought about by war. Не gasped as he saw how much destruction she had wrought with the hammer. | prevent Some shopkeepers closed early to prevent the wholesale destruction of their property by the hooligans.

phrases leave a trail of destruction The tornado left a trail of destruction behind it. the seeds of destruction By doubling its prices, the industry sowed the seeds of its own destruction, test sth to destruction Children will quickly test their toys to destruction.

destructive adj. causing damage to people or things
VERBS be, seem | become

ADV. extremely, highly, very | downright, wholly downright destructive behaviour | quite I potentially potentially destructive emotions | environmentally environmentally destructive policies

PREP. of Clearing trees by burning is highly destructive of the forest environment. to These substances can be destructive to health.

deforestation, n the cutting or burning down of all the trees in an area: the deforestation of the tropics

drought, n [pic][uncountable and countable]
DN a long period of dry weather when there is not enough water for plants and animals to live

ecological measures

ecologically clean technologies

ecology, n the way in which plants, animals, and people are related to each other and to their environment, or the scientific study of this [↪ environment]: the natural ecology of the Earth plant ecology

ADJ. fragile| animal, human, marine, plant

VERB+ECOLOGY damage, disrupt
ECOLOGY+NOUN movement eco-friendly[pic] SGE not harmful to the environment: eco-friendly products

ecosystem, n [pic][countable] all the animals and plants in a particular area, and the way in which they are related to each other and to their environment [↪ ecology]

endangered /threatened/ species –groups of animals or plants in danger of being destroyed

environmentalism, n - A political and social ideology that seeks to prevent the environment from degradation by human activity.

environment, n – the air, water, and land on Earth, which can be harmed by man's activities :
Some of these chemicals are very damaging to the environment. legislation to protect the environment the effects of acid rain on the environment the government minister for the environment

ADJ. natural | global, world | local

VERB + ENVIRONMENT preserve, protect, safeguard The government should do more to protect the environment. | clean up, improve | have an impact on factors that have a huge impact on the environment | damage, harm, pollute industries which damage the environment

ENVIRONMENT + NOUN agency, committee, department, group, ministry | minister, official, spokesman, spokeswoman | policy | conference | protection | issues prep, in the- the amount of carbon in the environment phrases conservation/protection of the environment, damage to the environment farming methods that minimize damage to the environment harmful to the environment The label identifies the products that are least harmful to the environment, pollution of the environment

environment/ally/ friendly, adj.

environmental /green/ issue

environmentalist, n, - One who works to protect the biosphere from misuse through such measures as ecosystem protection, waste reduction and pollution prevention

environmentologist, n

environment/al/ protection

exhaustion of natural resources

expansion of anthroposphere

expansion of the Earth's carrying capacity

extinct adj. an extinct type of animal or plant does not exist any more:
Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years.
Pandas could become extinct in the wild, an extinct species

VERBS be | become, go | presume sth, think sth The species was presumed extinct.

ADV. completely, totally | all but, almost, nearly, practically, virtually The numbers of these animals have beеп falling steadily and they are now almost extinct.

extinction noun [pic][uncountable]
1HB when a particular type of animal or plant stops existing: species in danger of extinction on the verge/edge/brink of extinction (=nearly extinct)
The breed was on the verge of extinction.
They were hunted almost to extinction.
Conservationists are trying to save the whale from extinction. face extinction/be threatened with extinction
Many endangered species now face extinction.

ADJ. mass, total, widespread the mass extinction of the dinosaurs | near, virtual | imminent, impending

VERB + EXTINCTION cause, lead to Modern farming methods have led to the total extinction of many species o/ wild flowers. | be doomed to, be in danger of, be on the brink/edge/verge of, be threatened with, face The island's way of life is doomed to extinction. These animals are now on the verge of extinction. | be saved from

famine [pic][uncountable and countable] a situation in which a large number of people have little or no food for a long time and many people die: the great potato famine in Ireland severe/widespread famine
Widespread famine had triggered a number of violent protests.
A million people are facing famine.

global warming [uncountable]
SGESGE a general increase in world temperatures caused by increased amounts of carbon dioxide around the Earth

green, adj. to go green 4environment
a) also Green [only before noun] connected with the environment or its protection: green issues such as the greenhouse effect and global warming
He was an early champion of green politics.
b) harming the environment as little as possible:
We need to develop greener cleaning products.

Greens (also eco-warriors) – people who want to protect the environment

greenhouse effect [singular]
SGE the gradual warming of the air surrounding the Earth as a result of heat being trapped by pollution

greenhouse gas /carbon dioxide/ [countable]
SGE a gas, especially carbon dioxide or methane, that is thought to trap heat above the Earth and cause the greenhouse effect

litter,n, [pic]
1 waste [uncountable] waste paper, cans etc that people have thrown away and left on the ground in a public place [= rubbish, trash, garbage]:
People who drop litter can be fined in some cities. a town with a litter problem

litter2
1 also litter up [transitive] if things litter an area, there are a lot of them in that place, scattered in an untidy way:
Clothes littered the floor. litter something with something
The desk was littered with papers.
2 be littered with something if something is littered with things, there are a lot of those things in it [= be full of something]:
Recent business news has been littered with stories of companies failing.
3 [intransitive and transitive] to leave waste paper, cans etc on the ground in a public place litter bin British English also litter basket British English [countable]
D a container in a public place, for things people throw away, such as papers or cans [= rubbish bin, waste bin [= trash can AmE, garbage can AmE]

ozone layer [singular]
HE a layer of gases in the sky that prevents harmful radiation from the sun from reaching the Earth: the hole in the ozone layer
ˌozone-ˈfriendly
SGET not containing chemicals that damage the ozone layer: an ozone-friendly aerosol

"the ozone hole"

overpopulation, n [pic][uncountable] when there are too many people living in a particular place: efforts to reduce overpopulation

population control, n

pollutant noun [pic][countable]
SG a substance that makes air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty, and is caused by cars, factories etc air/environmental/water etc pollutants
New regulations will reduce hazardous air pollutants. a dumping ground for toxic pollutants chemical/industrial etc pollutants industrial pollutants in the lake

ADJ. air, atmospheric, environmental, water | chemical, toxic | major | industrial

VERB + POLLUTANT discharge, emit, release

POLLUTANT + NOUN emission

PREP. -from pollutants from nearby industries -in pollutants in exhaust gases

PHRASES the emission/release of pollutants

pollute [pic][transitive]
1SGE to make air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use: beaches polluted by raw sewage
The factory pollutes the air and water. heavily/severely/badly etc polluted
The island has been seriously polluted by a copper mine. pollute something with something
The rivers had been polluted with aluminium.

polluted verb dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use: one of the most polluted areas in the world

ADV. badly, heavily, highly, seriously, severely
PREP. with The air is heavily polluted with traffic fumes.

pollution noun 1 the process of making air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use, or the state of being dangerously dirty:
California's tough anti-pollution laws air/water/soil pollution air pollution from traffic fumes pollution prevention/standards/control
The costs of pollution control must be considered.
2 substances that make air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty: a plan to reduce pollution industrial/chemical etc pollution the effects of industrial pollution on the population
The chemicals have been identified as a source of pollution.

ADJ. air, atmospheric, environmental, marine, river, water | chemical, industrial, nuclear | lead, nitrate, noise, oil, ozone, sewage, vehicle, etc. | airborne

VERB + POLLUTION cause | avoid, prevent | combat, control, fight, tackle a convention on combating atmospheric pollution | cut, limit, minimize, reduce The summit ended with a joint pledge to limit pollution. | monitor

POLLUTION + NOUN level | abatement, control, prevention, reduction | limits | standards a tightening of water pollution standards | monitoring | inspectorate, watchdog a survey by the government's water pollution watchdog | incident, problem | laws, legislation, regulations | offence | sources The computer model assesses the likely impact of new pollution sources.

PHRASES the cost of pollution the cost of air pollution in health and other terms a risk of pollution Environmentalists say there is a high risk of pollution from the landfill site, a source of pollution

pressure group, n a group or organization that tries to influence the opinions of ordinary people and persuade the government to do something: environmental pressure groups

protect verb [pic]
1 [intransitive and transitive] to keep someone or something safe from harm, damage, or illness:
Are we doing enough to protect the environment? protect somebody/something from something
The cover protects the machine from dust. protect somebody/something against something
Physical exercise can protect you against heart disease. protect against
Waxing your car will help protect against rust.

ADV. fully | adequately, properly, suitably | inadequately | carefully | effectively, successfully | jealously, rigorously a star who jealously protects her right to privacy

VERB + PROTECT need to | seek to, strive to, try to | act to, fight to Each company is fighting to protect its own commercial interests. | take steps to We must take steps to protect the UK as a manufacturing base. | help (to) | serve to | be designed to
PREP, against a cream that helps to protect your skin against the sun from The new measures are designed to protect the public from people like these, with Protect the exposed areas of wood with varnish.

PHRASES be aimed at protecting sth, a desire/duty/need to protect sb/sth He felt it was his duty to protect the child, heavily/highly protected The Far Eastern markets are heavily protected (= with high taxes for imported goods), legally/officially/specially protected Many of these sites—of immense scientific interest—are not legally protected, measures to protect sb/sth, poorly/well protected Keep the camera well protected at all times.

protection noun
ADJ. adequate, effective | legal | police Witnesses at the trial were given police protection. | animal, child, consumer, data, environmental, personal, wildlife Animal protection supporters gathered to protest against hunting, о She carries a gun in her bag for personal protection. | fire, flood Fire protection equipment must be available on all floors. | sun sun protection products

QUANT, degree A helmet affords the cyclist some degree of protection against injury.

VERB + PROTECTION afford (sb), give (sb), offer (sb), provide (sb with)

PROTECTION + NOUN law, legislation, order The couple were was found guilty of violation of child protection laws. I measures, mechanism, scheme, system

PREP, under the - of Many British wild animals are now under the protection of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. | -against Fill the cooling system with antifreeze as a protection against frost, -from The high walls give the garden protection from the wind.

protest1 W3[pic]
1 [uncountable and countable] something that you do to show publicly that you think that something is wrong and unfair, for example taking part in big public meetings, refusing to work, or refusing to buy a company's products
COLLOCATIONS [pic]COLLOCATIONS protest march/rally hold/stage/mount a protest in protest (at something) peaceful protest violent/angry protest public protest street protest protest group/movement protest against protests against the Vietnam war protest marches against the government's policy on immigration
A small group of demonstrators staged a peaceful protest outside the UN Headquarters.
5000 employees came out on strike in protest at the poor working conditions.
Three people died yesterday in violent street protests. the protest movements of the 1960s

protest verb [pic]
1 [intransitive and transitive] to come together to publicly express disapproval or opposition to something protest against/at/about
Thousands of people blocked the street, protesting against the new legislation. protest something American English
Students protested the decision.

ADV. strongly, vehemently, vigorously I formally I loudly I mildly I weakly I peacefully the right to protest peacefully | bitterly, desperately, indignantly

VERB + PROTEST begin to, try to When he tried to protest, she insisted. I gather to Crowds gathered to protest about the police violence.

PREP. about/over protesting over an income tax in crease against protesting against the proposed agreement at Many people have protested at the cuts in state benefits.

radioactive contamination

recycle[pic]
1SGE [intransitive and transitive] to put used objects or materials through a special process so that they can be used again:
We take all our bottles to be recycled. packaging made of recycled paper recycling[pic] 1 [uncountable]SGE the process of treating used objects or materials so that they can be used again:
Recycling is important to help protect our environment.
2 [singular] American English informal things that are to be recycled:
Don't forget to take out the recycling.

reduction of biodiversity [pic]

a decrease in the variety of plants and animals in a particular place:

refuse2[pic] [uncountable] formal waste material that has been thrown away [= rubbish BrE; = trash, garbage AmE] a refuse dump household/domestic refuse refuse collection

renewable resources resources that replaces themselves naturally, or are easily replaced because there is a large supply of them:

renewable energy such as solar power an industry based on renewable resources

sustainable[pic]
1 able to continue without causing damage to the environment:
The government should do more to promote sustainable agriculture. the sustainable use of rainforest resources
Cycling is a totally sustainable form of transport. environmentally sustainable development
2 able to continue for a long time:
The party is promising low inflation and sustainable economic growth.
—sustainability[pic] noun [uncountable]

waste, n unwanted materials or substances that are left after you have used something:
The emphasis now is on recycling household waste. industrial/chemical etc waste proposals to end the dumping of industrial waste into rivers and seas waste pipes the disposal of hazardous waste

to dump waste

dumping[pic] [uncountable] the act of getting rid of dangerous waste material in a place that is not safe:
The government has promised to stop dumping by the state-owned chemical plants.

wildlife[pic] [uncountable]
HB animals and plants growing in natural conditions: measures to protect the area's wildlife; the destruction of wildlife habitats

IDIOMS have green fingers British English have a green thumb American English to be good at making plants grow

to play God with Nature

the depletion of the ozone layer [pic]

to upset the ecological balance

CULTURE WORDS

Greenpeace

an international organization whose members work actively to protect the environment from damage caused by industrial processes or military activities. It uses its own boats to try to prevent governments from testing nuclear weapons, to prevent companies from pouring poisonous chemicals into the sea, and to try to save whales and other sea animals from being killed.

Rainbow Warrior a ship belonging to the organization Greenpeace, used for getting information about activities harmful to the environment and trying to prevent them

World Wide Fund for Nature, the
WWF an international charity organization, formerly called the World Wildlife Fund, which supports conservation (=protection of wild plants, animals, and natural areas of land)

the National Trust a British organization which owns and takes care of many beautiful old buildings and areas of countryside in England and Wales

League against Cruel Sports, the a UK organization which wants to make killing animals for sport illegal. It is especially opposed to the sport of hunting foxes.

the environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance"

English Nature

The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW; Welsh: Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru [CCGC]‍) is the United Kingdom Government's wildlife conservation authority for Wales. It acts as a statutory advisory and prosecuting body, and aims to sustain natural beauty and wildlife and provide opportunities for outdoor enjoyment of the Welsh landscape and its inshore waters. (Wikipedia)

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is a Scottish public body. It is responsible for Scotland's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Executive and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designations, i.e. National Nature Reserves, Local Nature Reserves, Long Distance Routes, National Parks, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and the National Scenic Area. (Wikipedia)

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers /BTCV/

BTCV – formerly known as British Trust for Conservation Volunteers – is the biggest practical conservation charity in Britain. It began as a body organising practical conservation tasks in the countryside for groups of volunteers. However this role has changed considerably since the foundation of the organisation, although it has almost all been involving people in their environment in one way or another, in what BTCV describes as "a 'hands-on' approach to conservation activities". Much of the charity's work is now in urban areas, and it includes in its work many varied projects including regeneration, recycling and education. The charity enables over 130,000 volunteers per year to engage in practical conservation work in both the urban and the rural environment.

Environmental health officers (EHOs) are usually employed by local government or state health authorites to advise on and enforce public health standards. However, many are employed in the private sector and in the military. EHOs or their equivalents can be found in most countries that have been part of the British Commonwealth. Internationally EHOs are also referred to as Public Health Inspectors, Sanitarians, Health Protection Officers etc. (Wikipedia)

Environmental Protection Agency, the the EPA a US government organization whose aim is to protect the land, air, and water from pollution, for example by dangerous chemicals, smoke, or industrial waste

the Red List

a list of endangered species, created by the World Conservation Monitoring Center

El Niño a change in the weather that happens every three to seven years, caused by a rise in the temperature of a large area of the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America. El Niño has severe effects on the weather in many parts of the world, and can cause drought (=complete lack of rain) in some places and heavy rain and violent storms in other places.

Earth Summit a large international meeting held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 1992, at which the leaders of the countries of the United Nations discussed ways of protecting the environment and preserving the Earth's biodiversity (=all the different plants and animals on the Earth). It is sometimes also called the Rio Summit.

PROVERBS AND QUOTATIONS:

Prevention is better than cure.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

Live and let live.

It is easy to be wise after the event.

It is never too late to mend.

Better late than never.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Don't cut the bough you are standing on.

Score twice before you cut once.

Every medal has its reverse.

You never miss the water till the well runs dry.

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards (Kierkegaard)

Never does nature say one thing, and wisdom another (Juvenal)

And this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything (Shakespeare)

To rebuild our civilization we must first rebuild ourselves according to the pattern laid down by life (Alex Carrel)

To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day (Winston Churchill)

The worst sin toward our fellow creatures Is not to hate them, but to be Indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity (G.B.Shaw).

What is civilized in us is not opera or literature, but a compassion for all living things and a willingness to do more than simply care (Daniel D.Chiras)

Our duty to the v/hole, Including the unborn generations, bids us restrain an unprincipled present-day minority from wasting the heritage of those unborn generations (Theodore Roosevelt).

It is not enough for a nation to have a handful of heroes, what we need are generations of responsible people (Richard D.Laram).

The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving (Oliver Wendell Holmes).

It is much easier to be critical than to be correct. (Disraeli).

If you don't think about the future you will not have it (J.Galsworthy).