This glossary will help the students to increase the vocabulary for any kind of essay writings related to this Topic.
Acid rain
Noun
Rainfall made so acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm, chiefly to forests and lakes. The main cause is the industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels, the waste gases from which contain sulphur and nitrogen oxides which combine with atmospheric water to form acids.
Example: Environmental issues inevitably transcend national boundaries, for instance regarding river pollution, acid rain or global warming.
en: Acid rain
Biodegradable
Adjective
(of a substance or object) capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms and thereby avoiding pollution.
Example: consumers have forced a shift to more biodegradable products.
en: Biodegradable.
bīōdəˈɡrādəb(ə)l
carbon dioxide
Noun
A colourless, odourless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration. It is naturally present in air (about 0.03 per cent) and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis.
Example: The Energy Crisis and Climate Change Concerns are escalating over the possibility of climate change as a result of global warming caused by man-made carbon dioxide emissions.
en: carbon dioxide
kärbən dīˈäksīd
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
Noun
CFCs are gases that are used in things such as aerosols and refrigerators and can cause damage to the ozone layer. CFC is an abbreviation for 'chlorofluorocarbon. '
Example: Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) are the destructive green house gases that cause the destruction for the Earth's ozone layer.
en: Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
climate
Noun
the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
"our cold, wet climate"
Example: The recent position statements include the following issues; avian influenza, environmentally sustainable transport and forestry, access and countryside recreation, renewable energy, and climate change.
en: Climate. ˈklīmit'
Contaminant
Noun
a polluting or poisonous substance that makes something impure.
"people were exposed to airborne contaminants"
Example: Some scientists suspect that a certain contaminant may be linked to the pet food supplier. // Corn chamomile seed has been a contaminant in clover and grass seed.
en: Contaminant.
kənˈtamənənt
desertification
Noun
The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.
"nearly one fifth of the world's land is threatened with desertification".
Example: An additional burden from these countries is deforestation and desertification.
en: desertification
(dəˌzərdəfəˈkāSH(ə)n)
effluent
Noun
Liquid waste or sewage discharged into a river or the sea.
"industrial effluent".
Example: Presence of emergent wetland plants (those with roots imbedded in the substrate and shoots extending above the water surface, rather than floating or submerged plants) in the system was more important for effectively reducing nitrate levels in effluent from SSF than from FSF cells. 2.
en: effluent
(ˈeflo͞oənt)
Emission
Noun
an act or instance of emitting:
the emission of poisonous fumes.
Example: Studies have shown the product to reduce methane emissions by about 20 percent in meat cattle, according to the New York Times.
en: an act or instance of emitting:
the emission of poisonous fumes.
Environmental
adjective
relating to the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition.
Example: Initially, the test chamber is mounted on springs, in as stable an environment as possible, to reduce the impact of environmental vibrations.
en: Environmental
Exhaust
Noun
waste gases or air expelled from an engine, turbine, or other machine in the course of its operation.
"buses spewing out black clouds of exhaust"
Example: Automotive exhaust can contain unburned, or partially burned olefins.
en: Exhaust
fly-tipping
Noun
the activity of leaving waste material in a place where it is not allowed.
en: fly-tipping
Global-warming
noun
The phenomenon of increasing average air temperatures near the surface of Earth. / A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.
Example: One of the worries about future habitat destruction is global\-warming, though there is debate over the positive or negative impacts this will have on pest and non-pest species (Harrington, Fleming and Wolwod, 2001).
en: Global-warming
Green
adjective
covered with grass or other vegetation.
"proposals that would smother green fields with development"
Example: The green scenario of this landscape is looking so charming that no one can pass by its beauty.
en: Green
infrastructure
noun
the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.
"the social and economic infrastructure of a country"
Example: A highly developed infrastructure is a key aspect of Roman urbanism, and can be identified particularly in the material remains of the aqueduct system, the famous roman roads, and roman town walls.
en: infrastructure. ˈinfrəˌstrək(t)SHər'
Pollution
Noun
the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects.
"the level of pollution in the air is rising"
Example: The current framework puts an emphasis on the operation of activities to reflect best environmental practices and to implement an environmental management system in order to achieve sustainability and prevention of pollution.
en: Pollution.
/pəˈluːʃ(ə)n/
salinisation
Noun
The process by which land becomes salt-affected.
Example: Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil; the process of increasing the salt content is known as salinization. Salts occur naturally within soils and water. Salination can be caused by natural processes such as mineral weathering or by the gradual withdrawal of an ocean.
en: salinisation
Sustainable
adjective
conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources.
"our fundamental commitment to sustainable development"
Example: The recent position statements include the following issues; avian influenza, environmentally sustainable transport and forestry, access and countryside recreation, renewable energy, and climate change.
en: Sustainable
Threat
Noun
a person or thing likely to cause damage or danger.
"hurricane damage poses a major threat to many coastal communities"
Example: Red Kites feed on animal carcasses which led to a misbelief that the birds become a threat to livestock such as lambs and gamebirds.
en: Threat
Vermicides
Noun
a substance or agent used to kill worms, especially a drug used to kill parasitic intestinal worms.
Example: Watermelon seeds are also good vermicides, and have long been a popular remedy of worms.
