Important Issues From acid rain to pollution and radioactive waste, there are many environmental issues around which discussion and debate have evolved. Students will likely hear many of these terms on the news or read about them on the internet and in newspapers. The general list of issues should prove helpful. Term or Phrase Example Sentence acid rain The acid rain ruined the soil for the next three generations. aerosol Aerosol can be extremely toxic and must be used with care when sprayed in the air. animal welfare We must consider animal welfare as we strive to create a balance between man and nature. carbon monoxide It's important to have a carbon monoxide detector in your home for safety. climate The climate of an area can change over long periods of time. conservation Conservation focuses on making sure we protect the nature we haven't already lost. endangered species There are many endangered species all over the planet that need our help. energy Humans are using an ever increasing amount of energy. nuclear energy Nuclear energy has passed out of fashion after a number of serious environmental disasters. solar energy Many hope that solar energy can wean us off our need for fossil fuels. exhaust fumes The exhaust fumes from cars standing in traffic can make you cough. fertilizers Fertilizers used by huge farms can pollute drinking water for miles around. forest fires Forest fires can burn out of control and create hazy weather conditions. global warming Some doubt that global warming is real. greenhouse effect The greenhouse effect is said to heat up the earth. (non)renewable resources As we move forward, we need to become more dependent on renewable energy resources. nuclear The exploration of nuclear science has created great boons, as well as horrific dangers for humanity. nuclear fallout The nuclear fallout from a bomb would be devastating to the local population. nuclear reactor The nuclear reactor was taken offline because of technical problems. Oil slick The oil slick caused by the sinking vessel could be seen for tens of miles. ozone layer Industrial additives have been threatening the ozone layer for many years. pesticide While it's true that pesticides help kill off unwanted insects, there are serious problems to be considered. pollution Water and air pollution situations have improved over the last few decades in many countries. protected animal It's a protected animal in this country. You can't hunt it! rainforest The rain forest is lush and green, bursting with life from all sides. unleaded petrol Unleaded petrol is certainly cleaner than leaded petrol. waste The amount of plastic waste in the ocean is shocking. nuclear waste Nuclear waste can remain active for many thousands of years. radioactive waste They stored the radioactive waste at the site in Hanford. wildlife We must take the wildlife into account before we develop the site. Natural Disasters From drought to volcanic eruptions, natural disasters are a big part of the environmental discussion, as this table shows. Term or Phrase Example Sentence drought The drought has gone on for sixteen straight months. No water to be seen! earthquake The earthquake devastated the little village in the Rhine River. flood The flood forced more than 100 families from their homes. tidal wave A tidal wave hit the island. Luckily, no one was lost. typhoon The typhoon hit and dropped more than ten inches of rain in one hour! volcanic eruption Volcanic eruptions are spectacular, but they don't occur very often. Politics and Action Discussion generally leads to the formation of environmental groups and actions, some positive and some negative, as this final listing demonstrates. Environmental groups are followed by a listing of verbs (or actions) related to the environment and environmental issues. Term or Phrase Example Sentence environmental group The environmental group presented their case to the community. green issues Green issues have become one of the most important themes of this election cycle. pressure group The pressure group forced the company to stop building on that site. cut down We need to cut down on pollution drastically. destroy Human greed destroys millions of acres each year. dispose (of) The government must dispose of the waste properly. dump You can dump recyclable garbage in this container. protect It's our responsibility to protect the natural habit of this beautiful planet before it's too late. pollute If you pollute in your own backyard, you'll eventually notice it. recycle Make sure to recycle all paper and plastics. save We save bottles and newspapers to take to recycle at the end of each month. throw away Never just throw away a plastic bottle. Recycle it! use up Hopefully, we'll not use up all our resources before we start solving this problem together. Directions: Match the vocabulary words on the left with the definitions on the right. 1. lightning Electrical activity in the atmosphere that occurs between clouds, causing a flash of light. 2. precipitation A shower of small ice pellets emanating from the clouds. 3. tide Water vapor that freezes in the form of crystals that descend from the clouds. 4. erosion The natural force that makes objects move towards the center of the earth. 5. snow A lightning and thunder storm often with heavy rain. 6. tornado Condensed moisture that fall from the clouds in forms of drops. 7. hail When something gets broken down because of water, wind or rain. 8. hurricane The changes that happen in the air because of natural conditions. 9. pressure The distribution of moisture in the forms of rain, snow, sleet, ice or hail. 10. thunderstorm a very destructive but short-lived windstorm in the form of a funnel-shaped cloud that moves close to the ground destroying whatever is in its path. 11. gravity Exerting force on a surface or substance. 12. rain A severe tropical storm, accompanied by thunderstorms. 13. weather The rise and fall of the waters of the ocean that is a direct result of the connection between the moon and sun. GROUP PROBLEM : WORST PROBLEM IN THE WORLD brought to you by Ben 1.) Choose the 3 worst problems the world faces today from the list below (or add your own ideas to the list) and number them 1, 2, 3. International Terrorism Overpopulation Nuclear Weapons Environmental Pollution Destruction of Natural Resources Drug Abuse Crime AIDS 2.) Give your 3 choices and state why you put them in that order.