Environment Vocabulary

1. damage caused to water, air, etc. by harmful substances or waste
3. a piece of paper, plastic, or other material that covers and protects something
5. an artificial substance that can be shaped when soft into many different forms and has many different uses
10. the fact the world is getting warmer as a result of human activity increasing the level of carbon dioxide
14. the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live
15. material like very thick, stiff paper, usually pale brown in colour, used especially for making boxes
16. a hard, transparent material, used to make windows, bottles, and other objects

2. a very large area of sea
3. animals and plants that grow independently of people, usually in natural conditions
4. to make something become smaller in size, amount or importance
6. to sort and collect rubbish in order to treat it and produce useful materials that can be used again:
7. small pieces of rubbish that have been left lying on the ground in public places
8. a small paper, plastic or cardboard container in which small objects are sold
9. the power from something such as electricity or oil that can do work, such as providing light and heat
11. the mixture of gases that surrounds the earth that we breathe
12. to collect and store plant material so it can decay and be added to soil to improve its quality
13. a mixture of smoke, gases, and chemicals, especially in cities, that makes the atmosphere difficult to breathe