Environment - Recycling Flashcards
Environment
the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live:
- Certain chemicals have been banned because of their damaging effect on the environment.
- We’re not doing enough to protect the environment from pollution.
the conditions that you live or work in and the way that they influence how you feel or how effectively you …
Sustainability
the quality of being able to continue over a period of time:
- the long-term sustainability of the community
the quality of causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time:
- the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability
Fewer examples
- It also addresses the negative implications of the sharp decline in birthrates for fiscal sustainability, economic growth, and social cohesion.
- The fundamental issue for Canada is the sustainability of American economic growth.
- Many species have been depleted, and there are things that need to be done in different areas to ensure the sustainability of our reefs.
- A plastic bag, environmentalists say, is made from petroleum products and, therefore, is an unfriendly choice for environmental sustainability.
- Considering cost is vital to achieving long-term sustainability.
Sustainable
able to continue over a period of time:
- That sort of extreme diet is not sustainable over a long period.
Solutions put in place now must be sustainable.
ENVIRONMENT specialized
causing, or made in a way that causes, little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time:
- A large international meeting was held with the aim of promoting sustainable development in all countries.
- The website encourages sustainable fashion through swapping.
Fewer examples:
- It would not be sustainable in the long term.
- The restructuring is key to any sustainable recovery.
- We must improve the built environment through sustainable design and greener buildings.
- Developing environmentally sustainable products and services requires significant research.
Development
the process in which someone or something grows or changes and becomes …
Development Environment
- Because this body of work is a development environment, it is not appropriate to attempt to evaluate its direct applicability to manufacturing.
- We think there is a need to design and implement a development environment that will feel familiar to programmers.
- The current release has a full-featured development environment and is being used for serious application development.
Recycling
the process of collecting and changing old paper, glass, plastic, etc. so that it can be used again:
- ways to encourage recycling
- a recycling centre
materials such as paper, glass, and plastic that you collect to be recycled:
- We put out our recycling for pickup on Tuesdays.
- Put this bottle with the recycling.
Fewer examples:
- The local council have just set up a committee to study recycling.
- Shall I take the empty bottles for recycling?
- We take all our aluminium cans for recycling.
- What’s the company’s position on recycling?
- The supermarket has installed recycling bins for old newspapers, bottles and cans.
Reduce
an expression used to encourage people to waste less, by using less and using things again, in order to protect the environment
Reuse
to use something again:
- There are huge ecological advantages in reusing waste water.
- We have a policy to encourage reuse and recycling in all our corporate buildings.
- All our packaging is safe for reuse.
Waste
unwanted matter or material of any type, especially what is left after useful substances or parts have been removed:
- This city produces 20 million tons of household waste each year.
- He opposes any kind of nuclear waste being dumped at sea.
- Millions of gallons of untreated human waste (= excrement) flow into the river every day.
- Oil spills are common, as is the dumping of toxic industrial wastes.
- The Japanese recycle more than half of their waste paper.
Donate
to give something of value such as money or goods to help a person or organization such as a charity:
- The bank donates 25 cents for every $100 spent using the card.
- The commission also wants to make it easier for attorneys to donate time to help poor clients.
- To encourage people to donate to charity, they provide a list of charities on their website.
Disposable
A disposable product is intended to be thrown away after use:
- disposable nappies
- disposable cups/cutlery/plates
- a disposable camera
- daily disposable contact lenses
- a disposable razor/syringe/needle/glove
- High-tech gadgets have become disposable.
- If you purchase disposable cutterly, make sure it is compostable.
Compostable
Something that is compostable can be used as compost when it decays:
- compostable garden waste
Compost
decaying plant material that is added to soil to improve its quality
Composting
the act of collecting and storing plant material so it can decay and be added to soil to improve its quality:
- There should be more composting of garden and food waste.
- Composting means less waste goes to landfills.
Renewable
Renewable forms of energy can be produced as quickly as they are used:
- renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power
If an official document is renewable, its use can be continued for an extra period of time:
- a renewable passport/contract
Biodiversity
the number and types of plants and animals that exist in a particular area or in the world generally, or the problem of protecting this:
- a new National Biological Survey to protect species habitat and biodiversity
Abiotic
relating to things in the environment that are not living
Biotic
involving, caused by, or relating to living things in the environment:
- Climate can also be affected by biotic factors.
Socioeconomic
involving both social and economic matters:
- socioeconomic backgrounds/factors/resources
Biodegradable
able to decay naturally and in a way that is not harmful:
- Biodegradable packaging helps to limit the amount of harmful chemicals released into the atmosphere.
Climate
the general weather conditions usually found in a particular place:
a hot/dry/harsh climate
- The Mediterranean climate is good for growing citrus fruits and grapes.
- When we retire, we’re going to move to a warmer climate.
Forest
a large area of land covered with trees and plants, usually larger than a wood, or the trees and plants themselves:
- the Black Forest
- in the forest The children got lost in the forest.
Ecosystem
all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment:
- Pollution can have disastrous effects on the delicately balanced ecosystem.
- Marine biologists fear the predatory crabs have the potential to disrupt marine ecosystems.
- forest/reef/ocean ecosystems
Weather
the conditions in the air above the earth such as wind, rain, or temperature, especially at a particular time over a particular area:
- bad/good/cold/dry/hot/stormy/warm/wet/etc. weather
- The weather in the mountains can change very quickly, so take appropriate clothing.
- (weather permitting) We’re going to have a picnic, weather permitting (= if the weather is good enough).