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Andes - Major mountain range in South America, which passes through seven countries
Acidification - Process by which soil or water becomes acidic Afforestation - Planting trees and plants AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: often fatal. Infection is spread through sexual intercourse, blood transfusion or sharing of hypodermic needles. There is no known cure Alien - Something which is foreign Amphibian - Living both on land and in water Antarctic - A continent in the south polar region Aquifer - Layer of rock or soil under the ground that holds water – like a big underground sponge Arctic - (Of) the north polar regions Asthma - Illness which makes breathing difficult Atmosphere - Layers of air, composed of gases and particles, surrounding the Earth Ballast - Weights placed in the hulls of ships to make them more stable Bilharzia - Tropical water-borne parasite (flatworm) that can enter the human pelvis through the skin and cause severe stomach pain, vomiting and sometimes death Billion - A thousand million Birth control - Methods of preventing pregnancy Biodiversity - The variety of plants and animals that exist in nature Bronchitis - A disease which affects lungs and breathing Cadmium - A chemical element and a soft, silvery white metal. Causes severe illness and even death if inhaled. Used in plating and in making alloys. Carbon dioxide - Gas formed by burning of carbon and by breathing Chernobyl - Nuclear Power plant near Kiev, Ukraine, which released large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere due to an explosion and fire in the reactor in 1986 Cholera - Infectious, often fatal, disease of the digestive system, acquired by drinking contaminated water CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of flora and fauna Clone - A genetically identical copy Compliance - To act to ensure that the terms of laws are met Conservation - Preserving the environment Consumption - Purchase and use of goods Convention - An agreement between states Crops - Food plants grown for human use Crop yield - The amount of crops produced in a growing cycle Crustaceans - Aquatic animals with hard shells like crab, lobster and shrimp Deforestation - Clearing forests of trees Degradation - When things are worn away, reduced, damaged Desertification - Where land starts to turn into desert Developed countries - Rich countries, sometimes referred to as “the north” Developing world - Poor countries, sometimes referred to as “the south” Dysentery - Infection of the large intestine Earth Summit - A world summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 on environment and development El Niño - A naturally occurring ocean condition resulting in major changes in weather and biological productivity Edible landscaping - Planting trees/shrubs that produce fruits and vegetables which can be eaten by the public Environment - Everything around us, plants, air, land, life etc. Epidemic - A disease which attacks many people at about the same time Eutrophication - The addition of nutrients to waters caused by rain water washing off excess fertiliser from agricultural land and human waste from settlements. Water plants flourish on these nutrients and oxygen in the water is depleted Exotic species - Animals or plants introduced to new environments different from where they originated; may be dangerous to native species Exxon Valdez - An oil tanker which went aground causing huge environmental destruction in Alaska in 1992 Famine - Extreme lack of food Fatality - Death Fertility - Capable of producing new life = fertile Fertiliser - Substance which provides plant nutrients when added to soil Food Security - Knowing that you have enough food Furnacite - Processed coal for use in domestic fires GEO Report - Global Environment Outlook Gene - Part of a cell that all living things inherit from their parents that determines their characteristics Genetic engineering - A scientific technique which alters the genes of an organism. Used in medicine, industry and agriculture Genetically modified - Something which has been altered through genetic engineering Generic - Belonging to a large group rather than a specific person; describing something in general, rather than a specific, way Greenpeace - An international NGO which campaigns on environmental issues Habitat - Natural home of plant or animal |
Heavy metals - Metals
of high density which are often toxic to human health Hectare - 100 metres x 100 metres Herbal remedies - Using herbs and plants to cure illnesses Hypodermic - Introducing medical remedies or drugs under the skin Hookworm - A small worm that enters the human body through the skin and then lives in the intestines. Implementation - To put something into action Inca - The people who lived in Peru before the Spanish conquest Indigenous - People who are the original inhabitants of an area Institution - A society, organisation or establishment which carries out governmental, scientific or educational work Intensive modern farming - Growing in the smallest area and producing maximum yields using modern farming methods Internet - Global computer information network Inuit - A people who originally lived in the Arctic Krill - Tiny shrimplike creatures eaten by whales Land reclamation - Previously unusable land, sea or lake bed developed for agriculture etc Lead - A heavy metal used for thousands of years for pipes, roofs, gutters etc. Malaria - A dangerous disease transmitted by the bite of a certain type of mosquito Manatee - A large aquatic plant-eating mammal with a large rounded body, short head and square muzzle Manicole - Large rat that lives in coconut palms Maritime Canada - The eastern provinces of Canada Meningitis - A serious disease that affects the brain and spinal cord Mercury - A very toxic heavy metal unique because it is liquid at room temperature Microbe - A very small organism eg algae, bacteria Municipal - (Of) local government Multilateral - In which three or more parties take part Natural food products - Food which includes no artificial additives. NGO - Non-governmental organisation Ozone - A form of oxygen with three atoms in a molecule; found as a layer in the upper atmosphere, and close to the ground Pesticide - Substance for destroying insects or other pests Plankton - Microscopic life-forms found in oceans POPs - Persistent Organic Pollutants – chemicals that pollute the environment and are especially harmful as they stay around for a long time Poverty - Living on less than one US dollar per day. Protocol - An amendment or addition to a treaty or convention Sanitation - Pipes and treatment plants that drain sewage and refuse from houses Salinity - (Amount of) salt in water or soil Sewage - Liquid waste and human faeces Shanty town - Unplanned urban slum village where very poor people live. Usually found on the edge of big cities Skin cancer - Cancer of the skin caused by over-exposure to sunlight Smokestack industry - An old-type industry identified by tall smoking chimneys Social indicators - Indicators of the well-being, educational status etc. of a society Soil erosion - The process of wearing away soil by wind, rain, over-cultivation etc. Solar energy - Energy from the sun Solid waste - Anything that doesn’t easily decompose (glass, plastic etc.) Species - A certain type of plant or animal Squalor - State of extreme poverty Stock market The system of buying and selling stocks and shares in public companies Subsidies - Money given by governments to keep down prices of vital goods and services Sustainable development - Meeting the needs of today while ensuring that the future generation can meet their needs Temperate forest - Forests situated between the tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere or between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere. A climate which is warm in the summer, cold in the winter, and moderate in the spring and fall Traditional farming - Way of farming that has been going on for generations Tropical - Something inside the tropics Tropics - Regions between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, latitudes 30° North and South of the equator Tuberculosis - Infectious disease of the lungs Typhoid (fever) - Infectious fever causing rash and severe stomach problems & often death UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme Urbanisation - The building and growth of towns in rural areas UV rays - Ultraviolet rays: an invisible form of energy harmful to most living organisms Vegetation - Plant life Water table - The level of water in the Earth WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature |