Earth & Nature
This word means the natural world around us, including air, water, land, and living things.
environment
The layer of gases that surrounds the Earth.
atmosphere
Water that is not salty, such as water in lakes, rivers, and ponds.
freshwater
To use less of something, such as energy, water, or plastic.
reduce
Animals that live in nature and are not kept as pets or farm animals.
wildlife
A community of plants and animals that live together and interact with each other and their surroundings.
ecosystem
The usual weather in a place over a long period of time.
climate
An area of land where all the water drains into the same river, lake, or ocean.
watershed
To use something again instead of throwing it away.
reuse
Describes a species that may soon disappear from Earth if nothing is done to protect it.
endangered
The natural home or place where a plant or animal usually lives.
habitat
A gas we breathe out and that is released when fossil fuels are burned; its chemical name is CO₂.
carbon dioxide
A word that means “worldwide” or “all around the world.”
global
To process used materials so they can be made into new products.
recycle
Gases or particles released into the air from cars, factories, and other sources.
emissions
A group of similar living things that can have babies together.
species
Any gas that traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide or methane.
greenhouse gas
Harmful substances in the air, water, or soil, often caused by human activity.
pollution
The protection and careful use of natural resources and the environment.
conservation
Made to be used once or only a few times and then thrown away, like some cups or cutlery.
disposable
The variety of different plants and animals in one area or on the whole planet.
biodiversity
The process by which greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet.
greenhouse effect
The growth and expansion of cities as more people move from the countryside into urban areas.
urbanization
A word used to describe energy sources that can be replaced naturally, like wind, solar, or water power.
renewable
The rise in the Earth’s average temperature, mostly caused by greenhouse gases from human activity.
global warming