Environmental Verbs: Take Action
Do you consider yourself an earth activist? Talking about environmental issues is difficult to do in a foreign language. Learning the following verbs will help you express your thoughts and concerns in English.
Word
|
Meaning
|
Example sentence
|
ban
|
disallow an action or thing in a specified area
|
The school banned water bottles because they are bad for the environment.
|
carpool
|
when people take turns driving instead of taking two or more cars to the same location
|
I carpool to work with two of my neighbours who also work downtown.
|
clear cut or chop down
|
to remove trees from a forest
|
It is important to plant new trees in nearby areas after clear cutting.
|
compost
|
put certain types of waste (vegetable peels, newspapers, dry leaves) into a large container that will break down into reusable soil
|
Since we started composting we've reduced our garbage by half.
|
commute
|
travel from home to work (either by public transit or driving)
|
Imagine how much pollution you cause in a lifetime by commuting two hours a day?
|
consume
|
take into our bodies or homes
|
Americans consume more than their share of the earth's resources.
|
donate
|
give money or items to an organization or individual in need
|
When you donate money to this fund, the animals' habit is protected.
|
emit
|
to give off or out
|
Cars emit harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.
|
fertilize
|
treat plants and green spaces (lawns and fields) with special chemicals that helps them to grow
|
If you are going to fertilize your lawn, make sure to use an organic fertilizer.
|
minimize
|
make as little as possible
|
We can minimize pollution by walking instead of driving to work and school.
|
pollute
|
put dangerous substances into the ground and the air
|
Fumes from factories pollute our lakes and oceans.
|
preserve
|
keep in its natural state
|
We need stronger laws in order to preserve our forests.
|
protect
|
keep from harm
|
It is important to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun.
|
protest
|
voice concern about; fight against an issue or decision
|
The environmentalists will protest if the road builders don't make a bicycle lane.
|
recycle
|
to take materials from garbage and form it into something new that can be used
|
Please recycle your junk mail instead of throwing it in the garbage.
|
reduce
|
use less
|
You can reduce your household waste by buying products with less packaging.
|
reuse
|
use again
|
We reuse the inner bags from the cereal boxes inside our small garbage can.
|
throw away
|
put in the garbage
|
Don't throw away your grass clippings; leave them on your lawn.
|
use up
|
use until there is no more
|
We are using up the earth's natural resources faster than ever.
|
waste
|
throw away something that is still useful
|
Don't waste toilet paper; use one or two sheets instead of three or four.
|
Do the Environmental Verbs Quiz Click here
Source: http://www.englishclub.com/index.htm
