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