VOCABULARY

1. VOCABULARY • gross • Global warming may lead to a gross loss of life. • extreme; large-scale • environment • Earth’s environment supports many different kinds of life. • the natural world in which people, animals, and plants live • demolish • The hurricane may demolish everything in its path. • to destroy completely • urgent • It is urgent that we stop global warming. • needing attention right away • annoyance • Is global warming a simple annoyance or an emergency? • something that bothers or causes mild anger

2. VOCABULARY • pollute • Car exhaust can pollute the environment. • to harm by making dirty • boon • Clean energy is a boon for everyone. • a good thing • nonsense • The belief that fossil fuels will last forever is nonsense. • foolish words or actions • disprove • Unsupported ideas are easy to disprove. • to show that something is untrue • clutter • Do wind machines clutter or decorate the landscape? • to crowd or litter

3. VOCABULARY • considerate • Please be considerate of Planet Earth: put litter in its place. • thoughtful of others • discard • Let’s repair the DVD player rather than discard it. • to throw away • hazard • Very dry wood can be a fire hazard. • something that may cause harm • geologist • A geologist spoke to our class about soil and water pollution. • a scientist who studies the _______

4. VOCABULARY • sustain • It is hard to sustain a very fast running pace. • to keep up • biosphere • Riding a bike is one way to keep the biosphere healthy. • the land and sea that cover the Earth, and all the ____ in them • contaminate • Fumes from cars contaminate the air. • to add something harmful • embrace • We must embrace new ways of thinking about transportation. • to take up willingly • disregard • Don’t disregard the well-being of our planet; ride a bike! • to ignore • pamphlet • This pamphlet convinced me to use a bike instead of a car. • a short printed work that gives information or supports a position