Word | Synonyms | Antonyms | Meaning | Example |
Climate scientists | Environmental researchers, Weather experts | Climate change deniers | Experts who study the long-term patterns of temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation in a particular area | The work by climate scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the World Health Organization appeared in the journal Nature. |
Climate change | Global warming, Environmental change | Climate stability | Long-term changes in the Earth’s climate, including variations in temperature and weather patterns | Health and climate scientists have mapped how climate change affects different parts of the world in different ways. |
Extreme | Intense, Severe | Moderate, Mild | Reaching a high or the highest degree, beyond what is considered normal or usual | Possible effects of climate change include more deaths from extreme heat, cold, storms, and crop failures. |
Temperature changes | Fluctuations in temperature, Shifts in heat levels | Temperature stability | Variations or alterations in the degree of heat or cold | Temperature changes may influence the spread of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. |
Spread | Dissemination, Propagation | Contraction, Compression | The act of extending over a wide area or increasing in extent | Warmer weather speeds the growth of organisms that cause diseases, influencing their spread. |
Disease | Illness, Sickness | Health, Wellness | A particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of part or all of an organism | Warmer weather may lead to the spread of diseases like malaria and dengue fever. |
Crop failure | Harvest loss, Agricultural setback | Bumper crop, Abundant harvest | The inability to produce a successful crop, resulting in a reduced or nonexistent yield | Dry periods caused by climate change may lead to crop failures. |
Organisms | Living beings, Life forms | Inanimate objects, Non-living | Any living thing, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms | Warmer weather speeds the growth of organisms that cause diseases like malaria and dengue fever. |
Global warming | Climate change, Rise in average temperatures | Global cooling | An increase in the Earth’s average surface temperature caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases | Climate scientists linked global warming to the heatwave that killed thousands in Europe in August 2003. |
Health effects | Medical consequences, Impact on well-being | Health benefits | Changes or outcomes related to the physical or mental well-being of individuals | Poor countries least responsible for global warming are most at risk from the health effects of higher temperatures. |
Average temperatures | Mean heat levels, Typical temperature | Extreme temperatures | The measure of the overall level of heat or cold in a specific area | Average temperatures worldwide have increased about one-third of a degree Celsius in the last thirty years. |
Malaria | Mosquito-borne disease, Plasmodium infection | Wellness, Disease-free | A life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes | Even a small increase in average temperatures can make a difference with a disease like malaria. |
Heat island effect | Urban heat island, Urban warming | Cooling effect | The increased temperature in urban areas compared to their rural surroundings | Large cities experience a “heat island” effect that can intensify conditions. |
Moral test | Ethical challenge, Test of principles | Immoral action, Ethical lapse | A situation that requires individuals to make decisions based on ethical principles | Professor Patz states that the world faces an important moral test in addressing the health effects of climate change. |
United Nations | U.N., International organization, World body | National government, Sovereignty | An intergovernmental organization that promotes international cooperation and peace | Representatives from about two hundred nations have been meeting at the United Nations conference in Montreal to discuss climate change. |
Kyoto Protocol | International agreement, Climate treaty | Climate denial, Opposition | An international treaty aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change | The Montreal conference is the first United Nations meeting since the Kyoto Protocol took effect earlier this year. |
Carbon dioxide | CO2, Greenhouse gas, Carbon emissions | Oxygen, Clean air | A colorless, odorless gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities | The Kyoto Protocol seeks to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases released into the air. |