 environmental issues, environment. The environment is the natural world that surrounds us. All things in nature are part of our environment. We need to take care of the environment for future generations. Earth. Earth is the planet where we live. Today the earth is undergoing many changes caused by our use of fossil fuels and other resources. Fuel. Fuel is the material that we use to provide energy. Cars, homes, and machines use fuel to run. Coal, wood, and oil are examples of fuel. Waste. Waste is another word for garbage or trash. Waste is made up of things that we discard or throw away like old food and dirty diapers. Natural resources. Natural resources are things from nature that we use. Trees, land, water, and minerals are examples of natural resources that are used to make things. Chemical. Chemicals are things that have been artificially made. Chemicals like fertilizer and emissions from cars can pollute the water we drink and the air we breathe. Pollute. Pollute means to make the air, water, and land unsafe to use. Incorrectly disposing of waste or chemicals can pollute the environment. Weather. Weather is the condition of the atmosphere and air at a certain time and place. Temperature, rain, snow, and wind are examples of weather. Population. Population is the number of people who live in a place. The population of the world is growing. Population growth can affect the environment. Air. Air is the invisible gas that people and animals breathe. Clean air is important. Many chemicals and fuels can pollute the air and make it difficult to breathe. Run out. When you use something up, you run out of it. People are concerned that we will run out of natural resources on earth as the population grows. The end.