VOCABULARY

urban: of or relating to a city
toxic: poisonous
"green:" green in this sense means something, a product or a behavior that is not harmful to the environment


BACKGROUND INFORMATION

There are many common products that we use that get into the ecosystem and can cause harm. Products such as paint thinners, oil, and phosphate detergents may harm the environment by directly poisoning it. Plastic products are also harmful to our environment, they hurt and even kill marine and other wildlife. Our behavior which includes how much water we use, how much electricity, and how much gas we use also make a difference. For example, to produce the electricity to light your home requires burning barrels of oil. The resulting waste products pollute both our air and the water.