Here is a list of kanji that are related to the environment. In the next installment of this lesson we will be looking at how to use these kanji in context.

[table id=12 /]

While researching this I noticed some interesting ways to describe different kinds of pollution in Japanese. I knew that pollution was 汚染 (osen) in Japanese so I previously assumed that you could say 空気の汚染 which is in fact a little strange. As we can see fromt the table 大気汚染 (taikiosen)pertains to air pollution even though 大気 can also mean atompshere. Also, although it is possible to say 水の汚染　(mizu no osen), it is probably more natural to say 水質汚濁(suishitsu odaku).

I included two other phrases that I could never seem to remember which are 京都議定書 (The Kyoto protocol) and 不都合な真実 (Al Gore’s Incovenient truth). It’s good to know the Japanese as most Japanese people don’t know the English and haven’t katakana-ized them…yet.