British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Environmental Shockers definition

Description: An Environmental Shock is an unexpected event, like a volcanic eruption that results in the evacuation of people living nearby. Another example might be a sudden change in the typical weather pattern where a storm is predicted, but when it arrives, it's much more destructive than had been anticipated; trees are blown down and rubbish bins and their contents scattered on the ground. Unexpected events can also happen at sea. When ships crash, they spew oil into the sea where it can take decades to disperse. This kind of oil spillage affects wildlife, covering animals and birds in heavy, oily deposits that make it difficult for them to fly.

Environmental shock can also happen if an oil rig unexpectedly explodes, again releasing massive amounts of oil into the marine environment, which then results in wildlife washing up on the shoreline. Pollution from industry and from traffic is something we are aware of, but occasionally people unexpectedly start to fall ill from inhaling the fumes - this is another example of this kind of shock. Where land has become dry and the earth cracked, or is flooded, it can sometimes be impossible to restore it to its former condition - when this happens, another type of environmental shock has occurred.