New words – 7 October 2019

The silhouette of a passenger plane flying in sunset.
Moostocker / iStock / Getty Images Plus

flight shaming noun [U]
/ˈflaɪt.ʃeɪ.mɪŋ/
the act of making someone feel guilty about travelling by air because of the impact on the environment

Yet with growing pressure and heightened concern around global heating – plus potentially higher taxes in future on flights, to counter carbon emissions, and the social effect of “flight shaming” – it is possible there will be a more substantial shift in the coming years in the way holidaymakers travel.
[www.theguardian.com, 9 June 2019]

Green Friday noun [C]
/ˌgriːn.ˈfraɪ.deɪ/
an alternative to Black Friday, when consumers are encouraged to shop less and/or to buy sustainable products instead

Blind consumerism is clearly a huge problem. Often times, the customer will settle on a product that lacks an ethical supply chain or a positive impact in the interest of getting the best deal. By celebrating Green Friday, we’re offering our customers a chance to get a killer deal on some great products made from sustainable materials with an ethical supply chain AND plant 10 trees for each item purchased.
[www.tentree.com, 16 November 2018]

net zero adjective
UK /net.ˈzɪə.rəʊ/ US /net.ˈzɪə.roʊ/
describes a situation where the amount of carbon emissions put into the atmosphere is no more than the amount removed, thereby not allowing climate change to get worse

Theresa May has sought to cement some legacy in the weeks before she steps down as prime minister by enshrining in law a commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, making Britain the first major economy to do so. The commitment … would make the UK the first member of the G7 group of industrialised nations to legislate for net zero emissions, Downing Street said.
[www.theguardian.com, 11 June 2019]

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