chief heat officer noun [C]
UK /ˌtʃiːf ˈhiːt ˌɒf.ɪ.səʳ/ US /ˌtʃiːf ˈhiːt ˌɑː.fɪ.sɚ/
someone who has overall responsibility for dealing with the rising temperatures in a city caused by climate change

Miami has one – so does Athens. Now Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, has appointed Africa’s first chief heat officer – a mother on a mission to shield her city and her kids from the chaos of climate change … The 34-year-old was appointed this week to combat rising temperatures and come up with everyday ways to cool the sweltering streets of the city she has always called home.
[climatechampions.unfccc.int, 9 November 2021]

carbon insetting noun [U]
UK /ˌkɑː.bən ˈɪn.set.ɪŋ/ US /ˌkɑːr.bən ˈɪn.set̬ɪŋ/
the activity of making changes within a company to reduce the damage its activities cause to the environment

Many of us already know that carbon offsetting means investing in carbon reduction or sequestration projects in order to compensate for your own emissions. Carbon insetting is a similar idea, but the crucial difference is that the offsetting happens in an area over which your organisation has some control. For example, while traditional offsetting might involve choosing a renewables project to invest in, carbon insetting might involve setting up your own renewables project on site.
[secrhub.co.uk, 15 July 2020]

eco-city noun [C]
UK /ˈiː.kəʊˌsɪt.i/ US /ˈiː.koʊˌsɪt̬.i/
a city that has been designed to minimize the impact it has on climate change and the environment

Now, Medellin wants to reinvent itself again – this time as Latin America’s first “eco-city” with wide-ranging initiatives in renewable energy, transportation, housing, water management and waste. ​​As governments and investors around the world direct funds towards pandemic recovery efforts, cities like Medellin are taking the opportunity to simultaneously set a climate-friendly agenda for years to come.
[aljazeera.com, 31 August 2021]

About new words

vampire device noun [C]
UK /ˌvæm.paɪə dɪˈvaɪs/ US /ˌvæm.paɪr dɪˈvaɪs/
an electrical appliance that continues to use electricity when it is switched on but not being used

As millions of people continue to spend more time than ever before at home … households could save 16 per cent on their electricity bills each year just by switching off their vampire devices. Vampire devices are electronics that continue to drain power when left on standby and with the average annual electricity bill currently at £474.44, Brits could save an average of £75 per household per year … just by flicking a switch.
[dailyrecord.co.uk, 18 March 2022]

black mass noun [U]
/ˌblæk.ˈmæs/
the substance that is left over after a battery has been recycled and that contains metals that can be used to make new batteries or other products

Once a battery reaches the end of its service life, it is collected, dismantled, and shredded. The shredded material is then processed to produce “black mass”, which contains high amounts of these metals. These critical materials can then be extracted from the black mass and re-used in new battery production or in new products and/or applications.
[recycling-magazine.com, 10 September 2021]

freeze-thaw battery noun [C]
UK /ˌfriːz.θɔː ˈbæt.ᵊr.i/ US /ˌfriːz.θɑː ˈbæt̬.ɚ.i/
a type of battery where the energy in it can be frozen and stored for a long time, then thawed when it is needed

Scientists have created a battery designed for the electric grid that locks in energy for months without losing much storage capacity. The development of the “freeze-thaw battery,” which freezes its energy for use later, is a step toward batteries that can be used for seasonal storage: saving energy in one season, such as the spring, and spending it in another, like autumn.
[newsupdate.uk, 5 April 2022]

About new words

sleepless elite noun [U]
/ˌsliːp.ləs iˈliːt/
the small percentage of people who need very little sleep

One of the most famous sleep experts in Singapore … doesn’t really buy the idea of the “sleepless elite”, a term coined by the Wall Street Journal to describe a supposed 1 to 3 percent of the world’s population who require less sleep. He says there are stages of sleep that one needs to undergo in order to feel refreshed the next day – and four hours is simply too short for these stages to run their course.
[herworld.com, 21 March 2020]

time millionaire noun [C]
UK /ˌtaɪm mɪl.jəˈneəʳ/ US /ˌtaɪm mɪl.jəˈner/
someone who places more importance on the amount of free time they have than on how much money they earn

Writer Nilanjana Roy coined the term “time millionaires,” or people that “measure their worth not in terms of financial capital, but according to the seconds, minutes, and hours they claw back from employment for leisure and recreation.” Time millionaires view a job simply as a way to keep a roof over their head and value their time more than tangible wealth.
[thomasnet.com, 18 November 2021]

stresslaxation noun [U]
/ˌstres.lækˈseɪ.ʃᵊn/
a feeling of stress that you experience when you try to relax

Even though stresslaxation is a new term, it describes relaxation-induced anxiety, which has been studied for years. This is shown to happen to between 30% and 50% of people when they try to do relaxing things, causing symptoms of stress (such as rapid heart beat or sweating). It’s paradoxical, given that people who experience stresslaxation may need to do something relaxing to de-stress.
[fastcompany.com, 11 April 2022]

About new words

tang ping noun [S]
/ˌtæŋ ˈpɪŋ/
a Chinese term meaning “lie flat” that describes a trend where people reject the pressure to work long hours in a stressful job, and instead adopt a more relaxed lifestyle

Young people in China exhausted by a culture of hard work with seemingly little reward are highlighting the need for a lifestyle change by “lying flat”. The new trend, known as “tang ping”, is described as an antidote to society’s pressures to find jobs and perform well while working long shifts … The idea behind “tang ping” – not overworking, being content with more attainable achievements and allowing time to unwind – has been praised by many.
[bbc.co.uk/news, 3 June 2021]

WFC noun [U]
abbreviation for “working from cafés”: the activity of working remotely from a café rather than travelling to an office or working from home

Working from cafés (WFC) is probably also set to become a more prominent part of what we do … WFC is popular in places that have agile workforces and for freelance workers without a permanent office. But any office workers with a laptop have found it useful too. The flexibility of working unmonitored in a pleasant space often gives people the sense of freedom from standard workplace norms, and a connection to the world in which we live.
[www.sydney.edu.au/business/news-and-events, 7 September 2020]

jobfishing noun [U]
UK /ˈdʒɒb.fɪʃ.ɪŋ/ US /ˈdʒɑːb.fɪʃ.ɪŋ/
the illegal practice of recruiting people to work for a company that does not exist in order to trick them into sending their personal information and working without being paid

In jobfishing scams skilled, experienced professionals are taken in by fake companies and asked to pay money or share personal details before starting work. However, the impacts go beyond the financial. “The repercussions are terrible because not only can you lose money, you can have your identity stolen or completely derail your career,” McLean continues … “Jobfishing can take so much of your key information away from you, which can then be used in identity fraud or sold on.”
[www.stylist.co.uk, 30 March 2022]

About new words

quantum apocalypse noun [S]
UK /ˌkwɒn.təm əˈpɒk.ə.lɪps/ US /ˌkwɑːn.t̬əm əˈpɑː.kə.lɪps/
the situation where extremely powerful computers can access all encrypted data very quickly and easily, making all hidden information public

Current computers would take years, decades and even centuries to crack the encryption codes created by today’s machines, but the fact that a quantum computer could theoretically do this in “just seconds” poses an enormous cybersecurity risk. The notion of all the world’s most encrypted files – from WhatsApp messages to online banking to government data – suddenly being broken into thanks to the advent of quantum computing is known as the “quantum apocalypse”.
[theweek.co.uk, 1 February 2022]

splinternet noun [S]
UK /ˈsplɪn.tə.net/ US /ˈsplɪn.t̬ɚ.net/
the idea that there is, or could be, different versions of the internet rather than one global version, usually because the governments of some countries have blocked or restricted parts of its content

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is accelerating a technological isolation in Russia that doesn’t inflict the immediate pain of frozen bank accounts or skyrocketing prices, but could fundamentally change the way that Russians get their information and connect — or fail to connect — with the rest of the world. It’s bringing Putin’s Russia many steps closer to a so-called splinternet in which the West and Russia operate in different online spheres.
[politico.com, 4 March 2022]

TikTot noun [C]
UK /ˈtɪk.tɒt/ US /ˈtɪk.tɑːt/
a young child who uses the social media platform TikTok

A third of children aged between five and seven have a social media profile despite being under the minimum age requirement, a new study suggests. Analysis from Ofcom shows that TikTok is the most popular platform among the youngest users, who have been nicknamed TikTots. Britain’s communications watchdog found 16% of children in the UK aged three and four are already using the platform.
[uk.news.yahoo.com, 30 March 2022]

About new words

glacier blood noun [U]
UK /ˈglæs.i.ə.blʌd/ US /ˈɡleɪ.ʃɚ.blʌd/, /ˈɡleɪ.si.ɚ.blʌd/
the phenomenon where algae in the soil under snow grow quickly and make the snow appear pink or red

In late spring, when the snowfall thaws, the mountain’s snow changes from a colorless hue to alarming shades of deep, rusty red. Dubbed “glacier blood,” the phenomenon occurs when algae rapidly overgrow, and researchers suspect it can reveal how climate change affects high elevation environments like the Alps.
[smithsonianmag.com, 14 June 2021]

rain bomb noun [C]
UK /ˈreɪn.bɒm/ US /ˈreɪn.bɑːm/
a sudden, severe gust of wind that blows straight down from the sky during a thunderstorm, bringing with it a very large quantity of rain

It was a wall of water. A record-breaking and relentless deluge that lasted days and flooded towns and cities along Queensland’s south-east coast, submerging thousands of homes and leaving at least nine people dead. As the water spreads to northern New South Wales, how did the so-called “rain bomb” develop? And why has Queensland’s capital flooded again just 11 years after the devastation of 2011?
[theguardian.com, 1 March 2022]

megaberg noun [C]
UK /ˈme.gə.bɜːg/ US /ˈme.gə.bɝːg/
an extremely large iceberg

Scientists have been keeping a close eye on the “megaberg” designated as A68a since it split off from Antarctica back in July 2017 – and new research highlights just how much freshwater it’s released into the ocean during its late melting process.
[sciencealert.com, 22 January 2022]

About new words