140 Environmental Essay Topics

In any academic discipline, writing an essay on the environment can be a daunting task, no matter what the subject matter. Not only should students understand the complexities of the natural world, but they should also be able to communicate their ideas clearly in writing.

To combat the many challenges students can face when crafting an environmental essay, we’ve created this handy guide detailing how to write an environmental essay and even included 140 environmental essay topics to help get you started.

What Is an Environmental Essay?

An environmental essay is a type of paper where a student must choose a topic related to the environment and present an argument, opinion, or point of view about it. The primary purpose of this type of essay is to educate readers on a given issue and raise awareness about potential solutions.

How to Write an Environmental Essay: A Step-By-Step Guide

Step 1: Choose an Essay Topic

Before you can start writing your environmental essay, you need to choose a topic. Writing this type of paper may appear simple, but finding the right topic can be the most difficult part of the process. You’ll want to choose a topic that matches the essay format to ensure that the writing process is as smooth as possible.

For example, if you are tasked with writing an argumentative essay on a particular environmental issue, make sure that your topic can be argued. Avoid choosing a topic that is too broad or too specific, as this can make it challenging to develop a clear thesis statement and support your argument.

If your environmental essay is a compare and contrast essay, you’ll want to choose two topics that can be effectively compared and contrasted. And if your essay is a cause and effect essay, make sure that your topic focuses on causes or effects (or both) related to an environmental issue.

Step 2: Develop a Thesis Statement

Once you’ve chosen your essay topic, it’s time to develop a thesis statement. This is a sentence (or two) that summarizes your paper’s central argument. Specificity and focus are the hallmarks of a well-crafted thesis statement. In other words, it should be open to discussion and disagreement.

For example, a weak thesis statement might be something like:

“The environment is important.”

While this statement is true, it’s too general to be the focus of an entire essay. A stronger thesis statement might be:

“It’s time to stop polluting and other activities that harm the environment.”

This is a well-reasoned statement that expresses a firm opinion on the subject. It’s a good topic for an argumentative essay because it’s open to debate.

Step 3: Do Your Research

Now that you have a thesis statement, it’s time to do your research. This will involve finding sources (such as books, articles, and websites) that support your argument. When taking notes from your sources, be sure to write down the author, title, and publication date for each one. This will make it easier to create your Works Cited page later on.

As you’re doing your research, keep your essay format in mind. For example, if you are writing a five-paragraph essay, make sure that you have enough evidence to support your thesis statement and fill out each of the three body paragraphs.

Step 4: Write a Draft

Now it’s time to start writing your first draft. Begin by creating an outline that will help you organize your thoughts and ideas. Then, as you flesh out paragraphs from your outline, keep your audience in mind and make sure that your argument is clear and easy to follow.

Your draft should include an introduction, ideas for each body paragraph, and a conclusion. It is important to include your thesis statement in your introduction and to restate it in your conclusion.

Keep in mind that each body paragraph will always need a clear and interesting topic sentence, as well as a transition sentence that sums up the section. The following are some good examples of sentences that begin or transition:

“Even though many people do not consider the environment to be important, it is vital to our continued existence. It is impossible to survive without a healthy environment.

In order to see this, you can look at the…”

“Humans are clearly causing harm to the environment, but what are the root causes of this? I believe that the most important issue is….”

“We can all see the effects of environmental degradation, but persuading people to alter their behavior is a difficult task. While the…”

Each of these sentences offers a clear and concise argument that can be explored in more depth in the body paragraphs.

Step 5: Edit and Proofread

After writing your essay, it’s time to edit and proofread it. This is the process of making sure that there are no errors in your grammar or spelling. It’s also a good idea to read your essay aloud to make sure that it flows smoothly.