Weekly green glossary: Eastern Cougars, Javan rhinos, fish and Pinta Island tortoises

(AFP PHOTO / HO / WWF / TNUK)

Environmental and "green" buzz words of the week (February 28-March 5).

Critical Mass - coverage and outrage continues after a driver deliberately plunged into a large group of cyclists taking part in the Critical Mass rally in Brazil to promote cycling as a sustainable form of transport on February 26. ( Yahoo News)

Eastern Cougar - has been declared extinct by the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service, however the slight catch is that this separate cougar species may never have actually existed in the first place. ( New York Times)

EPA - the Republican party in the United States introduced bills aimed at preventing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating harmful emissions - however it is thought Obama would veto a bill of this kind. ( Reuters)

Fish - currently fishermen throw dead fish back into the sea in a bid to ensure they don't exceed their catch quotas, but that could change under EU proposals to protect marine life. ( Telegraph)

Geneva - greener motoring was one of the main themes at this year's Geneva Motor Show where several new electric and hybrid vehicles were unveiled. ( Green Biz)

Javan rhinos - one of the world's rarest breeds of rhinoceroses the Javan rhino was caught on tape in an Indonesian National Park - with only around 50 of the animals still living in the wild - the footage of a rhino family helps prove the population is still viable. ( Salon)

Moisture -the extreme weather conditions experienced across the world this winter have been linked to increased moisture in the air due to climate change claims a new report. ( Reuters)

Monbiot - journalist George Monbiot who writes for UK based newspaper The Guardian has been named top UK environmental journalist by Press Gazette. ( Press Gazette)

Monte Belo- a Brazilian court has allowed a controversial hydro-electric dam project to begin in the Amazon rainforest after overturning an earlier ruling.  ( BBC News)

Pinta Island tortoise - one of the species of tortoise most at risk of extinction according to a new report which states that as a whole tortoises and turtles are the most endangered vertebrates in the world.  ( Treehugger)

Plastic bags - condemned as environmentally damaging; banned by numerous countries around the world and thought of as an eco-enemy, plastic bags may actually be greener than alleged 'eco-friendly' alternatives, claims a leaked new report. ( Independent)