Weekly green glossary: bananas, bees, Spain and spring

(neelsky)

Environmental and "green" buzz words of the week (March 5- 13).

Airlines - the world's 'greenest' airlines have been unveiled at the ITB travel show in Berlin; top of the list was Monarch Airlines from the UK. ( Relaxnews / Yahoo news)

Bananas - in a move that has been criticized by environmental groups as bananas, controversial fruit company Del Monte plan to begin selling the fruit in individual plastic wrappers across the US and UK. ( BBC News)

Bees - a new report by the UN re-iterates that fact that the bee population, vital for agriculture, will continue to decline unless we change the way we manage the planet. ( Canadian Press)

Coffee - the rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns linked to global warming are destroying the coffee bean crops of South America. ( Sydney Morning Herald)

Deepwater Horizon -the events surrounding BP's ill-fated oil rig Deepwater Horizon which led to the worst environmental disaster in history is going to be made into a major motion picture. ( NY Times)

Eco-farming - abandoning the use of chemical fertilizers and switching to ecological agriculture could double food production in developing nations says a UN report. ( AFP)

Empire State Building - the energy-efficient technology used in the windows of the New York monument is now beginning to be sold for commercial purposes. ( Environmental Leader)

China - aims to reduce the intensity of its carbon economy by 17 percent by 2015, according to a statement by Premier Wen Jiabao. ( Environmental Leader)

GOP vs. EPA - the Republican Party (nicknamed GOP) and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in America continue to battle over environmental regulation which GOP seeks to reduce.  ( LA Times) 

North Korea - the controversial country on the Asian peninsula hopes to raise much needed currency by trading carbon offset credits. ( Guardian)

Spain - The European country has introduced a new, lower, speed limit of 110 kph in an effort to reduce fuel consumption and environmental damage. ( I ndependent)

Spring - while it may not seem like spring in Europe, in the Arctic the early arrival of spring, due to climate change has triggered a series of potentially disastrous effects. ( Washington Post)