Weekly green glossary: Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum, turtles and Fangshan

(AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON)

Buzz words for the week ending December 31.

Black carbon - Laws in California regarding diesel vehicles have reduced levels of black carbon emissions by up to 50 percent over the last 20 years, claims new research. ( Green Biz)

Broken glass - The way that ordinary glass shatters may hold clues as to the future of the Earth's climate, according to a recent report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ( Science Daily)

Disaster - This recap with a difference looks at the biggest natural disasters that have occurred over the past year. ( Live Science)

Fangshan - Officials in Beijing have opened five new metro lines - Fangshan, Changping, Yizhuang, Daxing and the number 15 line - in a bid to ease traffic congestion and emissions levels in the Chinese capital. ( Xinhua)

Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum - the longest name of a group of species of plants included in the recently released 'Plant List,' which aims to help conservationists, agricultural researchers and drug developers. ( Independent)  

Thirty billion dollars - the amount in US dollars that the Chinese government is predicted to spend on water conservation projects in 2011. ( Reuters)

Turtles - A new report claims that fishing nets killed more turtles than the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. ( NY Times)