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newsclips -- CARB Newsclips for February 16, 2017.
Posted: 16 Feb 2017 14:56:06
CARB Newsclips for February 16, 2017. This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with individual websites to view some of the following news articles. ARB BUSINESS Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The California Air Resources Board staff has posted a report on credit transfer activity for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). This includes recent credit volumes transferred, credit prices and trends through January 2017. Monthly: https://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/credit/lrtmonthlycreditreports.htm Weekly: https://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/credit/lrtweeklycreditreports.htm March 23 and 24, 2017 - Public Meeting Location Change for the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Strategy. NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING LOCATION CHANGE March 23 and 24, 2017. NOTICE OF PUBLIC BOARD MEETING, AND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THE REVISED PROPOSED SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANT STRATEGY AND REVISED DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS PREPARED FOR THE STRATEGY. By notice dated November 28, 2016, the Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) announced the availability of a revised Proposed Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy (SLCP Strategy) and a revised Draft Environmental Analysis (Revised Draft EA) for public comment as well as a public Board Meeting on the SLCP Strategy and Revised Draft EA . The hearing was originally scheduled to be heard at the South Coast Air Quality Management District Auditorium, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California. Public Board Meeting: PLEASE BE ADVISED that the location of the public meeting has changed as follows: The Board will hold a public meeting at the time and place noted below to consider approving the SLCP Strategy. DATE: March 23 and 24, 2017 TIME: 9:00 a.m. LOCATION: County of Riverside County Administrative Center First Floor Board Chambers 4080 Lemon Street Riverside, California 92501 WEBCAST: http://video.calepa.ca.gov/ This item will be considered at a two day meeting of the Board, which will commence at 9:00 a.m., March 23, 2017 and may continue at 8:30 a.m., on March 24, 2017. This item may not be considered until March 24, 2017. Please consult the agenda for the meeting, which will be available at least 10 days before March 23, 2017, to determine the day on which this item will be considered. CAP AND TRADE Associated Oregon Industries says cap-and-trade report too light on detail. A day after environmentalists celebrated its positive analysis; a state study analyzing cap-and-trade drew fire from a leading Oregon business group. The Oregon Department of Environment Quality's greenhouse gas emissions report "offers very little detail,” Associated Oregon Industries said in a statement Wednesday. http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/02/16/associated-oregon-industries-says-cap-and-trade.html https://www.environmentalleader.com/2017/02/oregons-environmental-regulator-suggests-cap-trade-program/ http://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-deq-says-cap-and-trade-could-reduce-carbon-emissions-at-lower-costs/ AIR POLLUTION Smoke and mirrors: Beijing battles to control smog message. In its 'war' on hazardous air pollution, China's government has a dilemma: it needs to be open about air quality data to hold polluters to account, but worries that too much bad news from alternative, independent sources could stoke public unrest. Beijing has greatly improved how it collects data, made more of it available to the public and cracked down on misreporting… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-censorship-idUSKBN15U2UY Greenpeace Links Beijing’s Air Pollution Surge to Steel Factories. Despite promises to cut steel overcapacity, China actually brought more steel production online last year, resulting in a surge in air pollution in northern China, especially around Beijing, according to a report released this week by Greenpeace East Asia. The growth in operating capacity was more than twice the total steelmaking capacity of Britain, the report said. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/world/asia/beijing-air-pollution-china-steel-production.html?_r=0 How can the UK reduce air pollution? Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) comes from sources including factories and vehicles, particularly diesel engines, and is linked to an increased risk of respiratory problems. Why was the UK given a warning? Under EU law, when air pollution limits are breached member states must implement air quality plans to bring the levels back down. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38990192 Millions of premature births could be linked to air pollution, study finds. Premature births across 183 countries may be associated with fine particulate matter, a common air pollutant, with Africa and Asia especially affected. Air pollution could be a contributing factor in millions of premature births around the world each year, a new report has found. Nearly 15 million babies are born annually before reaching 37 weeks gestation. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/feb/16/premature-births-air-pollution-maternal-health-who-study 'You can taste it in the air': your stories of life in polluted cities. Readers shared their experiences of living in cities affected by air pollution – from the curse of the ‘Delhi chest’ in India’s capital to celebrating blue sky in Shanghai. “The air pollution problem in Poland is beyond any western standards. Despite poor conditions, Poland has done nothing to reduce used car imports, promote renewable energy… https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/feb/16/taste-air-pollution-smog-your-stories-life-polluted-cities Where the wind blows: how China's dirty air becomes Hong Kong's problem. Last month there were 300,000 doctor’s visits in Hong Kong linked to smog – much of which wafts over from mainland China. But in a busy town obsessed with money, will it take a direct economic hit to wake people to the danger? t the age of three, Margaux Giraudon developed something akin to a smoker’s cough. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/feb/16/hong-kong-death-trap-dirty-air-pollution-china CLIMATE CHANGE Scientists have just detected a major change to the Earth’s oceans linked to a warming climate. A large research synthesis, published in one of the world’s most influential scientific journals, has detected a decline in the amount of dissolved oxygen in oceans around the world — a long-predicted result of climate change that could have severe consequences for marine organisms if it continues. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/02/15/its-official-the-oceans-are-losing-oxygen-posing-growing-threats-to-marine-life/?utm_term=.9fc467503d4e George Washington would recognize today’s Mount Vernon garden, but not the weather. Many aspects of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in the 21st century would be familiar to its creator, who was born 285 years ago Wednesday. The mansion, for years painted bright white, is now daubed in the subdued greenish-beige hue that the first president would have known. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/george-washington-would-recognize-todays-mount-vernon-garden-but-not-the-weather/2017/02/14/8538a71a-ea58-11e6-bf6f-301b6b443624_story.html?utm_term=.4ce5db2fcd18 Disappearing Seagrass Protects Against Pathogens, Even Climate Change, Scientists Find. Every continent save Antarctica is ringed by vast stretches of seagrass, underwater prairies that together cover an area roughly equal to California. Seagrass meadows, among the most endangered ecosystems on Earth, play an outsize role in the health of the oceans. They shelter important fish species, filter pollutants from seawater, and lock up huge amounts of atmosphere-warming carbon. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/science/seagrass-coral-reefs-pathogens-global-warming.html Worst erosion in 150 years tears 180 feet from SF's Ocean Beach. Scientists: El Niño hit West Coast with highest wave energies ever recorded. Erosion damaged miles of beaches along the West Coast more severely than ever during the powerful El Niño event that hit the Pacific a year ago, and scientists warn that even heavier erosion could hit shorelines in coming years as sea levels rise and threaten coastal communities. http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Scientists-detect-severe-beach-erosion-along-10930013.php HP Pledges 25% Emissions Reduction by 2025. HP has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its global operations by 25 percent by 2025, compared to 2015. The IT giant says it will reduce its climate impacts through a three-phase approach: first, optimizing energy efficiency in its operations and buildings. The other two phases focus on shifting toward less GHG-intensive energy sources… https://www.environmentalleader.com/2017/02/hp-pledges-25-emissions-reduction-2025/ Antarctic sea ice shrinks to smallest ever extent. Data contradicts climate change sceptics, who have pointed to earlier increases in areas of sea ice to support their views. Sea ice around Antarctica has shrunk to the smallest annual extent on record after years of resisting a trend of manmade global warming, preliminary US satellite data has shown. Ice floating around the frozen continent usually melts to its… https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/14/antarctic-sea-ice-shrinks-to-smallest-ever-extent 'Draconian' Trump gag on scientists could affect legislation, experts warn. ‘Oppressive’ approach to federal agency communications could result in misinformation on climate change, former presidential science advisers said. Two former US science advisers have warned against restrictions on scientists’ freedom to speak out on contentious issues like climate change… https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/16/science-advisers-climate-change-trump-gag-rule-john-holdren World's oceans losing oxygen, threatening marine life: study. Oceanic oxygen could decrease by 7 per cent by 2100. The oxygen content in the world's oceans has decreased by more than two per cent in the last 50 years and could decrease by seven per cent by 2100, a new study shows. The study, conducted out of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Keil, Germany, is being called the the first in-depth study of global ocean oxygen content, examining how global warming is impacting oceanic oxygen and why it is a concern. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/nature-ocean-oxygen-decline-1.3985933 VEHICLES San Diego boosts charging stations for electric vehicles. It’s getting increasingly easier to find a place to recharge an electric vehicle in this county, with hundreds of sites where people can power up their cars and trucks. Officials announced Wednesday that the city of San Diego, for its part, has now built 68 charging ports at 15 locations — including nine spots that were established since 2014 thanks to a $500,000 grant from the California Energy Commission. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/environment/sd-me-charging-stations-20170215-story.html GREEN ENERGY Solar topped new energy production in 2016. New solar installations in the U.S. almost doubled last year, becoming the top new energy source in the country for the first time. The U.S. added about 14,600 megawatts of capacity in new solar energy installations in 2016, about twice as much as the previous year, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/15/solar-topped-new-energy-production-in-2016/ Wind growth stays strong despite cooling demand in China. Global wind energy capacity maintained its 15-year growth trajectory in 2016, with 54,600 megawatts of new electricity generation coming online in more than three dozen countries. But a softening of China's wind power market resulted in a 14 percent decline in year-over-year capacity additions from 2015, when new wind farms added 63,600 MW to the global grid. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/16/stories/1060050147 MISCELLANEOUS EPA staff told to prepare for Trump executive orders: sources. Staff at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have been told that President Donald Trump is preparing a handful of executive orders to reshape the agency, to be signed once a new administrator is confirmed, two sources who attended the meeting told Reuters on Wednesday. A senior EPA official who had been briefed by members of the Trump administration mentioned the executive orders… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-epa-idUSKBN15U2MW?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=5479b2bf7c-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-5479b2bf7c-327747457 Trump signs law rolling back disclosure rule for energy and mining companies. President Trump signed a measure Tuesday that could presage the most aggressive assault on government regulations since President Reagan. The bill cancels out a Securities and Exchange Commission regulation that would have required oil and gas and mining companies to disclose in detail the payments… https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-signs-law-rolling-back-disclosure-rule-for-energy-and-mining-companies/2017/02/14/ccd93e90-f2cd-11e6-b9c9-e83fce42fb61_story.html?utm_campaign=5479b2bf7c-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Inside Climate News&utm_term=.4050e9bf1db0 The countdown is on. Pruitt to make a 'negative' entrance. Scott Pruitt could be on the ground at U.S. EPA as early as tomorrow, with the Senate set to confirm his nomination as the agency's administrator tomorrow afternoon. The Republican Oklahoma attorney general, who has challenged numerous EPA regulations in court, is expected to work quickly toward reversing major rules established by the Obama administration. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/16/stories/1060050167 OPINIONS Why a low-carbon fuel standard is good for transportation and California. The op-ed “Markets point to leaning more on cap and trade” (Viewpoints, Feb. 1) mischaracterized the aim and effectiveness of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard program. The conclusions should be scrapped, not the fuel standard. Since 2011, California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard has exceeded its policy targets. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article132719244.html#storylink=cpy San Diego County offers tips to help clear the air of pollution. We can’t live without it. It literally surrounds us. But we can’t see it and most of us never think about it. It’s our air. We all share it and we all need to protect it, because pollution – from chemical vapors to tiny particles of matter – can make people sick and hurt the environment. http://myvalleynews.com/homeandgarden/san-diego-county-offers-tips-help-clear-air-pollution/ The Guardian view on pollution: a new Clean Air Act is overdue. Editorial No one can escape filth in the atmosphere. Even conservatives must see that it blights all our lives and requires a collective political remedy. A problem that cannot be seen is one that politicians will generally choose to ignore. That natural human tendency is dangerously short-sighted. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/16/the-guardian-view-on-pollution-a-new-clean-air-act-is-overdue Based On A Theory About Global Warming, Republicans Are Risking Their Majority. If the Republican Party has an economic policy “brand,” it’s historically been one defined by tax cuts. At least in modern times. Thanks to Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, and modern thinkers like Steve Forbes and Larry Kudlow, the Republican Party is known for its focus on reducing penalties placed on work and investment. http://www.forbes.com/sites/johntamny/2017/02/16/based-on-a-theory-about-global-warming-republicans-are-risking-their-majority/#658b82c91be1 BLOGS Hyundai IONIQ Electric Becomes ACEEE’s Greenest Vehicle In U.S. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) presents an annual Greenest list, along with an award for the Greenest vehicle. The Hyundai Ioniq Electric not only took home the award this year, but it is also the best scoring vehicle in the history of the ACEEE list. http://insideevs.com/hyundai-ioniq-electric-becomes-aceees-greenest-vehicle-u-s/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.