What's New List Serve Post Display

CARB Newsclips for March 3, 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.

CARB BUSINESS

On March 14, 2017, at 1:30 pm, the California Air Resources Board
(CARB) staff is providing an online training webinar to discuss
tool changes, clarifications, and guidance document updates for
Electric Power Entities for 2016 data reported in 2017.   The
session will include a staff presentation and time for
questions.

Slides for the webinar will be posted at the following link prior
to the start time:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/reporting/ghg-rep/guidance/guidance-training.htm


The GHG reporting regulation and additional information are
available here:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/reporting/ghg-rep/ghg-rep.htm. 

Updated guidance documents will be posted prior to the webinar. 
In addition, updated Excel reporting workbooks for Electric Power
Entities (EPE) will be posted prior to the webinar at the
following link: 
https://www.ccdsupport.com/confluence/display/calhelp/Reporting+Form+Instructions#EPE


One or more workshops/meetings have been scheduled and are now
located in ARB's Workshop Calendar. Please go to:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/app/calendar/cur_evnt.php?type=workshops   
    
which links to meeting details, including:

March 7, 2017: SB 375 Targets Update Workshop March 7, 2017.
more info
https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/sb375/meetings/meetings.htm     

March 9, 2017: SB 375 Targets Update Workshop March 9, 2017.
more info
https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/sb375/meetings/meetings.htm        

March 14, 2017: SB 375 Targets Update Workshop March 14, 2017.
more info
https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/sb375/meetings/meetings.htm       

The California Air Resource Board has posted an updated Notice of
Upcoming Low Carbon Fuel Standard Credits Release for Non-Metered
Residential Electric Vehicle Charging.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/workgroups/elect/022217notice.pdf
   

Request for Proposal (RFP):  Data Monitoring, Collection, and
Analysis for Projects Granted under Fiscal Year (FY) 2014-15 Air
Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) and Low Carbon Transportation
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) Investments. 

The California Air Resources Board is seeking a contractor to
monitor, collect, and analyze data for heavy-duty vehicle,
off-road equipment, and bulk ship projects granted under AQIP and
Low Carbon Transportation GGRF Investments, as identified in the
fiscal year (FY) 14-15 Funding Plan approved by the Board in June
2014.  The contractor shall collect and monitor vehicle and
facility data, as applicable, such as vehicle specifications and
performance data, as well as capital costs and operation and
maintenance data for vehicles and facilities. 

RFP Information: The Data Monitoring, Collection, and Analysis
for Projects Granted under FY 14-15 AQIP and Low Carbon
Transportation GGRF Investments RFP advertisement is available
at: 
https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/Events-BS3/event-search.aspx  
(Event ID 0000004538).  In order to submit a response, please
register on the Cal eProcure website at: 
https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/ 

The final date for the proposal submission is Friday, March 24,
2017, 3:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.

AIR POLLUTION

Southern California air quality officials OK cleanup plan. 
Southern California air quality officials approved a 15-year
pollution clean-up plan today with an 11-2 vote. The South Coast
Air Quality Management District plan will serve as a blueprint
for future regulations designed to meet the federal health
standard for ozone, the hallmark pollutant of summer smog, and
other pollutants.
http://www.pe.com/articles/quality-826722-air-officials.html 

Smog In Western U.S. Starts Out As Pollution In Asia, Researchers
Say. The U.S. is producing less air pollution, but smog levels
are still rising in the western U.S. because of pollutants
released in Asian countries that then drift over the Pacific
Ocean. Researchers say their findings show the importance of a
global approach to preserving air quality.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/03/518323094/rise-in-smog-in-western-u-s-is-blamed-on-asias-air-pollution


Omega-3 oils could tackle damage caused by air pollution,
research shows. Exclusive New research indicates the benefits of
eating omega-3 fatty acids, but also that pollution particles can
penetrate the lungs into many organs, including testicles.
Supplements of healthy fats could be an immediate way of cutting
the harm caused to billions around the world by air pollution,
according to emerging research.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/03/oil-supplements-could-tackle-harmful-health-effects-of-air-pollution


Air Pollution Exposure May Increase Risk of Dementia. Outdoor air
pollution, in the form of tiny particles released from power
plants and automobiles that seep into our lungs and blood, could
nearly double the dementia risk in older women, according to our
research.  Of the leading causes of death in America, Alzheimer’s
disease is the only one that we currently cannot prevent, cure or
even stall.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/air-pollution-exposure-may-increase-risk-of-dementia/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=nova_next


Obama's air chief sees 'first concrete steps' of retreat by
Pruitt. The retreat from President Obama's Climate Action Plan
formally started yesterday at U.S. EPA, when Administrator Scott
Pruitt yanked a request to the oil and gas industry for
information on methane emissions. In an interview this morning,
former EPA air chief Janet McCabe, who led the charge to crack
down on the potent natural gas component…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/03/03/stories/1060050926 

CLIMATE CHANGE

UN Climate Chief's Request to Meet Tillerson Goes Unanswered. The
top United Nations climate change official continues to wait for
a response to her request to meet with U.S. Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson over whether the U.S. will remain in the landmark
Paris environmental accord. Patricia Espinosa, executive
secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-02/un-climate-chief-s-request-to-meet-tillerson-goes-unanswered?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ba9cde0542-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ba9cde0542-327747457


What climate change has to do with the price of your lettuce.
Unusual weather in the Southwest could cause a nationwide salad
shortage later this month. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg
(lettuce): Scientists say the weird weather is probably caused by
climate change — which means these sorts of problems are likely
to happen again. The shortage, first reported by NPR, is the
result of two separate phenomena in Arizona’s Yuma County and
California’s Salinas Valley…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/03/what-climate-change-has-to-do-with-the-price-of-your-lettuce/?utm_term=.1913d5d3480f


Top Trump Advisers Are Split on Paris Agreement on Climate
Change. The White House is fiercely divided over President
Trump’s campaign promise to “cancel” the Paris agreement, the
2015 accord that binds nearly every country to curb global
warming, with more moderate voices maintaining that he should
stick with the agreement despite his campaign pledge.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/us/politics/climate-change-trump.html?_r=1&utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ba9cde0542-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ba9cde0542-327747457


Antarctic Sea Ice Sets Record Low, Providing Another Mystery for
Scientists. Warming at the South Pole hits record high as sea ice
shrinks, a departure from its record high only a few years ago. A
new record warm temperature for Antarctica was confirmed by the
World Meteorological Organization as sea ice surrounding the
continent has shrunk to a record low.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02032017/antarctic-sea-ice-climate-change-global-warming-arctic?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ba9cde0542-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ba9cde0542-327747457


Greens urge court to reject industry effort to delay ruling.
Greens are objecting to what they say is an industry attempt to
delay a ruling in the massive litigation over the Obama
administration's signature climate rule. At issue: A trio of
industry petitioners wants a federal court to add their lawsuits
challenging U.S. EPA's denial of administrative petitions to the
Clean Power Plan to the litigation over the underlying rule.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/03/03/stories/1060050917 

LA is achieving its climate goals — officials. Los Angeles has
cut its greenhouse gas emissions, reduced water use 20 percent
per person and installed enough solar to power 12,000 homes, city
officials said yesterday. California's biggest city is on track
to meet the goals that Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) included in his
"Sustainable City pLAn," first released in April 2015. It set a
pathway for multiple environmental improvements.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060050896/search?keyword=california


DROUGHT

An End to California’s Drought Isn’t Cut and Dried. Rain has
replenished the state’s reservoirs, but groundwater remains
depleted. After four ruinously dry years, California is now
swimming in water. But by some measures, the state also remains
immersed in its worst drought in 20 years. That strange situation
is explained by the fact that there are multiple ways to gauge
drought.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/an-end-to-californias-drought-isnt-cut-and-dried-1488537007


The drought in Washington, D.C., is now just as bad as
California’s. We’re not going to complain that Washington didn’t
get any snow this winter. Fine — it’s over. Something we can
complain about, though, is that we didn’t get any meaningful
precipitation of any type. Specifically, D.C. didn’t get enough
rain this winter. Reagan National Airport — D.C.’s official
weather-monitoring location…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/03/02/drought-washington-d-c-california/?utm_term=.eda26bd6198c


'Water & Power: A California Heist' probes issues older than the
current drought. An end to California’s historic drought may
finally be in sight, but it seems that the state’s water crisis
is a mere drop in the bucket in relation to the decades of dirty
dealings probed in the revealing National Geographic documentary,
“Water & Power: A California Heist.” From the Monterey
Amendments, a contentious policy that favored…
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-capsule-water-power-california-heist-review-20170302-story.html


Rainstorms Wash Away Drought in More than 90 Percent of
California.  At this time last year, 95 percent of California was
in some type of drought during a five-year dry spell. This week's
U.S. Drought Monitor report shows more improvement in California,
where winter rainstorms and heavy snowfall have washed away
drought in more of the state after a five-year dry spell.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/California-Drought-Water-Weather-Rain-Snow-415215033.html#ixzz4aIccxfn5


America's biggest water users – farmers – learn to use less of
it. In the Southwest and beyond, irrigation technology and other
steps such as planting 'cover crops' to enrich the soil are
making a difference. Scottsdale, Ariz.—Kevin Rogers, a
fifth-generation farmer near Scottsdale, sees how technology is
helping him use less water. Wearing an off-white cowboy hat while
driving his silver truck around his farm…
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Inhabit/2017/0303/America-s-biggest-water-users-farmers-learn-to-use-less-of-it


Blizzard hits Hawaii as record rainfall poised to end California
drought. The blizzard in Hawaii and high levels of precipitation
in California contrast sharply with the low snow levels across
much of the rest of the country in 2017. It’s been a strange year
for weather so far, and a recent series of events has confounded
expectations. On Tuesday and Wednesday, a blizzard hit
mountaintops on Hawaii’s Big Island.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2017/0303/Blizzard-hits-Hawaii-as-record-rainfall-poised-to-end-California-drought


Drought Conditions Out West Are Causing Businesses to Compete for
Water. If water is the new oil, what are drought stricken regions
to do? What are their water-intensive industries to do? The
Christian Science Monitor reports that a proposal in Nevada would
send water to other areas through a 250-mile pipeline to feed
such urban areas Las Vegas. That, however, would come at the
expense of ranchers and farmers.
https://www.environmentalleader.com/2017/03/drought-conditions-west-causing-businesses-compete-water/

FUELS

State finds dozens of violations at Banning Ranch oil field.
State oil and gas regulators have found dozens of violations at
the Newport Banning Ranch oil field that developers want to turn
into a large hotel and housing complex. Notices issued by
California’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources on
Feb. 28 list nearly a dozen pages of violations, including
wellhead and pipeline leaks…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-banning-ranch-violations-20170302-story.html


Trump's EPA Halts Request for Methane Information From Oil and
Gas Producers. One of Scott Pruitt's first orders as
administrator is to walk back from an effort to rein in
climate-warming methane leaks from the oil and gas industry. In a
strong signal of its retreat from climate change action, the
Trump administration on Thursday halted an effort to gather data
from the oil and gas industry that is needed to rein in…
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03032017/scott-pruitt-environmental-protection-agency-methane-greenhouse-gas-climate-change?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ba9cde0542-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ba9cde0542-327747457


Fossil fuel rule faces Senate threat. The Interior Department's
changes to fossil fuel royalty calculations face elimination in
both chambers of Congress after Senate Republicans yesterday
issued a new resolution to kill the controversial rule. Sen.
Steve Daines (R-Mont.) introduced S.J. Res. 29, to undo the
Office of Natural Resources Revenue's new oil, gas and coal
valuation standards.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/03/03/stories/1060050918 

VEHICLES

A dozen states target clean cars for 'crazy' new fees. Drivers of
clean cars could be asked to pay special fees across almost half
the country following a flurry of new state bills aimed at
funding road improvements. Lawmakers from a dozen primarily red
states have introduced bills in the past few weeks to slap
additional fees on drivers of electric or hybrid vehicles.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060050867/search?keyword=california

VW RECALL

Volkswagen fights state AGs to keep emissions cheating suits in
federal court. Volkswagen is fighting fiercely to limit
additional liability for its emissions cheating scandal. On
Tuesday, the company filed a brief in the litigation consolidated
in San Francisco federal court, arguing that suits brought by 14
state attorneys general should remain in federal court instead of
being transferred back…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-otc-vw-idUSKBN1692TQ

VW scandal means early death for 1,200 Europeans — study. Some
1,200 people in Europe will die early because of excess emissions
released as a result of Volkswagen AG's evasion of pollution
controls on millions of diesel-powered cars, a new study
predicts. Those premature deaths will result from increased
releases of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from some 2.6 million VW cars
sold in Germany between 2008 and 2015 that were outfitted with
"defeat devices"…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/03/03/stories/1060050929 

FIAT/CHRYSLER (FCA)

Fiat Chrysler says diesel emissions probes are widening. Fiat
Chrysler has disclosed that additional federal and state agencies
are now investigating its alleged diesel emissions violations.
The automaker said in a corporate filing that it has "received
various inquiries, subpoenas and requests for information from a
number of governmental authorities, including the Department of
Justice…
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/03/02/fiat-chrysler-says-diesel-emissions-probes-widening/98652186/


MISCELLANEOUS

Seeking aerospace solutions. Saying ‘YES’ to a carbon emission
reduction challenge. Buena High seniors to compete in California.
Two Buena High School seniors will be traveling to Los Angeles,
California to compete at the Intel International Science and
Engineering Fair in May. Adam Skora and Taylor Benning worked
together on a Youth, Engineering and Science (YES) project…
http://www.svherald.com/free_access/saying-yes-to-a-carbon-emission-reduction-challenge/article_19d158a6-ffa6-11e6-879e-1f975e362334.html


O’Donnell reappointed to lead Assembly Select Committee on Ports
and Goods Movement. Assemblymember Speaker Anthony Rendon
(D–Lakewood) has renamed Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D–Long
Beach) as chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Ports and
Goods Movement. O’Donnell’s district includes the twin ports of
Long Beach and Los Angeles, which together represent the two
busiest maritime hubs in the United States.
http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/?p=33317 

Source reveals EPA programs Trump's budget could cut. A wide slew
of Environmental Protection Agency programs could be under the
knife to meet President Donald Trump's budget proposal
requirements, a source told CNN Wednesday night. The source
spelled out details of an Office of Management and Budget
proposal that would cut the EPA's budget by 24% and reduce its
staffing by 20%.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/02/politics/epa-programs-donald-trump-budget/

U.S. Senate confirms Rick Perry as Trump's energy secretary. The
U.S. Senate approved the confirmation of former Texas Gov. Rick
Perry as the next secretary of the Department of Energy on
Thursday. The U.S. Senate approved the confirmation of Rick Perry
as the next secretary of the Department of Energy on Thursday..
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/03/02/perry-clears-confirmation-hurdle-track-us-cabinet/?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ba9cde0542-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ba9cde0542-327747457


OPINIONS

Bullet train suffers two big setbacks that could be fatal. Late
Wednesday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority dispatched a
report to the Legislature, crowing about progress in building a
statewide bullet train system. It boasted of spending $2.3
billion so far on an initial 119-mile segment in the San Joaquin
Valley “that will bring passenger rail service to connect the
Central Valley to the Silicon Valley by 2025.”
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/dan-walters/article136098388.html#storylink=cpy


In fighting climate change and oil dependence, California needs
all its tools. Now more than ever, California’s pioneering energy
policies are lights in the darkness for Americans who understand
the threat posed by climate change and the urgent need for
action. California must continue to curb greenhouse-gas emissions
while growing its economy, using all of the tools at its
disposal.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article136059388.html#storylink=cpy


California must protect environment from Trump's attacks. Clean
air and water ought to be nonpartisan issues. Liberal or
conservative, rich or poor, no living creature should have to
worry that life’s essentials are unsafe.  Yet, disappointingly,
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans seem bent on
dismantling environmental protections, using jobs as a pretext.
It’s a deeply misguided ideological stance with real public
health implications.
http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/editorials/article136000363.html#storylink=cpy


California Lurches For A Carbon Tax After Consecutive Greenhouse
Gas Auction Failures. For the fourth time in a row California’s
cap-and-trade auction for greenhouse gas emissions fell flat,
raising only $8.2 million out of a hoped for $600 million,
leaving revenues $1.9 billion short over the past 12 months.
California Gov. Jerry Brown has big plans for these cap-and-trade
revenues, with about a third…
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckdevore/2017/03/02/california-lurches-for-a-carbon-tax-after-consecutive-greenhouse-gas-auction-failures/#2b41667732e1


BLOGS

Do piles of snow in California's Sierras mean the 5-year-drought
is over? For the past two years, I've been living in California,
and I've been worrying about water almost continuously. Coming
from the East Coast, I've seen a drought or two, and I've never
been a water waster. (For example, my extra egg- and tea-boiling
water has always gone to my plants, not down the drain.) But
moving West during a headline-making drought turned me into a
true water miser.
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-weather/blogs/snow-california-sierras-drought-might-be-over


California’s Wild Climate Will Only Get More Volatile As
Temperatures Rise
Wetter wets and drier dries are ahead. To understand how climate
change is creating a world of extremes, look to California, where
the reality of severe drought coupled with intense precipitation
threatens millions of residents, a rich ecosystem and the dated
infrastructure designed to protect them.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-climate-temperature_us_58a49f38e4b03df370dca5cf?5l6o77pl9ynmnp14i




California is in a drought emergency.
Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.