What's New List Serve Post Display

CARB Newsclips for May 25, 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

Sound Wall-Vegetation Combination Barriers as Near-Roadway
Pollutant Mitigation Strategies. 

Suzanne Paulson, Ph.D.,
Yifang Zhu, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles and Akula Venkatram, Ph.D.
University of California, Riverside

Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at 2:00 p.m., PDT (WEBCAST) Sierra Hearing
Room, 2nd Floor, CalEPA Building
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California
For more go to the announcement at:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/seminars/paulson6/paulson6.htm 

___________________________

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff invites you to
participate in the third meeting in an ongoing series of public
working meetings to discuss Co-processing of biogenic feedstocks
at conventional petroleum refineries. Topics include (1) pathway
application and evaluation of the carbon intensity of renewable
fractions, (2) quantifying and reporting the renewable fuel
volumes, and (3) monitoring and verification under the Low Carbon
Fuel Standard (LCFS).
The next meeting will be held at the following time and
location:

DATE: Friday, June 2, 2017
TIME: 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Sierra Hearing Room, 2nd Floor
ADDRESS: California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters
Building
1001 “I” Street
Sacramento, California 95814

Today’s notice is intended to confirm the date, time and
location, and supply instructions on how to participate
(in-person, over the phone, or webcast). This information along
with a discussion paper and other materials for review will be
posted at
http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/lcfs_meetings/lcfs_meetings.htm 
   

_______________________________________

Staff from the California Department of Transportation, the
California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission,
and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
invite you to participate in workshops to discuss implementation
of the California Sustainable Freight Action Plan (Action Plan).

The workshops will be held at the locations and on the dates
noted below.  The agencies will follow the same format and show
the same presentation at each of the workshop locations.    

LOS ANGELES:  May 30, 2017

SAN DIEGO:       May 31, 2017 

For more information on the California Sustainable Freight Action
Plan including upcoming workshops, please visit the webpage at
http://www.casustainablefreight.org/            
_________________________

The California Air Resources Board in collaboration with the
South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power, is holding a free professional wet
cleaning demonstration workshop.   

The free workshop will be held on Sunday, June 11, 2017 from
2:00PM - 4:00PM in
Los Angeles.  Doors open at 1:45 PM.

Venue: London Cleaners, 1073 Gayley Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024. 

Space is limited.  Register early at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-professional-wet-cleaning-demonstration-workshop-for-dry-cleaners-tickets-33498967313
        
 
or by searching for "wet cleaning workshop" on Eventbrite at:
http://www.eventbrite.com   

For more details about the workshop, please visit ARB's Non-Toxic
Dry Cleaning Incentive Program (AB998) website at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/dryclean/ab998.htm        

__________________________

CAP AND TRADE

Demand rebounds for California pollution permits. Demand for
California pollution permits rebounded in the first quarterly
auction since an appeals court upheld the program, generating
about $500 million for the state, according to results released
Wednesday. The California Air Resources Board reported that it
sold out of permits to release greenhouse gases during 2017 or
later.
https://www.apnews.com/fb53c7bac5ec47e6aa8bb3d3cd76e6ed/Demand-rebounds-for-California-pollution-permits

OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-california-cap-and-trade-1495656170-htmlstory.html

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article152407344.html

https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/34001/20170525/ontario-expected-to-join-quebec-california-carbon-cap-and-trade-market

http://www.paradisepost.com/business/20170524/demand-rebounds-for-california-pollution-permits

https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/302514/a-rebound-for-cap-and-trade.html


AIR POLLUTION

Agency spells out rules, safe practices for backyard fires. The
popularity of backyard fires appears to be growing, especially
with metal backyard fire pits. The Spokane Clean Air Agency this
week spelled out the do’s and don’ts for safe, legal burning as
weather warms up and people move outdoors. Lisa Woodard,
spokeswoman for the agency, which monitors air pollution, said
the agency…
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/may/24/agency-spells-out-rules-safe-practices-for-backyar/


CLIMATE CHANGE

22 GOP senators want US to pull out of Paris climate accord.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and 21 other Republicans
on Thursday urged President Donald Trump to follow through on his
campaign pledge to pull out of the Paris climate accord. The GOP
senators sent a two-page letter to the White House saying that
remaining in the international agreement signed by Trump’s
predecessor pledging…
https://www.apnews.com/38d2a28404374543a8ef5dd31e02ae41/22-GOP-senators-want-US-to-pull-out-of-Paris-climate-accord


OTHER RELATED STORIES
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/05/25/us/politics/ap-us-united-states-climate-change.html?_r=1


Exxon Investors Rally to Back Climate Change Plan Board Opposes.
Almost 90 Exxon Mobil Corp. investors plan to back a proposal
that would pressure the company to bolster its disclosure of
climate change risks and opportunities. The shareholders include
the New York State and city pension funds and the California
Public Employees’ Retirement System, according to data compiled
by investor…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-25/exxon-investors-amass-to-back-climate-change-plan-board-opposes


Two words the Trump Administration can't say: climate change.
During President Donald J. Trump's half-hour meeting with Pope
Francis at the Vatican yesterday, the pope gave the president a
copy of his 2015 encyclical calling for urgent, drastic cuts in
fossil-fuel emissions. It is unclear whether the U.S. president
will peruse the document.
Back at home, however, his administration is continuing unabated
in its efforts…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110620_two-words-the-trump-administration-cant-say-climate-change

Since 2005 the G7 Has Recognized Threat of Climate Change. Since
2005, the Group of Seven (G7) countries have recognized the
threat of climate change and the need for a global agreement to
address the issue. The Trump Administration is reportedly trying
to weaken or eliminate any strong language on climate change in
the upcoming G7 leaders statement.
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/2005-g7-has-recognized-threat-climate-change


California Seeks To Shape International Climate Policies.
California has led the nation for years in climate action
policies. Now, it may be trying to lead the world. As President
Donald Trump's administration moves to reverse U.S. pollution
policies, such as the Clean Power Plan, California is moving
forward with international agreements on to reduce carbon
emissions.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2017/may/25/california-seeks-shape-international-climate-polic/


State Democrats Have New Leverage in Effort to Curb Greenhouse
Gases. When Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown launched
California toward a new goal of reducing greenhouse gases last
year, they did so without addressing one of the state’s key
mechanisms for reaching the goal: the cap-and-trade program. By
taking that first step of setting climate change reduction
benchmarks…
https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/05/25/state-democrats-have-new-leverage-in-effort-to-curb-greenhouse-gases/


Climate action: Feeling the heat, local communities pursue
actions to reduce carbon emissions. President Trump’s recent
actions repealing Obama-era policies to combat climate change and
instead advancing policies to boost domestic production of
carbon-emitting fossil fuels have made his views clear: Climate
change is not a concern.
https://durangoherald.com/articles/161011-climate-action-feeling-the-heat-local-communities-pursue-actions-to-reduce-carbon-emissions


The possibility to reverse global warming. With each passing day,
global warming seems more like a death sentence for the Earth.
Rainforests are shrinking, carbon emissions are rising and many
corporations are consistently putting profits before people. Even
theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking recently gave humanity 100
years to find a new planet.
http://www.boulderweekly.com/boulderganic/the-possibility-to-reverse-global-warming/


Colorado regulators seize the climate fight in landmark ruling on
carbon costs. The PUC's March decision is the first application
of the federal social cost of carbon in utility planning
processes. Just as the federal government is hitting the brakes
on climate change mitigation, a number of states are stepping up
their efforts. State efforts to expand renewable energy through
mandates…
http://www.utilitydive.com/news/colorado-regulators-seize-the-climate-fight-in-landmark-ruling-on-carbon-co/443186/


DOE scientists call out Pruitt in global warming study.
Scientists fact-checked U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's
congressional testimony on global warming in a paper published
yesterday in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. Benjamin
Santer, an atmospheric scientist at the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory whose work has made him a top target of
people who deny human-caused climate change is happening, is the
lead author of the hot-button paper.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/05/25/stories/1060055162 

Climate change makes Great Barrier Reef plan obsolete. A plan to
protect the Great Barrier Reef is no longer viable due to the
rapid pace of climate change, according to experts. The
Australian federal government and the Queensland government
implemented the Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan last
year.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/05/25/stories/1060055145 

DIESEL ACTIVITIES

Lawsuit alleges GM cheated on diesel pickup truck emissions.
Shares of General Motors fell about 2.5 percent Thursday
afternoon after some truck owners alleged in a lawsuit that the
company cheated on government diesel emissions tests. The lawsuit
filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit alleges that GM pickup
trucks with Duramax diesel engines have three devices on them
that are rigged to allow more pollution on the road…
https://www.apnews.com/beddaaa8ee8a4b2fbac77819085b216b/Lawsuit-alleges-GM-cheated-on-diesel-pickup-truck-emissions

OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/lawsuit-alleges-gm-cheated-diesel-pickup-truck-emissions-47639588


VEHICLES

Electric Vehicle Costs Must Fall by 20% in India, Mahindra Says.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., India’s only manufacturer of electric
passenger cars, said costs to produce the vehicles need to come
down by about 20 percent to make prices attractive as the
government looks to encourage adoption with favorable tax
treatment. The government needs to support research and
development activities…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-24/electric-vehicle-costs-must-fall-by-20-in-india-mahindra-says


China is the most lucrative market for electric cars — and
Volkswagen just made a big push to win the country. Germany's
Volkswagen and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC Motor) have
received approval from Chinese regulators to form a joint venture
to make electric vehicles, the two automakers said on Monday. The
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top
state planner, gave a green light…
http://www.businessinsider.com/volkswagen-jac-motor-to-build-100000-electric-cars-in-china-2017-5


VW RECALL

Italian court OKs class action lawsuit against Volkswagen.  An
Italian court has opened the way for a class action lawsuit
against automaker Volkswagen over its emissions scandal.
Altroconsumo, a consumer rights organization, said a tribunal in
Venice gave it the go-ahead Thursday to file the lawsuit.
Altroconsumo said the lawsuit would include all affected cars
from the Volkswagen group…
https://www.apnews.com/4fc14efa0c4d45c995f4b83e86f6077a/Italian-court-OKs-class-action-lawsuit-against-Volkswagen


FIAT/CHRYSLER (FCA)

Analysts wary over Fiat Chrysler's emissions but say not as bad
as VW. Any potential fines Fiat Chrysler (FCA) may need to pay to
settle a U.S. civil lawsuit over diesel emissions will unlikely
top $1 billion, analysts said, adding the case appeared less
serious than at larger rival Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE). The U.S.
government filed a civil lawsuit on Tuesday accusing FCA of
illegally using software to bypass emission…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-fiatchrysler-emissions-idUSKBN18K1TJ


BLOGS

California carbon auction sells out after auctions upheld by
appeals court, allowances sell above the floor. Auction results
from the May California-Quebec carbon auction showed increased
demand after a California Court of Appeal upheld the legality of
California’s auction design last month. These auction results
should send a clear message to legislators that California has a
strong carbon market design that can weather legal challenges and
the inevitable bumps of the political process.
http://blogs.edf.org/climatetalks/2017/05/24/california-carbon-auction-sells-out-after-auctions-upheld-by-appeals-court-allowances-sell-above-the-floor/

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/quebec-california-cap-and-trade-auction-sells-out-current-allowances-1.3427718


California Lauds Dutch Work Against Global Warming. California
will continue to lead the charge against climate change, Gov.
Jerry Brown said Wednesday at a conference on corporate
environmental activism co-hosted by the Dutch government, on a
climate mission to California. “We have to make the tough
decisions, new laws, new regulations, new investments, new
spending on a whole wide variety of areas.
https://www.courthousenews.com/california-lauds-dutch-work-global-warming/


Biofuel by-product can be recycled using gold catalyst.
Scientists are developing gold catalysts to recycle one of the
main by-products of biofuel production, glycerol. The chemical
products obtained from the process are valuable to medicine,
agriculture, the cosmetics industry and other sectors.
http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/12367/Biofuel_by_product_can_be_recycled_using_gold_catalyst/


Testing the myth that global warming is leveling off. Has the
Earth already reached peak warming? Has climate change leveled
off, leaving us to adjust to a new, warmer normal? Not according
to satellite measurements, say the authors of a paper published
yesterday in the journal Scientific Reports. The eight
researchers—who together hail from the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory…
http://www.popsci.com/global-warming-leveling-off 

Climate change lawsuits are on the rise. This story was
originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as
part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Governments around the
world are increasingly being challenged in court to do more to
combat the threat of climate change, with litigation ranging from
a group’s attempt to stop an airport runway in Austria to a…
http://grist.org/article/climate-change-lawsuits-are-on-the-rise/


How automation could simplify emissions reductions. In March,
Rocky Mountain Institute and our partners convened more than 60
stakeholders from across the electricity industry for two days in
Chicago to explore the potential for a new and promising
technology: automated emissions reduction, or AER. At scale, this
technology, deployed in residential loads such as air
conditioners…
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-automation-could-simplify-emissions-reductions


Software update can fix diesel emissions, FCA lawyer says. Fiat
Chrysler Automobiles NV believes a software update can address
U.S. regulators' contention that its diesel vehicles are
producing excess emissions, a lawyer for the company said at a
court hearing on Wednesday. The lawyer admitted no wrongdoing by
the Italian-American automaker, however.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20170524/OEM/170529910/software-update-can-fix-diesel-emissions-fca-lawyer-says