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newsclips -- Newsclips for October 23, 2009.

Posted: 23 Oct 2009 11:05:32
California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 23, 2009. 

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.

California’s Push for Electric Cars May Raise Costs for Power.
California’s push to lead U.S. sales of electric cars may result
in higher power rates for consumers in the state, as a growing
number of rechargeable vehicles forces utilities to pay for grid
upgrades. The impact of the vehicles on electricity fees is being
reviewed this month by California’s Public Utilities Commission
as the most populous U.S. state will require Toyota Motor Motors
Co., Honda Motor Co., Ford Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. to sell
more vehicles that can be powered at electric outlets from late
2011. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=avRy8RxhwZwg#

Let's Give BMW's Electric Car A Free Plug. COURTESY OF an Upland
reader, I got a ride in what may be the car of the future, a
plug-in electric vehicle. The BMW Mini E is in the testing phase
and isn't for sale. But Lois Sicking was driving one. She's an
air pollution engineer for the California Air Resources Board and
is on the panel writing regulations for all-electric vehicles. To
see a plug-in electric vehicle, it helps to know someone with
(ahem) connections. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13617592

Denmark Urges Agreement On Climate Change Funds. New Delhi,
India (AP) --Denmark urged the European Union, the United States
and other rich countries to commit to financing for a new climate
change deal, saying Friday that billions of dollars are needed.
The appeal came days after the EU failed to agree on how much it
should offer poor nations for their cooperation in trying to cut
carbon emissions and how to spread the burden among the group's
27 member states. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/22/international/i015053D52.DTL&type=printable
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTiP6DEuUe7oDmmFc1DQI2jyCUoAD9BGR7481

Poll: Americans' Belief In Global Warming Cools. Washington (AP)
--The number of Americans who believe there is solid evidence the
Earth is warming because of pollution is at its lowest point in
three years, according to a survey released Thursday. The poll of
1,500 adults by the Pew Research Center for the People & the
Press found that only 57 percent believe there is strong
scientific evidence the Earth has gotten hotter over the past few
decades, and as a result, people are viewing the situation as
less serious. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/22/national/w070205D46.DTL&type=printable
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j0Dfi1PwgKNZQDYaYPjMSBUepM7A
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/22/AR2009102201811.html


To Cut Global Warming, Swedes Study Their Plates. Stockholm —
Shopping for oatmeal, Helena Bergstrom, 37, admitted that she was
flummoxed by the label on the blue box reading, “Climate
declared: .87 kg CO2 per kg of product.” “Right now, I don’t know
what this means,” said Ms. Bergstrom, a pharmaceutical company
employee. But if a new experiment here succeeds, she and millions
of other Swedes will soon find out. New labels listing the carbon
dioxide emissions associated with the production of foods, from
whole wheat pasta to fast food burgers, are appearing on some
grocery items and restaurant menus around the country. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/world/europe/23degrees.html?_r=1&em=&pagewanted=print
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/23/MN931A9K35.DTL

We Can Afford To Save The Planet. Here is the good news on the
climate front: The Europeans have ratcheted down their emissions
targets, the Chinese are getting serious about solar power and
energy efficiency, and Washington is lumbering toward a carbon
cap. These are steps toward the long-held goal: cutting global
warming pollution 80 percent by 2050. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/22/AR2009102204193_pf.html

EPA Must Finalize Mercury Rule By Nov. 2011 – Settlement. U.S.
EPA will issue a final rule requiring strict plant-specific
controls for mercury and other hazardous air pollutants at power
plants by November 2011, according to a consent agreement filed
yesterday in a federal district court. The agency must issue a
proposed rule by March 16, 2011, and a final rule no later than
Nov. 16, 2011, under the settlement filed in the U.S. District
Court for the District of Columbia. The consent decree comes
after years of legal battles over whether EPA must require strict
maximum achievable control technology (MACT) for toxic pollutants
at coal- and oil-fired power plants. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/10/23/1

Obama Says 'Consensus Is Growing' On Comprehensive Bill.
President Obama said today that a "consensus is growing" on
Capitol Hill to pass comprehensive energy and global warming
legislation, citing recent bipartisan Senate talks aimed at
merging domestic oil and gas drilling with a long-sought effort
to cap U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. "This should not be a
partisan issue," Obama said during a 15-minute speech at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
"Everyone in America should have a stake in legislation that can
transform our energy system into one that's far more efficient,
far cleaner and provides energy independence for America."
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/10/23/2

Opinion: Ruse Of Global Warming. Many of us feel man-made global
warming is a ruse exploited by big government advocates as part
of their social engineering ideology. After much arm twisting in
the House of Representatives, the energy "cap and trade" bill
narrowly passed this summer. Fortunately, due to a national
public outcry, it has stalled in the Senate to date.
Unfortunately, California Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006, was passed by our Democratic Legislature,
despite warnings of significant increases in our utility bills.
Posted.
http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x1260873783/Ruse-of-global-warming#

Calculating Emissions Is Problematic. An accounting problem in
the way some greenhouse gas emissions are calculated could
critically hobble efforts to reduce them in coming years as
nations move to combat global warming, scientists warn in a new
report. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/science/earth/23biofuel.html?scp=1&sq=carbon%20emission&st=cse


Carbon Advantage Of Biofuels May Be Overstated. The world's
policymakers and scientists have made a critical error in how
they count biofuels' contribution to human-generated
greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a paper published Thursday
in the journal Science. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/22/AR2009102202889.html


EPA Proposal To Cut Great Lakes Ship Emissions Stirs The Waters.
A horn blasts, seagulls screech and tourists clap as the longest
ship in the Great Lakes, the 308-meter Paul R. Tregurtha, glides
through Duluth's canal and heads into Lake Superior, loaded down
with coal bound for Midwestern power plants. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/22/AR2009102204345_pf.html


States Invest More in Energy Efficiency. States are backing big
energy-efficiency programs, spurred by the belief that they could
hold down heating and electricity bills, as well as cut
greenhouse-gas emissions. The programs, usually funded by
surcharges on utility bills, help customers weatherize their
homes and install new lighting systems, among other things.
Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125616727379000149.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_news#printMode

When It Comes To Climate Change, Rely On The Facts. Some people
eagerly respond to impassioned statements about climate change,
such as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's warning we cannot
compromise with Earth. Others appreciate stunts, for example, a
recent Maldive Islands cabinet meeting that convened under water
to signal worries about climate change. To me, though, nothing
resonates more than the evidence, the simple, straightforward
facts. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/opinion/world/story/904681.html 

Update: Warming Continues To Affect Far North. Global warming is
messing with the planet's thermostat. That warning came Thursday
from Richard Spinrad, head of research at the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, in releasing the annual update of
science's Arctic report card. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2032/story/903601.html 

Mayor’s Environmental Record: Grand Plans and Small Steps
Forward. He has dreamed of windmills atop skyscrapers, planted
magnolia trees with Bette Midler and basked in the effusive
praise of Al Gore.  More than any mayor before him, Michael R.
Bloomberg has made the environment a central theme in his vision
of urban life — a surprising turn for a man who is a billionaire
known mainly for his business savvy when he came into office.
Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/nyregion/23green.html?hp 

Goal Is More Environmental Friendliness. Homemakers dry clothes
the old-fashioned way, with a line, a few clothes pins and a lot
of fresh air. Schoolteachers encourage students to collect paper
scraps from home to create classroom art projects. Those blessed
with green thumbs teach impoverished communities how to grow
cheaper, healthier foods in their own backyards. Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_13609464 

Freewheeling: U.S. Cities Challenge: Going Green -- Getting The
Gray Out. Motor matters. In what could develop into a model
program for other U.S. cities across the country, New York City
goes green with electric vehicles. New York City is growing
greener. And we're not talking about Central Park. Mayor Michael
Bloomberg recently announced three new developments in the city's
use of alternative fuel vehicles. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_13613280?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com


When Growers Pollute. Now that winter is approaching,
environmental agencies in the county will start to see pollution
and environmental problems coming from indoor marijuana grows in
Mendocino County. County Environmental Health and the Mendocino
County Air Quality Management District staff often see
diesel-soaked soil, a sheen on water or get reports of odors from
marijuana plants. Wayne Briley is acting operations specialist
with the county Environmental Health Division. Posted.
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_13624223#

Leece To Protect Businesses. She Hopes To Use Position To Slow
Down Enforcement Of Bills That Would Be Costly For Business
Owners. ** Correction: Article misidentified state Sen. Tom
Harman’s political party affiliation. He is a Republican. Costa
Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Leece says she’ll use her new position
with the League of California Cities to fight to protect
businesses from environmental legislation that, in her opinion,
is driving businesses out of the Golden State. Posted.
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/10/23/politics/dpt-leece102209.prt

Mike Holmes: Air Apparent — How Clean Is Yours? Would you
believe the air inside your home is more polluted than the air
outside - in some cases 100 times dirtier? And that new homes
usually have poorer indoor air quality than older homes? Newer
homes are designed and built tighter to increase energy
efficiency and reduce air leakage. That's great in terms of
saving money, but we also trap everything in the air, like the
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that off-gas from furniture and
building materials, mould, allergens, pet dander, dust mites and
the residual odours from cooking and pets. Posted.
http://www.nationalpost.com/homes/story.html?id=2133753

BLOGS

Auto Dealers Challenge California’s Tailpipe Regulation. The
National Automobile Dealers Association represents 17,000 car and
truck dealers, whose interests have occasionally diverged from
the carmakers (represented by the Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers). This is quite apparent in their approach to the
federal combined fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for
vehicles announced by the Obama administration last May and set
to go into effect in model year 2012. A public hearing on those
standards will be held in New York on Friday. Posted.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/auto-dealers-challenge-californias-tailpipe-climate-regulation/

Angling for Europe’s ‘Green Capital’ Award. The European
Commission on Friday began soliciting applications for its 2012
and 2013 European Green Capital Award. With four out of five
Europeans now living in urban areas, the title — established in
2006 — is aimed at recognizing the local environmental efforts of
cities of 200,000 or more inhabitants. Roughly 35 applied for the
2010 and 2011 designations, which ultimately went Stockholm,
Sweden and Hamburg, Germany, respectively. Posted.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/angling-for-europes-green-capital-award/?pagemode=print

Why the World Disagrees on Climate Change. Mike Hulme, a climate
expert and the author of a new book, says we have “almost exactly
orthogonal positions emerging about what the preferred strategies
should be” to combat climate change. With a global summit on the
topic, COP15, less than two months away — and the prospects for
reaching an agreement there growing increasingly dim — it would
seem ripe territory for analysis, and Mr. Hulme examines why
different societies approach the topic from sharply different
vantage points shaped by culture, spirituality, history and
politics. Posted.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/why-the-world-disagrees-on-climate-change/?pagemode=print

Of Climate Change and Nuclear Power. “Emotion replaces thought
and practicality” when it comes to opposition to nuclear power,
argues Stewart Brand. Nuclear power should play an essential role
in our efforts to mitigate climate change, argues Stewart Brand,
the founder of the Whole Earth Catalog and longtime environmental
activist. Mr. Brand, a professed “eco-pragmatist,” makes the case
for nuclear power in his latest book, “The Whole Earth
Discipline,” where he draws on the work of several scientists,
including Saul Griffith, the MIT-trained material scientist and
inventor. Posted.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/of-climate-change-and-nuclear-power/?pagemode=print

Poll Shows Public Cooling On Global Warming. What’s Your
Opinion? With Sen. Barbara Boxer set to chair a series of
hearings on her and Sen. John Kerry’s climate change bill, a new
poll is out today that says there’s been a “sharp decline” in the
percentage of Americans who see evidence of global warming.
Posted.
http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2009/10/22/poll-shows-public-cooling-on-global-warming-whats-your-opinion/23863/


California Dreaming: Is Energy Efficiency Really That Easy? So
energy efficiency is again the talk of the town, with a number of
states banking on the idea that using less electricity adds up to
more power in the end. Rebecca Smith reports today in The Wall
Street Journal on a spate of interest from states from California
to Maine in starting or beefing up energy-efficiency programs.
Posted.
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2009/10/22/california-dreaming-is-energy-efficiency-really-that-easy/tab/print/

The Power Of Markets And The Nature Of EDF. One of the great
things about being a City Brights blogger on sfgate.com is
hearing what people who read The Gate think about environmental
issues, especially those facing California and the West. My view,
as I've argued in my first two 'California Dream 2.0' posts, is
that we don't have to choose between jobs or the environment,
prosperity or the environment, people or the environment. The
California-smart approach is jobs, prosperity and people because
of the environment. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/dfesta/detail?entry_id=50158

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