What's New List Serve Post Display
Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 23, 2013.
Posted: 23 Apr 2013 12:45:58
ARB Newsclips for April 23, 2013. 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. CAP AND TRADE California Carbon Credits Will Soon Be Good In Quebec. A deal's been in the works for some time, but the California Air Resources Board (CARB) made it official Friday: greenhouse gas emission allowances acquired as part of California's cap and trade auction program can soon be traded along with those issued under a similar program in the Canadian province of Quebec. As of January 1, 2014, the carbon emissions markets in California and Quebec will essentially merge…Posted. http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/climate-change/california-carbon-credits-will-soon-be-good-in-quebec.html California and New England Carbon Markets Unfazed by Europe’s Woes. News of the European Union and its troubles with the program there to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions is spreading around the globe. What will happen and how might that experience affect California and New England, where similar efforts are underway? Europe’s cap-and-trade mechanism to cut heat trapping emissions is struggling for a multitude of reasons, some of which are applicable to other regions and some of which are endemic to its continental strategy. Posted. http://www.energybiz.com/article/13/04/california-and-new-england-carbon-markets-unfazed-europe-s-woes AIR POLLUTION In China, Breathing Becomes a Childhood Risk. The boy’s chronic cough and stuffy nose began last year at the age of 3. His symptoms worsened this winter, when smog across northern China surged to record levels. Now he needs his sinuses cleared every night with saltwater piped through a machine’s tubes. The boy’s mother, Zhang Zixuan, said she almost never lets him go outside, and when she does she usually makes him wear a face mask. The difference between Britain, where she once studied, and China is “heaven and hell,” she said. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/world/asia/pollution-is-radically-changing-childhood-in-chinas-cities.html?_r=0 3 Areas of the World Continue to Pollute Our Air. When it comes to checks and balances, carbon emissions could do without. Despite massive gains in growth for both solar and wind in 2012, emissions per unit of energy remain nearly at the same level as 15 years ago. Let's take a closer look at who's polluting, who's greening, and if there are profits in store for your portfolio picks. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/business/fool/article/3-Areas-of-the-World-Continue-to-Pollute-Our-Air-4455836.php#ixzz2RJ7KERfg Air pollution report shows Oxnard has highest levels in the county. Ventura County's communities had a range of air pollution in a new report from the California Environmental Protection Agency. The report, called CalEnviroSceen, pulls together information about a range of pollutants to create an overall score for each zip code in the state. The Oxnard and Port Hueneme area had the worst score in the county, including 93030 which was in the highest pollution score category for the report. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/apr/23/tool-identifies-califs-most-polluted-cities/?partner=RSS#ixzz2RJCjrQHs Air pollution report shows Oxnard has highest levels in the county. The report, called CalEnviroSceen, pulls together information about a range of pollutants to create an overall score for each zip code in the state. The Oxnard and Port Hueneme area had the worst score in the county, including 93030 which was in the highest pollutin score category for the report. The study of 1,769 ZIP code areas by the Cal EPA looked at everything from pesticide use to traffic density to groundwater threats. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/apr/23/tool-identifies-califs-most-polluted-cities/#ixzz2RJ6lKZq9 Wis. utilities settle with EPA over air pollution. Wisconsin utilities have agreed to spend more than $1 billion to clean up aging coal-fired power plants under a settlement with federal regulators announced Monday. Under the agreement filed in federal court in Madison, the utilities will pay a civil penalty of $2.45 million for alleged violations of air pollution laws over the years. Wisconsin Power & Light Co. and the other utilities also agreed to pay $8.5 million to fund a series of environmental projects over the next five years. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/apr/22/wis-utilities-settle-with-epa-over-air-pollution/#ixzz2RJ75v2pM OC supes to weigh in on proposed beach bonfire ban. Orange County supervisors could throw their support behind maintaining the Southern California tradition of beach bonfires as a possible ban looms. The Los Angeles Times says that a staff report for Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting recommends they oppose a broad ban and let cities decide for themselves whether to allow the fires. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/apr/23/oc-supes-to-weigh-in-on-proposed-beach-bonfire-ban/ http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/04/23/3269692/oc-supes-to-weigh-in-on-proposed.html#storylink=misearch http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_23085538/oc-supes-weigh-proposed-beach-bonfire-ban?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com Tool identifies Calif.'s most polluted cities. Seven of California's 10 ZIP codes most burdened by pollution are in the San Joaquin Valley and three are in Los Angeles, according to a new tool developed by state environmental officials to target communities for cleanup. "People tend to think of more urban areas when they think of pollution effects," said Sam Delson, a spokesman for the California Environmental Protection Agency. "That isn't necessarily the case." Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2013/04/23/2683092/tool-identifies-califs-most-polluted.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_23086205/tool-identifies-calif-s-most-polluted-cities?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com http://www.necn.com/04/23/13/Tool-identifies-Califs-most-polluted-cit/landing_scitech.html?&apID=cd7697ac7ca84c74ae745fee1e81b619 Yuba-Sutter air quality improvement may boost status. Yuba-Sutter's air quality has improved enough in recent years that officials are seeking an upgrade in Environmental Protection Agency clean-air status. Feather River Air Quality Management District, which monitors air quality for both Yuba and Sutter counties, is seeking "attainment" status for the first time since 2006. Posted. Read more: http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/air-124760-quality-area.html#ixzz2RJDbECNu Model for megacities? Mexico City cleans up its air. As people around the world celebrate Earth Day, Mexico City may serve as an unlikely environmental example for cities in developing countries suffering poor air quality. Mexico City was once known for its smoggy landscape with industrial eyesores such as the 18 de Marzo Refinery spewing ozone-forming emissions such as sulfur dioxide. The cloud of contaminants hanging over the capital played into an apocalyptic reputation for pollution, crime, and overpopulation…Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2013/0422/Model-for-megacities-Mexico-City-cleans-up-its-air?google_editors_picks=true States, cities ask Supreme Court to review cross-state ruling. Nine states, five cities and the District of Columbia yesterday urged the Supreme Court to grant U.S. EPA's request to review a lower court decision that throw out its regulations for air pollution that drifts across state lines. Led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D), the local officials filed a brief in support of petitions from EPA and environmental groups challenging a August 2012 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2013/04/23/11 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE Redwood clones planted to combat warming. A team led by a nurseryman from northern Michigan and his sons has raced against time for two decades, snipping branches from some of the world's biggest and most durable trees with plans to produce clones that could restore ancient forests and help fight climate change. Now comes the most ambitious phase of the quest: getting the new trees into the ground. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Redwood-clones-planted-to-combat-warming-4454850.php#ixzz2RJ8ASyXg John Kerry on climate change: ‘Science is screaming’ for new energy controls. U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry vowed during Earth Day remarks to deal with climate change, one of the world's foremost "clear and present danger[s]." He also said, in honor of Monday's Earth Day message: "The science is screaming at all of us and demands action. From the far reaches of Antarctica's Ross Sea to tropical wetlands in Southeast Asia…Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/23/john-kerry-climate-change-science-screaming-new-en/#ixzz2RJEYusyY Earth Day: California coastal redwoods to be planted in 7 nations to fight climate. Ceremonial plantings of two dozen clones from California's mighty coastal redwoods were taking place Monday in seven nations: Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Germany and the U.S. A team led by a nurseryman from northern Michigan and his sons has raced against time for two decades, snipping branches from some of the world's biggest and most durable trees with plans to produce clones that could restore ancient forests and help fight climate change. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/04/22/36916/earth-day-calif-coastal-redwood-tree-plantings-in/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+893KpccSouthernCaliforniaNews+%28KPCC%3A+News%29 A way to curb global warming: Suck carbon emissions right out of the air? Most efforts to address carbon emissions focus on preventing them from entering the atmosphere in the first place. But how to get rid of CO2 already there? Start-ups are developing prototype air-capture systems. Efforts to combat global warming, triggered and reinforced by rising levels of carbon dioxide as humans burn fossil fuels and convert forests to farmland, largely focus on preventing CO2 from entering the atmosphere in the first place. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2013/0422/A-way-to-curb-global-warming-Suck-carbon-emissions-right-out-of-the-air FUELS Trucking Industry Is Set to Expand Its Use of Natural Gas. The natural gas boom has already upended the American power industry, displacing coal and bringing consumers cheaper electricity. Now the trucking industry, with its millions of 18-wheelers moving products like potato chips, underarm deodorant and copy paper around the country, is taking a leap forward in switching from petroleum to cleaner-burning natural gas. And if natural gas remains cheap, consumers may benefit again. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/business/energy-environment/natural-gas-use-in-long-haul-trucks-expected-to-rise.html State Department Criticized by E.P.A. on Pipeline Report. The Environmental Protection Agency sharply criticized the State Department’s impact statement for the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, saying the report failed to adequately consider the climate change impacts of building the pipeline or to realistically assess alternative pipeline routes or modes of transport. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/us/politics/state-department-criticized-by-epa-on-pipeline-report.html?ref=earth http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-keystone-epa-20130423,0,1686806.story http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/EPA-criticizes-Keystone-pipeline-review-4454846.php Could Biofuels Help Power Jets? A new synthetic type of biofuel created by mixing and matching bits of DNA from different organisms could one day replace diesel and jet fuel, scientists say. Biofuels are renewable sources of energy created using living organisms such as plants. The most common biofuel used in vehicles today is ethanol, more commonly known as drinking alcohol. Posted. http://news.yahoo.com/could-biofuels-help-power-jets-195116022.html Researchers seek new ways to capture methane. With drillers tapping into massive stores of natural gas across the United States, scientists are researching ways to capture it more effectively. Natural gas mostly consists of methane but has smaller amounts of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen in the mix. Energy companies are looking for a cheap way to separate these gases to yield a pure methane stream. Developers also want to control methane leaks because the gas is an especially potent heat trapper in the atmosphere. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2013/04/23/6 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Researchers engineer bugs to create diesel replica. Since the recession, stars moved out of alignment for clean-tech startups looking to replace fossil fuels with synthetic biofuels. Some companies have shuttered their biofuel enterprises or moved toward producing more lucrative pharmaceuticals and chemicals for cosmetics. But John Love, a researcher at the University of Exeter, has not wavered since 1993, when he first began working on biofuels. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/print/2013/04/23/5 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Calif. advancing measures to stop or limit fracking. A slew of measures are advancing in California to stop or limit hydraulic fracturing as the oil industry works to unlock a massive shale formation in the state. California lawmakers have offered 10 bills that would affect the technique known as fracking, where companies blast chemical-laced water underground at high pressure to break apart rock formations and release oil or natural gas. Critics charge it endangers watersheds, wildlife and air quality, while industry disputes those claims. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/print/2013/04/23/2 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY VEHICLES Fisker Automotive misses Energy Department loan payment. Troubled sports car maker Fisker Automotive Inc. failed to make a $10-million payment on a federal government loan Monday, tipping the Anaheim company closer to a bankruptcy reorganization or liquidation. Fisker was scheduled to start to pay down about $192 million it had borrowed under the Energy Department’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-fisker-misses-federal-loan-payment-20130422,0,5666949.story MISCELLANEOUS It's lights out as UCLA enacts tobacco ban on Earth Day. UCLA is the first school in the UC system to implement the ban, following a call by President Mark G. Yudof for all 10 UC campuses to go smoke-free by 2014. Heija Yan took a drag from his cigarette as he approached Powell Library on the UCLA campus Monday, not noticing that the ashtrays were empty and askew. The electrical engineering graduate student had no idea that the university had enacted its tobacco ban on Earth Day. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/health/la-me-ucla-smoking-20130423,0,4072280.story http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ucla-stops-smoking-on-earth-day-20130422,0,1323336,print.story Cal students want oil money for education, green energy, county governments and state parks. Tired of rising tuition at UC Berkeley, a group of students said Monday it would help gather signatures for a state ballot measure taxing oil and gas extraction $2 billion for education, green energy, county governments and state parks. The UC Berkeley group is joining 12 other student and environmental groups to get the California Modernization and Development Act on the November 2014 ballot. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_23082087/cal-students-want-oil-money-education OPINIONS How to put America back together again - it can start with a carbon tax. Until we fully understand what turned two brothers who allegedly perpetrated the Boston Marathon bombings into murderers, it is hard to make any policy recommendation other than this: We need to redouble our efforts to make America stronger and healthier so it remains a vibrant counterexample to whatever bigoted ideology may have gripped these young men. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/22/5362501/how-to-put-america-back-together.html#storylink=cpy NO ON SONOMA CLEAN POWER: Higher cost, more greenhouse gases. As Sonoma County considers paying more for electricity that is purportedly “green” through a community choice aggregation system, we hope residents and leaders will look beyond the grand claims and focus on the hard fact that this new program will, in all likelihood, emit more greenhouse gases than our current supply. How could that be? How could a plan that politicians boldly call “green” actually increase greenhouse gases? Here's how. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130422/OPINION/130429892?template=printart Expand the potential of energy-saving Prop. 39. In response to the important hearing in Riverside regarding implementation of Prop. 39 for energy-saving projects (“Area makes grab for Prop. 39 money,” April 5), we need to widen the possibilities. The Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice believes that if we are to maximize the job-creation potential of this program, we need to include not only schools but also public buildings such as affordable housing, community colleges, libraries, senior centers and other facilities in disadvantaged communities as permitted by the Prop. 39 rules. Posted. http://www.pe.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor-headlines/20130422-letter-expand-the-potential-of-energy-saving-prop.-39.ece The real deniers of climate change. The Northern Hemisphere is experiencing unusually cold weather. Snow cover last December was the greatest since satellite monitoring began in 1966. The United Kingdom had the coldest March weather in 50 years, and there were more than a thousand record low temperatures in the United States. The Irish meteorological office reported that March “temperatures were the lowest on record nearly everywhere.” Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/23/the-real-deniers-of-climate-change/ Jerry Brown, the bullet train and an unsurprising surprise. Kevin Starr, the historian and author of the multi-volume "Americans and the California Dream," appeared at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday at the University of Southern California. Naturally, when the audience got a chance to ask questions, Gov. Jerry Brown's high-speed-rail proposal came up. Nothing says "California dream" like the highly speculative bullet-train plan. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_23081983/jerry-brown-bullet-train-and-an-unsurprising-surprise BLOGS How Americans see global warming — in 8 charts. Earth Day organizers have dedicated the celebration’s 43rd anniversary to highlighting the impact of climate change. Even though President Obama made mention of the issue in his second inaugural address and his 2013 State of the Union speech, climate change has a long way to go to be a top-of-the-mind issue in the U.S. even as most Americans broadly acknowledge the existence of global warming and support laws aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/22/how-americans-see-global-warming-in-8-charts/ Study Charts 2,000 Years of Continental Climate Changes. A comprehensive new analysis of temperature changes over the continents through 2,000 years has found that a long slide in temperatures in most regions preceded the unusual global warming of recent decades, but with a lot of regional variability and other fascinating details. A National Science Foundation news release has ample background. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/study-charts-2000-years-of-continental-climate-changes/ Silicon Valley biofuel company gets $2.5m grant. A Silicon Valley company is getting a $2.5 million federal grant to develop a pilot-scale “biorefinery” that will make jet fuel out of switchgrass. The Energy Department announced the grant to Cobalt Technologies of Mountain View as part of the Obama administration’s efforts to find and use alternative fuels to lower costs and improve performance. Posted. http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2013/04/22/silicon-valley-biofuel-company-gets-2-5m-grant/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PoliticalBlotter+%28Political+Blotter%29 The smart money is on renewable energy. Fossil fuel cheerleaders take note: Renewable energy ain’t going nowhere — and it may prove to be the better bet in the long run. By 2030, renewables will account for 70 percent of new power supply worldwide, according to projections released Monday from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Bloomberg analysts examined gas prices, carbon prices, the dwindling price of green energy technology, and overall energy demand (which, in the U.S. at least, is on a massive decline), and found solar and wind beating fossil fuels like coal and natural gas by 2030. Posted. http://grist.org/climate-energy/the-smart-money-is-on-renewable-energy/ Where Do Green Cars Really Live? California, Yeah, But Then... One or two locations appear time and time again when it comes to electric or hybrid vehicle sales. If you didn't think California was up there, then you've not been paying much attention. Oregon too--in Portland, the Nissan Leaf actually outsold other Nissan models last month. And of course Lima, Ohio. What was that last one again? Ah yes, Lima, Ohio--according to Cars.com's search traffic data…Posted. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1083710_where-do-green-cars-really-live-california-yeah-but-then