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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 26, 2013.
Posted: 26 Apr 2013 13:51:49
ARB Newsclips for April 26, 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 Air Board Backs Spending Plan for Carbon Sale Revenue. California regulators backed a state plan to spend proceeds from carbon permit sales on energy efficiency, clean transportation and natural resources programs. The state Air Resources Board voted today to support the proposal from the state Finance Department to invest the first three years of revenue from the allowance…Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-25/california-air-board-backs-spending-plan-for-carbon-sale-revenue.html Regulators get to the tough part of cap and trade -- how to spend the money effectively. Better scrutiny is needed to ensure that revenues from California's landmark cap-and-trade auctions fund the best choices for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, state air board members said yesterday. A week after the Golden State released its draft plan for spending cap-and-trade money, some Air Resources Board (ARB) members said they wanted ways of evaluating the most worthy recipients, to avoid charges that the program plays favorites. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2013/04/26/1 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY AIR POLLUTION Suits over Oceano Dunes dust-control rule tossed. A judge in San Luis Obispo County has dismissed two lawsuits that challenged a controversial rule that requires parks officials to reduce the amount of dust blowing off the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. The Tribune ( http://bit.ly/15Rb3A5) says the suits challenged several aspects of the air pollution rule but mainly attacked the science it was based on. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/04/25/3273570/suits-over-oceano-dunes-dust-control.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/25/5371749/suits-over-oceano-dunes-dust-control.html#storylink=misearch http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/apr/25/suits-over-oceano-dunes-dust-control-rule-tossed/ Is Air Pollution Contributing To Hardened Arteries? Smog and car exhaust can take a toll on the heart, and the latest research explores how. Previous studies have shown an association between badly polluted air and a heightened risk of heart attack stroke, and researchers have started to investigate how pollutants could exert such harm. Some have documented the increased inflammation that pollution can trigger, as well as changes in blood pressure and the activity of clotting factors in the blood that could promote heart disease. Posted. http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/26/air-pollution-and-hardening-arteries/ CLIMATE CHANGE In Midwest, Drought Gives Way to Flood. The nation’s midsection, which was for months parched by severe drought, suddenly finds itself contending with the opposite: severe flooding that has forced evacuations, slowed commercial barge traffic down the Mississippi River and left farmers with submerged fields during a crucial planting time. The flooding, driven in part by rainfall of as much as eight inches in some places last week, has affected a remarkably wide stretch in states along swollen rivers in the Midwest. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/us/in-midwest-drought-abruptly-gives-way-to-flood.html?ref=science S.J. making gains with green efforts. The amount of greenhouse gas emitted during the day-to-day operation of San Joaquin County government dropped 24 percent over a five-year period, according to a recent report. The county used less fuel in its vehicles and electricity in its buildings from 2005 to 2010, but the biggest reduction in emissions of the gases responsible for climate change came from efforts to rein in the methane gas escaping from the decaying garbage in the county's network of landfills. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130426/A_NEWS/304260313&cid=sitesearch Researchers unmask climate secrets of sea spray and clouds. In the late 1990s, the Hydraulics Laboratory at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography nearly closed. The lab, founded in 1964, had lost its permanent funding. Grant Deane, a physical oceanographer at the University of California, San Diego, stepped up to head the lab and rescue it from a possible shutdown. "I was a user of the facility at that time, but I had a broader vision for what could be done beyond my own work," Deane said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2013/04/26/2 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY FUELS State College mayor urges fossil fuel divestment. The mayor of the central Pennsylvania borough of State College has endorsed a campaign that urges municipalities to divest from fossil fuel companies, the environmental group 350.org said in a release Thursday. Borough Mayor Elizabeth Goreham joined nine other mayors in urging municipalities to divest from the top 200 fossil fuel companies because of climate change, but other officials said the issue hasn't been voted on. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/State-College-mayor-urges-fossil-fuel-divestment-4464362.php#ixzz2RadozKK0 NASA measures effects of jet engine biofuel. NASA researchers said Thursday that test flights conducted in California have shown a commercial jet could fly safely with a blend of jet fuel that includes a plant oil. Scientists at NASA's Langley Research center in Hampton said there was no noticeable difference in the engine performance of a DC-8 aircraft flying as high as 39,000 feet on the biofuel mix made from the camelina plant oil. Posted. www.vcstar.com/news/2013/apr/25/nasa-measures-effects-of-jet-engine-02/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/nasa-measures-effects-of-biofuel-on-jet-engines-environment/2013/04/25/f6e07346-add2-11e2-b240-9ef3a72c67cc_story.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/04/25/3273584/nasa-measures-effects-of-jet-engine.html#storylink=misearch TransCanada Lashes Out at EPA Over Keystone, Asserts Canadian 'Sovereignty'. The Canadian company calls the scope and tone of the agency’s comments on the pipeline that will bisect the U.S. heartland 'somewhat surprising.' The Canadian builder of the Keystone XL pipeline has lashed out at the Environmental Protection Agency for recommending that the United States and Canada work together to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from the tar sands crude that the pipeline would carry to refineries on the U.S. gulf coast. Posted. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130424/transcanada-lashes-out-epa-over-keystone-asserts-canadian-sovereignty BY SUBSCRIPTION 9 U.S. cities including San Francisco, Seattle weigh divestment from fossil fuels. Environmental activist Bill McKibben's campaign to divest from fossil fuels has moved from college campuses to city hall -- with some promise of success. Yesterday, leaders from nine U.S. cities announced a decision to urge divestment from the 200 largest companies associated with fossil fuels. Officials from San Francisco; Ithaca, N.Y.; State College, Pa.; Eugene, Ore.; Richmond, Calif.; and Berkeley, Calif., were among those supporting divestment. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2013/04/26/5 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Billionaire Calif. climate activist and Keystone XL opponent not opposed to all fracking. Billionaire climate activist and Keystone XL opponent Tom Steyer isn't opposed to hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. The former San Francisco hedge fund manager has been making a foray into national politics after bankrolling two successful California campaigns, including one against oil companies' bid to roll back the state's landmark global warming law. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/print/2013/04/26/2 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY VEHICLES In Two-Way Charging, Electric Cars Begin to Earn Money From the Grid. In Two-Way Charging, Electric Cars Begin to Earn Money From the Grid. Finally, payback for the plug-in. A line of Mini Coopers, each attached to the regional power grid by a thick cable plugged in where a gasoline filler pipe used to be, no longer just draws energy. The power now flows two ways between the cars and the electric grid, as the cars inject and suck power in tiny jolts, and get paid for it. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/business/energy-environment/electric-vehicles-begin-to-earn-money-from-the-grid.html?_r=0 Hybrid cars to join U.S. government's fleet under new program. The U.S. Department of the Interior will become the first federal agency to take advantage of a new program to update its fleet of vehicles with gas-sipping hybrids. The initiative is part of a General Services Administration effort to replace aging government cars with as many as 10,000 hybrids. The Interior Department will receive 300 gasoline and alternative-fuel vehicles--about a third of the vehicles the department is expecting to replace. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-hybrid-fleet-20130424,0,642803.story Auto review: Camry hybrid rolls on. Last year, Toyota introduced the redesigned midsize Camry Hybrid sedan, which came as part of the makeover of the entire Camry line. The hybrid got a revised Synergy Drive system, with a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and improved fuel economy. Changes to the hybrid were part of an overall Camry makeover, including the gasoline-only models. Hybrid prices this year range from $26,140 for the base LE to $27,670 for the top-of-the-line XLE. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/26/5373823/auto-review-camry-hybrid-rolls.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Electric Vehicles Speed Ahead. Electric vehicles (EVs) are generating a lot of buzz lately. At this week's Bloomberg New Energy Finance Summit, influential characters repeatedly spoke of the EV revolution with gleeful enthusiasm. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Motor Show is opening up the throttle right this minute, and EVs have a lot to do with it. This is a glittery bandwagon, folks. Jump on? Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/business/fool/article/Electric-Vehicles-Speed-Ahead-4466132.php#ixzz2RadGeJNe Diesel, hybrid registrations way up – report. Registrations for clean diesel cars and sport utility vehicles nationwide increased by nearly 25 percent from 2010 through 2012, with Texas having the most diesel vehicles in 2012, according to a leading diesel fuel advocacy group. This week, the Diesel Technology Forum, relying on data compiled by Michigan-based R.L. Polk and Co., found that registrations for diesel cars and SUVs around the country increased from 640,779 in 2010 to 796,794 at the end of 2012, a 24.3 percent increase. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2013/04/26/19 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY HIGH-SPEED RAIL High-speed rail agency changed bidding standards. State officials expanded the field in hopes of saving millions. When the California High-Speed Rail Authority put the first stretch of its statewide train system out for bids last year, the agency set a high technical standard for five contracting teams courting the more than $1 billion construction contract. In March 2012, the authority's board decreed that even if all five teams submitted bids… Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/04/25/3274086/high-speed-rail-agency-changed.html?utm_source=feedly#storylink=cpy GREEN ENERGY Solar system dedication takes places in Monroe. A solar energy system installed on the grounds of a religious community in southeastern Michigan is part of a broader commitment to sustainable living, those involved in the project said Friday. The 518-kilowatt system was dedicated on the Immaculate Heart of Mary Motherhouse Campus in Monroe. It cost $2.6 million and consists of more than 2,000 photovoltaic modules. It covers three acres and links to the DTE Energy Co. electric grid. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Solar-system-dedication-takes-places-in-Monroe-4466467.php#ixzz2RaekHzYC Missing pieces of renewable energy puzzle -- policy and finance -- may soon emerge, report says. The future is mostly bright for the renewable energy sector, according to Eric Martinot, author of the "Renewables Global Futures Report 2013." The report, released yesterday by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), drives home the message that the world has made dramatic advances in renewable technology and is waiting for policy and finance to catch up. "We're thinking about renewable energy as if it's still 1995. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2013/04/26/8 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY MISCELLANEOUS Environmentalists want slowdown on NC Senate bill. North Carolina environmental groups want the Senate to slow down a bill that would roll back state and local environmental regulations that are tougher than federal standards. The bill requires cities, counties and numerous state agencies to repeal or rewrite rules that go beyond federal law. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Environmentalists-want-slowdown-on-NC-Senate-bill-4466514.php#ixzz2RacI3A00 Science Museum publishes climate change novel. The Science Museum has published its first ever work of fiction, a novel by its former writer-in-residence Tony White that was inspired by a lost fragment by one of the members of Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated 1911 Antarctic expedition – one of the earliest tales ever to mention climate change. Posted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/26/science-museum-publishes-climate-change-novel OPINIONS Five myths about electric cars. The troubles of electric-car-maker Fisker Automotive have fueled another round of debate about whether plug-ins can live up to their promises. The California start-up, which had already halted production and laid off most of its employees, missed a federal loan payment Monday and told a congressional hearing on Wednesday that it may not be able to avoid bankruptcy. This is probably the end of the road for Fisker. But definitely not for electric cars. Let me dispel some of the myths. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-electric-cars/2013/04/26/5c8504e0-ab77-11e2-a198-99893f10d6dd_story.html Public Sentiment About the Keystone Oil Pipeline. To the Editor: “Canadians,” Joe Nocera tells his readers, “believe that the United States would be nuts to reject” the proposed construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would pump millions of barrels of oil extracted from Alberta’s tar sands across the United States to the Gulf Coast (“Canada’s Oil Minister, Unmuzzled,” column, April 25). This comes as a surprise to me. I live in Canada, and at least in my circles I don’t know a single Canadian who supports the project. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/opinion/public-sentiment-about-the-keystone-oil-pipeline.html?ref=opinion The Safety of Chemicals. To the Editor: Re “Think Those Chemicals Have Been Tested?” (news analysis, Sunday Review, April 14) and “A Toothless Law on Toxic Chemicals” (editorial, April 19): There has been misinformation and negative publicity about high-profile chemicals, resulting in public anxiety and calls to overhaul existing laws. We agree that it is past time to reform our chemical control law, but scare stories don’t serve the cause. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/opinion/the-safety-of-chemicals.html?ref=opinion Viewpoints: California, Quebec join to take lead on climate policy. Climate change has no boundaries. It affects everyone in our global community. Actions taken in one place – like increasing emissions at an old power plant – have a negative impact on those living half a planet away. For this reason, effective solutions to climate change must also have no boundaries. We have watched as international climate negotiations have stuttered and stalled…Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/26/5372736/california-quebec-join-to-take.html#storylink=misearch Letters: Try driving smarter. Re "A tax everyone can love," Opinion, April 21If folks are leery of paying taxes to cover the actual costs of burning oil, there are two things they can do to mitigate the effects of the carbon tax that Doyle McManus discusses in his column. To start, our national fleet of vehicles is grossly inefficient. In 2012, the average fuel economy for new cars sold in the U.S. was about 24 miles per gallon. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-0424-wednesday-carbon-tax-20130424,0,5419819.story BLOGS AM Alert: Fisheries panel hears from scientists, conservationists. Swordfish, salmon, crustaceans and sea urchins are some of the agenda items before the Legislature today. The 40th annual Fisheries Forum is in town, and lawmakers who sit on the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture will hear from scientists, conservationists and fishermen representing locales from San Diego to San Mateo County. Also appearing before the committee will be John Laird, secretary of the…Posted. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2013/04/am-alert-fisheries-panel-hears-from-scientists-conservationists.html#more#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy The Global Carbon Market is Taking Shape. As California prepares to form a strategic partnership with Quebec to link its cap and trade program, it is fascinating to examine developments in the global carbon market. The European Union made news this week experiencing a major setback on its proposal for back-loading, a measure to shift carbon allowances to the back end of the compliance period in order to stabilize the EU ETS carbon price. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/04/global-carbon-market-shape/ Chrysler CEO: natural gas better than electricity to move vehicles, so government should back off. Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne continues to believe natural gas as the most viable alternative to conventional fueling and says government should stop pushing electric-drive ahead of other advanced-powertrain choices, the Detroit News says. Marchionne calls natural gas "the cleanest alternative available" …Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2013/04/26/chrysler-ceo-natural-gas-better-electricity-government/