What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for June 11, 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

Economist disputes Obama admin's new, high calculation for carbon
costs. A seemingly pedestrian Energy Department rule on
microwaves caused a stir last week, using a higher number than
before to assess the costs of climate change to society.
Yesterday, one economist said the administration still isn't
getting it right. Frank Ackerman, a member scholar of the Center
for Progressive Reform and a senior economist at …Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059982629/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

AIR POLLUTION

Despite a lot more people and cars, California's air is cleaner.
The state's strict vehicle emissions standards have made a
significant difference, a study finds. The amount of organic
nitrates in Southern California's air chemistry has also changed
for the better. Despite a threefold increase in people and cars
in the last 50 years, California's strict vehicle emissions
standards have managed to significantly clear the state's air,
according to new research. The study also found that Southern
California's air chemistry has changed for the better. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0610-smog-decreases-20130610,0,2037334.story


Lawmakers say keep the fire rings. Lawmakers have backed an
attempt to keep the bonfire pits on California’s beaches,
approving a resolution extolling the virtues of beach life that
includes hundreds of the he decades-old, cement fire rings. The
measure by Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach, a former
surfer, was speedily passed in the Senate on Monday; it was
approved earlier in the Assembly. His Assembly Concurrent
Resolution 52 is a statement of the Legislature’s view but has no
force in law. Posted.
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=11huj6a5gotdqhf&utm_source=feedly


U.S. nears the top of 100 biggest U.S. emitters. Researchers have
compiled a list of 100 U.S. companies that emit the most
greenhouse gases, the top three of which are giant electricity
producers. The fourth-largest emitter is the federal government.
American Electric Power Co., Duke Energy Corp. and Southern Co.,
all of which use huge amounts of coal to generate energy for
millions of American customers, are identified as the top three
producers of carbon dioxide and other gases that trap heat in the
atmosphere. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059982615/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

Big Apple may get baked as sizzling southern summers move north.
Over the next 40 years, the number of sweltering summer days in
New York City could double or even triple, making it as hot in
2050 as Birmingham, Alabama, is now. The sea level surrounding
New York is also likely to rise by 2 feet (0.6 meter),
jeopardizing lower-lying homes and businesses, according to a
report commissioned by the city to be released on Tuesday. It is
the first time New York City has updated its projections about
the impact of climate change since Superstorm Sandy struck seven
months ago. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/11/usa-newyork-heat-idUSL2N0EM1V620130611


Elite Flyers Pressure United Airlines On Climate Change. Some of
United Airlines’ best customers say the carrier should stop
lobbying against policies designed to cut carbon emissions from
the industry. The complaints come just as an international group
meets to set standards for airline pollution. Several of United’s
elite frequent flyers say the airline isn’t doing enough to fight
climate change. United sued to fight Europe’s law requiring
airlines pay for carbon emissions. Posted.
http://capradio.org/4743?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CapitalPublicRadioLatestNewsRSS+%28Capital+Public+Radio%3A+Latest+News+RSS%29


China gives manufacturing regions a break in carbon emissions
reduction calculations – study. If China truly wants to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, the government needs to concentrate
policies on production-heavy central and western provinces,
according to a new study that finds China is shifting rather than
curbing its carbon footprint. The study, published yesterday in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds that 4
gigatons, or 57 percent, of China's emissions comes from goods
that are consumed outside of the province where they are
produced, like steel or cement. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059982630/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

FUELS

U.S. oil and gas reserves up by a third, new report says.
Reserves of oil and gas that can be developed using current
technology are 35% greater in 2013 than in 2011, according to a
new report by the Energy Information Administration, the research
branch of the Energy Department. The rise in estimated domestic
reserves to 223 billion barrels of oil equivalents, which include
crude oil and gas, stems in large part from the inclusion of
reserves found in shale formations. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-oil-gas-reserves-20130610,0,6316827,print.story

 
Legislative Battle Over Fracking Not Over. The legislative battle
over more stringent regulation of a controversial method of
extracting oil and natural gas in California is far from over.
Lawmakers will discuss the issue once again this week. The
deadline for all bills to pass their chamber of origin or die has
already passed. But last-minute Assembly floor amendments on a
bill that would expand public disclosure of fracking chemicals
sent it back to committee. Posted.
http://capradio.org/4712?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CapitalPublicRadioLatestNewsRSS+%28Capital+Public+Radio%3A+Latest+News+RSS%29


Californians Oppose Fracking, but Some Could Be Bribed with Cheap
Fuel. Almost half of Calfornians are opposed to more fracking in
the state, according to a poll released Friday, but some of those
opposed say they could be bought off with cheaper fuel. According
to the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences/Los
Angeles Times Poll, 45 percent of Californians opposed an
increase in fracking in the state -- until pollsters reminded
them of the possibility that fracking might lower the cost of
gasoline and natural gas. Posted.
http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/natural-gas/californians-oppose-fracking-but-some-could-be-bribed-with-cheap-fuel.html


Oil sands waste leaks are among the major threats to Canada's
largest river – study. Canada's Mackenzie River Basin faces
severe threats from climate change and economic development, a
problem with repercussions for global weather patterns and
biodiversity, according to a new report from an international
team of scientists. The panel of experts from the Rosenberg
International Forum on Water Policy, a California-based think
tank, concluded that a potential massive breach of waste from
tailings ponds in the Alberta oil sands region is the "largest
single threat" to the Mackenzie, which is the largest
north-flowing river in North America. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059982627/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

States look to tax hybrids to recoup road funding. North Carolina
is joining a growing number of states exploring new fees for
hybrid and electric car owners to help make up for revenue those
drivers aren't paying in gas taxes on their fuel-efficient
vehicles. The proposal strikes many owners of alternative-fuel
vehicles and some advocacy groups as a wrong-headed approach to
balancing priorities of promoting U.S. energy independence with
sustainable infrastructure funding. Posted.
http://hosted2.ap.org/NCGOL/NC/Article_2013-06-09-Hybrid%20Car%20Fees/id-4c9bcfaceeb64e9a9db5690e81472a2e


Electric car charging expenses vary widely, still cheaper than
gas. People who drive electric cars pay the equivalent of $1.51
per gallon of gas in fueling expense in California but only 83
cents in North Dakota, according to new federal government
figures.  The Energy Department data show the wide variability
between states in the cost savings for charging electric
vehicles. The national average is $1.14. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-electric-car-charging-cost-20130611,0,728918.story


GREEN ENERGY

Bill Would Require Half State's Power be Renewable. A bill
introduced into the California Legislature by an Imperial County
Assemblyman would require that all California utilities get 51
percent of their power from renewable sources by 2030. AB 177,
introduced by V. Manuel Perez, would also require utilities to
make energy conservation and efficiency their first priority. The
bill is now being considered by the Assembly's Utilities and
Commerce Committee. Posted.
http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/utilities/bill-would-require-half-states-power-be-renewable.html


San Onofre closure puts Calif. in hunt for zero-carbon
electricity sources. The permanent closure of the San Onofre
Nuclear Generating Station in California puts the
carbon-conscious state in the hunt for replacement supplies of
electricity that don't emit greenhouse gases. The facility,
located in north San Diego County, produced 2,200 megawatts of
zero-carbon power, enough to juice 1.4 million Southern
California homes. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059982631/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Battery maker Exide Technologies files for bankruptcy protection.
In its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Exide cites the forced
suspension of operations at its Vernon lead-recycling plant and
other economic factors. Battery maker Exide Technologies filed
for bankruptcy protection Monday, citing the forced suspension of
operations at its Vernon lead-recycling plant and other economic
factors. Exide, one of the world's largest makers and recyclers
of lead-acid batteries, said in court papers that since the
plant's April 24 closure by state regulators…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0611-exide-bankruptcy-20130611,0,7337767.story


California car repair costs among highest in nation, analysis
finds. California remains one of the nation's three most
expensive states for car repairs, according to a new analysis by
CarMD. The finding is based on what it costs, on average, when a
driver's "check engine" warning light appears. CarMD’s
state-by-state ranking of repair costs was based on detailed
analysis of 161,350 repairs on model year 1996 to 2012 vehicles
last year. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-california-expensive-car-repairs-20130611,0,7896461.story


OPINIONS

Letters: Paying for San Onofre. Re "Edison should pay for its own
mistakes at San Onofre," Column, June 8. As Michael Hiltzik says,
the financial debacle perpetrated by Southern California Edison
should not fall on ratepayers' shoulders. It is understandable
that "acts of God" are not the fault of a utility, but the mess
with the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is man-made, the
result of gross incompetence. Who should pay for this? Edison
shareholders? The contractors who botched the job? Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-0611-tuesday-san-onofre-20130611,0,6377636,print.story


Projects funded by cap and trade are ready to cut emissions. Re
"State should use carbon funds to cut emissions" (Editorials,
June 7): We applaud the editorial board for urging the
Legislature and the governor to invest cap-and-trade dollars in
projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions this year. The
voters have consistently shown support for AB 32, and the
governor has made the fight against global warming a priority.
However, his recent action in the budget suggests that climate
change may not be his priority this year. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/11/5486353/cap-and-trade-revenue.html#storylink=cpy


BLOGS

The IEA thinks we can still avoid 2°C of global warming. Here’s
how. For anyone who’s in favor of preventing the planet from
heating up, there’s bad news and good news in the latest big
report from the International Energy Agency. The somber stuff
first: Global carbon-dioxide emissions from energy reached a
record high in 2012, after rising 1.4 percent over the past year.
The U.S. and Europe did reduce their emissions, but those gains
were swamped by growth in China and India. If the current
emissions pace continues…Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/10/the-iea-thinks-we-can-still-avoid-2c-of-global-warming-heres-how/


Climate change causing Pentagon planning shift, says DOD
strategist. One of the Pentagon’s top strategists said climate
change is fundamentally altering how the Defense Department (DOD)
evaluates future conflict areas. Daniel Chiu, the deputy
assistant secretary of DOD strategy, said climate change has the
Pentagon thinking about impacts on global food and water
scarcity, mass migration and the potential for those issues to
ignite clashes around the world. Posted.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/304151-climate-change-causing-pentagon-planning-shift-says-dod-strategist#ixzz2VvlYDyy5