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ARB Newsclips for July 15, 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

Business group joins case against cap-and-trade auction. 
Business groups have been busy getting ready for the first
hearing in a lawsuit challenging California’s cap-and-trade
emissions auction.  The National Federation of Independent
Business filed a motion this week to intervene in the case, which
was filed by a group of firms led by Morning Star Packing Company
in Sacramento Superior Court.  Posted. 
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2013/07/12/nfib-joins-case-against-cap-trade-auctio.html
 

Cap-and-trade impact on Cali data centers will be small. 
California's cap-and-trade program will have little if any impact
on the state's data center industry, because even the largest
data centers do not consume nearly enough power to be considered
“covered entities” by the state's law, designed to combat climate
change.  Posted. 
http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/focus/archive/2013/07/cap-and-trade-impact-cali-data-centers-will-be-small
  

AIR POLLUTION

City in Russia Unable to Kick Asbestos Habit. This city of about
70,000 people on the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains is a
pleasant enough place to live except for one big drawback: when
the wind picks up, clouds of carcinogenic dust blow through.
Asbest means asbestos in Russian, and it is everywhere here.
Residents describe layers of it collecting on living room floors.
Before they take in the laundry from backyard lines, they first
shake out the asbestos. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/business/global/city-in-russia-unable-to-kick-asbestos-habit.html?pagewanted=print


California Coastal Commission: Bill could give commission teeth
to fine polluters.  Facebook billionaire Sean Parker's
extravagant wedding last month made international headlines when
he agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle violations of
California's coastal laws for building rock walls, a stone
bridge, a cottage, dance floor and other structures in a
sensitive Big Sur forest without permits.  But it turns out the
case is the exception rather than the rule.  Posted. 
http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_23653228/california-coastal-commission-bill-could-give-commission-teeth?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com
 
http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_23653228/california-coastal-commission-bill-could-give-commission-teeth?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com
  

Court's biomass ruling could require more from newly permitted
plants. Industry groups and environmentalists are debating how a
federal appeals court ruling that struck down a U.S. EPA
greenhouse gas rule exemption for the biomass industry will
affect biomass-burning power plants with significant carbon
emissions. Friday's decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit invalidated EPA's three-year
deferral for biomass facilities under its tailoring rule for
greenhouse gas emissions (Greenwire, July 12). Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059984404/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

For Obama's climate plan, devil is in the details. Frustrated by
a recalcitrant Congress, President Barack Obama has vowed to take
climate change into his own hands. Now he has to deliver. Three
weeks after giving an ambitious speech to outline his proposal,
the president begins the arduous task of executing it. Obama's
plan is a complicated mix of rule-making and federal permitting
that's tough to encapsulate in a neat sales pitch - and may be
even tougher to put into action. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
 http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/For-Obama-s-climate-plan-devil-is-in-the-details-4665400.php

http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/07/15/3387794/for-obamas-climate-plan-devil.html


Dunes, reefs protect U.S. coasts from climate change. As climate
change brings higher sea levels, can sand dunes and coral reefs
really protect U.S. coastlines? Yes, indeed, they help defend 67%
of them, says a new study by Stanford scientists. Rising sea
levels and extreme weather put 16% of U.S. coastlines at
"high-hazard" risk and the number of threatened residents could
double if natural habitats -- sand dunes, coral reefs, sea
grasses, mangroves -- aren't protected…Posted.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/14/dunes-reefs-protect-us-coastlines-from-climate-change-storms/2513299/


ARB fines EXXON, PG&E, and 7 others for GHG emissions reporting
violations (Photos). The California Air Resources Board (ARB)
announced today that it has fined nine companies for violating
the state’s Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting rule. The rule
requires that certain facilities report GHG emissions every year.
Posted.
http://www.examiner.com/article/arb-fines-exxon-pg-e-and-7-others-for-ghg-emissions-reporting-violations

http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059984371/print  BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY 

Near-term climate forecasters still trying to find the right
formula. Near-term forecasts have caught on among many climate
modelers, who are trying to predict how global conditions will
evolve over the next several years and beyond. Eventually, they
hope to offer forecasts that will enable humanity to prepare for
the decade ahead just as meteorologists help people to choose
their clothes each morning. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059984346/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

FUELS

New England's love affair with natural gas cools. New England's
love affair with natural gas appears to be showing strain as the
regional power grid operator voices worry about too much demand
on limited supplies and a leading environmental group criticizes
the fuel it once supported. The changing mood follows more than a
decade of explosive growth in the use of natural gas to heat and
especially to power the six-state region's homes and businesses.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/New-England-s-love-affair-with-natural-gas-cools-4663419.php


HIGH-SPEED RAIL

Valadao's opposition to high-speed rail starts at his Kings
County dairy.  Republican House members up and down the San
Joaquin Valley are squarely opposed to California's high-speed
rail project, for which construction could begin this summer. 
But while the issue is largely one of political philosophy for
other GOP representatives, it hits much closer to home for Rep.
David Valadao, R-Hanford, whose family's Valadao Dairy owns
property that stands to be affected by either of two high-speed
routes being studied in Kings County.  Posted. 
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/07/13/3386679/valadaos-opposition-to-high-speed.html
 

GREEN ENERGY

EU Offshore Wind Installation Rate Doubles as Siemens Leads Way.
The installation rate of offshore wind turbines in Europe doubled
in the first half of the year, with Siemens AG (SIE) machines
taking the bulk of the market. A total of 1,045 megawatts of
capacity of wind turbines were connected at sea, compared with
523.2 megawatts in the year-earlier period, the European Wind
Energy Association said today in an e-mailed report. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-12/eu-offshore-wind-installation-rate-doubles-as-siemens-leads-way.html


MISCELLANEOUS

Outdoor clothing makers strip environmental nasties from their
kit. Makers of outdoor clothing are bowing to pressure to get rid
of many of the chemicals in their kit that help keep hikers and
climbers warm and dry but are also harmful to the environment.
Previously a niche part of the sporting goods market, the outdoor
segment has expanded so rapidly over the past decade that it now
accounts for about 20 percent of the global sportwear market.
Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/12/us-outdoor-environment-idUSBRE96B0NY20130712


Bangladesh Pollution, Told in Colors and Smells. On the worst
days, the toxic stench wafting through the Genda Government
Primary School is almost suffocating. Teachers struggle to
concentrate, as if they were choking on air. Students often
become lightheaded and dizzy. A few boys fainted in late April.
Another retched in class. The odor rises off the polluted canal —
behind the schoolhouse — where nearby factories dump their
wastewater. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/15/world/asia/bangladesh-pollution-told-in-colors-and-smells.html?_r=0&pagewanted=print

 
Hazardous lead paint: Legal battle comes to trial in California.
From old cottages in Berkeley and Palo Alto to ranch-style homes
in Silicon Valley, the remnants of a hazardous past can lurk in
the walls -- lead paint. And now 10 California cities and
counties will finally get to try to make the powerful paint
industry pay dearly to remove those poisonous ghosts from
millions of homes around the state. In a trial set to begin
Monday in Santa Clara County Superior Court, a 13-year…Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_23660237/hazardous-lead-paint-legal-battle-comes-trial-california?source=rss


Hosting fundraiser for climate-change denier puts Google in hot
water.  Mountain View-based Google is taking some heat for
hosting a fundraiser for a U.S. senator who is an outspoken
disbeliever in man-made climate change, despite the company's
green rhetoric.  Google's Washington, D.C., office will host a
lunch Thursday, at $250 to $2,500 per plate, to benefit Sen. Jim
Inhofe, R-Okla., just a month after Google chairman Eric Schmidt
said those who deny climate change and global warming are liars. 
Posted. 
http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_23657406/political-blotter-hosting-fundraiser-climate-change-denier-puts?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com
  
http://www.insidebayarea.com/bay-area-news/ci_23657406/political-blotter-hosting-fundraiser-climate-change-denier-puts?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com


OPINIONS

California, catch the next big energy wave. 'Blue' projects that
harness ocean energy are taking off elsewhere. Why not here? The
first U.S. offshore wind turbine hooked into the U.S. power grid
in June, but not in the "green" state of California. It happened
on the opposite side of the continent, off the coast of Maine,
using a floating wind-generator prototype well suited for the
deep ocean water typically found off the coast of California.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-helvarg-ocean-energy-california-20130714,0,3623782.story


Viewpoints: Energy time bomb is ticking. A final round of
regulations to put finishing touches on California's greenhouse
gas cap and trade program is under way. Everyone is watching to
see if the California Air Resources Board will make the right
decisions to lower emissions while protecting consumers and jobs.
There is good reason to worry because the ARB's actions so far
have failed to strike the right balance. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/14/5563661/energy-time-bomb-is-ticking.html#storylink=cpy


Hinkley: No Hollywood ending for Erin Brockovich's tainted town.
Despite the polluted water in her beloved town, Reanna Banks has
been a devoted Hinkley resident for most of her adult life. But
time is taking a heavy toll on her devotion. "I should have
listened to my brain and not my heart," Banks said of the
decision to build a dream house on family land in Hinkley.
Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_23649050/hinkley-no-hollywood-ending-erin-brockovichs-tainted-town


What's in the smoke? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
the state Department of Toxic Substances Control and the Army say
the smoke from the controlled burns is no more hazardous than any
burning vegetation. It may be a good idea for people with
respiratory illness or those sensitive to smoke to stay indoors
or go out of town during the burns, according to a study by the
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Posted.
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_23650581/what-is-smoke 

BLOGS

These maps show the best places to put solar and wind power.
(It’s not where you think.)  At first glance, it might seem
obvious where the United States should focus on building more
renewable energy. Stick the solar panels in sunny Arizona and
hoist up the wind turbines on the gusty Great Plains, right? 
Well, maybe not. A recent study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon
University offered another way to look at the issue.  Posted. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/07/15/these-maps-show-the-best-places-to-put-solar-and-wind-power-its-not-where-you-think/


Cultural Programs to Focus on Climate Change.  In his best-known
works, Robert Rauschenberg used nontraditional materials,
including found objects, to produce provocative pieces that he
called combines. Now the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, which he
set up to provide support for causes that were important to him,
is joining forces with two other like-minded organizations to
present a series of exhibitions, panel discussions and
performances that will explore climate change. Posted.
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/15/cultural-programs-to-focus-on-climate-change/


Renault study proves, again, EVs are cleaner than gas or oil
burners.  When it comes to the environmental impact of producing
electricity, Renault is probably hoping that things haven't
changed too much over the past 21 months. That's because we're
just now getting to see some numbers that the company was using
almost two years ago.  The French automaker, which along with
sister company Nissan has invested about $5 billion in
electric-vehicle technology advancements…Posted. 
http://green.autoblog.com/2013/07/12/renault-study-proves-again-evs-are-cleaner-than-gas-or-oil-bur/
 

Dangerous global warming could be reversed, say scientists. 
Global warming could be reversed using a combination of burning
trees and crops for energy, and capturing and storing carbon
dioxide underground (CCS), according to an analysis by
scientists. But experts cautioned that trying such an approach
after temperatures had passed dangerous levels could be
problematic, as climate change reduced the number of trees
available for “bioenergy.”  Posted. 
http://grist.org/climate-energy/dangerous-global-warming-could-be-reversed-say-scientists/
   

The Price of Polluted Runoff. Polluted stormwater runoff is the
number one source of contamination to California's renowned
waters. When it rains, water flows over streets, lawns, and
parking lots, carrying a toxic soup of copper, lead, zinc and
other heavy metals, oils and car fluids, bacteria, viruses and
other harmful materials -- untreated -- to our rivers, lakes and
coastal waters.  And when the beaches, rivers and lakes that we
use and enjoy for swimming, fishing and drinking are
polluted…Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-aminzadeh/polluted-stormwater-runoff_b_3587569.html


Mandatory Cap And Trade Worldwide Can Mitigate Climate Change? 
The best way to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change
is through the use of a European-style cap-and-trade scheme,
according to a paper by business school scholars.  The academics
monitored the effectiveness of the European Climate Exchange
(ECX) carbon trading platform and found it to be as efficient as
Europe's two biggest exchanges…Posted. 
http://www.science20.com/news_articles/mandatory_cap_and_trade_worldwide_can_mitigate_climate_change-116371