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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 28, 2013.

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 14:53:13
ARB Newsclips for August 28, 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

EU Carbon Closes at Seven-Week High as Crude Oil Price Surges.
European Union emission permits advanced to the highest in seven
weeks on speculation that crude oil’s surge to a two-year peak
may spur demand for carbon allowances. Carbon for December gained
as much as 3.7 percent to 4.72 euros ($6.31) a metric ton on
London’s ICE Futures Europe exchange. The contract closed up 1.5
percent at 4.61 euros a ton, the highest since July 3. West Texas
Intermediate crude rose as much as 3 percent in electronic
trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange…Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-28/eu-carbon-permits-jump-to-eight-week-high-as-crude-price-surges.html


Study: $500M for cleaner air. New York's version of a
cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions has brought in
almost $500 million since its inception in 2008, according to a
survey released Tuesday.  The report comes as the price on
pollution credits is likely to rise. The funds have helped create
jobs in the growing alternative-energy and energy-efficiency
fields, according to Environmental Advocates, the watchdog group
responsible for the study. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Study-500M-for-cleaner-air-4766059.php


Judge upholds cap-and-trade auctions in tentative ruling. A
California judge yesterday denied business groups' bid to
overturn the state's system of distributing greenhouse gas
permits, in a tentative ruling issued one day before this
morning's oral arguments. Judge Timothy Frawley of Sacramento
Superior Court said California's 2006 global warming law, A.B.
32, gives the state wide discretion to select the method by which
it caps greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by 2020. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059986523/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY 

AIR POLLUTION

Questor Surges on Stricter Energy Pollution Controls.  Questor
Technology Inc. (QST), Canada’s top pollution-control stock in
the past three years, said stricter air quality rules will boost
revenue for its flare-gas incineration systems as North American
energy output surges. “The world has changed in the oil and gas
industry,” Questor Chief Executive Officer Audrey Mascarenhas
said in an interview at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York on
Aug. 23. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-28/questor-surges-on-stricter-energy-pollution-controls.html


Exide to begin testing for dangerous metals buildup in
neighborhood. Responding to Exide neighbors' health concerns,
California ordered Vernon battery plant to test for toxic
substances in soil and dust. State officials have ordered a
Vernon battery recycler to begin testing dust and soil in the
neighborhood around its plant to determine whether dangerous
metals have accumulated and are posing a health risk to the
community. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-exide-20130828,0,13409.story 
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-vernon-battery-plant-20130827,0,303641.story


A strong voice in Louisiana's Cancer Alley. The police asked the
right question.
 "Can you think of anyone who would want to do you harm?"
investigators asked Wilma Subra, trying to understand who might
have fired a gun at the diminutive grandmother. Enemies? Subra
could arrange them alphabetically, or geographically, or in
descending order according to how much her work as an
environmental chemist had cost them in money or public
embarrassment. She had gone after so many corporate polluters
over the decades…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/columnone/la-me-c1-subra-enviro-20130827-dto,0,5811045,print.htmlstory


African dust clouds worries scientists. Each summer, microscopic
dust particles kicked up by African sandstorms blow thousands of
miles across the Atlantic to arrive in the Caribbean, limiting
airplane pilots' visibility to just a few miles and contributing
to the suffering of asthmatics trying to draw breath. The
phenomenon has been around as long as there's been sand in the
Sahara Desert. But it's attracting ever more attention from
regional scientists who say the clouds have grown, even if
there's no global consensus on the issue. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_CUBA_AFRICAN_DUST_CLOUDS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

http://www.sfgate.com/world/article/African-dust-clouds-worries-scientists-4766015.php


Top 5 Sources Of Air Pollution In The Region. Studies have shown
that air pollution is one of the greatest environmental concerns
affecting human health and climate change, specifically in
Southern California. A significant contributor to air pollution
is a group of highly reactive gasses known as nitrogen oxides
(NOx), which include nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrous acid and
nitric acid. Sources contributing nitrous oxide production
surround Long Beach…Posted.
http://lbbusinessjournal.com/lof-scroller/1754-top-5-sources-of-air-pollution-in-the-region-.html


Calif. fire prompts unhealthy air warnings in Nev. The giant
wildfire burning at the edge of Yosemite National Park has not
only destroyed buildings and threatened water supplies,
electricity and sequoias, it has also unleashed a smoky haze that
has worsened air quality more than 100 miles away in Nevada. The
plume from the Rim Fire in California triggered emergency
warnings in the Reno and Carson City area. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Calif-fire-prompts-unhealthy-air-warnings-in-Nev-4766691.php

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_23962098/calif-fire-prompts-unhealthy-air-warnings-nev?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com
 http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/28/calif-fire-prompts-unhealthy-air-warnings-in-nev/
 
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130828/wire/130829563?title=California-fire-prompts-unhealthy-air-warnings

 
CLIMATE CHANGE

Oceans Storing Earth’s Excess Heat in Leaked UN Report.  The
oceans are becoming a repository for almost all of Earth’s excess
heat, driving up sea levels and threatening coastlines, according
to a leaked draft of the most comprehensive United Nations report
addressing climate science. The findings are detailed in a
2,200-page report that will guide UN envoys as they devise a new
treaty to fight climate change by 2015. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-27/oceans-storing-earth-s-excess-heat-in-leaked-un-report.html


Silicon Valley may follow in Richmond, Berkeley climate change
efforts. In the 1980s, hundreds of American cities, states and
universities sold their investments in South African companies as
part of a protest against that country's former apartheid
government. Now, environmental groups are trying to duplicate
that effort, but with global warming polluters in the role of
villain. And, just as with South African divestment a generation
ago…Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_23948942/silicon-valley-water-district-moves-join-global-warming?source=rss


A cooler Pacific linked to recent global warming pause – study.
Average global temperatures haven't increased in the past 15
years, and scientists have been working to determine why. A
number of recent studies have fingered the ocean as the cause.
Researchers believe heat that might otherwise warm the planet is
being stored -- hidden, in a way -- in the sea. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059986506/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY 

FUELS

Calif. water district considers oil divestment. A Northern
California water agency is set to decide on a plan to drop its
investments in fossil fuel companies. Supporters of the measure
before the Santa Clara Valley Water District in San Jose accuse
the companies of exacerbating climate change and the resulting
water challenges water districts face. But industry officials and
other critics say many fossil fuel companies are working on
alternative energy projects…Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/27/5685721/calif-water-district-considers.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Calif-water-district-considers-oil-divestment-4765666.php
 

REFINERY

Government agencies at odds in probe of fire at Chevron's
Richmond refinery. The federal government is fighting with itself
over last year's massive fire at Chevron's Richmond refinery that
sent 15,000 people to hospitals with respiratory ailments. In one
corner is the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation
Board, which conducted 119 interviews in an effort to find out
what caused last year's fire and how to prevent it from happening
again. Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_23956660/government-agencies-at-odds-probe-fire-at-chevrons?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com


VEHICLES

New Mazda6 poised for gains. Agile and poised, the new-for-2014
Mazda6 mid-size sedan is a major leap over its predecessor in
styling, features and fuel economy. Gone is the ho-hum, Toyota
Camry-like exterior. In its place is a handsome, rakish look and
larger tires. The five-seat Mazda6 interior looks nicer, too,
with soft-touch plastic all around and nearly an inch more rear
legroom than its predecessor. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BEHIND_THE_WHEEL_2014_MAZDA6?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


GREEN ENERGY

Wind turbines don't hurt home values, study says. Wind-power
turbines, which are increasingly dotting California's mountain
and desert regions, don't appear to be having a negative effect
on home values, according to a new report by the
Lawrence-Berkeley National Laboratory. The research, supported by
the U.S. Department of Energy, analyzed more than 50,000 home
sales near 67 wind farms in 27 counties across nine states.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-wind-turbines-dont-hurt-housing-values-study-says-20130827,0,6727893.story?track=rss
 

Piedmont vows lawsuit over planned wind farm. The Piedmont City
Council has declared a planned wind farm a public nuisance and
says it will file suit if the developer builds turbines within a
3-mile radius of the city. The council voted this week to support
legal action against Virginia-based Apex Clean Energy Inc., which
plans to build a 300-megawatt wind farm in northern Canadian
County and southern Kingfisher County. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/28/5687814/piedmont-vows-lawsuit-over-planned.html#storylink=cpy


LC port approves agreement with Clean Energy.  The Port of Lake
Charles board has approved an operating agreement with Lake
Charles Clean Energy for the handling and storage of methanol - a
major step in bringing the $2.6-billion project forward. Port
officials said Monday the new submission will allow the product
to be exported - about one million tons per year. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/aug/27/lc-port-approves-agreement-with-clean-energy/#ixzz2dHOTB91A


US wastes enough energy to power UK for 7 years, report finds.
The United States wasted 61 percent of all its energy input in
2012, according to a new report on energy efficiency. That's
enough energy to power the United Kingdom for seven years, the
report found. Each year the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory releases an analysis of the energy input and energy
use of the US economy to determine the energy efficiency. Posted.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2013/0828/US-wastes-enough-energy-to-power-UK-for-7-years-report-finds


MISCELLANEOUS

Shampoos still contain carcinogens, lawsuit claims. An Oakland
watchdog group has sued four companies and plans to sue dozens
more for allegedly manufacturing or selling shampoos, soaps and
other care products without attaching labels warning consumers
that they contained high levels of a carcinogen. The suit, filed
Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court by the Center for
Environmental Health...Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Shampoos-still-contain-carcinogens-lawsuit-claims-4765891.php


NM gets $1M for carbon dioxide production. The State Land Office
says it's received $1.2 million in royalties from a company for
carbon dioxide production in northeastern New Mexico. Land
Commissioner Ray Powell said the payment from the Hess Corp.
covers production since 2010 on state trust land in Harding
County in a carbon dioxide gas field known as the West Bravo
Dome. Powell said the carbon dioxide is sent by pipeline to West
Texas where it's injected in oil reservoirs to help increase
production. Posted.
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_23962276/las-cruces-sun-news

 
OPINIONS

RPT-COLUMN-Fracking fears expose confusion about risk: Kemp.
Should oil and gas producers be allowed to hydraulically fracture
wells even if there is a small but hard-to-quantify risk to the
environment, property and human life? That is the question
politicians, environmentalists, local residents and the media are
all grappling with across large parts of the United States,
Britain and other countries. For some environmental campaigners
and local residents, the answer is No. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/28/kemp-fracking-us-idUSL6N0GS3HM20130828


Letters: Take care of the climate, or else. Re “Coastal flooding
could cost cities $60 billion by 2050, study says,” Aug. 20
Annual losses of $60 billion — I'm taking bets that this is not
just wrong, it will prove to be tragically wrong if we don't
change our ways. We know there is a lag between the burning of
fossil fuels and higher temperatures. We are approaching tipping
points after which humankind loses any control; after which
science predictions have no meaning. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/letters/la-la-take-care-of-the-climate-or-else-20130827,0,7853783,print.story


Preserving Cameroon's treasures. The West African nation's
amazing biodiversity is under threat. It needs economic growth
but also a plan to manage its resources. Cameroon, located on the
west coast of Africa between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, is a
nation of unparalleled beauty and biological diversity. Mt.
Cameroon, in the west, is one of Africa's largest volcanoes,
reaching 13,255 feet…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-smith-cameroon-conservation-20130827,0,4238070.story

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/28/5687299/preserving-cameroons-treasures.html


Passing a carbon tax will help fight climate change: Letters to
the Editor for Tuesday, Aug. 13, Passing a carbon tax will help
fight climate change. Re “Put brakes on hybrid subsidies”
(Commentary, Aug. 8): The writer is upset about a few hybrid
subsidies of up to $10,000 each. Why isn’t he gagging on our
fossil fuel subsidies estimated at $14 billion to $52 billion
annually? And the fact that Big Oil, gas and coal aren’t charged
a fee for dumping their waste CO2 into the atmosphere — which is
putting the future of the planet in jeopardy — amounts to
additional billions in subsidy. Posted.
http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20130828/passing-a-carbon-tax-will-help-fight-climate-change-letters-to-the-editor-for-tuesday-aug-13


Editorial: Steinberg’s CEQA bill is a step in the right
direction. Three camps tend to dominate the debate over the
California Environmental Quality Act. There’s the “CEQA is
totally broken” camp, the “CEQA needs to be stronger” camp and
the “CEQA isn’t broken but needs to be updated” camp. Senate
President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, is clearly in
the third group, which is why he’s getting brickbats from the
other two sides. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/28/5688071/editorial-steinbergs-ceqa-bill.html#storylink=cpy


Letter: Idling unhealthy, hurts environment. The article "Windows
of opportunity," Aug. 9, described the increase of drive-through
windows and how they have become a staple of American life. We
are going in the wrong direction. More drive-throughs mean more
engines idling and the problems that idling causes. First, engine
idling pollutes the air. In the United States, idling adds 34.5
million tons of greenhouse gas annually to the atmosphere, a
major cause of climate change. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Letter-Idling-unhealthy-hurts-environment-4762686.php
.

Fire and climate change. I was impressed with The Chronicle's
reporting this past week with focus on stories of the impact of
climate change.  The article in the Health section, "Expert
scopes out health risks of climate change" (Aug. 21), outlined
the many grave health consequences of an unabated rise in
emissions levels. On Sunday, the dependence on fossil fuels along
with climate change were identified as the most serious national
security threat by top military…Posted. 
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Letters-to-the-editor-Aug-28-4765969.php


Disservice by climate change deniers.  On Aug. 15, The Bee
published another letter from a writer who insists there is no
global warming (‘‘Global warming letter used bad data’’). The
author said warming ended in 2002 and refers readers to the
Climate Depot website. There, after a little digging, you will
discover the founder is Marc Morano, who has no scientific
experience, but has a history in communications for Rush Limbaugh
and Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla…Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2013/08/27/2887976/disservice-by-climate-change-deniers.html#storylink=cpy


Trade and Transportation by Dr. Thomas O’Brien. In the research
community – whether public or private sector, academia or
industry – we tend to appreciate the latest and greatest, the
state of the art. But research is about developing our cumulative
knowledge on a topic. As a result, the research and development
process begins with a review of the work already done, an
identification of the gaps in our knowledge base, and a
justification of how the work we are doing now moves that
collective knowledge forward. Posted.
http://lbbusinessjournal.com/trade-transport/1751-the-value-of-looking-back.html


Letter: Beware climate change deniers. Re “Beware climate
catastrophe charlatans” (Monitor Forum, Aug. 24): Michael Sununu
engages in an extreme case of “shoot the messenger” in his
argument against climate models. When I studied experimental
particle physics in the early 1980s, I made extensive use of
computer models to simulate particle collisions. Climate
scientists’ use of models today parallels my use of models then.
In the ’80s our models could not answer all our questions about
particle physics…Posted.
http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/8247331-95/letter-beware-climate-change-deniers


My Turn: Don’t believe the hype on global warming. Why do so many
people believe everything Al Gore says about global warming is
true? My guess is because he is very talented at manipulating the
public’s emotions in order to push his agenda. Mr. Gore once
again demonstration his crafty skills as the keynote speaker at
the 17th annual Lake Tahoe Summit. Former Vice President Al Gore,
California Governor Jerry Brown, Nevada Senator Harry
Reid…Posted.
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/northshore/7882825-113/lake-global-warming-tahoe


BLOGS

Oceans making global warming worse. August 27, 2013 6:31 PM | No
Comments I am not the brightest bulb on the tree and so there are
some things I don't understand. And I try to avoid complex
scientific stories that confuse more than they clarify. There is
a possibility this could be one of those stories. So I will try
to simplify it. With numbers. Do numbers make things simpler or
do they just offer us the illusion of simplicity? 1) When we burn
fossil fuels, it releases extra carbon into the atmosphere.
http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2013/08/oceans-making-g.html#sthash.jcZdy5pJ.dpuf


Environmental group touts greenhouse-gas cap in new report. As
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration formally moves to lower the
state’s cap on greenhouse-gas emissions, a top New York
environmental group is touting the Regional Greenhouse Gas
Initiative as a success in a new report. Environmental Advocates
of New York issued the report Tuesday, which says the nine-state
RGGI program—in which emissions are capped and carbon allowances
are sold at auction…Posted.
http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2013/08/27/environmental-group-touts-greenhouse-gas-cap-in-new-report/


Move Over Global Warming! White-Tailed Deer Pose Biggest Threat
To East Coast Forests. The rapidly rising population of
white-tailed deer pose a more significant threat to forest
habitats across the eastern United States than global warming,
according to a new study by The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
“White-tailed deer likely impact every landscape east of the
Mississippi River,” said the TNC. “The damage has been insidious
— both slow moving and cumulative.” Posted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2013/08/28/move-over-global-warming-white-tailed-deer-pose-biggest-threat-to-east-coast-forests/

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