What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for September 17, 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.

AIR POLLUTION

Audits find problems with air monitoring. A federal audit and a
new state audit have detected problems in how the Louisville
Metro Air Pollution Control District monitors particulates and
ozone. The Courier-Journal (http://cjky.it/199B22K) cited the
reports, which were made public Monday, as another piece of
evidence showing that the district that has been failing to meet
requirements that it accurately track levels of air pollution
blamed for contributing to lung and heart problems. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Audits-find-problems-with-air-monitoring-4820874.php


CLIMATE CHANGE

United Nations official: World is on ‘not on track’ over climate
change. One of the United Nations’ top climate officials says
international leaders are failing to fight global warming,
appealing directly to the world’s voters to pressure their
politicians into taking tougher action against the buildup of
greenhouse gases. Halldor Thorgeirsson told journalists Tuesday
that “we are failing as an international community” and that the
world is “not on track” to prevent potentially catastrophic
climate change. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/united-nations-official-world-is-on-not-on-track-over-climate-change/2013/09/17/a31785f2-1fb9-11e3-9ad0-96244100e647_story.html
http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/17/2925584/un-official-world-not-on-track.html#storylink=cpy
 

Meteorology and geography collide in Colorado flooding. Deadly
flooding in Boulder, Colo., was due to the chance collision of
meteorology, geography and urban development, according to
weather and climate experts. As a fleet of U.S. military
helicopters conducted search and rescue efforts Monday, more than
1,200 people remained unaccounted for following a week of intense
rain and flash floods. At least seven people were reported killed
in the extreme weather. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-meteorology-and-geography-collide-in-colorado-flooding-20130916,0,3424825.story


U.N. expert says reducing short-lived pollutants is a surer way
to meet climate targets. Reducing methane, black carbon and other
short-lived pollutants now is a surer way to curb climate change
than waiting for a 2015 global warming treaty to do the job, U.N.
Environment Programme Executive Director Achim Steiner said.
Speaking at a congressional briefing yesterday, Steiner pointed
to ongoing economic crises as hurdles on the path toward the 2015
carbon-cutting deal that countries promised to ink. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059987345/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

FUELS

Methane emissions drop at natural gas drilling sites, study says.
The study indicates that new technology has dramatically reduced
air pollution emitted during a key step in the drilling process
at natural gas wells across the U.S. Emissions of methane from
natural gas well sites across the United States have fallen in a
key part of the drilling process, despite the boom in natural gas
development, according to a study published Monday. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-fracking-methane-20130917,0,4131050.story
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/16/5741108/study-methane-leaks-from-gas-drilling.html

http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Study-Methane-leaks-from-gas-drilling-not-huge-4818706.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/us/gas-leaks-in-fracking-less-than-estimated.html
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/study-finds-methane-emissions-from-onshore-natural-gas-drilling-lower-than-estimates/2013/09/16/6913c4c0-1f09-11e3-94a2-6c66b668ea55_story.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/16/natural-gas-industry-fracking-methane-greenhouse-gas-emissions/2811193/


Methane still leaking at Hawthorne well; 37 families remain
evacuated. A well in Hawthorne continues to spew methane even
after crews were able to stop the flow of water, authorities
said. Monday morning, a well-capping company blasted 208 barrels
of high-pressured water into the well spout to try to stop the
flow of water and methane. They felt they had it under control,
but it began leaking methane again, authorities said. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-methane-well-leaking-20130916,0,6186890.story


Appalachian miners decry what they call Obama's 'war on coal'
Coal allies say Obama's coming plans for combating climate change
could slash industry jobs and tax revenue in mining states such
as West Virginia. When President Obama laid out ambitious plans
in June for combating climate change, coal miners like Roger
Horton heard what they considered the latest fusillade in the
administration's "war on coal." Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-war-on-coal-20130917,0,2795978.story
 http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/17/5743390/appalachian-miners-decry-what.html


Diesel-addicted remote communities hope to receive 'holy grail'
of energy storage. In Sandy Lake, Ontario (population 2,650), the
diesel fuel that powers this remote community a thousand miles
northwest of Toronto costs around $9 a gallon. And even then, in
its harsh northern climate, it provides electricity only some of
the time. "There's always problems, there's always power
outages," grumbles Harry Meekis, capital projects manager for the
Sandy Lake First Nation." Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059987323/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

UPDATE 1-China renews subsidies for green vehicles. China has
renewed private-buyer subsidies for "new energy" or
electric-powered vehicles for another three years, in part to
fight air pollution, but contrary to some expectations did not
include gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles. China's central
government announced on Tuesday it will provide up to 60,000 yuan
($9,800) for the purchase of an all-electric battery car and up
to 35,000 yuan for a "near all-electric" plug-in vehicle. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/17/china-autos-green-idUSL3N0HD1IK20130917

GM Developing Car to Rival Tesla. General Motors Co. is
developing an electric car that can go 200 miles on a charge for
around $30,000, officials at the largest U.S. auto maker said,
offering a challenge to luxury electric-car startup Tesla Motors
Inc. Doug Parks, GM's vice president of global product programs,
disclosed the effort on Monday at GM's battery laboratory and
test facility in Warren, Mich., but didn't say when the car would
be available. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323981304579079492902482638.html#printMode

 
California new car dealers claim Tesla violates advertising laws.
The trade group for California’s new car dealers wants the state
Department of Motor Vehicles to investigate Tesla Motors’
advertising practices, alleging that the upstart automaker is
violating various state and federal laws in marketing its
electric cars. The California New Car Dealers Assn. claims that
Tesla inflates the savings customers accrue from various federal
and state incentives …Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-california-dealers-claim-tesla-violations-20130916,0,3708769.story


Gov. Jerry Brown, corporate leaders tout electric vehicles. Gov.
Jerry Brown joined forces with 40 leading corporations Monday to
showcase the states's commitment to electric vehicles, as
companies as diverse as Google (GOOG) and Coca-Cola promised to
promote EVs with workplace incentives like free charging and
car-sharing of plug-in vehicles. The event, called "Drive the
Dream," was held at the Exploratorium in San Francisco and
organized by the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle
Collaborative. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24107581/gov-jerry-brown-corporate-leaders-tout-electric-vehicles?source=rss

 
Zero Motorcycles Commit to 'Drive the Dream' Zero Motorcycles,
the global leader in the electric motorcycle industry, today
announced its next level of commitment to the electric vehicle
(EV) market in a meeting with Governor Jerry Brown, California’s
Plug In Electric Vehicle Collaborative and other California
corporate leaders. Hosted at the Exploratorium, “Drive the Dream”
further positioned California as a global leader in the plug-in
vehicle market…Posted.
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/807/17030/Motorcycle-Article/Zero-Motorcycles-Commit-to-Drive-the-Dream.aspx

Surprise: Take Cars Off Roads, Air Gets Much, Much Clearer. It
stands to reason: Take all vehicles off the roads, and the air
will get cleaner. But now we can answer the question, "How much?"
And it turns out that the answer is, "A lot." In a new paper, A
national day with near zero emissions and its effect on primary
and secondary pollutants, published in Atmospheric Environment,
researcher Ilan Levy looks at one naturally occurring annual test
of the effect of removing all vehicles from the roads of cities.
Posted.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1086988_surprise-take-cars-off-roads-air-gets-much-much-clearer


GREEN ENERGY

Senate Republicans criticize Obama nominee to lead federal energy
panel. President Barack Obama's nominee to be the nation's top
energy regulator came under sharp questioning Tuesday from
lawmakers concerned that he may be opposed to coal and natural
gas. Republicans and at least one Democrat on the Senate Energy
Committee said they believe that former Colorado regulator Ron
Binz favors renewable energy sources such as wind and solar over
traditional fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ENERGY_REGULATOR?SITE=TXMID&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/senate-republicans-criticize-obama-nominee-to-lead-federal-energy-panel/2013/09/17/64cac7bc-1fb1-11e3-9ad0-96244100e647_story.html

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/17/obama-energy-nominee-ron-binz-faces-rocky-confirma/


Oakland solar company Mosaic crowdsources the sun. Now you can
invest in a solar project even if you don't own a roof.
Oakland-based Mosaic has created a financing platform that allows
individuals to put as little as $25 into solar projects on
commercial buildings. The crowdsourcing platform, founded in
2011, has generated widespread interest: 622 people invested a
total of $377,600 to put solar panels on a University of Florida
apartment community…Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24107073/mosaic-crowdsourcing-sun-solar-company-oakland


MISCELLANEOUS

Jerry Brown says he will sign bills extending vehicle fees. Gov.
Jerry Brown said Monday that he will sign legislation extending a
fee on vehicle registrations and tire sales in California to pay
for programs designed to reduce emissions and promote alternative
fuels. Assembly Bill 8, by Assemblyman Henry Perea, D-Fresno,
will extend until 2024 a $3 increase in vehicle registration fees
scheduled to expire in 2016. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/17/5742112/jerry-brown-says-he-will-sign.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/17/2924711/jerry-brown-says-he-will-sign.html
 

Solar power in Modesto will shine at Sept. 28 fair.  Frank Ploof
has a meter at his house that shows how much power he is not
buying from the Modesto Irrigation District. Most of his
electricity comes from the solar panels he installed on his roof
early this year. Ploof and other advocates are putting on a solar
fair Sept. 28 in Modesto. Posted. 
http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/16/2924834/solar-power-in-modesto-will-shine.html#storylink=cpy


Marine species follow water temps, study finds. As climate change
heats our oceans, you'd expect temperature-sensitive marine
species to flee poleward to cooler waters. So why have some
headed to warmer regions toward the equator? Scientists have
solved the puzzle. For the most part, these animals are
relocating to cooler waters. But since the effects of climate
change can vary widely across regions, sometimes those cooler
regions are closer to the poles and sometimes they're closer to
the equator. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Marine-species-follow-water-temps-study-finds-4819406.php


OPINIONS

How bad for the environment are gas-powered leaf blowers? To most
people, falling leaves are a beautiful sign of the changing
seasons. But for many Washingtonians, the rite of fall is just
another reason to have an argument. Residents of some localities
have even pushed for a ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers,
which they find noisy and say are bad for the environment.
Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-bad-for-the-environment-are-gas-powered-leaf-blowers/2013/09/16/8eed7b9a-18bb-11e3-a628-7e6dde8f889d_story.html

The era of unlimited carbon pollution is over. This week, the
Environmental Protection Agency will move against climate change
by continuing the job it was created to do, 40 years ago, by a
bipartisan Congress. Some will, and already are, treating this as
a deplorable event with intolerable consequences. It’s anything
but: Not only is it the law, it’s also good for America. The EPA
is ready to roll out an updated version of proposed federal
limits on how much carbon pollution can be released into the sky
by future power plants. Posted.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/environment-era-unlimited-carbon-pollution-96894.html#ixzz2fAl8XWaM


BLOGS

Encouraging Results Seen in First Nationwide Look at Gas Leaks
from Drilling Boom.  In 2011, a Cornell research team led by the
environmental scientist Robert Howarth published “Methane and the
greenhouse-gas footprint of natural
gas from shale formations,” a widely discussed paper positing
that gas escaping from drilling operations using hydraulic
fracturing, widely known as fracking, made natural gas a bigger
climate threat than the most infamous fossil fuel, coal. Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/encouraging-results-in-first-nationwide-look-at-gas-leaks-from-fracking-boom/?_r=0


Tesla selling cars at Fremont factory.  Electric car maker Tesla
Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) has opened a retail store at its factory in
Fremont, the company said Monday. In addition to letting shoppers
get up close to Tesla's much-in-demand Model S, the new Fremont
store shows off a stripped-down chassis of the car, with
interactive touchscreens provided to answer questions about
Tesla’s electric powertrain and battery architecture. Posted.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2013/09/tesla-nasdaq-tsla-elon-musk-fremont.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
 

Climate Change This Week: Biblical Rains, Another Solar
Breakthough, and More! Colorado's "Biblical" Flood in Line with
Climate Trends reports Andrew Freedman at Climate Central. He
notes that this lethal catastrophic event is consistent with the
increasing frequency of extreme rain storms occurring under, and
sometimes definitely linked to, continued climate change. Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-ellen-harte/climate-change-this-week_b_3937165.html


New Fracking Emissions Study Brings Out The Usual Suspects. The
latest study on shale gas emissions has caused a bit of a stir,
noting that the wells do not appear to be emitting significant
amounts of methane, which is an important finding.  There are
however a number of other relevant points that have emerged.
First, the researchers did find significant leakage, but at other
points than the wells, most notably in the gas-water separation
process.  Posted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaellynch/2013/09/17/new-fracking-emissions-study-brings-out-the-usual-suspects/


California Emission Regulations: News on the Diesel Particulate
Filter. California emission regulations can affect truck drivers
and California business. As most independent truckers know by
now, most class 8 trucks, with a pre-2007 engine, operating in
California, will need to have an approved DPF (diesel particulate
filter) installed. Truckers have until January 1, 2014 to update
their vehicles, and obtain the proper documents stating that
their truck(s) meet CARB (California Air Resources Board)
regulations. Posted.
http://wallstreetsectorselector.com/2013/09/california-emission-regulations-news-diesel-particulate-filter/