What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for September 30, 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

Grant aids effort to reduce power-plant pollution. University of
Kentucky researchers landed a $3 million federal grant on Monday
to work on developing technology to sharply reduce the costs
generated by preventing carbon pollution from spewing into the
air from coal-burning power plants. UK researchers hope their
work eventually yields commercial applications that boost
coal-based electricity — benefiting miners, utility companies and
ratepayers. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/30/5781186/grant-aids-effort-to-reduce-power.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/30/2950045/grant-aids-effort-to-reduce-power.html#storylink=cpy


Valley avoids summer ozone spike for first time.  For the first
time on record, summer passed here without a dangerous peak in
dirty air. Could it finally be time to celebrate a historic
moment — the San Joaquin Valley no longer in violation of the
federal one-hour ozone standard?  It's not a done deal yet. 
Air-quality activists say the local air district still must
explain a sudden improvement in the notorious smog trap of Arvin
in Kern County after an air monitor was moved.  Posted. 
http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/29/2948055/valley-summer-ozone-spike-is-avoided.html
 

Smog report card: Air quality improves.  Southern Californians
were breathing a little easier this year. There were 90 days the
ozone standard was exceeded, the fewest in six years.  AQMD
spokesman Sam Atwood is looking ahead.  “We are very close, and
expect to hit our target for attaining a health standard for fine
particulate pollution in the coming year.”  Posted. 
http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=30561 

NW Ohio refinery looks to $300M tar sands upgrade.  A refinery in
northwest Ohio is seeking state approval for a $300 million
upgrade to refine tar sands from Alberta, Canada. Spokesman Mel
Duvall with Canada-based Husky Energy Co. said the type of heavy
crude most likely to be refined in Lima differs from the
company's vast reserves of bitumen, although both are in Alberta.
Posted. 
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/28/5776520/nw-ohio-refinery-looks-to-300m.html

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/sep/28/nw-ohio-refinery-looks-to-300m-tar-sands-02/#ixzz2gOTNO3Ag


Neb. coal plant tests new pollution-control system.  A new system
to capture one of the main gases linked to global warming will be
tested at a Nebraska coal plant over nearly four years. The U.S.
Department of Energy chose a Nebraska Public Power District plant
near Sutherland for the $19 million project that starts Oct. 1.
The project will test a carbon dioxide-capturing system designed
by Ion Engineering of Boulder, Colo. This is the first test of
Ion's system outside of a laboratory setting. Posted. 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/sep/29/neb-coal-plant-tests-new-pollution-control/#ixzz2gOTnk8eX


CLIMATE CHANGE
 
 U.N. Climate Panel Endorses Ceiling on Global Emissions.  The
world’s top climate scientists on Friday formally embraced an
upper limit on greenhouse gases for the first time, establishing
a target level at which humanity must stop spewing them into the
atmosphere or face irreversible climatic changes. They warned
that the target is likely to be exceeded in a matter of decades
unless steps are taken soon to reduce emissions. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/28/science/global-climate-change-report.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/09/30/un-climate-change-models-warming/


Experts set threshold for climate-change calamity. Researchers
say an emissions tipping point for the planet may be 25 years
away. The world's leading climate scientists have for the first
time established a limit on the amount of greenhouse gases that
can be released before the Earth reaches a tipping point and
predicted that it will be surpassed within decades unless swift
action is taken to curb the current pace of emissions. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0928-climate-change-20130928,0,2765027.story

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/29/5778222/experts-set-threshold-for-climate.html


State agency seeks input on climate risks. The California Natural
Resources Agency on Monday will host a meeting in Sacramento to
get public input on how the state should prepare for climate
risks. The 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. meeting will be in the Natural
Resources Building auditorium at 1416 Ninth St. It’s one of a
series of public meetings being held statewide. The agency is
working with other state agencies to draft a Safeguarding
California Plan, an update to the 2009 climate adaptation
strategy. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/27/5774065/state-agency-seeks-input-on-climate.html#storylink=cpy

 
FUELS

U.S. gas prices could drop 30 cents by Christmas, AAA says.
National gas prices fell 19 cents in September, the largest drop
since October 2012, AAA said Monday, and if the downward trend
continues, gas prices could drop an additional 30 cents by
Christmas. The U.S. average gas price is now at $3.40 a gallon,
the lowest price since January. “Most drivers are paying the
lowest gas prices in more than eight months due to abundant
gasoline supplies…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-aaa-gas-prices-20130930,0,5629201.story


Fixing California: protect environment while sharing energy
success.  A21st-century oil and natural gas industry in Colorado
is recognizing that more rigorous regulations translate into
broader citizen acceptance. This evolution, and the joining of
innovations like horizontal drilling with long-accepted practices
like hydraulic fracturing, is moving America toward energy
independence. In the process, we are improving the quality of the
air, as well as beginning to fight back against climate change.
Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/sep/29/tp-fixing-california-protect-environment-while/


VEHICLES

Toyota Calls Hybrids 'Sturdy Bridge' to Automotive Future. Toyota
Motor Corp. is committed to hybrid, gasoline-electric vehicles
and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to displace the use of gasoline,
said Takeshi Uchiyamada, chairman of the world's largest auto
maker. "The reason why Toyota doesn't introduce any major
[all-electric product] is because we do not believe there is a
market to accept it," Mr. Uchiyamada said in an interview
following a speech on Monday at the Economic Club of Washington,
D.C. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303918804579107213728805086.html
BY SUBSCRIPTION

Gov. Brown extends use of carpool lanes for electric cars,
others. Among the 20 pieces of legislation signed by the governor
were those promoting the use of low- and zero-emission vehicles
and expansion of access to fresh food. Gov. Jerry Brown on
Saturday approved a four-year extension of carpool lane access
for electric cars and low-emission vehicles. But he vetoed a bill
that would have allowed solo motorists in regular vehicles access
to those lanes on two Los Angeles County freeways during non-peak
hours. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0929-brown-bills-20130929,0,4207906.story

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Governor-approves-6-laws-encouraging-electric-cars-4853459.php

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/09/california-governor-signs-6-bills-to-support-burgeoning-ev-market-including-2b-ab-8.html


Tesla is big draw at electric-vehicle event in Folsom. Ralph
Lubick, 70, of Folsom was admiring a bright green Tesla Roadster
on display Sunday in the parking lot of Folsom Premium Outlet
Mall.  “I’ll take two of those,” he joked to the owner, Dennis
Pinion, 68, of Arnold. But Pinion wasn’t selling his rare 2011
Tesla Roadster, which has a personalized plate that reads 2PLUG
IN. Instead, it was one of 10 Teslas on display for the
Sacramento Plug-In Vehicle Day Ride and Drive Event at the mall.
Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/29/5779929/tesla-is-big-draw-at-electric.html#storylink=cpy


Electric vehicles on display in Burlington.  Dealers and
supporters of electric vehicles gathered in Burlington on
Saturday to raise awareness about the vehicles and announce new
financing initiatives to support more of them in Vermont. The
event was held on Church Street with electric vehicles from
several local dealers on display. Officials also announced two
new financing initiatives to support the vehicles' use. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/28/2946229/electric-vehicles-to-be-on-display.html#storylink=cpy


State's clean-vehicle rebate program lands $44.5M. The California
Air Resources Board said Thursday it has received an additional
$72.5 million in funding through a variety of programs meant to
improve air quality by getting more polluting vehicles off the
road and replacing them with more clean-burning cars and trucks.
The California Air Resources Board said Thursday it has an
additional $72.5 million in funding through a variety of programs
meant to improve air quality by cleaning up vehicles. Posted.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2013/09/27/states-clean-vehicle-rebate-program.html


Electric Vehicles Speeding Toward 7% Of All Global Sales By 2020.
Hybrid vehicles may have had pole position so far in the race to
a sustainable transportation future, but electric-only vehicles
are about to pull even – and they’re both becoming a significant
part of global vehicle sales. Combined worldwide sales of hybrid
and plug-in electric vehicles will reach 6.6 million annual units
by 2020 and become almost 7% of the total light-duty vehicle
market, according to Navigant Research’s 2013-2020 Electric
Vehicle Market Forecast. Posted.
http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/30/electric-vehicles-speeding-toward-7-global-sales-2020/#SjAYZWeIuSvcT3v2.99


HIGH-SPEED RAIL

52% want bullet train stopped, poll finds.  California voters are
showing signs of buyer's remorse over the $68-billion bullet
train project, poll finds. A majority of voters want the
California bullet train project stopped and consider it a waste
of money, even as state political leaders have struggled to
bolster public support and make key compromises to satisfy
critics, a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found. Statewide,
52% of the respondents said the $68-billion project to link Los
Angeles and San Francisco by trains traveling up to 220 mph
should be halted. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-poll-high-speed-rail-20130928,0,5468230.story


GREEN ENERGY

IKEA Starts U.K. Solar Push. IKEA Corp., already a major
purchaser of renewable energy kit to power its own facilities, on
Monday begins selling solar panels to customers in U.K. stores
and is studying additional markets as candidates for the
initiative, as the Swedish furniture giant looks to meet a
growing customer demand for sustainable products. IKEA, best
known for flat-pack furniture and inexpensive home goods, said
Monday it is the first mainstream retailer to offer solar panels
to everyday customers. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303918804579106783723179724.html?KEYWORDS=climate+change
BY SUBSCRIPTION

Grid sets green energy record.  Power production from renewable
sources hit a record Thursday afternoon in San Diego Gas &
Electric Co.’s service territory, utility spokeswoman Jennifer
Ramp said Friday. About 1,000 megawatts were pumped into the grid
from renewable sources such as wind and solar, she said. That was
nearly a third of Thursday’s peak consumption of 2,924 megawatts.
Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/sep/27/grid-sets-green-energy-record/


Clovis food-scrap recycling program off to a slow start. Setting
it straight: This story originally misstated the term state
"mandate" in a story about green waste collection. The state has
a goal of 75% diversion of trash from 1990 levels by the year
2020, but it is not a mandate. Clovis sanitation worker Gregory
Paminto peeks in trash bins all the time. It's part of his job.
Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/09/29/3527202/where-are-the-food-scraps.html#storylink=cpy


Governor signs mattress recycle bill. California consumers soon
will be paying for a new state mattress recycling program, funded
by a fee on bedding purchases. On Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed
a bill by Sens. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) and Lou Correa (D-Santa
Ana), SB 254, aimed at taking an estimated 2 million used
mattresses and box springs a year off city streets, vacant lots
and rural lands. The bill backed is both by mattress
manufacturers and retailers as well as environmentalists. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-governor-signs-mattress-bill-20130927,0,7541261.story


OPINIONS

Editorial: Air Force takes reasonable tack at McClellan. The U.S.
Air Force, faced with the reality that low-level radioactive
radium isn’t going to go away in anyone’s lifetime, is taking a
responsible course by burying it on a 15-acre site at the old
McClellan Air Force Base. The process began earlier this month
and will continue for several years, a legacy of World War II and
the Cold War. The radium-226 was painted on aircraft gauges to
make them glow in the dark. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/28/5774958/air-force-takes-reasonable-tack.html#storylink=cpy


Solar, fracking bills are flawed. Re "California once again a
trailblazer on energy?" (Viewpoints, Sept. 22): Energy policy
writer Peter Asmus gives a pass to two bad bills. Assembly Bill
327 adds $120 a year to all electric utility bills. But all
ratepayers, including solar customers, already pay a surcharge
for infrastructure, so AB327 just adds to that broad tax. It has
nothing to do with improving fairness. Senate Bill 4 does not
reveal the amounts of each fracking component. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/29/5762084/ab-327-sb-4.html#storylink=cpy


Viewpoints: Expansion of fracking sends California in the wrong
direction. By signing Senate Bill 4, a severely compromised
fracking bill, Gov. Jerry Brown has shown a lack of optimism and
confidence in California’s future at a time when the state has
its greatest chance – and need – to move beyond oil and gas to
clean energy. This is far less than we expect from a governor
with the potential to be a visionary environmental leader.
Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/29/5775744/viewpoints-expansion-of-fracking.html


Environment: California didn't do so badly this year. Despite
some particularly unexplainable losses if you care about
protecting the environment, the California Legislature made
progress in 2013. The range of bills on the governor's desk
awaiting his signature confirms that California remains the
stalwart energy and climate leader in the country. This
legislative session was a turning point: More than half of the
members of the Assembly were freshmen…Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_24177112/environment-california-didnt-do-so-badly-this-year


Free cars for energy hogs. In their zeal to save the planet,
California’s leaders have tapped utility consumers to give free
electric cars to energy hogs. I pay fairly close attention to
public policy, so it’s no surprise that taxpayers subsidize a
long list of green initiatives in the cause of fighting global
warming, ranging from Warren Buffett’s latest solar power venture
in Nevada to panel manufacturers controlled by China’s
government. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/sep/29/tp-free-cars-for-energy-hogs/


Tough fracking law applauded by oilman. With the exception of
Gov. Jerry Brown, there may be no bigger fan of California's new
law regulating fracking than the outspoken CEO of a Texas oil
company who calls the bill Brown signed on Friday "the toughest
in the states." Chris Faulkner, CEO of Breitling Oil and Gas, is
a cheerleader for the oil industry who told Opportunist magazine
earlier this year that fracking is "100 percent safe" …Posted.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/tough-fracking-law-applauded-by-oilman/Content?oid=2590986


DRIESSEN: A model for climate-change fraud. “Dangerous manmade
global warming” has become the most systematic, massive, costly
fraud ever perpetrated. This is a harsh judgment, but the
mounting evidence is undeniable. As climate analyst Anthony Watts
points out, after a very modest rise over 20 years, Earth’s
average temperature hasn’t increased in 17 years, even as
plant-fertilizing carbon-dioxide levels climbed to nearly 400
parts per million, still a minuscule 0.04 percent of the
atmosphere. Posted.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/30/driessen-a-model-for-climate-change-fraud/#ixzz2gPDCCwKS


BLOGS

Why More Climate Science Hasn’t Led to More Climate Policy – Yet.
 It’s worth offering a bit more context on a point I raised in my
morning post on the new report from the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change: Will the fresh assessment of global warming
from the panel matter where it counts, in the realm of
environmental and energy policy and diplomacy? In the short run,
no. And this is not only because of disinformation campaigns, as
some would assert. Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/why-more-climate-science-hasnt-led-to-more-climate-policy-yet/?_r=0


CLIMATE CHANGE: Video explores sea-level rise.  In light of the
recent consensus by an international panel that climate change is
caused by human activity, it’s worth watching a new video on
sea-level rise, one of the consequences of global warming. The
Center for American Progess, an independent non-partisan
educational institute based in Washington, D.C., released a
seven-minute piece that drives home the point that action to curb
greenhouse gas emissions is needed. Posted.
http://blog.pe.com/environment/2013/09/28/climate-change-video-explores-sea-level-rise/
 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

JURUPA VALLEY: Trying to get a handle on big rigs.  The Jurupa
Valley City Council is set to take the next step in trying to
limit the impact big rigs have on the community. At the Oct. 3
meeting, council members will get a look at an action plan
developed by city staff members. The aim is to manage truck
traffic and parking. Posted.
http://blog.pe.com/city-government/2013/09/28/jurupa-valley-trying-to-get-a-handle-on-big-rigs/


5 Things California's Fracking Bill Will Do.  Senate Bill 4,
which imposes new regulation of fracking in the state of
California, has come under fire from environmental groups and
other opponents of the increasingly common practice of hydraulic
fracturing of underground natural gas and oil deposits.  Most of
the criticism centers on changes made to the bill in the last
hours before its final approval by the Assembly this month, and
its signing by Governor Jerry Brown on September 20. Posted. 
http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/government/five-things-the-pavley-fracking-bill-does.html


The 5 Most Sobering Charts from the IPCC Climate Report. The
first installment in the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change’s latest scientific assessment on climate science came out
on Friday, and it’s loaded with dense terminology, expressions of
uncertainty, and nearly impenetrable graphics. But we'll make it
simple for you. Here’s what you need to know, in number and chart
form. Posted.
http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/the-5-scariest-charts-from-the-ipcc-climate-report-16529


EPA Emissions Regulations Will Have Little Effect In Fight
Against Climate Change. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
rolled out restrictive new greenhouse gas emissions standards for
new power plants at the end of September, but they are unlikely
to have much of an impact on the nation’s overall climate
change-fueling carbon emissions. Part of the Obama
administration’s Climate Action Plan, the EPA's proposed new
rules…Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/30/epa-emissions-guidelines-climate-change_n_4017498.html


Silence on Climate Change: A Global Crime? Pakistan Premier Nawaz
Sharif recently spoke at the UN General Assembly on global
issues, along with other world leaders. Some critical happenings
prior to the UN gathering and their concurring political impacts
which both Pakistan and the U.S. felt had significantly shaped
the speech of Mr. Sharif at the UN desk. The incident of terror
in the Pakistani church, drone attacks, on-going Syria crisis and
a few other circumstances were the drivers for Sharif speech.
Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/asif-iqbal/silence-on-climate-change_b_4010010.html