What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for October 4, 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

California, Quebec Carbon Deal. Could Pave Way For Other
Linkages. California and Quebec have signed an agreement to link
their cap-and-trade programs via the Western Climate Initiative
(WCI), a decision that could pave the way for linkages to other
trading programs, observers said. Yves-Francois Blanchet,
Minister of Sustainable Development Environment Wildlife & Parks,
Quebec, announced the signing of the agreement by the two
jurisdictions at the International Emissions Trading
Association’s Carbon Forum North America conference in
Washington, DC on Tuesday. Posted.
http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=9985§ion=news_articles&eod=1


AIR POLLUTION

Co-op, Tesco Cut CO2 Emissions Using Paragon’s Carbon Minimizer.
The Co-operative and Tesco have cut their carbon emissions by
using Paragon Software Systems’ carbon minimizer, which allows
fleets to reduce both their carbon footprint and operating costs
with improved routing. The Co-op cut 5,000 tons of CO2 from its
fleet of 1,300 trucks that deliver food to grocery stores, while
retailer Tesco halved its carbon emissions…Posted.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/10/04/co-op-tesco-cut-co2-emissions-using-paragons-carbon-minimizer/


Judges order 2 high-profile EPA cases to proceed despite
shutdown. Federal judges have rejected two requests from U.S. EPA
to delay upcoming arguments in two high-profile air cases because
of the government shutdown. In separate motions, the Department
of Justice asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to reschedule
arguments in a case from public health advocates on EPA's air
standards for pollutants that contribute to acid rain, and in
another that challenges air limits for Portland cement
manufacturers. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059988382/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Cuts Loom for Airlines as ICAO Eyes Global Market.
Airlines worldwide face limits on their greenhouse-gas emissions
as nations from the U.S. to Russia and the European Union are set
to decide on a road map for a global market by 2020. The
International Civil Aviation Organization will vote today at a
plenary meeting on a deal approved yesterday by the agency’s
leaders. It would bind them to set final details by 2016
regulating emissions from the $708 billion industry. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-10-04/carbon-cuts-loom-for-airlines-as-icao-eyes-global-market.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/04/us-aviation-climate-idUSBRE99302A20131004

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303722604579115332941999794.html?KEYWORDS=climate+change


Global Warming’s Slower Pace Hardens Views on Need to Act.
(Corrects description of Heartland in sixth paragraph. Story
originally ran on Sept. 28.) Global warming has slowed since 1998
as pollution reached record levels and rising seas became a more
pressing concern, according to a United Nations report that’s
hardening views on both sides of the climate debate. The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said the temperature
has been increasing at less than half the longer-term average
since 1951. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-09-27/global-warming-s-slower-pace-hardens-views-on-need-to-act.html


Controversial Climate Change Debate: Is Earth's Ice Growing or
Shrinking? On Sept. 27, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change issued its latest release, which made bold statements
about human activity's impact on the climate. Among the areas
studied to observe climate changes were vegetation, surface,
ocean and atmospheric temperatures and the state of the
cryosphere, or planetary ice. Posted.
http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2013/10/04/controversial-climate-change-debate-is-earth-ice-growing-or-shrinking/
. 

As shutdown continues, concerns mount over its impact on climate
science. In the era of the Internet, the government's decision to
shut down access to websites and data sets has made research
difficult for many weather and climate researchers. Take Bruce
Vaughn, who runs a climate science lab at the University of
Colorado, Boulder. His lab analyzes samples of greenhouse gases
collected from around the world by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059988345/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

FUELS

Analysis - California oil well acid rules could sway U.S. policy.
New California regulations on the use of corrosive acids in oil
production are sparking debates among federal energy regulators
about rules for a technology largely overshadowed by the fracking
method of extracting oil. Signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown
two weeks ago, the new rules require companies to disclose the
acids and hydraulic fracturing chemicals they use and notify
neighbours of plans, as well as launching studies of how both
affect the environment. Posted.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/10/03/uk-california-oil-analysis-idUKBRE9920ZU20131003

 
Clean Energy to sell renewable gas at the pump. Shares of Clean
Energy Fuels Corp (CLNE.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
fell 5.8 percent on Thursday after the company said it would
distribute a renewable natural gas made from organic waste at
some of its fueling stations, disappointing investors who had bid
up the stock this week on the chief executive's Twitter promise
of "big news." Shares of the provider of natural gas for
transportation fell 80 cents to close at $12.99 on the Nasdaq.
Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/03/us-cleanenergyfuels-stock-idUSBRE9920XA20131003


Clean Energy Launches Renewable Natural Gas Fuel.  Fleets that
want to use an even "greener" alternative fuel than natural gas
can now purchase renewable natural gas fuel, made from methane
that comes from landfills, large farms and other waste streams,
from Clean Energy.  Clean Energy says it's the first company to
commercially distribute a renewable natural gas vehicle fuel,
which it is branding Redeem. It is available in CNG or LNG form. 
Posted. 
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2013/10/clean-energy-launches-renewable-natural-gas-fuel.aspx


Group cautions on fracking's dangers. A California environmental
group Tuesday released what it touted as a major report on the
national impacts of hydraulic fracturing, underscoring how the
issue remains a top concern among environmentalists. Also known
as fracking, the controversial practice includes injecting
cocktails of water and chemicals deep into the earth to reach
previously unattainable oil deposits. Posted.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/countyelections/ci_24235459/group-cautions-frackings-dangers

http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059988360/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

As sales grow, will there be enough charging stations? David
Peterson of Nissan North America Inc. wants people to think about
electric vehicle charging outside businesses the way they link
free Wi-Fi and Starbucks coffee shops. Starbucks offers Internet
access and attracts customers, said Peterson, EV regional manager
at Nissan. Store owners who give up parking spots and allow
installation of electric car charging stations similarly could
see a boom in business, he said. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059988355/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

GREEN ENERGY

Solar industry eyes untapped heating and cooling market. While
solar power development in the United States has replaced
thousands of megawatts of electricity from conventional power
plants, a huge and largely unfilled gap remains in the solar
power market for using the sun's energy to heat and cool
buildings, a new report from the Solar Energy Industries
Association argues. With aims of filling that gap, SEIA yesterday
published a "road map" to dramatically increase the use of solar
heating and cooling (SHC) systems nationwide…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059988342/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Company fires scientist who warned of Hanford waste site
problems. Walter Tamosaitis and watchdogs believe URS Corp.
retaliated over his warning that the radioactive waste facility
in Hanford, Wash., had safety issues.When senior scientist Walter
Tamosaitis warned in 2011 about fundamental design flaws at the
nation's largest facility to treat radioactive waste in Hanford,
Wash., he was assigned to work in a basement room without office
furniture or a telephone. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-hanford-layoff-20131004,0,1311785.story


OPINIONS

We need climate-change risk assessment.  If the United States
were run like a business, its board of directors would fire its
financial advisers for failing to disclose the significant and
material risks associated with unmitigated climate change.
Managing risk is necessary for individuals, investors, businesses
and governments. As individuals, we buy insurance for our homes,
vehicles and health because the future is unpredictable. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-climate-change-risk-assessment/2013/10/03/d4f70e3c-2bb5-11e3-8ade-a1f23cda135e_story.html


Challenging CARB’s emissions auction.  United Ag sponsored a
Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) presentation in Santa Maria of its
lawsuit against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) auction
of carbon dioxide emission allowances for billions of dollars. 
CARB estimates the auctions will generate $70 billion by 2020,
and California’s 2013 budget was balanced with at least $500
million in auction proceeds.  Posted. 
http://www.lompocrecord.com/news/opinion/editorial/challenging-carb-s-emissions-auction/article_6c1e5c48-2cbf-11e3-9397-0019bb2963f4.html


Editorial: EPA ahead of the tech curve on coal rule. From afar,
it may appear that California has no stake in a regulation
proposed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency that all
new coal-fueled power plants employ carbon capture-and-storage
technology. After all, coal currently accounts for less than 1
percent of electricity generated in the Golden State, according
the California Energy Commission. And even that tiny percentage
is more likely to decrease, rather than increase, in coming
years. Posted.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/coal-529086-technology-carbon.html


BLOGS

Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities in the New
Communication Climate. I just returned from my first visit to
Japan, which was limited to a small slice of Tokyo, a megacity
offering a dizzying mix of ancient and modern, exuberant
consumption and reflective modesty. I was there to speak at an
annual forum on the environment organized by the Asahi Shimbun
newspaper.  My talk was “The Daily Planet- An exploration of
issues and opportunities arising as both the media and the
environment enter a period of unprecedented and unpredictable
change.” Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/exploring-the-challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-new-communication-climate/


How the Shutdown May Hurt the Environment. It is far from clear
how badly the country’s environment will be damaged by the
government shutdown. But the immediate prospects are not
promising. Republicans who detest the Environmental Protection
Agency were not bothered in the least by the fact that the agency
furloughed more than 90 percent of its 16,000-plus full and
part-time employees. But people living near toxic waste sites
will be bothered. Posted.
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/how-the-shutdown-may-hurt-the-environment/