What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for January 9, 2014. 

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 Players Predict.  Offset Market Growth in 2014. Things
were quieter than expected in the California offset market last
year, but that’s likely to change in the New Year, a report by
the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) predicts. California’s
cap-and-trade program officially launched in January 2013, and
the launch brought expectations of strong trading activity in the
offset market because compliance entities are allowed to use
offsets from uncapped sectors to meet up to 8% of their
compliance obligations. Posted.
http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=10139§ion=news_articles&eod=1


Budget Proposal Would Spend Cap and Trade Money.  As expected,
Governor Brown wants to invest a large portion of money raised
from carbon auctions on High Speed Rail. The proposal includes
$300 million for construction and integration of the rail system
that he’s pitched as an environmentally-friendly alternative to
cars.  He also proposes investing in low carbon transportation,
sustainable communities and clean energy.  Posted. 
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/01/08/budget-proposal-would-spend-cap-and-trade-money/
 

Finite Carbon and Potlatch register forest carbon project with
California Air Resources Board compliance offset market.  Finite
Carbon and Potlatch Corporation announced the successful
completion and registration of the Finite Carbon – Moro Big Pine
CE Improved Forest Management Early Action Offset Project with
the California Air Resources Board. Located on 15,809 acres in
south-central Arkansas, Moro Big Pine is the nation’s first and
only improved forest management (IFM) compliance offset
project…Posted. 
http://www.lesprom.com/news/Finite_Carbon_and_Potlatch_register_forest_carbon_project_with_California_Air_Resources_Board_compliance_offset_market_59844/?lng=eng


Gov. Brown diverts Calif. cap-and-trade money again, to cheers
rather than jeers. Last year, California environmental groups
howled when Gov. Jerry Brown (D) diverted half a billion dollars
from the auction of carbon dioxide permits to bolster the state's
financial reserves. The news this week that Brown wants to keep
the lion's share of the money for at least another year was met
with muted criticism, however, as environmentalists were lured by
another piece of news: $600 million of cap-and-trade money would
go for renewable energy… Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059992624/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

AIR POLLUTION

Hong Kong Warns Against Outdoor Activity as Pollution Rises. Hong
Kong said it will probably experience elevated levels of air
pollution “for a while” as light winds fail to disperse
pollutants, prompting the government to warn residents to reduce
outdoor activity. The Air Quality Health Index should be in the
“moderate” to “very high” range in the afternoon, rising from
“low to high” in the morning, according to forecasts by the
city’s Environmental Protection Department. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-01-08/heavy-hong-kong-smog-prompts-warning-to-reduce-outdoor-activity.html


China Vehicle Sales Seen Slowing on Pollution Controls.  China’s
main car association forecast that the world’s biggest automobile
market will see slower growth this year as anti-pollution and
austerity campaigns spread. China, which in 2013 became the first
country to see domestic sales surpass 20 million units a year,
will see deliveries rise as much as 10 percent in 2014 after last
year’s 14 percent growth, the state-backed China Association of
Automobile Manufacturers said yesterday. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-09/china-vehicle-sales-climb-past-20-million-as-smog-chokes-cities.html
 

EPA moves to cut woodstove pollution.  The smell of wood smoke
wafting on a cold winter's night may be a hallmark of life in
many states, but the federal government says it also may be a
health hazard. The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday
moved to reduce pollution from new woodstoves, wood boilers and
pellet stoves used for heating purposes starting in 2015. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2014/01/09/3125629/epa-moves-to-cut-woodstove-pollution.html#storylink=cpy
 

Wildfire smoke exposure may do lifelong harm.  Smoky summer days
in Davis have led researchers to find for the first time evidence
that being exposed in infancy to high levels of fine-particle
pollution harms the development of the immune system’s ability to
fight disease. The study also found that exposure negatively
impacts the development of normal lung function, according to
immunologist Lisa Miller, the head of the respiratory diseases
group and associate director of research at the California
National Primate Center. Posted.
http://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/ucd/wildfire-smoke-exposure-may-do-lifelong-harm/#cat_features


Tesoro refinery to pay $472,000 in air pollution penalties. The
Tesoro oil refinery has agreed to pay $472,000 in civil penalties
for 35 alleged air pollution violations -- some related to a 2010
emission release that triggered shelter in place warnings to
neighbors. The Bay Area Air Quality District reported Wednesday
that it reached the settlement with the Tesoro's Golden Eagle
refinery east of Martinez to resolve a series of district
violation notices between 2009 and 2011. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_24872129/tesoro-refinery-pay-472-000-air-pollution-penalties

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_24872129/tesoro-refinery-pay-472-000-air-pollution-penalties?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com


 Yolo-Solano breathing easy.  Residents in Northern Solano County
can breathe a bit easier, air officials said this week, but that
doesn't mean air quality should be taken for granted.  For 360
days in 2013 the air quality in the Yolo-Solano Air Quality
Management District was healthy, according to the annual report
published by the district this week.  The report includes data on
air quality through 2013 and information on the district's
programs, achievements and goals and can be viewed in its
entirety online at ysaqmd.org/reports…Posted. 
http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_24875637/yolo-solano-breathing-easy


FUELS

EPA to require S. Calif. offshore fracking reports. Oil and gas
companies that are fracking off the Southern California coast
must report chemicals discharged into the ocean under a new rule
released Thursday by federal environmental regulators. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency published the requirement in the
federal register, and will become effective March 1. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/epa-to-require-calif-offshore-fracking-reports/2014/01/09/8b6ffec4-7947-11e3-a647-a19deaf575b3_story.html


As Winter Takes Hold, Plunging Temperatures Test Utilities.  The
short-term price of natural gas in the Northeast eased on
Wednesday after surging during the cold snap this week, but many
consumers face the prospect of higher bills as utilities seek to
pass along the added costs. Already, several utilities, including
Connecticut Light and Power as well as National Grid and NStar,
which serve Massachusetts, have recently announced increases in
their retail electricity rate as they struggle to meet peak
periods of demand. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/09/business/energy-environment/as-winter-takes-hold-plunging-temperatures-test-utilities.html


GREEN ENERGY

POLL: Green power should replace nuclear poll: green power over
nuclear.  A majority of utility customers in San Diego and Orange
counties say climate change considerations should weigh in
replacing power from the recently retired San Onofre nuclear
plant, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Sierra
Club. The survey conducted by Raleigh, N.C.-based Public Policy
Polling found 51 percent of utility customers believe the
“potential impact on climate disruption” should be a major
consideration in replacing San Onofre. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jan/09/tp-poll-green-power-should-replace-nuclear-poll/
 

Solar energy to power iconic Vegas welcome sign.  Officials in
Las Vegas are harnessing the power of the sun to light the city's
iconic welcome sign. Elected officials and project leaders
flipped a switch Wednesday linking solar panels on 25-foot towers
to the glittering neon "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. The
project was headed by the Green Chips and Clean Energy Project
nonprofit organizations…Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jan/09/solar-energy-to-power-iconic-vegas-welcome-sign/


Marines are molding energy savings along with young troops.
Richard Hatcher is devoted to saving energy, but there are some
things he refuses to do to save kilowatts -- like changing the
strict training regimen to teach young Marines how to survive in
the toughest of circumstances. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059992623/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

BLOGS

Four reasons California cap and trade had an extraordinary first
year. In California, we’ve just marked the one year birthday of
the state’s landmark cap-and-trade program, a market-based
approach to reducing the Golden State’s carbon pollution to 1990
levels by 2020. EDF thinks it’s a pretty big deal, and we’re not
alone: the program weighed in at number one on Time’s top 10
green stories of 2013. Posted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/edfenergyexchange/2014/01/08/four-reasons-california-cap-and-trade-had-an-extraordinary-first-year/?ss=business%3Aenergy


Green Groups Rip Jerry Brown for Tapping Cap and Trade to Fund
Train. California Governor Jerry Brown's plan to spend millions
from the state's cap-and-trade program on his high-speed rail
project set off a firestorm from powerful environmental groups.
Last year, the controversial bullet train system, which aims to
connect Los Angeles and San Francisco, had $9 billion in state
funding blocked due to unsuccessful litigation surrounding the
project. Posted.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/01/08/Green-Groups-Assail-Gov-Brown-for-Tapping-Cap-and-Trade-to-Fund-Bullet-Train


New Study Links PM 2.5 Pollution, Immune System Damage.
Researchers at the California National Primate Research Center &
UC Davis examined the health effects of exposure to PM2.5 on
primates, in a study funded by the California Air Resources
Board. A new study suggests that exposure to wildfire smoke can
result in reduced immune system function. The study, funded by
the California Air Resources board, looked at primates which were
exposed to unusually high levels of fine particulate matter or
PM2.5 for 10 days in 2008, during a number of wildfires. Posted.
http://kvpr.org/post/new-study-links-pm-25-pollution-immune-system-damage
 

Ignore Climate Change at Your Peril. "Extremely dangerous," "Do
not travel" -- these are the phrases that have welcomed in the
new year along the East Coast of the United States. Extreme
weather caused thousands of flights to be delayed, placed the
elderly and other vulnerable people at risk due to the extreme
cold and impacted negatively on supply chains. The increasing
risk of extreme weather events due to climate change has been
acknowledged by President Obama. Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-robinson/ignore-climate-change-at-_b_4561649.html


Auto Dealer Emissions Certification Bill Clears House, Heads To
Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a step toward
enabling automobile dealers to bypass a law requiring them to
provide emissions certification on cars and light trucks, a rule
that auto dealers say adds burdensome red tape to the buying
process. Lawmakers on Wednesday voted unanimously in favor of the
bill, which would repeal a 1977 mandate aimed at ensuring that
vehicles sold in the United States conform with the Clean Air Act
aimed at reducing air pollution. Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/08/auto-dealers-emissions-bill_n_4564182.html


Bentley's SUV will be first of many plug-in hybrids.  Bentley is
not exactly a company known for its environmental credentials.
Sure, it recently cut its water usage down by over a third, and
given the relatively small number of vehicles it produces, the
British firm's overall impact on the environment may be
negligible compared to mass-market rivals. And of course, its
affluent customers are hardly likely to feel the pinch of rising
fuel costs, so Bentley's idea of engine downsizing has been going
from twelve cylinders to eight. Posted.
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/08/bentley-suv-phev-plug-in-hybrid/


Making driving less energy-intensive than flying.  Currently, the
energy intensity (BTU per person mile) of driving is 57% greater
than that of flying, according to a new analysis by Dr. Michael
Sivak, Director, Sustainable Worldwide Transportation at the
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
To make driving less energy intensive than flying, the fuel
economy of the entire US fleet of light-duty vehicles would have
to improve from the current 21.5 mpg (10.9 l/100 km)…Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/01/making-driving-less-energy-intensive-than-flying20140109-sivak.html