What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for June 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

Truckers, Business Leaders Rally Against ‘Hidden’ Gas Tax.
Southland truck drivers and local business leaders Thursday
staged a protest over what they say is a hidden gas tax under
California’s “cap and trade” program. Supporters of the “Tank the
Tax” effort warn that consumers and small businesses could see an
increase of 12 cents or more at the pump beginning in 2015, when
the California Air Resources Board is set to move fuels under the
cap-and-trade…Posted. 
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/06/05/truckers-business-leaders-to-rally-against-hidden-gas-tax/


Bump at pump in January to help speed bullet train project.
California drivers are going to see a bump at the pump starting
Jan. 1 - with a good chunk of the money going to kick-start Gov.
Jerry Brown's struggling high-speed rail project. Reason:
Starting next year, tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks will
come under California's cap-and-trade program, which is designed
to reduce greenhouse gases. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Bump-at-pump-in-January-to-help-speed-bullet-5538049.php?cmpid=hp-hc-bayarea


Group to unveil carbon tax today that would give most Americans
$132 a month. The Citizens Climate Lobby will release a plan
today for a carbon tax that proposes mailing monthly checks to
nearly every American, including children. The California-based
group supports enacting a $10 tax on each ton of carbon dioxide
in 2016. It would raise an estimated $56 billion in the first
year, enough to provide a family of four with $44 in monthly
rebates in 2016, supporters say. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060000918/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

AIR POLLUTION

Global auto component makers gear up for China’s tougher emission
rules. Global companies that specialize in making vehicle
emissions cleaner are rushing to take advantage of Beijing's war
on pollution, as Chinese automakers look to comply with tougher
regulations in the world's biggest auto market. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/08/uk-china-autos-pollution-idUSKBN0EJ0WN20140608


Scientists explore using trees to clean pollution.  Before
Houston and its suburbs were built, a dense forest naturally
purified the coastal air along a stretch of the Texas Gulf Coast
that grew thick with pecan, ash, live oak and hackberry trees. It
was the kind of pristine woodland that was mostly wiped out by
settlers in their rush to clear land and build communities.
Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/jun/08/scientists-explore-using-trees-to-clean/#ixzz34A48VlrA
  

Chinese group launches app to shame polluters.  A Chinese
environmental group launched a smartphone app on Monday that
tracks and shames polluting factories, highlighting how the
country is making environmental data more available and enabling
public monitoring of companies that pollute. The app gives, where
available, hourly updates on emissions reported by factories to
local authorities and shows the plants as color-coded points on a
map, with violators of emissions limits in red. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jun/09/chinese-group-launches-app-to-shame-polluters/


Bay Area heats up, residents asked to 'spare the air'.  As
temperatures soar this week, the Bay Area Air Quality Management
District is calling a second consecutive Spare the Air Day for
the region on Monday.  The alert was issued as air district
officials predict a high level of air pollution and smog
throughout the Bay Area on Monday.  Posted. 
http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local/bay-area-heats-residents-asked-spare-air/ngGt4/
 

Some states push back against proposed EPA carbon rule. Legal
challenges to U.S. EPA's proposed rule on power plant carbon
won't be possible until a final version is released next year,
but that hasn't stopped a number of states from laying
foundations for resistance. Nineteen states -- nearly all of
which either produce or consumer significant quantities of coal
-- have introduced resolutions targeting the proposed rule.
Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060000921/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

Tom Steyer’s slow, and ongoing, conversion from fossil-fuels
investor to climate activist. At the base of the mountain, Tom
Steyer was a billionaire hedge-fund manager with oil and gas
investments and a seemingly conflicted conscience. But by the
time he and environmentalist Bill McKibben finished a hike up two
tall Adirondacks peaks on that summer day in 2012, Steyer had
revealed that he was ready to change his life — he would unload
his investments in fossil fuels and become an activist in the
fight against global warming. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/tom-steyers-slow-and-ongoing-conversion-from-fossil-fuels-investor-to-climate-activist/2014/06/08/6478da2e-ea68-11e3-b98c-72cef4a00499_story.html?wprss=rss_national


In Some States, Emissions Cuts Defy Skeptics. The cries of
protest have been fierce, warning that President Obama’s plan to
cut greenhouse gases from power plants will bring soaring
electricity bills and even plunge the nation into blackouts. By
the time the administration is finished, one prominent critic
said, “millions of Americans will be freezing in the dark.”
Posted.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/science/in-some-states-emissions-cuts-defy-skeptics.html


S.F. waterfront development must prepare for rising seas. Now
that San Francisco voters have said they want final say on
waterfront development, we'll see if they have the courage and
smarts to tackle the real job at hand - facing up to the need to
deal with rising sea levels. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/S-F-waterfront-development-must-prepare-for-5536682.php


McCarthy keeps up carbon rule outreach. Environmental Protection
Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy hits the road this week to
tout the power plants carbon rule she unveiled days ago.
McCarthy, who has embraced her role in recent days as a public
spokesperson for President Barack Obama's climate agenda, is to
make four appearances to talk up the regulation. Posted.
http://www.energyguardian.net/mccarthy-keeps-carbon-rule-outreach
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Latin Americans forge ahead with CO2 reduction plans. Climate
change legislation is blazing a path across Latin America in what
analysts say is one of the most promising trends on the horizon
for action against global warming. Over the past year, Guatemala,
Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia and
Peru have all either passed or…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060000922/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

U.S. automakers to weather costs of EPA rule far better than
climate change – study. For automakers, which represent the
United States' largest manufacturing sector, costs incurred from
climate-related disruptions will far outweigh the costs stemming
from the new U.S. EPA power plant rule, according to a recent
report. The study conducted by Business Forward…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060000920/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

DROUGHT

Poll finds little support for drought spending despite broad
awareness. Most Californians surveyed say the statewide drought
has had little or no impact on their daily lives, and a majority
oppose the suspension of environmental protections or large-scale
public spending to boost water supplies, a new USC Dornsife/Los
Angeles Times poll has found. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-poll-drought-20140606-story.html
 

California drought: Voluntary cutback falls short in Bay Area.
Nearly five months after Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought
emergency and asked Californians to use 20 percent less water,
almost everyone believes they're doing their part. Posted. 
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/California-drought-Voluntary-cutback-falls-short-5538084.php


Water rights may be limited for century-old irrigation districts.
Some folks simply don’t trust state leaders when it comes to
protecting their water rights. The State Water Resources Control
Board this month is expected to “curtail” river diversions for
those who established their water rights more than 100 years
ago.
http://www.modbee.com/2014/06/07/3379426/water-rights-may-be-limited-for.html?sp=/99/1623/#storylink=cpy


Water bill with California impacts expected to be signed. San
Clemente’s beach restoration has a long way to go, but a big step
could come this week when President Barack Obama is expected to
sign a water resources bill into law, according to Politico.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/house-617476-committee-california.html
 

FUELS

Methane-slashing powder, new vaccine may help tackle livestock
emissions. Despite being the world's second-largest source of
greenhouse gas emissions -- behind the energy sector -- global
production of beef and dairy products is on the rise. And
scientists around the world are racking their brains on how to
reduce the hefty emissions from this largely ignored sector.
Methane and carbon dioxide are pouring into the air as a result
of farmers clearing land for cattle grazing…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060000893/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

More lawsuits are a foregone conclusion for California high-speed
rail.  When California voters approved $9 billion in funding for
a bullet train in 2008, the ballot measure included the strictest
engineering and spending controls ever placed on a major state
project.  Voters were told that the high-speed trains would hit
220 mph, get from Los Angeles to San Francisco in two hours and
40 minutes…Posted. 
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-bullet-train-battle-20140609-story.html#page=1
 

Kern County Sues State Over California High-Speed Rail Project. 
Kern County is the latest Central Valley government to sue the
state over its $68 billion bullet train plan.  Officials say they
filed suit Friday in Sacramento County Superior Court over the
environmental review for the Fresno to Bakersfield section
approved last month.  Posted. 
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/06/06/kern-county-sues-state-over-california-high-speed-rail-project/
 

Kings County challenges rail's environmental study.  In the
latest challenge to California's $68 billion high-speed-rail
project, Kings County and a group of its residents filed another
lawsuit against the bullet train Thursday, alleging continued
violations of California's Environmental Quality Act and several
other state laws. Posted. 
http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/Kings-County-challenges-rails-environmental-study-262148651.html
 

GREEN ENERGY

Stockton Unified commits to solar.  Solar panels have steadily
been installed at schools throughout Stockton Unified as part of
the district's efforts to conserve energy and save costs. The
panels are paid for by the contractor and leased back to the
district at a reduced price. The panels double as car ports in
the schools' parking lots. Posted.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140607/A_NEWS/406070329/-1/A_NEWS14


MISCELLANEOUS

South Coast Air Quality Management District offers lawn mower
exchange.  Southern California residents can register to get up
to 75 percent in savings on a new electric lawn mower with the
South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Lawn Mower Exchange
Program.  Now in its 12th year, the program helps the wallet and
air quality by trading residents’ used, polluting gas-powered
lawn mowers for cordless battery-electric models.  Posted. 
http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/environment-and-nature/20140606/south-coast-air-quality-management-district-offers-lawn-mower-exchange


OPINIONS

Dan Walters: Senate passes bill to make electricity even more
expensive. There are probably a few people living off the grid in
the backcountry of California, but the other 38 million of us
depend on our local utilities for electric power. That makes us
stakeholders in how that energy is produced, distributed and
priced – the latter accounting for many, many billions of
dollars. One would think that the nearly universal experience of
buying electricity…Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/06/09/6465218/dan-walters-senate-passes-bill.html#mi_rss=Dan%20Walters#storylink=cpy

Interests, Ideology And Climate.  There are three things we know
about man-made global warming. First, the consequences will be
terrible if we don’t take quick action to limit carbon emissions.
Second, in pure economic terms the required action shouldn’t be
hard to take: emission controls, done right, would probably slow
economic growth, but not by much. Third, the politics of action
are nonetheless very difficult. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/opinion/krugman-interests-ideology-and-climate.html?hp&rref=opinion&module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar


New EPA rules are a strong and overdue response to perilous
challenge. The following editorial appeared in the Miami Herald
on Friday, June 6:Faced with the prospect of either bypassing
Congress or doing nothing about America's poisonous
greenhouse-gas emissions, President Obama made the right decision
last week. He set a goal of cutting carbon pollution from power
plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2014/06/09/3381249/new-epa-rules-are-a-strong-and.html#storylink=cpy


Mark Landsbaum: Cap-and-trade plan vs. free market.  Let’s
consider President Barack Obama’s cap-and-trade proposal, by the
numbers.  • 5.9 percent – Environmental Protection Agency’s
predicted increase in your electricity costs by 2020.  • 200
percent – Actual increase in household electricity prices since
the 2000 introduction of Germany’s similar “renewable energy” law
to replace coal, gas-fired and nuclear power generation with
renewable energy, according to Germany’s economy minister. 
Posted. 
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/energy-617296-government-percent.html


Robert J. Samuelson: Obama’s climate fog.  On climate change,
both Barack Obama and his harshest critics — business groups and
Republicans — have a shared interest in exaggerating the impact
of the president’s proposal. By 2030, it would reduce the
electricity sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from
a 2005 base. For Obama, it’s all about legacy. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jun/09/tp-robert-j-samuelson-obamas-climate-fog/


BLOGS

Infographic: Comparing California’s Three Cap-and-Trade Spending
Proposals. In the midst of California’s state budget
negotiations, the legislature must separately decide how to spend
the state’s cap-and-trade revenue, be it on public transit,
high-speed rail, affordable housing near transit, or other
emissions-reducing programs.
http://la.streetsblog.org/2014/06/06/infographic-comparing-californias-three-cap-and-trade-spending-proposals/


Nissan could offer plug-in hybrids by 2016.  Nissan is recharging
the idea of a production plug-in hybrid model. The Japanese
automaker may start making a plug-in hybrid by as soon as late
2015, with deliveries to start in time for the 2016 model year,
Green Car Reports says, citing an interview with company
executive Andy Palmer. Those comments go against what Nissan said
during the North American Auto Show in January. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/06/06/nissan-could-offer-plug-in-hybrids-by-2016/
 

Toyota to start production of hydrogen vehicles in December.
Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will be in showrooms sooner
than planned, the Japan Times reporting that production will
commence in mid-December with the sedan following "by the end of
this year." No reason was given for the new timeline; Toyota has
been saying all along that we'd see it in 2015. Posted.
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/06/08/toyota-hydrogen-fchv-production/
 

Wireless charging set for massive growth by 2020. Count wireless
vehicle charging system sales as yet another sector in which both
supply and demand will soon surge because of the growing
popularity of plug-in vehicles. The relatively nascent inductive
charging market will more than double every year from 2012 to
2020, research firm Frost & Sullivan says. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/06/09/wireless-charging-set-for-massive-growth-by-2020/




California is in a drought emergency.
Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.