What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for July 8, 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

Christie administration is pulling N.J. away -- again -- from
regional cap and trade. Gov. Chris Christie (R) may have fallen
out of love with cap and trade years ago, but his state is still
struggling to complete the divorce papers. New Jersey has been
trying to extricate itself from the Regional Greenhouse Gas
Initiative -- a cap-and-trade system spanning nine states in the
Northeast -- since 2011, when Christie first suspended
participation in the program. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060002461/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

AIR POLLUTION

‘Illegal’ La Honda oil refinery faces shutdown.  The state of
California and Bay Area air regulators are trying to shut down a
La Honda oil refinery they say has been illegally operating
without a permit for 16 years and spewing potential pollution
into the air and water.  The state and the Bay Area Air Quality
Management District claims that Costa Loma Limited Corporation
and owner James M. Wilkinson have never had a valid permit and
missed numerous deadlines to become compliant with standards to
qualify for legal operations.  Posted. 
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2014-07-08/illegal-la-honda-oil-refinery-faces-shutdown/1776425126233.html


CLIMATE CHANGE

Picking Lesser of Two Climate Evils.  Climate scientists long ago
settled among themselves the question of whether human emissions
of greenhouse gases are a problem, concluding that we are running
some grave risks. But the field still features vigorous debate
about how bad global warming will get, how quickly, and how to
combat it. One of the biggest fights involves how much effort to
put into stopping leaks of methane gas into the atmosphere.
Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/08/science/climate-methane-global-warming.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw%2C[%22RI%3A7%22%2C%22RI%3A12%22]&_r=0
 

Oregon county looks at effects of climate change. Everybody talks
about climate change. Now Benton County is trying to do something
about it. The Benton County Climate Change Adaptation Plan,
recently released in draft form, describes potential impacts of a
warming climate on Benton County over the next century or so and
outlines possible strategies for dealing with those impacts.
Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/07/6538947/oregon-county-looks-at-effects.html##storylink=cpy
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Oregon-county-looks-at-effects-of-climate-change-5604805.php
 

Scientist's vine research could illuminate climate change. Stefan
Schnitzer wields an unusual instrument for a scientist - a
machete. Schnitzer, of the School of Freshwater Sciences at the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute, studies woody vines in the tropical forests
of Panama - work that has him traipsing through the forest and
hacking away at vines to study the impact of their growth on the
trees around them. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/08/6540382/scientists-vine-research-could.html#storylink=cpy


Silicon Valley tech firms focus on energy efficiency to confront
climate change.  As President Barack Obama pushes ahead on a
strategy for confronting climate change that relies heavily on
energy efficiency, some Americans may see flashbacks of Jimmy
Carter trying to persuade them to wear an extra sweater and turn
down the thermostat.  Silicon Valley sees dollar signs.  Posted. 
http://www.contracostatimes.com/News/ci_26088160/Silicon-Valley-tech-firms-focus-on


Cooperation, Ingenuity Needed to Halt Climate Catastrophe. 
Carbon emissions have been rising since the start of the
Industrial Revolution. But they'll have to be curbed soon, and
sharply, to keep the globe from warming above "safe" levels. A
new report lays out avenues to get there and shows that while
it's possible, it'll take a little human ingenuity and a lot of
global cooperation. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/cooperation-ingenuity-needed-to-halt-climate-catastrophe_48941568


DROUGHT

A California Oil Field Yields Another Prized Commodity. The
115-year-old Kern River oil field unfolds into the horizon,
thousands of bobbing pumpjacks seemingly occupying every corner
of a desert landscape here in California’s Central Valley. A
contributor to the state’s original oil boom, it is still going
strong as the nation’s fifth-largest oil field, yielding 70,000
barrels a day. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/08/us/california-drought-chevron-oil-field-water-irrigation.html?_r=0


California water district recycling wastewater. A Northern
California water district is offering residents recycled
wastewater to use on their lawns and plants, as it tries to cut
water use during the drought. The Contra Costa Times reports
(http://bit.ly/1otNMtY) that about 60 people are now making
regular runs for the water from the Dublin San Ramon Services
District, which also provides sewage services. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/07/6538755/california-water-district-recycling.html#storylink=cpy


Sacramento Local Online Ad Network: Thoughts about public trust
from a state official. It was almost 6 p.m. at the California
State Water Resources Control Board meeting that began at 9 a.m.
when Board member Tam Doduc said, “I’m going to say something
that I very rarely talk about.”  Previously, she said she had to
leave for another meeting at 4 p.m. but stayed on, perhaps to
make what for a government board member is unusually frank.
Posted.
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=26238 

California drought: In-N-Out, Chipotle raising prices due to
rising food costs.  That Double-Double you’ve been craving from
In-N-Out Burger just got pricier and more price hikes are on the
way, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA
projects that the price of beef and veal will rise 5.5 to 6.5
percent this year and that poultry prices will increase 3 to 4
percent. Dairy products will likewise see a 3 to 4 percent jump,
with egg prices rising 5 to 6 percent. Posted.
http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20140707/california-drought-in-n-out-chipotle-raising-prices-due-to-rising-food-costs


FUELS

EU Funds First Large-Scale Clean Fuel Project. U.K. Coal-Powered
Plant to Test Carbon Capture and Storage Technology. Europe's
first large-scale project to turn coal into a clean fuel was
given hundreds of millions of euros by the European Union
Tuesday, reviving hopes that the technology could finally get off
the ground. The EU's climate change chief, Connie Hedegaard, said
the funding would help the technology "make a substantial step
forward" in Europe…Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/eu-funds-first-large-scale-clean-fuel-project-1404834975#printMode


GREEN ENERGY

Alternative-Energy Funds See Renewed Buying by Investors. While
the boom in U.S. natural gas has generated excitement among
investors and companies alike, the renewable-energy sector has
been having a moment of its own. Investors are pumping more money
into funds and projects dedicated to clean energy, such as solar
and wind power. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/alternative-energy-funds-see-renewed-buying-by-investors-1404679622


Daniel Yergin on the Future of Energy: Big Gains for Coal and
Natural Gas. The Energy Expert Says Change Comes Slowly to the
Industry. The world will soon run out of its most important
energy resource because supplies are "becoming exhausted." To
stave off disaster, there must be a quick shift to wind power.
Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/daniel-yergin-on-the-future-of-energy-big-gains-for-coal-and-natural-gas-1404764096?KEYWORDS=climate+change


"Microgrids" offer energy security and independence.  The
periodic blackouts in Cassina Tarsia's Oceanside neighborhood
meant the 71-year-old couldn't charge her cellphone or electric
wheelchair.  But outages aren't a problem anymore.  Since
February, Tarsia's garage has housed a suitcase-sized battery
that stores power from her rooftop solar panels and the main
electrical grid. Posted. 
http://www.insidebayarea.com/Business/ci_26102724/%22Microgrids%22-offer-energy-security-and-independence


2 solar giants aim to own it all. SolarCity is America's largest
financier and installer of rooftop solar panels. SunPower is one
of the country's biggest solar-panel manufacturers. From opposite
ends of the supply chain, the two California firms have declared
their plans to become vertically integrated, just like the major
oil companies. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060002464/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Device Cuts 93% of Harmful Emissions from Lawnmowers. A team of
University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering
students have won an EPA student design contest for a device they
created that curbs harmful pollutant emitted from lawnmowers by
93 percent.The students developed the device – an “L” shaped
piece of stainless steel that attaches to the lawnmower where its
muffler was – because small engine devices produce significant
harmful emissions. Posted.
http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=20425 

OPINIONS

Valley air needs cleaning up, and oil companies must help. 
During the school year, I drive my two sons, ages 6 and 3, to
school in downtown Fresno. As a Central Valley mom, I have to
include one more step in my morning routine -- checking the air
quality flag. For those who don't know, right under the American
flag and the California flag at Yokomi Elementary is a
color-coded flag representing the severity of air pollution that
day.  Posted. 
http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/hot-topics/x634490612/Valley-air-needs-cleaning-up-and-oil-companies-must-help
 

BLOGS

Why Will Economic Growth Be Slower in 2060 Across the Globe? The
global economy is one thing that may not be getting better with
time. Aging populations, climate change, decelerating growth in
emerging economies and rising inequality threaten to drag down
global growth in the next five decades, according to a recent
report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development. Posted.
http://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/why-will-economic-growth-be-slower-in-2060-across-the-world-1527/?KEYWORDS=climate+change

Regulation & Environment: Cap & Trade comes to California oil
product markets. California’s cap and trade law has been reality
for a wide variety of CO2 emitters for several years. But they
are all stationary sources. In January, it moves to a moving kind
of source: motor vehicles. In this week’s Oilgram News column,
Regulation & Environment, John Kingston, fresh off a trip to the
state’s capital city of Sacramento, discusses the implementation
of the law in the fuels business. Posted.
http://blogs.platts.com/2014/07/07/california-cap-trade-fuels/ 

Raising farms and preparing for climate change in Bangladesh.
When Barry Evans, a 71-year-old retired engineer from Eureka,
Calif., went to Bangladesh this spring as a volunteer for Save
The Children, he was packing some heavy cynicism along with his
lightweight tropical clothing. “I thought this would just be a
band-aid job, a rich country throwing a bit of help to some very
poor people.” Posted.
http://www.realsolutionstoclimatechange.com/raising-farms-and-preparing-for-climate-change-in-bangladesh/#more-287




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