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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 14, 2014.
Posted: 15 Aug 2014 16:35:35
ARB Newsclips for August 14, 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. AIR POLLUTION Court throws out EPA permit for Calif. power plant, handing enviros a victory. A federal appeals court yesterday threw out a U.S. EPA air pollution permit for a proposed California natural gas power plant because it did not meet the agency's air quality standards at the time it was issued. The case centered on an August 2011 Prevention of Significant Deterioration, or PSD, permit that EPA awarded to the proposed 600-megawatt Avenal power plant in the San Joaquin Valley. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060004441/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE Should You Fear the Pizzly Bear? The emergence of the Eastern coyote, however, shows how human activity can break down the barriers that separate species. Perhaps the most obvious way in which humanity is altering the natural world is through climate change. The Arctic, where its effects are especially evident, is warming between two and four times as fast as the rest of the planet. Spring thaws now arrive weeks earlier; winter freezes come weeks later. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/magazine/should-you-fear-the-pizzly-bear.html?_r=0 Expanding Existing Farmland Would Benefit Climate. With worldwide food production expected to double by 2050, it's almost inevitable that agriculture is going to have to expand in a warming world with a growing population. A new study suggests that if new farmland is created carefully, billions of tons of carbon emissions could be saved. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/expanding-existing-farmland-would-benefit-climate_60780629 WATER BOND Californians to vote on $7.5 billion water plan. Driven to action by the state's historic drought, California lawmakers on Wednesday voted to place a $7.5 billion water plan before voters in November. The measure marks the largest investment in decades in the state's water infrastructure and is designed to build reservoirs, clean up contaminated groundwater and promote water-saving technologies. Posted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_WATER_BALLOT_MEASURE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/08/14/us-usa-california-drought-idINKBN0GE02H20140814 http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/13/6626961/california-lawmakers-reach-deal.html http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/08/14/lawmakers-reach-deal-on-7-5b-water-bond.html http://www.kmph-kfre.com/story/26280712/voters-will-decide-on-water-bond-in-november http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20140814/californians-to-vote-on-75-billion-water-plan#2 http://www.kgoradio.com/common/page.php?id=86914 COBBLED-TOGETHER WATER BOND WON’T STAVE OFF DROUGHT “You know why there are so many whitefish in the Yellowstone River?” asked Montana-based landscape artist Russell Chatham, in his 1978 book. “Because the Fish and Game people have never done anything to help them.” I keep that quotation in mind whenever the government promises to solve a problem, especially a big one that promises to tame nature. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/aug/14/tp-cobbled-together-water-bond-wont-stave-off/ DROUGHT Brazil's biggest city faces rationing amid drought. Brazil's biggest city is running out of water and options. The worst drought to hit the Sao Paulo region in 84 years is forcing local authorities for the second time in a year to put water pumps below the gates of the main reservoir, where the level has dropped sharply, so water can flow to the city's 9 million people. Federal prosecutors are also demanding that state officials immediately present a plan for water rationing, warning that otherwise the reservoir could go dry. Posted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_BRAZIL_DRY_SAO_PAULO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT How dust could be the solution to Calif.'s drought. With 80 percent of California in a state of extreme drought, you wouldn't think dust would be the answer to the state's water woes. New research presented in San Francisco yesterday suggests, however, that dusty air blown across the Pacific Ocean from Asia and Africa could be influencing precipitation in the region. In a presentation at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society yesterday, Kim Prather from the University of California…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060004473/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY FRACKING Fracking Disclosures Erased From Website, Group Says. The oil and gas industry is ignoring a requirement to get permits before using diesel in hydraulic fracturing, putting at risk drinking water supplies near wells, an environmental watchdog group reported. The Environmental Integrity Project combed through data on an industry-backed website and found 351 wells since 2010 that were fracked with chemicals that match the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of diesel. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-13/fracking-disclosures-erased-from-website-group-says.html Diesel is used in fracking without permits, report says. Energy companies have used thousands of gallons of diesel to frack for oil and gas without obtaining the necessary permits required under federal law, according to a new report by the Environmental Integrity Project. The watchdog group's review of industry and federal data from 2010 to 2014, released Wednesday, found 351 wells in 12 states that used diesel in fracking. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fracking-diesel-20140814-story.html?track=rss VEHICLES Are Hydrogen Cars a Threat to Electric Cars? California's $46.6 million bet on hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles is testing the theory, "if you build it, they will come." Automakers are only just starting to bring fuel cell cars to the market and most are beta test cars, according to Chris White, communications director for the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento. There are about 300 fuel cell cars and buses on the road in the state today, according to that organization. Posted. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/build-california-invests-millions-hydrogen-fueling-stations/story?id=24962830 California Revealed As Instigator of the Eight State ZEV Action Plan (page 6). From Michigan to Shanghai, government directives and incentives are encouraging PEVs onto roads. Meanwhile at California’s instigation, a group of like-minded US states have taken a pledge to advance the cause. Posted. http://www.thebatteryshow.com/assets/files/show-preview-magazine-final-digital.pdf The Oregon Trail. Ashley Horvat, Chief EV Officer at the Oregon DOT, explains how the recent eight-state ZEV Action Plan is the textbook to which participating states will turn to achieve a low-carbon environment and a clean efficient transportation system. The Action Plan, released in May 2014, is setting the bar for the promotion of zero emission vehicles by aiming to put 3.3 million on the road by 2025 and thus offering the prospect of a much cleaner and healthier environment in the USA. Posted. http://www.evtechexpo.com/media/news/2014/08/12/the-oregon-trail/ DOE to award more than $55M to 31 projects for plug-in and efficient vehicle technologies; Delphi receives $10M to further GDCI. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding more than $55 million to 31 new projects to accelerate research and development of vehicle technologies that will improve fuel efficiency and reduce costs under a program-wide funding opportunity announced in January. (DE-FOA-0000991, earlier post.) Posted. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/08/20140814-doe.html HIGH-SPEED RAIL Lack of land slows work on California bullet train project. The Hollywood Inn, a shuttered nightclub in a run-down section of Fresno, has been demolished. A few miles away, an 80-foot-deep shaft to test soil conditions has been sunk into the banks of the Fresno River. Officials say such activities, along with recent legal victories and new long-term state funding, show genuine progress on the $68-billion high-speed-rail project that would link the state's major cities with 220-mph train service. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-bullet-train-land-20140814-story.html#page=1 California bullet train scores new victory. High Speed Rail already has authorized the purchase of more than 600 parcels -- and can now negotiate on 158 new parcels in the pathway of the bullet train. Those properties can be acquired through eminent domain. One of those properties belongs to Helen Sullivan, of M&S Farming in Kings County. Posted. http://www.kcra.com/news/california-bullet-train-scores-new-victory/27463570#!bDobTz GREEN ENERGY Catholic Charities will host solar event Saturday. The Catholic Charities Diocese of Stockton will host an event Saturday for residents interested in going solar. No, you don’t have to be Catholic to participate. The diocese has entered into a partnership with Oakland-based solar provider Sungevity to make it easier for parishioners and the general public to switch to solar power. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/article/20140813/A_NEWS/140819923/101094/A_NEWS NRG Energy Buys Solar Start-Up Goal Zero. NRG Energy, one of the country’s largest independent power producers, is getting into the mobile solar business with the acquisition of a start-up called Goal Zero, company executives said on Thursday. Goal Zero makes solar-charged battery packs that can fit in a handbag and mobile generators that could run the main components of a home. Posted. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/nrg-energy-buys-solar-start-up-goal-zero/ MISCELLANEOUS Sierra Club: UCI is coolest for being greenest. They focused on the little things, like not serving meat on Mondays in the dining halls and offering “hydration stations,” where students can fill reusable bottles with filtered water. Add to that, campus leaders took steps to reduce energy use by 23 percent in just five years. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/uci-631656-energy-school.html OPINIONS Local projects can keep the water flowing in L.A. To the editor: There's no denying Jim Newton's point that the issue of how water is sourced and distributed throughout California is contentious. Yet the future of Los Angeles' water supply is less about fighting others for water than it is about making smart investments and using ratepayer dollars wisely. ("The contentious, complicated fight for water in California," Op-Ed, Aug. 10). Posted. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0814-thursday-water-drought-20140814-story.html Our View: Central Valley delegation led way on California water bond. It’s not often something happens deserving of the word “monumental,” especially when discussing the legislative process. This might be one of those times. With the Northern San Joaquin Valley delegation playing a pivotal role, and agreeing to trust a governor who is following in the footsteps of his father, an agreement was reached Wednesday on a water bond that could signal a victory in California’s legendary water wars. Posted. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2014/08/13/3794563/our-view-central-valley-delegation.html?sp=/99/177/#storylink=cpy Clean up big vehicles for a healthier California: Opinion. If California is going to meet clean air and climate goals, we have to tackle pollution from the transportation sector. State emission reduction programs like AB 32 have an important role to play, but there is also a need for targeted investment and incentives. This is especially true for heavy-duty diesel vehicles such as trucks, buses and off-road equipment. Posted. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20140813/clean-up-big-vehicles-for-a-healthier-california-opinion BLOGS Tesla is becoming the 800-pound green jobs gorilla. I don’t even have a car, but I have a soft spot for the folks at Tesla Motors. They’re doing some really cool things with electric car batteries and solar. They melted my cold heart when they reopened the Nummi plant in Fremont, Calif. I’m someone whose entire family was once employed by some aspect of the auto industry. When Nummi became Tesla, it felt like a happy ending to some of the most boneheaded maneuvers that General Motors ever pulled. Posted. http://grist.org/business-technology/tesla-is-becoming-the-800-pound-green-jobs-gorilla/ Lloyd’s Warns Sea Level Rise, Land Subsidence Imperil Many ‘Megacities’. A bulletin from Lloyd’s of London warns that, “as sea levels rise, ground levels in coastal megacities are also falling – with potentially disastrous implications for insurers. Insurers of large property portfolios in the world’s great coastal cities will have factored the effects of climate change into their catastrophe models – including rising sea levels and more frequent storm surges. But what’s often missed is that many of these cities are sinking faster than the water is rising. Posted. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2014/08/13/337421.htm Water Bond Heads to November Ballot as Proposition 1. A plan to spend $7.5 billion on water projects across California is on its way to the November ballot. The water bond measure — officially the “Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014” — passed both houses with near-unanimous support Wednesday night. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2014/08/14/california-water-bond-proposition-1 Will Mazda sell diesel hybrids in Japan in 2016? Could the "Zoom Zoom" automaker start making hybrids that go "glug glug glug"? Mazda, known for its fuel-efficient Skyactiv engine line, will be the first Japanese automaker to make a diesel-hybrid vehicle for Japan and Europe. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, Mazda may start making its oil-burning hybrids as soon as 2016…Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2014/08/14/will-mazda-sell-diesel-hybrids-in-japan-in-2016/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.