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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 19, 2014.

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 14:20:02
ARB Newsclips for August 19, 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

Two reports warn Los Angeles County residents of how climate
change can affect health. Respiratory illnesses, water quality,
and mosquito- and rodent-related diseases will worsen across Los
Angeles County in the next few decades because of climate change,
according to two reports released Monday by public health
officials. “Climate change is arguably the biggest health threat
of this century,” said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of Los
Angeles County Department of Public Health. Posted.
http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20140818/two-reports-warn-los-angeles-county-residents-of-how-climate-change-can-affect-health


Officials schedule practice air alert. Local air officials are
asking Valley residents to participate in a practice air alert by
making and implementing plans to reduce their driving this week.
The goal of the annual Air Alert program is to minimize ozone
levels when conditions that are conducive to ozone formation are
present. These include high temperatures, sunny skies, stagnant
air flow and increased emissions. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/17/6635013/officials-schedule-practive-air.html#storylink=cpy


Study charts health risks of Md. gas drilling. University of
Maryland researchers say there's a high likelihood that shale gas
production in far western Maryland would negatively affect air
quality in the region. The report (http://bit.ly/1oKrWGI )
released Monday also found a high likelihood of negative impacts
on occupational health and local medical systems due to surging
employment in an industry with relatively high risks for
respiratory ailments and truck accidents. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/18/6635595/study-due-on-health-impact-of.html#storylink=cpy


Folsom Dam project spewing more pollution than expected.  The
massive project to improve Folsom Dam is going faster than
scheduled but is also spewing more air pollution than expected,
engineers said Monday.  The project is designed to add another
spillway to the dam so that it can better prevent flooding
following major storms.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which
is overseeing the project, said it has been able to accelerate
the construction thanks to the current drought.  Posted. 
http://www.kcra.com/news/folsom-dam-project-spewing-more-pollution-than-expected/27593204#!bGdBuG


CLIMATE CHANGE

State hearing focuses on cutting greenhouse gases. Illinois
regulators on Monday began formal hearings on how the state
should meet tougher federal limits on pollutants blamed for
global warming, saying they will consult with environmentalists
and industry and will consider working other states on regional
solutions. The Illinois Commerce Commission hearing in Chicago
and Springfield was the first step toward submitting a required
plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency…Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/18/6637024/state-hearing-focuses-on-cutting.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/ICC-holds-hearings-on-cutting-global-warming-gases-5694894.php

http://www.vcstar.com/news/state-hearing-focuses-on-cutting-greenhouse-gases_52983069
 

Maine environmentalists rally about climate change. Maine
environmentalists will gather at a Portland hiking trail to rally
about the impact of climate change on the state's recreational
opportunities. The Natural Resources Council of Maine is hosting
the event Tuesday at Baxter Woods Trail. The council is
assembling people from the medical, conservation and outdoor
recreation communities to release a National Wildlife Federation
report called "Ticked Off." Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Maine-environmentalists-rally-about-climate-change-5697164.php


Iceland warns of possible volcanic eruption.  Iceland has raised
its alert level for the risk of a possible volcanic eruption to
orange —the second-most severe level. The warning comes amid
swarms of earthquakes that have taken place since Saturday in
Bardabunga — a subglacial stratovolcano located under Iceland's
largest glacier. Roads nearby have been closed amid fears an
eruption could lead to massive flooding. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/aug/18/iceland-warns-of-possible-volcanic-eruption/
 

Here's How Arctic Sea Ice Could Shrink Even More.  As the sea ice
covering the Arctic continues to shrink under the influence of
greenhouse gas-induced warming, it's causing a host of other
changes in the region, including the growth of large waves in the
previously iced-over areas. Those waves could potentially
reinforce and hasten the demise of sea ice, leading to further
changes in the fragile polar realm. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/heres-how-arctic-sea-ice-could-shrink-even-more_81093037
 

DROUGHT

'Severe' drought covers nearly 99.8% of California, report says.
Drought conditions may have leveled off across California, but
nearly 100% of the state remains in the third-harshest category
for dryness, according to the latest measurements. For the past
two weeks, California's drought picture has remained the same,
halting a steady march toward worse. But the breather has allowed
the state to recover only ever so slightly. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-severe-drought-california-20140818-story.html


L.A. takes gentle approach to conserving water during drought.
For all the tough talk about cracking down on water wasters, Los
Angeles and other California cities are choosing gentle coaxing
over costly fines. Los Angeles officials announced Monday that
they are beefing up their water-wasting patrols but will keep
their policy of educating and warning violators rather than
fining them. New state rules allow fines up to $500 per day for
water wasters…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0819-drought-police-20140819-story.html


L.A. dramatically increases 'water cops' staffing as drought
worsens. Los Angeles officials announced Monday they are beefing
up their water-wasting patrols. But just don’t call them "water
cops." Until now, the Department of Water and Power has assigned
just one inspector to drive around handling complaints of water
wasting in a city of 4 million people. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-la-dramatically-increases-water-cops-as-drought-worsens-20140818-story.html?track=rss


MWD’s drought-friendly lawn-removing rebate has homeowners,
businesses frantically ripping out the grass. The number of
Southern Californians willing to give up their lawn in exchange
for water-saving rebates has nearly doubled so far this year
compared to the past five years, thanks in part to the
Metropolitan Water District doubling its rebate, the water agency
announced today. Posted.
http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20140818/mwds-drought-friendly-lawn-removing-rebate-has-homeowners-businesses-frantically-ripping-out-the-grass


Santa Cruz County could expand watering limits. Drought proposal
follows local water districts. Santa Cruz County is set to
implement drought-related outdoor watering restrictions -- which
have already been adopted by some local districts -- across the
county.  The emergency ordinance is likely to be adopted Tuesday
by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, and prohibits
watering landscapes between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_26360143/santa-cruz-county-could-expand-watering-limits


Why Are Some Sacramento Businesses,’ School’s Lawns Green? In the
middle of California’s drought, some businesses’ lawns are lush
and green while others die out, prompting some to wonder if
they’re following the rules. Earl Schoen is green with envy these
days, because as he shows us his not-so-green lawn, he tells us
what he’s been seeing that has him seeing red. Posted.
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/08/18/why-are-some-sacramento-businesses-schools-lawns-green/
 

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Nevada County Man Worries California Air Rules May Mean End Of
His Construction Business.  Al Urke has been building new
construction for almost four decades, but he’s worried his
business could go under with new California rules. “It’s going to
end up being the big guys as the only ones who survive this and
that’s only because they have more resources,” he said. Posted.
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/08/18/nevada-county-man-worries-california-air-rules-may-mean-end-of-his-construction-business/


Cummins’ 6.7L Turbo Diesel receives CARB approval.  Cummins said
that its 6.7L Turbo Diesel has been certified by the California
Air Resources Board (CARB) as meeting Low-Emission Vehicle III
(LEV III) standards. This new standard applies to all vehicles
under 14,000 lb. GVWR.  The Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel powers the
Ram Heavy-Duty lineup, and is the first medium-duty diesel engine
in the 8,501-14,000 lb. GVWR segment to be certified to the new
2015 LEV III standards, Cummins said.  Posted. 
http://fleetowner.com/equipment/cummins-67l-turbo-diesel-receives-carb-approval


FUELS

Bill tackles odd crime of grease thievery from restaurants. The
California Legislature approved a bill Monday that would increase
penalties for stealing a restaurant's used cooking oil, which has
become a hot commodity for thieves because it can fetch hundreds
of dollars due to its ability to be converted into clean-burning
biofuel. The bill, AB1566, is now headed to Gov. Jerry Brown.
Fetching around $3 a pound, a truckload of used cooking oil can
bring in as much as $600 at a grease recycling center…Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Bill-tackles-odd-crime-of-grease-thievery-from-5696491.php


Study sees potential climate benefits in U.S. exports as Ore.
blocks port permit. Burning coal in South Korean power plants
would produce fewer planet-warming emissions per unit of
electricity than if that same coal was burned in the United
States, according to a study released a day after Oregon
regulators delivered a severe blow to the export proposal
researchers examined. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060004679/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

MIT team proposes process to recycle lead-acid batteries to
fabricate solar cells.  Researchers at MIT have devised an
environmentally-responsible process to recycle materials from
discarded automotive lead-acid batteries to fabricate efficient
organolead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs)—a promising new
large-scale and cost-competitive photovoltaic technology. The
process simultaneously avoids the disposal of toxic battery
materials and provide alternative, readily-available lead sources
for PSCs.  Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/08/20140818-belcher.html 

Company seeks to reinvent urban transport with 'origami'-style
electric tricycle. It's a trike ... it's a toy ... it's an
electric vehicle ... no, it's all three! The Johanson3 electric
tricycle project that recently launched on the crowd-funding
website Indigogo seeks to offer the best emissions-free urban
transportation solution. "The main objective of the Johanson3 is
to bring a real alternative to cars in suburban and urban areas
at a very cheap price," said Johan Neerman, product inventor and
company CEO. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060004642/print  BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY 

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

Dan Richard, bullet train conductor. Dan Richard, the chair of
the California High Speed Rail Authority, is a man in the middle.
 The middle of court fights, the middle of political fights, the
middle of a fight over California’s future. “The rest of the
developed world has moved energetically to adopt high-speed rail.
 We will too,” Richard says. He may be right. After miscues,
battles over the bullet train’s routes and funding, and fierce
opposition in California and Washington, there seems to be light
at the end of the tunnel. Posted.
http://capitolweekly.net/bullet-train-rail-california-project-richard/


GREEN ENERGY

Court: New Jersey must reconsider windmill plan. A company that
wants to build a windmill power project off the coast of Atlantic
City has won a victory in court. A New Jersey appeals ruled in
favor of Fishermen's Energy in a dispute over the company's plan.
The state Board of Public Utilities had denied approval for the
project in April. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/18/6637331/court-new-jersey-must-reconsider.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.vcstar.com/news/court-new-jersey-must-reconsider-windmill-plan_20998011


Is American Energy Dominance the New Normal? According to the
Energy Information Administration, the United States in April
produced 13.63 million barrels per day, or BPD, of oil and
natural gas liquids. This was 2 million BPD more than Saudi
Arabia -- the largest difference ever recorded between the two
nations. To understand just how remarkable that is, consider
this: Prior to 2008 Saudi Arabia routinely beat America by 2
million to 3 million BPD per month. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Is-American-Energy-Dominance-the-New-Normal-5697849.php


MISCELLANEOUS

Earth Talk: Antarctica. Dear EarthTalk: To what extent is
Antarctica really melting and what impact might it have on
coastlines around the world? - Andrea Hutchinson, Cary, NC. The
Antarctic continent, roughly the size of the United States and
Mexico combined, is composed of rock covered by glaciers some
16,000 feet thick. The glaciers form from fallen snow compacting
into successive layers of ice, and they eventually move downhill
toward the coasts and "calve" into the ocean as icebergs and
eventually melt out into the sea. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/19/6638334/earth-talk-antarctica.html#storylink=cpy


OPINIONS

Another View: Dams are not the answer to long-term water woes.
The Bee’s editorial praising bipartisanship on the updated water
bond (“A rare sighting of bipartisanship – on water no less,”
Aug. 15) rightly saluted state Sen. Lois Wolk for her good work
in trying to keep bond funds away from the ill-conceived Delta
tunnels. But the piece got it wrong when it implied that the
Delta tunnels issue was the only part of the bond that created
concerns for Sierra Club and other environmental groups. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/19/6637290/another-view-dams-are-not-the.html#storylink=cpy


Viewpoints: Water bond compromise is a good deal for Delta. Two
years ago, I introduced a measure to replace the doomed
pork-laden water bond from 2009 with a trim, focused and
non-controversial bond that could win voter support and address
California’s critical water needs, without threatening the Delta
region by funding the Bay Delta Conservation Plan or the Delta
tunnels. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/19/6637288/viewpoints-water-bond-compromise.html#storylink=cpy


Viewpoints: More trees, better health. When the temperature heads
into the triple digits here in the Sacramento Valley, people walk
on the shady side of the street and park their cars under trees
whenever possible. They know trees make life more comfortable,
but do they know trees help make them healthier? Research
connecting trees and human health was almost nonexistent before
2000 and has increased dramatically since – and the findings are
remarkable. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/17/6633668/viewpoints-more-trees-better-health.html#storylink=cpy


Air board should take closer look before doubling of no-burn
days.  The San Joaquin Valley is no stranger to air pollution
issues and has long struggled to find solutions for high levels
of particle emissions in the air. On July 31, the San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District had a public workshop to
discuss proposed regulation changes related to wood-burning
fireplaces and wood-burning heaters ( District Rule 4901).
Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2014/08/19/3492888/air-board-should-take-closer-look.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2014/08/19/3801448_air-board-should-take-closer-look.html?sp=/99/177/&rh=1


It's up to all of us to save water as drought worsens. I began
watching the drought in Santa Clara County back in January when
it was apparent that we were having a very dry winter. I called
on our county administrators to report back to the Board of
Supervisors with a study of our current conditions and suggest
solutions. I also called on all of us to cut the water use in our
homes and yards by 20 percent. Now that we're well into summer,
the drought situation has gotten worse. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_26363147/its-up-all-us-save-water-drought-worsens


BLOGS

Central Valley Dems run from climate change. The Capitol Hill
newspaper the Hill reported Monday that Democrats running for
re-election in California’s parched San Joaquin Valley are
refusing to link the state’s historic drought to climate change,
despite the direct connection drawn by President Obama and his
chief scientist, Stanford University physicist John Holdren.
Politically, most Democrats have come to see climate change as
the new same-sex marriage…Posted.
http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2014/08/18/central-valley-dems-run-from-climate-change/


From Tree Planting Along a Dirt Road to Car-Free Village Living.
Some readers may have noticed a prolonged hiatus here, only half
of which was because of a brief escape to Winter Harbor, Me., my
mother in law’s birthplace and home. The other half was because
of my family’s first move in 17 years — from a 1930s-era farm
house on a dirt road to a brick home less than eight miles away,
built in the 1860s in the village of Nelsonville, N.Y., by two
Civil War veterans. Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/18/from-tree-planting-along-a-dirt-road-to-car-free-village-living/?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As
 

100-mile EVs offer plenty of range, for now. We've heard that the
next big paradigm shift in electric vehicle acceptance will come
with more 150- or 200-mile EVs. But a new study called Optimizing
and Diversifying Electric Vehicle Driving Range for US Drivers
says that cars that can go that far really won't make sense for
anyone to buy until the battery cost can be dropped to $100 per
kilowatt hour. Automakers today are incredibly secretive about
how much each kWh in a pack costs, but it's safe to say we're
nowhere near that goal just yet. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/08/19/100-mile-evs-have-plenty-of-range-for-now/


Drillers illegally using diesel fuel to frack, report says.  A
new report charges that several oil and gas companies have been
illegally using diesel fuel in their hydraulic fracturing
operations, and then doctoring records to hide violations of the
federal Safe Drinking Water Act.  The report, published this week
by the Environmental Integrity Project, found that between 2010
and July 2014 at least 351 wells were fracked by 33 different
companies using diesel fuels without a permit.  Posted. 
http://grist.org/climate-energy/drillers-illegally-using-diesel-fuel-to-frack-report-says/



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

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