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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.