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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 20, 2014.
Posted: 20 Aug 2014 14:30:41
ARB Newsclips for August 20, 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 Greens, industry square off over putting cars in EU carbon market. Environmental campaigners are bracing to take on big business over whether Europe should follow California's lead and include road transport in the EU carbon market. Bringing transport - Europe's biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions after the power sector - into the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) could bring down the costs the car industry faces in meeting existing regulation as well as tackling the oversupply on the carbon market. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/20/eu-ets-autos-idUSL6N0Q42U720140820 Liberal coalition urges Harris to scrutinize gas prices in AB 32 feud. A coalition of unions, environmental organizations and other liberal groups are trying to enlist Attorney General Kamala Harris in their efforts to beat back an oil industry campaign to scuttle the state’s plan to expand its cap-and-trade program to vehicle fuels in January. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/19/6639457/liberal-coalition-urges-harris.html#storylink=cpy AIR POLLUTION Cities’ Air Problems Only Get Worse With Climate Change. The threats from climate change are many: extreme weather, shrinking snowpack, altered ecosystems and rising and more acidic seas, to name a few. Another lesser-known issue may hit especially close to home for city dwellers. In the world’s already smoggy metropolises, pollution is likely to grow worse, a phenomenon scientists have taken to calling the climate penalty. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/21/business/international/cities-air-problems-only-get-worse-with-climate-change.html?_r=0 Smoke from Junction fire in Oakhurst prompts health caution. Smoke from the Junction fire in Oakhurst is affecting air quality in Madera County and may affect Merced and other Valley counties, air officials said Tuesday. As weather conditions change, smoke impacts may be felt in Fresno, Stanislaus, Tulare and Kings, as well. Smoke may periodically affect these counties until the fire is extinguished, officials said. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/19/6640568/smoke-from-junction-fire-in-oakhurst.html#storylink=cpy CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change means more bugs, slimy ponds. From a surge in disease-carrying ticks and Tiger mosquitoes to increases in toxic algae blooms, the symptoms of climate change are rapidly affecting America's relationship with the great outdoors, the National Wildlife Federation warned Tuesday. The NWF report assessed troubling climate-related changes in eight species. Federation President Collin P. O'Mara, Delaware's former environmental chief, said the issues raised in the report are critical. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/19/climate-change-means-more-bugs-slimy-ponds/14320677/ Officials say Lake Tahoe imperiled by wildfires. Lake Tahoe, a crown jewel of the western landscape, is being challenged by drought, invasive species, the threat of catastrophic wildfire and climate change, officials said Tuesday. The warning came during an annual summit about protecting the iconic lake that straddles the California-Nevada border. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/officials-say-lake-tahoe-imperiled-by-wildfires_65695433 Corps: Waterway infrastructure improvements needed. Higher-capacity ports, expanded locks and dams and other infrastructure improvements are needed in the Mississippi River Watershed to allow its waterways to handle shipping demands caused by higher agriculture, oil and natural gas production and manage climate change effects, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said Tuesday. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/corps-waterway-infrastructure-improvements-needed_74494235 Calif. takes a crack at climate's effects -- but first, a definition of success. California has been trying to mitigate climate change for more than a decade now but is just now getting down to business on dealing with its impacts. At the state's first-ever adaptation forum this week, experts ruminated on the meaning and utility of terms like "resiliency" and "readiness," as well as "adaptation" itself, to refer to measures taken in response to the rising seas, fiercer storms…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060004702/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Land use will complicate 'climate velocity' as a threat to species – study. Not long ago, the idea that climate change could prompt whole ecosystems to move was introduced to researchers as "climate velocity." It's meant to show how quickly trees, plants and animals will have to migrate to find friendly temperatures. Now a new analysis is estimating the pace of species movement because of both climate change and land use…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/08/20/stories/1060004701 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY DROUGHT Gov. Brown says drought concerns helped build support for water bond. Brown praises bipartisan support for water bond. An annual environmental summit at Lake Tahoe on Tuesday gave Gov. Jerry Brown an opportunity for a victory lap on the new plan for a California water bond, which was approved by the Legislature last week. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ln-governor-says-drought-concerns-helped-build-support-for-water-bond-20140819-story.html Ice bucket challenge stirs controversy in drought-plagued California. The simple act of dumping ice water onto one’s head has turned into one of the most viral feel-good campaigns of 2014. More than 2 million ice bucket challenge videos featuring tech giants such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have helped raised more than $20 million for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research and awareness since July 29. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ice-bucket-challenge-water-drought-20140819-story.html Drought raises pollution on Folsom Dam spillway project this year. Low water levels at Folsom Lake are causing an increase in air pollution from the $900 million Folsom Dam auxiliary spillway project. The lake is filled to just 40 percent of capacity, which has allowed construction to proceed without the use of marine excavation equipment this year. The land equipment used instead has emitted more nitrogen oxide, said Katie Huff, spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/19/6640383/drought-raises-pollution-on-folsom.html#storylink=cpy Fresno group in U.S. court over water usage in S.F. A Fresno nonprofit linked to the largest agricultural water district in the country filed a federal lawsuit alleging San Francisco and other Bay Area communities are unfairly exempted from water cutbacks meant to protect endangered species. The Center for Environmental Science, Accuracy and Reliability alleges that freshwater diversions from the Tuolumne River are jeopardizing endangered species of salmon…Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Farm-linked-group-sues-feds-over-San-Francisco-s-5699197.php Merced County hires expert to help draft groundwater ordinance. The topic of groundwater is a complicated one, but regulating the scarce commodity – which is as precious as liquid gold for struggling farmers in a drought year – is even tougher. But that’s exactly what Merced County officials set out to do, hiring a 40-year water expert to lead the way. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/08/19/4078297_merced-county-hires-expert-to.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Environmentalist: State and feds, not farmers, illegally diverting water. A Stockton environmentalist is fighting back against water users and government agencies who recently claimed Delta farmers might be illegally diverting water. Bill Jennings, head of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, filed a complaint alleging that it’s the state and federal water projects that are illegally diverting. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/article/20140820/NEWS/140829993/101094/A_NEWS The future of water in Southern California. As the state endures one of the worst droughts in recorded history, Southern California residents are looking for answers about the sustainability of the region’s water supplies. Farmers have felt the sting of below-average rainfall for years, but as the crisis worsens, urban and suburban areas are likely to suffer a drastic change in their relationship with this vital liquid. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/events/2014/08/21/1504/the-future-of-water-in-southern-california/ FUELS California business groups warn of impending 'hidden gas tax'. Californians are seeing and hearing a blitz of advertisements warning of a looming "hidden gas tax." The price increase is expected to take effect in the new year because California's cap-and-trade program will expand to include fuel, meaning oil refiners will have to buy permits for the greenhouse gas pollution tied to gasoline and diesel sales. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2014/08/19/38931/california-business-groups-warn-of-impending-hidde/ FRACKING Activists call for a county ban on fracking. Supervisors, however, show no interest in addressing the issue. Orange County activists are calling for a ban on fracking locally until the oil-extraction method is further studied, and Tuesday they took their message to the county’s top elected officials. Local residents and activists went to the Orange County Supervisors meeting and demanded a meeting with Chairman Shawn Nelson to discuss the issue. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fracking-632198-county-water.html VEHICLES Federal Tax Credits For Plug-In Hybrids, Electric Cars: What You Need To Know. If you want to get a special incentive for driving a hybrid, you're a few years too late; but a tax credit applies to nearly every electric car and plug-in hybrid on the market and it can, in some cases, effectively reduce your cost for such a model to that of an ordinary gasoline vehicle (or even less). The widely mentioned $7,500 tax credit is arguably confusing from the start. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/cars/federal-tax-credits-for-plug-in-hybrids-electric-cars-what-you-need-to-know/2014/08/20/0ae02718-2886-11e4-8b10-7db129976abb_story.html Tesla answers critics with new 8-year warranty. Tesla Motors Inc., perhaps responding to less than stellar reviews of its Model S electric car, is offering a new eight-year, unlimited-mileage warranty for its drive unit and battery pack. The generous warranty will cover all Model S cars already on the road, and will extend to new owners when the cars change hands. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-warranty-20140819-story.html Lawmakers expand carpool lane permits for plug-ins. The state Senate has approved legislation that would allow another 15,000 fuel-efficient vehicles to use California's carpool lanes, even when they have only one occupant. AB2013 by Democratic Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi of Torrance expands the number of "green HOV" permits to 70,000 from the current 55,000. The stickers generally apply to hybrid plug-in vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac ELR. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Lawmakers-expand-carpool-lane-permits-for-plug-ins-5699069.php California Lawmakers Consider Incentives Package For Tesla Motors. California lawmakers are considering a package of economic incentives and environmental regulatory waivers to convince Tesla Motors to build a new electric car battery plant in the state. Democratic and Republican legislative leaders are participating in the talks with Tesla along with Governor Jerry Brown’s office. Republican Senator Ted Gaines says environmental review timelines could be shortened to help an environmentally friendly company expand in the state. Posted. http://www.capradio.org/30439 GREEN ENERGY Solar carports are fast-growing mainstay of U.S. market – report. Solar carports, providing shade for vehicles and electricity for buildings, are shaping up as a steadily growing part of the galloping solar industry, according to a report by GTM Research. The market for solar carports grew at a compound annual growth rate of 45 percent between 2010 and 2014, according to the report. Projections are that they'll expand from a $578 million business last year to $843 million by 2016…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060004707/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY MISCELLANEOUS California environmentalist shakes up Florida race. A California billionaire environmentalist is pouring millions of dollars into the Florida governor's race to buy television ads attacking Gov. Rick Scott as a friend of polluters and utility companies, giving the campaign of Democratic front-runner Charlie Crist a boost as polls show a tightening race. Posted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_GOVERNORS_RACE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/19/6639462/california-environmentalist-shakes.html#storylink=cpy http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/California-environmentalist-shakes-up-Florida-race-5699074.php US government sells 400,000 acres offshore Texas. The federal government has sold more than 400,000 acres in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast for oil and gas exploration and development, an official with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Wednesday. The acreage represents a fraction of the 21.6 million acres the agency had offered as part of the Obama administration's five-year program to aggressively develop resources on the Outer Continental Shelf. Posted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OFFSHORE_GULF_SALE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OPINIONS Australia’s Retreat on Emissions. Australia’s decision last month to repeal a carbon tax on its biggest greenhouse gas polluters disheartened scientists and advocates of strong action to control greenhouse gas emissions — not least island nations in the South Pacific worried about rising sea levels. And it sends a discouraging signal in advance of a United Nations summit meeting on climate change for heads of state on Sept. 23…Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/21/opinion/australias-retreat-on-emissions.html L.A's water ruler, DWP chief Marcie Edwards, on keeping the city hydrated. The Department of Water and Power began 107 years ago, after Los Angeles bought back the civic water system from a group of privateers. Like its top man, William Mulholland, who began as a ditch-digger, the new DWP chief, Marcie Edwards, also started at the bottom, as a clerk. Now she's running the nation's largest city-owned water and power agency. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-morrison-edwards-20140820-column.html#page=1 Editorial: The bill comes due for California’s old water pipes. Aging and broken pipes are a big and expensive problem for California – whether the daily leaks of precious water going to waste, or a catastrophic water main failure like the recent one in Los Angeles. After decades of neglect, the bill is coming due – in the neighborhood of $70 billion in water system fixes needed statewide, according to one estimate. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/20/6640210/editorial-the-bill-comes-due-for.html#storylink=cpy Ice Bucket Challenge critics are the ones who are actually all wet. This weekend, I braced myself for the cold and criticism of the ALS "Ice Bucket Challenge." Like others, my good deed (and video, below) did not go unpunished. I was criticized (good-naturedly by my wife, then by others) for dousing myself with water on my patio instead of my lawn, which has languished this summer during California's drought. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/aug/18/als-ice-bucket-challenge-criticism/ Delta-friendly water bond is a win for all of California. Two years ago, I introduced a measure to replace the doomed, pork-laden water bond from 2009 with a trim, focused and noncontroversial bond that could win voter support and address California’s critical water needs, without threatening the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region by funding the Bay Delta Conservation Plan or the delta tunnels. Posted. http://www.davisenterprise.com/forum/opinion-columns/delta-friendly-water-bond-is-a-win-for-all-of-california/ BLOGS Adomani EV school bus approved for use in California. Your children or grandchildren may very well be riding an electric bus to school soon, and probably sooner still if they live in California. We've just recently seen the funding of the National Strategies demo buses. Now another fully electric school bus has been approved in the Golden State. The California Highway Patrol has greenlighted the Adomani EV bus for use in the Gilroy Unified School District (GUSD). Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2014/08/20/ev-school-bus-approved-in-california/ Five things Wikileaks taught us about UN climate talks. As Julian Assange prepares to leave his hideaway, we recall the top Wikileaks releases on climate change. The Wikileaks founder has spent two years holed up in the embassy, trying to find a diplomatic solution to his tangle of legal problems. Assange faces an arrest warrant for sexual assault charges in Sweden. Posted. http://www.rtcc.org/2014/08/18/five-things-wikileaks-taught-us-about-un-climate-talks/#sthash.gp1jMrmG.dpuf How to Help Americans Care About Climate Change Now. For the past decade, I've been asking people -- young and old, rich and poor, highly educated and less so -- why they didn't seem to care about climate change. Or at least, why they didn't seem to care enough to do something about it. I did not do this as part of a formal poll, or even as a representative of an organization. In the beginning, I was simply curious because I'd had a powerful "ah ha" moment in which I went from being someone who rarely thought about the environment…Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bennett/how-to-help-americans-care-about-climate-change_b_5693247.html How We Reduced Our Carbon Footprint. When I retired from my faculty position at the University of Maine in 2003, I resolved that one of my retirement projects would be to greatly reduce my carbon footprint by making my home and transportation more energy efficient, and reducing my consumption of fossil fuels. My wife, Lee, supported me in this undertaking, as we were very much aware of the terrible impacts on the environment of fossil fuel extraction, processing, and transport…Posted. http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/reducing-carbon-footprint-zbfz1408zcalt.aspx#ixzz3AxE74mxM CA Seeks Input for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program. Housing advocates and local officials gathered in Oakland last week to discuss guidelines for California’s new Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC). It was one of three packed meetings held throughout the state by the Strategic Growth Council (SGC), the state agency that oversees the AHSC, to gather input on the new program’s guidelines. Posted. http://la.streetsblog.org/2014/08/19/ca-seeks-input-for-affordable-housing-and-sustainable-communities-program/ Granting Big Oil a Free Pass Under California's Clean Energy Law Would Be a Giant Leap Backward. In their latest video ad, the California Drivers Alliance, an oil-backed front group organized to lobby against California’s clean fuel standards, claims fuel providers “need more time” to prepare for the January 1st inclusion of gasoline under California’s economy-wide program to cap and steadily reduce climate pollution. Some California legislators agree, backing bills that would grant the oil industry a three-year delay or outright exemption. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ajackson/granting_big_oil_a_free_pass_u.html Transportation Diversification is Key to Fixing California’s Gas Price and Pollution Woes. This summer I had the unique opportunity to drive with members of the California state legislature through their districts in Los Angeles and the Central Valley. In addition to brown lawns, hazy air, and intense heat, we were reminded of California’s persistently high gas prices on filling station signs at nearly every major intersection. Posted. http://blogs.edf.org/californiadream/2014/08/19/transportation-diversification-is-key-to-fixing-californias-gas-price-and-pollution-woes/#sthash.NjTgjqHw.dpuf Why I’m a Climate Change Alarmist. I’m sick of having to hide it, so here goes: I’m a climate change alarmist. There, I said it. After years of fighting off internet trolls and being ridiculed on Fox News for caring about the Earth and its inhabitants enough to make big changes to my life, I’ve had enough. It’s time that we climate change alarmists reclaim this dismissive term and defend ourselves. Posted. http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/08/20/climate_change_alarmist_optimistic_realistic_not_na_ve_assessment_of_global.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.