What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for September 9, 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

Report: Carbon Credits Bring $664 a Ton of Additional Benefits to
Local Communities. Offsetting one ton of carbon dioxide brings an
additional $664 in benefits to the communities where carbon
reduction projects are based, according to new research by
Imperial College London and the International Carbon Reduction
and Offsetting Alliance (ICROA). Unlocking The Hidden Value of
Carbon Offsetting shows how purchasing carbon credits creates
economic development opportunities…Posted.
http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/new_metrics/mike_hower/report_carbon_credits_bring_664_ton_additional_benefits_local_


AIR POLLUTION

UN says CO2 pollution levels at annual record high.  Carbon
dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2013 as
increasing levels of man-made pollution transform the planet, the
U.N. weather agency said Tuesday. As the heat-trapping gas blamed
for the largest share of global warming, carbon dioxide rose to
global concentrations of 396 parts per million last year, the
biggest year-to-year change in three decades, the World
Meteorological Organization said in an annual report. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/09/un-says-co2-pollution-levels-at-annual-record-high/


Want to clear smoggy city air? Plant more trees – study. Planting
trees can be a cost-effective remedy to ozone pollution in cities
with persistent air quality problems, according to a study that
examined urban reforestation as a means of controlling
ground-level ozone. Researchers in the joint study by the Nature
Conservancy and Dow Chemical Co. examined the hypothetical
planting of a 1,000-acre tree stand in the Houston metropolitan
area, where ozone levels…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060005478/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

UPDATE 1-Carbon surge drives greenhouse gas levels to record
high-WMO. The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
reached a record high in 2013 driven by a surge in the level of
carbon dioxide, the World Meteorological Organization said on
Tuesday, urging international action to combat climate change.
"We know without any doubt that our climate is changing and our
weather is becoming more extreme due to human activities such as
the burning of fossil fuels,"…Posted.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/09/09/environment-carbon-idINL5N0RA1YL20140909


Climate Change Will Disrupt Half of North America’s Bird Species,
Study Says. The Baltimore oriole will probably no longer live in
Maryland, the common loon might leave Minnesota, and the
trumpeter swan could be entirely gone. Those are some of the grim
prospects outlined in a report released on Monday by the National
Audubon Society, which found that climate change is likely to so
alter the bird population of North America that about half of the
approximately 650 species…Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/us/climate-change-will-disrupt-half-of-north-americas-bird-species-study-says.html?_r=0
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-adv-birds-climate-change-20140909-story.html?track=rss

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/08/6689359/global-warming-may-mean-bye-bye.html

http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/08/4112958_global-warming-seen-threat-to.html?rh=1

http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/09/09/46584/more-than-half-of-us-bird-species-threatened-by-cl/
 

Charges Dropped Against Climate Activists. In May 2013, two
environmental activists piloted a lobster boat close to the vast
pile of coal at the Brayton Point Power Station, the hulking
plant that overlooks this industrial inlet near the border
between Massachusetts and Rhode Island. With the tiny boat, the
two men — Jay O’Hara, 32, and Ken Ward, 57 — dropped anchor and
for a day blocked a freighter with a 40,000-ton shipment of coal,
and they were arrested and charged with conspiracy, disturbing
the peace and other violations. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/us/charges-dropped-against-climate-activists.html?ref=earth
 

Climate change increases possibility of megadrought in
Southwestern U.S. (video).   New study finds increased
possibility of severe and long-term megadrought affecting
Southwestern United States. John Russell reports. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/video/multimedia/100000003101220/climate-change-increases-possibility-of-megadrought-in-southwest.html


U.S. May Not Be Leading on Climate, but California Is. The
conference hashtag said it all: #CARoad2Paris. On Monday, Jerry
Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the current and former governors
of the world’s eighth largest economy, appeared together in
Sacramento to assert that the path to a global accord on climate
change runs through their home state—and not Washington, D.C. “As
leaders from all over world prepare for the next UN climate talks
in Lima and Paris…Posted.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-09/u-dot-s-dot-may-not-be-leading-on-climate-but-california-is


Higher prices power up new ideas.  When the cost for electric
power plants in New York to emit climate-changing greenhouse
gases last week remained near an all-time high, it was helping
the state to continue support for a mix of energy programs like
an innovative hydrogen recycling company in Latham.  Posted. 
http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Higher-prices-power-up-new-ideas-5742517.php
 

UN says CO2 pollution levels at annual record high.  Carbon
dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2013 as
increasing levels of man-made pollution transform the planet, the
U.N. weather agency said Tuesday.  As the heat-trapping gas
blamed for the largest share of global warming, carbon dioxide
rose to global concentrations of 396 parts per million last year,
the biggest year-to-year change in three decades, the World
Meteorological Organization said in an annual report.  Posted. 
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/09/4113133_un-says-co2-pollution-levels-at.html?rh=1
 

Criminal charges dropped in lobster boat blockade. Criminal
charges were dropped Monday against two environmental activists
who used a lobster boat to block a shipment to New England's
largest coal-burning plant. Lawyers for Ken Ward and Jonathan
"Jay" O'Hara had been prepared to argue that their clients'
actions were necessary because of the threat posed by climate
change. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/criminal-charges-dropped-in-lobster-boat-blockade_64842929


Gov. Brown joins Schwarzenegger, top experts for climate change
panel. Sacramento symposium charts economic costs and the
advantages of taking the California model global. Government
officials, business leaders and environmental researchers
gathered in Sacramento to discuss the state policies and
information gleaned from nearly a decade at the forefront of
addressing the issue of climate change at a symposium
co-sponsored by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and
Global Policy. Posted.
http://news.usc.edu/68187/gov-brown-joins-schwarzenegger-top-experts-for-climate-change-panel/
 

Current and former state leaders envision winning a fight against
the 'dark shadow' of fossil fuels. Darkness and light were both
on offer yesterday in visions of the future of international
climate policy as articulated by two California governors. A
three-hour climate conference organized by former Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger (R) functioned as a pep rally for state and
international policymakers -- and a response to industry
opponents of the Golden State's climate efforts. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005448/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Industry group promotes biomass for reducing greenhouse gases.
Burning wood for energy could yield some big benefits for
mitigating climate change in the long run, the Society of
American Foresters says in a recent paper, offering scientific
support to back a long-standing claim from the forestry industry.
The recommendations find that, as long as land remains in forest,
sustainably managed working lands that produce wood
products…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060005486/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Atmosphere's GHG concentration continues to climb, despite
reductions from some nations. Despite some recent regional
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and
other industrial nations, the total concentration of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere continues its upward march at an
unprecedented rate, the World Meteorological Organization
announced today. Compared to the preindustrial era of the 1750s,
the Earth's atmosphere is now choked with 142 percent more carbon
dioxide…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005449/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Global economy still 'blowing through' its carbon budget, but
glimmers of hope seen in developing countries – PwC. Since edging
out the windmill, the water wheel, whale oil and the wood stove
as the world's primary source of energy, fossil fuels have been
closely tied to the global economy. As economies grow, more
fossil fuels are consumed; as they shrink or slow, consumption of
coal, gas and oil moves accordingly. That relationship will have
to change if the world is to both continue economic growth and
head off the worst impacts of climate change. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005443/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Emerging nations lower carbon emissions faster than G-7 in key
climate change metric. China, India and other emerging industrial
nations have surpassed the Group of Seven for the first time in
one closely observed metric of how countries are addressing
climate change. The group of the seven emerging industrial
powers, or the E-7, lowered its collective carbon intensity --
carbon emissions per dollar of gross domestic product -- by an
average of 1.7 percent in 2013. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005427/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Older Caribbean coral lineages may be better able to fight
disease and climate stress – study. How ancient a coral's lineage
is could play a part in how well it is able to withstand
diseases. Recent research by scientists at the University of
Texas, Arlington, found that certain older lines of Caribbean
corals may be better able to fend off diseases than those from
lineages that evolved more recently. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005416/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

DROUGHT

As Agriculture Swoons in Drought, West Coast Firms Avoid Worst
Effects
Air-Cooled Computer Servers, Low-Flow Toilets, Employee Education
Help Conserve Water. Through the three-year drought ravaging the
West Coast, one surprise has been the muted effect on many urban
businesses. Thousands of companies, including MillerCoors LLC,
Facebook Inc. FB -1.71% and Vantage Data Centers Management Co.,
have put millions of dollars into water-saving technologies and
vegetation since the last drought, which ran from 2007 to 2009.
Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/as-agriculture-swoons-in-drought-west-coast-firms-avoid-worst-effects-1410218576



Calif. colleges take drought-friendly Ice Bucket Challenges. Some
California colleges are taking the dive to support awareness of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — and they’re making a splash
without ice buckets. Around 70 California State University, Chico
students plunged into their Wildcat Recreation Center swimming
pool on Labor Day to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge:
Posted.
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/09/08/california-colleges-take-drought-friendly-ice-bucket-challenge/


Drilling Through the Drought: A Look At Well Drilling Activity In
The Central Valley. In rural areas like California's Central
Valley, private wells are a common source of household drinking
water. The state of California estimates about two million people
in the state rely on private well water or other unregulated
underground water sources. Well water is just as important to
farmers who use it to irrigate crops, especially when surface
water is not available. Posted. http://www.capradio.org/31017 

California Drought Forces Farmers To Adapt. The extended drought
has been tough on San Diego farmers, growers and ranchers. The
dry weather, coupled with high water prices, has forced some to
stop watering crops and trees. Cattle ranchers have had to sell
off their herd, as pastures dried up and turned brown. And many
people who work in the industry have lost their jobs. While the
situation is grim, it has pushed area farmers to adapt, by using
new irrigation methods and crops that require less water — like
grapes. Posted.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/sep/08/california-drought-forces-farmers-adapt/


Can't fill it? Drought is a drain on Orange County swimming
pools. The Santa Margarita Water District’s new ordinance to
fight drought prohibits the filling of pools. After saving up
enough money over six years, Scot Scialpi finally ripped out his
lawn this summer to build what many suburban Southern
Californians consider their birthright – a backyard swimming
pool. Then came a series of obstacles that nearly sent Scialpi
off the deep end: California’s persistent drought…Posted.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pool-634199-water-pools.html

Drought: 5 things to know about legislation stuck in Congress.
Congress returns to Washington tonight after more than a month’s
recess. Californians are thirstily awaiting word on another
topic: what does Congress intend to do about the drought? Here's
answers to five questions about Washington's response to the
drought: Posted.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/09/08/46500/drought-five-things-to-know-about-legislation-stuc/


FUELS

Theft of grease for biofuel gets stickier. California is upping
the ante against slippery late-night thieves who stalk back
alleys behind restaurants in search of a quick payday in the form
of an unlikely hot commodity — used cooking oil. The quest for
U.S. energy independence and more renewable fuels has transformed
ordinary kitchen grease from a nuisance into a cash cow whose
theft can be stubbornly difficult to track or trace. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/08/california-crackdown-cooking-oil-theft/


U.S. agency looks at LNG as a cheaper, cleaner bunker fuel for
ships. Liquefied natural gas is a cost-effective way for shipping
companies to meet U.S. EPA emissions requirements, but adopting
the fuel will require improved regulatory harmonization as well
as new safety and operational standards, according to a new
report commissioned by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD).
Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005444/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Tax on land-use emissions would save forest. Can biofuels help
constrain climate change and be the sustainable fuel of the
future? A new study in Environmental Research Letters (ERL)
investigates the global potential of biomass, and explores the
impact that a tax on greenhouse-gas emissions from the land-use
sector would have. Currently biofuels tend to be made using
starch- or sugar-rich food crops, and much of the plant goes to
waste. Posted.
http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/news/58486 

VEHICLES

CA has 100K plug-in cars, and counting.  Cumulative sales of
plug-in electric cars in California have surpassed 100,000,
industry experts announced Monday. As of the end of August,
Californians had purchased 102,440 plug-in cars, including both
all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids that run on a
combination of electricity and gasoline, according to figures
compiled by HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates, a
Michigan-based market research firm. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/08/california-plugin-car-milestone/
 

California Has More Than 100,000 Plug-In Electric Cars On Roads. 
California has hit a major plug-in car milestone this week: Since
the first electric vehicle was sold back in 2010, more than
100,000 others have now hit the streets.  The figures have been
compiled by the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle
Collaborative.  The number is impressive on its own, but also
means that California accounts for around 40 percent of national
plug-in vehicle sales.  Posted. 
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1094297_california-has-more-than-100000-plug-in-electric-cars-on-roads
 

Chinese Production Of Plug-In Electric Cars Finally Starts To
Grow. After years of encouragement through government policies,
Chinese production of plug-in electric cars is finally starting
to grow. Amidst rampant air pollution, the Chinese government has
heavily incentivized electrified vehicles, but so far that hasn't
won the interest of consumers. That appears to be changing, as
production of electric cars and plug-in hybrids soared in the
first eight months of 2014…Posted.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1094310_chinese-production-of-plug-in-electric-cars-finally-starts-to-grow

UC Riverside team shows new eco-routing navigation tool can cut
EV energy use up to 51%.  Researchers at the University of
California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering have shown
that a vehicle navigation tool they created can cut electric
vehicle energy use up to 51%. The researchers outlined their
findings in a report to the California Energy Commission, which
paid for the study with a $95,000 grant.  Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/09/20140909-ucr.html  

Plug-in sales hit milestone in Calif.; backers say EVs are headed
for 'mainstream'. The number of plug-in electric vehicles on
California roads has accelerated past 100,000, a marker that
clean energy supporters called a sign that the cars are headed
toward the mainstream. The 100,000 plug-in vehicles, or PEVs,
represent 0.04 percent of the 24 million passenger vehicles
registered in the Golden State. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005445/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

University partners with China to help it develop electric
vehicle fleet. The University of California, Davis, will partner
with China to speed adoption of plug-in electric and fuel-cell
electric vehicles, the school said yesterday. UC Davis signed a
memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with the China Automotive
Technology and Research Center (CATARC), the agency that
regulates many activities of the auto industry in China. The
agreement aims to help China develop policies and strategies to
grow the share of zero-emission vehicles, or ZEVs. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005451/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

GREEN ENERGY

University of California signs major solar deal.  The University
of California says it has made one of the largest ever
solar-energy purchases by a university system in the United
States. The UC system, one of the largest public university
systems in the nation, says the deal will provide enough solar
power to offset 60 percent of the electricity use at five of the
state's 10 campuses, as well as some university medical centers.
Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/08/university-of-california-signs-major-solar-deal/
 

Merced OKs homeowner loan program for energy-, water-efficient
improvements.  A loan program aimed to help residents add
energy-efficient upgrades to their Merced homes could also
benefit the city’s goals to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and
water waste, according to city leaders.Merced City Council
approved the program in the city with a 6-0 vote last week.
Councilman Michael Belluomini was absent. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2014/09/08/3527915/merced-oks-homeowner-loan-program.html#storylink=cpy


MISCELLANEOUS

California lawmakers pass first US plastic bag ban. California
lawmakers have approved a measure that would make the state the
first to impose a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. SB270
cleared the Senate on a 22-15 vote Friday and sent to Gov. Jerry
Brown. It was approved by the Assembly a day earlier. Senators
who had previously opposed the bill, including incoming Senate
President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat, this
time supported the measure after protections were added for
plastic bag manufacturers. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/california-lawmakers-pass-first-us-plastic-bag-ban/2014/08/30/a0c1e0ea-3016-11e4-be9e-60cc44c01e7f_story.html


BLOGS

Who's Worried About Global Warming? Five unexpected agitators on
climate talk about why they're taking action. I’m deeply
concerned that climate change is a brewing crisis—much like the
financial crisis of 2008—that poses massive risk to our economy
and the quality of life for future generations. There are some
who believe that even if we took steps to diminish the manmade
impacts of climate change, we couldn’t possibly do enough to curb
its catastrophic effects. Posted.
http://climate.audubon.org/article/whos-worried-about-global-warming


9 New Ideas to Cut Carbon Emissions. These solutions could stem
emissions from food, fuel, and beyond.  Global warming is here,
but that doesn’t mean we have to sit around and watch the dire
consequences come to pass. Innovators around the world are
finding solutions for curbing carbon emission. Here’s our list of
some of the most promising efforts under
way.http://climate.audubon.org/article/9-new-ideas-cut-carbon-emissions.
Posted. 

Northeast carbon auctions reach $1.8 billion. Auction sales of
carbon allowances in the nation’s first cap-and-trade program to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions have generated $1.8 billion since
the program was launched six years ago. The nine Northeastern and
Mid-Atlantic states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas
Initiative use the revenue to fund energy efficiency, renewable
energy, consumer utility bill assistance, and other consumer
programs. Posted.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/09/08/northeast-carbon-auctions-reach-1-8-billion/


Tesla expects another higher-volume deal with Toyota in next few
years.  Four months have passed since Toyota ended its
relationship with Tesla Motors, in which the electric-vehicle
specialist supplied full lithium-ion battery packs to the
Japanese behemoth for its RAV4 EV rollout, of which 2,500
vehicles will be completed. Now, Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk
has been heard suggesting that a future collaboration is likely
within the next two to three years, and that it will probably be
much larger than the last one. Posted.
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/09/09/tesla-toyota-partnership/



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