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newsclips -- AMENDED -ARB Newsclips for September 15 and 16, 2014
Posted: 16 Sep 2014 15:42:25
ARB Newsclips for September 15 and September 16, 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 California Oil Marketers Want Cap-and-Trade Investigated. California Attorney General Kamala Harris was asked by an oil marketers group to investigate the legality of transportation fuel suppliers being regulated as part of the state’s cap-and-trade program, the biggest market-based effort to cut emissions in the U.S. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-12/california-oil-marketers-want-cap-and-trade-investigated.html Big firms brace for global carbon price rollout –report. An increasing number of big corporations expect governments worldwide to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions to help tackle climate change and some are already factoring in the cost to guide future investment decisions, a report found on Monday. Posted. http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/09/15/carbontrading-global-idINL3N0RG0YV20140915 Governor Signs Cap-and-Trade Spending Plan with Transportation Funding. Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a fiscal year 2015 budget and a budget trailer bill that together create a short-term and long-term spending plan for cap-and-trade auction sales. This includes $872 million in cap-and-trade revenue for the next fiscal year, to be divided among a few spending categories that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.noodls.com/view/1E355E5C5485D9B0CD3FDC70B840726AC275F222?4945xxx1410825136#sthash.cXPTaO5u.dpuf AIR POLLUTION State fines two engine-parts retailers $1.6M for violating clean-air law. The California Air Resources Board has fined two aftermarket auto-parts manufacturers a total of $1.6 million for violating California clean air regulations. On Wednesday, the board said it negotiated a $1 million settlement with H&S Performance LLC of St. George, Utah. On Thursday, the board announced a settlement of $599,000 with Autosales Inc. The agency did not say where the company is based. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2014/09/12/statefines-two-engine-parts-retailers-1-6m-for.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_sacramento+%28Sacramento+Business+Journal%29 More “no burn” days coming to air district vote. Thursday could be a red-letter day for people who either suffer from breathing problems or enjoy burning logs in a fireplace. They can comment at a public hearing before air district leaders, who are expected to take a landmark vote that could double the number of “no burn” days for many. In Stanislaus County, burning in fireplaces and older stoves would be outlawed on most winter days. Posted. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2014/09/15/3850318_more-no-burn-days-coming-to-air.html?sp=/99/215/167/&rh=1 SHIP SPEED REDUCTION INITIATIVE Ventura County joins efforts to cut air pollution and protect whales. The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District board Tuesday approved $30,000 to support a pilot program to reduce air emissions from ships. Shipping companies can receive a small financial incentive for reducing speeds to 12 knots or less as they move through the Santa Barbara Channel. Doing so can significantly cut emissions of several air pollutants that blow onshore into Ventura and Santa Barbara counties…Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/outdoors/ventura-county-joins-efforts-to-cut-air-pollution-and-protect-whales_84303290 http://lompocrecord.com/santamaria/news/local/community-forum-dives-into-benefits-of-slowing-cargo-ships/article_b51abfc0-2121-5a47-b9cf-81d1534f9dab.html http://www.noozhawk.com/article/karen_telleen_lawton_slowing_down_ships_for_whales_and_cleaner_air http://www.ksby.com/news/organizations-hosting-forum-on-whale-protection-and-pollution-prevention/ CLIMATE CHANGE Big firms brace for global carbon price rollout: report. An increasing number of big corporations expect governments worldwide to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions to help tackle climate change and some are already factoring in the cost to guide future investment decisions, a report found on Monday. Some 150 large listed companies - including 29 in the United States such as Dow Chemical Company, banking group Goldman Sachs and oil firm ExxonMobil…Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/15/us-carbontrading-global-idUSKBN0HA09W20140915?feedType=RSS&virtualBrandChannel=11563 Germany Faces Extreme Weather as Climate Change Brings Rains. Germany, which faced heavy rains and intermittent periods of hot and cold this summer, should brace for extreme weather in future probably because of climate change. Low-pressure areas over central Europe brought monsoon-like rainfall and storms to parts of Germany, Paul Becker, vice president of state-run Deutscher Wetterdienst said today. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-15/germany-faces-extreme-weather-as-climate-change-brings-rains.html Wary of U.N. Action, Australia Unveils Plan to Aid Great Barrier Reef. In a bid to keep the Great Barrier Reef from being reclassified by the United Nations as “in danger,” the Australian government on Monday unveiled a 35-year plan to manage risks to the reef, one of the natural wonders of the world. But conservationists warned that the plan does not go far enough. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/world/asia/wary-of-un-action-australia-unveils-plan-to-aid-great-barrier-reef.html?ref=earth Fixing Climate Change May Add No Costs, Report Says. In decades of public debate about global warming, one assumption has been accepted by virtually all factions: that tackling it would necessarily be costly. But a new report casts doubt on that idea, declaring that the necessary fixes could wind up being effectively free. A global commission will announce its finding on Tuesday that an ambitious series of measures to limit emissions would cost $4 trillion or so over the next 15 years…Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/science/earth/fixing-climate-change-may-add-no-costs-report-says.html?_r=1 Climate change threatens New Mexico birds. The few flocks of rosy finches that birders come to see at the top of the Sandia Crest overlooking Albuquerque could cease to appear, according to a study by the National Audubon Society. About 50 bird species in New Mexico are being threatened by climate change, according to the study released last week. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Climate-change-threatens-New-Mexico-birds-5754956.php At least 150 major companies prep for carbon prices. At least 150 major companies worldwide - including ExxonMobil, Google, Microsoft and 26 others in the United States - are already making business plans that assume they will be taxed on their carbon pollution, a report today says. The U.S. has yet to impose a price on heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions, but other nations are starting to do so as a way to address global warming so U.S.-based companies…Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/09/15/us-companies-plan-for-climate-change-with-carbon-price/15526831/ Unusual species in Alaska waters indicate parts of Pacific warming dramatically. A giant hotspot in the North Pacific Ocean may help explain why a massive ocean sunfish was spotted in Prince William Sound this month and a skipjack tuna was caught in a gillnet weeks earlier near the mouth of the Copper River, scientists say. Both species are unusual visitors to Alaska. Posted. http://www.adn.com/article/20140914/unusual-species-alaska-waters-indicate-parts-pacific-warming-dramatically Obama unveils major new effort to tackle climate change. The Obama administration is taking new steps to phase out the production of a well-known chemical coolant used in refrigerators and air conditioners that has been tied to global warming. The White House confirmed to The Hill that it plans to meet with some of the largest chemical firms and food retailers in the country on Tuesday. They will announce voluntary commitments to target the coolant R-134a, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC). Posted. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/217811-obama-targets-popular-coolant-in-effort-to-fight-climate-change Cities seek new ways to cope with sea level rise – and look to the Dutch for advice. Scientists predict a “tenfold increase” in the frequency of hurricanes and other storms, as well as sea-level rise of eleven to twenty-four inches within a little more than three decades – and planners and managers in U.S. coastal cities are looking at new ways to prepare their cities’ infrastructure for these challenges. Posted. http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20140916-cities-seek-new-ways-to-cope-with-sea-level-rise-and-look-to-the-dutch-for-advice Report argues that climate change-induced wildfires should factor into carbon's social cost. The rising price of wildfires due to climate change should be included in the U.S. government's future estimates of the social cost of carbon emissions. This is the argument in a report released today by New York University's Institute for Policy Integrity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005871/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY DROUGHT Water agencies are learning pools aren't a big factor during drought. The Sieferts are the kind of environmentally conscious family who attend local sustainability workshops and have solar panels atop their Mar Vista home. They use timers on their kids' showers and have planted drought-tolerant landscaping. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-pool-haters-20140913-story.html AM Alert: Jerry Brown signs historic groundwater management legislation. As this year’s legislative session drew to a close, groundwater regulation – and whether California would become the last state in the West to implement oversight for drilling and pumping wells – emerged as one of the major policy issues. Driven by concerns over an increasing reliance on groundwater sources during the state’s severe drought…Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/16/6709605/am-alert-jerry-brown-signs-historic.html#storylink=cpy http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/16/4125678_am-alert-jerry-brown-signs-historic.html?sp=/99/406/552/&rh=1 Even during drought, beautiful gardens are possible. Drought is a word that’s all too familiar with Californians. Residents of the Golden State have dealt with dry conditions before and have pulled together to conserve water; however, this time is different. California has found itself in the grip of what is being called the worst drought in its history since the federal government began issuing regular drought reports. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/sponsored/2014/sep/15/beautiful-drought-garden-design/ Cutting water use 20 percent proves difficult. Some Inland communities are having a tough time making headway toward the state’s order to use 20 percent less water. In Redlands, for example, the city delivered 13 percent more water to its customers in July 2014 than it did the previous July. The city was at a loss to explain why consumption went up despite calls for conservation. Posted. http://www.pe.com/articles/water-750030-percent-use.html EPA administrator pushes for water rules. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy said Monday she's not backing down on her agency's efforts to implement a new rule that would assert regulatory authority over many of the nation's streams and wetlands despite criticisms that it amounts to a federal water grab. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/15/epa-administrator-pushes-for-water-rules/ California drought threatens sushi, too. Sushi eaters could face sticker shock the next time they order a California roll or check the box for another round of yellowtail nigiri. Thanks to the historic drought in California, prices may spike for the specialty rice used in the popular Japanese dish. Production of the rice, which is grown primarily in the Golden State, is expected to drop by 25 percent this year. Posted. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/california-drought-sushi-110983.html#ixzz3DVNAvzbE FUELS Study assesses the environmental costs and benefits of fracking. Stanford, California - A strange thing happened on the way to dealing with climate change: Advances in hydraulic fracturing put trillions of dollars' worth of previously unreachable oil and natural gas within humanity's grasp. The environmental costs - and benefits - from "fracking," which requires blasting huge amounts of water, sand and chemicals deep into underground rock formations…Posted. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/11038-study-assesses-the-environmental-costs-and-benefits-of-fracking.html Obama admin committed to growing industry to full RFS level – Vilsack. The Obama administration wants to see the corn ethanol industry grow to the full extent that Congress envisioned when it passed the renewable fuel standard in 2007, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today. Addressing concerns about a recent proposal by U.S. EPA to scale back this year's mandate for ethanol, Vilsack said the administration is "committed" to working with ethanol producers to meet that 15-billion-gallon target. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060005902/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY VEHICLES Honda, Chevrolet give natural gas a push. Natural gas is the neglected stepchild of the alternative fuel vehicles industry. Used in some commercial truck fleets, municipal bus services and the occasional taxicab, the plentiful low-emissions fuel has never caught on in passenger cars - even though it sells for about half the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline in California. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/12/6701274/honda-chevrolet-give-natural-gas.html#storylink=cpy China and UC Davis partner to put Zero Emission Vehicles on a faster track. Tianjin, China - In a landmark international collaboration on clean vehicle adoption, the University of California, Davis, and the China Automotive Technology and Research Center will work together to help speed the commercialization of plug-in and fuel cell electric cars in China and the U.S. under an agreement signed in Tianjin, China. The five-year memorandum of understanding establishes the China–U.S. ZEV Policy Lab…Posted. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/11039-china-and-uc-davis-partner-to-put-zero-emission-vehicles-on-a-faster-track.html Study finds rapid charging and draining doesn’t damage lithium-ion electrode as much as thought. A new study has found that rapid-charging a lithium-ion battery and using it to do high-power, rapidly draining work may not be as damaging as researchers had thought, and that the benefits of slow draining and charging may have been overestimated. Posted. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/09/study-finds-rapid-charging-and-draining-doesnt-damage-lithium-ion-electrode-as-much-as-thought-.html Autonomous and connected car technologies may progressively curb emissions. Excitement around connected and autonomous vehicles has been building for years with consumers interested in the convenience of never having to touch the steering wheel and governments anticipating significant improvements in road safety. It's presumed that these technologies will also have energy efficiency and emissions reductions benefits, but only recently have experts been able to quantify them. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005795/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Nissan denies allegations that it plans to close U.S. battery plant. Nissan Motor Co. denied claims made in a report yesterday that the Japanese automaker plans to phase out battery manufacturing at its facilities in the United States and the United Kingdom. "The Renault-Nissan Alliance remains 100 percent committed to its industry-leading [electric vehicle] program," Nissan spokeswoman Rachel Konrad wrote in an email. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005874/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY GREEN ENERGY New Hydroelectric Plant to Be Built for New York. It seems as natural as, well, water: Harness the energy potential of a 95-billion-gallon reservoir to run four turbines and generate electrical power cleanly and at a profit. Having overcome potential hurdles ranging from drought-stricken rafters on the Delaware River to the endangered dwarf wedgemussel and northern wild monkshood, New York City is tapping the vast resources of its upstate reservoir system to commission a new hydroelectric plant. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/nyregion/new-hydroelectric-plant-to-be-built-for-new-york.html Why the Safest Form of Power Is Also the Most Feared. What do you think is the safest form of power generation? What do you think is the deadliest? According to a a 2010 study by the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, and National Academy of Science, coal is the deadliest by far, killing 170,000 people per trillion kilowatt hours...Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Why-the-Safest-Form-of-Power-Is-Also-the-Most-5754734.php Dominion to buy 2 solar projects in Calif. Dominion Resources is planning to buy two solar projects in California. The Richmond -based energy company announced the agreement with EDF Renewable Energy on Monday. The deal is expected to close next year. The projects in Kings, Kern and Marin counties in California would add 42 megawatts of solar power to its portfolio. Both projects are expected to enter service in the first half of 2015. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/15/dominion-to-buy-2-solar-projects-in-calif/ MISCELLANEOUS Recalls this week: smoke alarms, generators. More than 1 million smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are being recalled because a power outage could render them useless. Inflatable rubber tubes that can irritate skin and boys jackets posing an entanglement hazard are also among this week's recalled consumer products. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/12/6702195/recalls-this-week-smoke-alarms.html#storylink=cpy OPINIONS China's Environmental Awakening. In June of 1969, the Cuyahoga River, a feeder to Lake Erie and Cleveland, Ohio’s main waterway, burst into flames. The August 1969 issue of Time magazine featured an article on the fire, and it wasn’t kind: “Some river! Chocolate-brown, oily, bubbling with subsurface gases, it oozes rather than flows.” Cleveland, my hometown, a great American city with world class museums, music and major league sports, would soon be known as “the mistake on the lake.” Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/15/opinion/chinas-environmental-awakening.html?_r=0 Viewpoints: Campaign against gas tax is foolhardy. A lobbying and PR effort is underway to prevent the state of California from implementing a gas tax as part of its effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. With funding by fossil fuel companies, the campaign taps into the anxieties of families who are already feeling the pinch at the pump. While I agree that any increase in gas prices hurts, the reality is that our gas consumption is hurting even more, and a tax on carbon is the smartest way to address the problem. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/15/6702773/viewpoints-campaign-against-gas.html#storylink=cpy Emission benefits for high-speed rail. Re "An environmentalist makes the case for high-speed rail" (Forum, Aug. 31): I agree with the ideas in the article, except the estimate for annual carbon dioxide or CO2 emission benefits when the train is up and running between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Our governor has said that this train is more about connecting people, and I agree. I want us to be clear about the possible CO2 emission benefits from the train. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/14/6696181/emission-benefits-for-high-speed.html#storylink=cpy Viewpoints: Governor should veto groundwater policy. Californians – especially those in Northern California – are doing their part during this drought, from shortening their showers to reducing lawn watering and eliminating car washes. The majority of the water that Californians use traditionally comes from surface water sources like rivers and reservoirs. Farmers, however, have been cut off. Earlier this year, the State Water Resources Control Board restricted rights to surface water. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/13/6702579/viewpoints-governor-should-veto.html#storylink=cpy Patrick Mulvaney: Climate change affects restaurant menus today. When I read about climate change, I learn about rising sea levels and shrinking polar ice caps – problems for 100 years in the future. But when I talk to my friends and customers about climate change, the focus is on what is happening today. It seems little things are already adding up. As a chef, I have always believed that the completed dish will only be as good as the ingredients used. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/14/6700156/patrick-mulvaney-climate-change.html#storylink=cpy Climate change. Re "Carbon tax could curb warming" (Sept. 11): Contrary to Al Gore and his believers in the world, there has been no increase in the world's temperature for the past 18 years. If we believe those so-called scientists that rely on computer models that have been shown to be fraudulent, we should all be 15 feet underwater. Instead of water, I see California returning to its historic desert climate. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/11/6699008/climate-change.html#storylink=cpy A Whale of a Good Idea. Incentives Lower Ship Strikes and Air Pollution. When the Santa Barbara Foundation made its first round of innovative grants earlier this year, one of them fostered a “two-fer” that will not only help protect whales, but also improve the air we breathe. The “Safe Passage” project called for a pilot study to see if large container ships would accept incentives to reduce their speed going through the Santa Barbara Channel. Posted. http://www.independent.com/news/2014/sep/09/whale-good-idea/ Brian Nestande: Why We Really Lost Tesla. When I read Congressman Ruiz's article primarily blaming me for Tesla Motors choosing Nevada over California for the location of their battery plant, I wasn't sure if he was joking or if he is completely naive. First, California was never seriously being considered for the plant. Why? Posted. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/09/13/brian-nestande-valley-voice/15604415/ Protect your lungs; treat wood smoke like cigarette smoke. OPINION: Once the health hazards of secondhand cigarette smoke were firmly established, sweeping ordinances throughout the country were passed to protect people. Protection from wood smoke is even more medically justified. Civilization requires balancing the curtailment of one person’s freedoms with the protection of others and the greater good. Posted. http://www.adn.com/article/20140912/protect-your-lungs-treat-wood-smoke-cigarette-smoke BLOGS In a Season of Deadly Rains in India, Does the New Prime Minister Believe in Climate Change? More than 450 deaths were reported as monsoon floods ravaged parts of northern Pakistan and the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir last week. The area is weathering the heaviest rainy season in more than half a century. A photo essay compiled for The Atlantic illustrates the awful scale of the devastation. Posted. http://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/15/its-a-season-of-deadly-rains-in-india-does-the-new-prime-minister-believe-in-climate-change/ Climate change report: prevent damage by overhauling global economy. Reducing emissions can generate better growth than old high-carbon model, says co-author of report, Lord Stern. The world can still act in time to stave off the worst effects of climate change, and enjoy the fruits of continued economic growth as long as the global economy can be transformed within the next 15 years, a group of the world's leading economists and political leaders will argue on Tuesday. Posted. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/16/climate-change-report-damage-overhaul-global-economy Cities can lead on climate change to build a resilient future. Vancouver mayor, Gregor Robertson, explains how a price on carbon is helping his city become the greenest in the world. Around the world, cities are taking the lead on addressing the challenge of climate change. While senior governments stall, urban leaders are responding to the urgent need to make our cities more resilient as climate change impacts intensify. In Vancouver…Posted. http://www.theguardian.com/connect4climate-partner-zone/2014/sep/15/cities-can-lead-on-climate-change-to-build-a-resilient-future/print California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.