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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 30, 2014.
Posted: 30 Sep 2014 15:16:02
ARB Newsclips for September 30, 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 Air board adopts new wood-burning rules. The Valley Air District’s Governing Board has authorized more funding to change out older, high-polluting wood-burning devices for newer, cleaner units through the Burn Cleaner fireplace and wood stove change-out program. The move increases the incentive amount available to residents who change out their older, polluting wood-burning devices to $1,500 per device, up from $500. Posted. http://www.recorderonline.com/news/air-board-adopts-new-wood-burning-rules/article_875c970c-47f0-11e4-adee-0017a43b2370.html Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution Announce City Council Endorsements. Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution (CRAAP) has endorsed incumbent Kevin McKeown and Planning Commissioners Richard McKinnon and Sue Himmelrich following CRAAP's three-hour candidates forum on Sept. 22 that featured 13 of the 14 candidates for Santa Monica City Council. Posted. http://www.smmirror.com/articles/News/Concerned-Residents-Against-Airport-Pollution-Announce-City-Council-Endorsements/41250 Greens file brief opposing EPA waste-burning rules. Environmental groups are asking a federal court to send rules governing what discarded materials are exempt from air regulations back to U.S. EPA for review. The organizations say EPA's regulations run contrary to both the Clean Air Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as well as allow harmful air emissions when materials are burned. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060006635/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE Scientists Trace Extreme Heat in Australia to Climate Change. The savage heat waves that struck Australia last year were almost certainly a direct consequence of greenhouse gases released by human activity, researchers said Monday. It is perhaps the most definitive statement climate scientists have made tying a specific weather event to global warming. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/science/earth/human-related-climate-change-led-to-extreme-heat-scientists-say.html?_r=0 Growing, and Growing Vulnerable. As the president of the Fire Island Association, Suzy Goldhirsch has a message she says she often offers property owners. “We are living on a sandbar in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean,” she tells them. “We are in a high-risk environment. We on barrier islands are on the front lines of climate change.” The same could be said of many coastal areas around the world, which are threatened by rising sea levels as the planet warms. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/science/barrier-islands-feeling-the-effects-of-climate-change.html California drought and climate warming: Studies find no clear link. Global warming contributed to extreme heat waves in many parts of the world last year, but cannot be definitively linked to the California drought, according to a report released Monday. The third annual analysis of extreme weather events underscored the continuing difficulty of teasing out the influence of human-caused climate change on precipitation patterns. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-climate-change-california-drought-20140929-story.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-drought-tied-to-climate-change-Maybe-5788420.php 'This Changes Everything' tackles global warming. "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate" (Simon & Schuster), by Naomi Klein Cutting the vast amounts of man-made pollution that feed global warming is an enormous challenge for societies that gobble up coal, oil and gas. But in "This Changes Everything," Naomi Klein argues that those fuels aren't the root problem — capitalism is. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/30/this-changes-everything-tackles-global-warming/ Study: Climate Not a Factor in Epic Colorado Floods. The rains that the National Weather Service called " Biblical " were thought to be possibly linked to climate change because, overall, higher atmospheric temperatures allow air to hold more moisture, leading to more extreme precipitation. It wasn't a foregone conclusion in Colorado because extreme precipitation may vary by region. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/study-climate-not-a-factor-in-epic-colorado-floods_38544200 Climate Fueled Some of 2013’s Most Extreme Events. As the planet’s temperature steadily rises thanks to the burning of fossil fuels that pumps greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, that warming is having a discernible impact on some of the world’s weather, particularly to heat waves across the globe. Posted. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-fueled-some-of-2013s-most-extreme-events-18104 Beyond Treaties: A New Way of Framing Global Climate Action. As negotiators look to next year’s UN climate conference in Paris, there is increasing discussion of a new way forward that does not depend on sweeping international agreements. Some analysts are pointing to Plan B — recasting the climate issue as one of national self-interest rather than global treaties. Posted. http://e360.yale.edu/feature/beyond_treaties_a_new_way_of_framing_global_climate_action/2809/ Scientists find human-caused link to heat wave, but ties to drought and heavy rains elude them. Blistering heat waves recorded around the globe in 2013 were linked to human-caused global warming, according to a broad survey of studies on extreme weather events published yesterday. But the studies could not link climate change as clearly to heavy rainfall, droughts and storms. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060006603/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY As temperatures rise in coming decades, climate 'refugees' have few options. Scientists forecasting cities and regions that will remain relatively safe from extreme storms, destructive flooding and brutal drought don't point to many options. As temperatures rise, many researchers predict, people will shift across the United States to friendly climate havens. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060006591/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY GHGs from U.S. power plants rose slightly last year – report. Power plants are still responsible for more emissions of greenhouse gases than any other industrial sector, according to a U.S. EPA report released today. The power sector released almost a third of U.S. man-made carbon dioxide last year, the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program's report says. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060006649/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY DROUGHT Are humans causing the drought? New study causes a stir. In a controversial study, Stanford University scientists on Monday linked California’s historic drought with atmospheric conditions caused by human-induced climate change. The scientists said the type of atmospheric conditions causing California’s drought very likely exist because of human-created emissions of large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/drought-636736-climate-california.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/News/ci_26627640/Californias-drought-linked-to-greenhouse-gases-climate-change-in-Stanford-study FUELS Canada Tar-Sands Image Set for Overhaul With New Premier. Canada’s reputation as climate bad-boy was invented in Manhattan in 2008. Months before TransCanada Corp. (TRP) applied for a permit for Keystone XL and the pipeline battles that followed, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund convened a gathering of environmental groups to discuss a strategy for taking down Canada’s tar-sands industry. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-30/canada-s-tar-sands-image-set-for-image-with-new-premier.html A U-Turn for a Terminal Built in Texas to Import Natural Gas. The giant Golden Pass natural gas import terminal here, meant to bring Middle Eastern gas to energy-hungry Americans, sits eerily quiet these days, a sleepy museum to a bygone era. Its 5,000 valves, 50 million pounds of steel and ship berth as big as 77 football fields — representing a $2 billion investment by Qatar Petroleum…Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/business/energy-environment/a-u-turn-for-a-terminal-built-in-texas-to-import-natural-gas.html Dominion natural gas exports plan gets federal OK. Dominion Energy received federal approval late Monday to export liquefied natural gas from its Cove Point terminal on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. In its decision, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission concluded that the project, as approved with conditions, would minimize potential adverse impacts on landowners and the environment. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/29/dominion-natural-gas-exports-plan-gets-federal-ok/ World's first coal carbon capture project set for startup this week. The world's first large coal-fired generator refitted to capture the majority of its carbon dioxide emissions is ready for operations. This week, Canadian utility SaskPower hosts officials from the Department of Energy and around the world as part of an official launch of the utility's Boundary Dam carbon capture project, one of four initiatives cited by U.S. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060006606/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY VEHICLES Study finds solo hybrid drivers in California HOV lanes amplify congestion, create up to $4,500 per car in adverse social costs annually. Allowing single-occupant low-emission cars in California to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on congested highways exacerbates the congestion and causes up to about $4,500 per car in adverse social costs annually, including increased commute times and carbon dioxide emissions…Posted. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/09/20140930-hov.html GREEN ENERGY Offshore Wind Turbines Could Tame Hurricanes. Huge Arrays of Windmills Could Protect U.S. Coastal Cities—and Produce Power. Could an armada of giant windmills reduce damage from the next big hurricane? A study by scientists at Stanford University and the University of Delaware suggests that U.S. coastal cities could be spared by installing tens of thousands of gigantic wind turbines offshore in arrays up to 20 miles long. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/articles/offshore-wind-turbines-could-tame-hurricanes-1411937788 SOLAR TOWERS: Plans for Palen solar farm fizzle. The developer of the Palen solar project filed a notice Friday with the California Energy Commission to withdraw its license application for a 750-foot “power tower” in eastern Riverside County. Palen Solar Holdings, a partnership between Oakland-based BrightSource and Abengoa Solar in Spain, “reassessed its position” after an energy commission committee recommended a scaled-down version of the project, said Joe Desmond, a BrightSource vice president. Posted. http://www.pe.com/articles/solar-750823-palen-project.html An RV takes road to energy independence. Thomas “Tim” Lemieux lives in an unlikely showcase for green energy: a 1997 Winnebago recreational vehicle. Scale a narrow ladder up the side of the motorhome, and a compact rooftop solar farm comes into view. Photovoltaic panels cover the top, and even the front hood. They are linked to a series of batteries that help distill and cool water for drinking. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/26/an-rv-rid-of-the-grid/ IEA estimates solar could dominate energy sources by 2050. More than a quarter of the world's electricity demand could be met with solar power by midcentury, surpassing generation from any other single source, including coal, natural gas, oil, wind, hydro and nuclear, the International Energy Agency has determined. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060006596/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY New Western real-time market aims to smooth bumps in renewable generation. A new market for electricity is starting this week aimed at integrating renewables onto the power grid in seven Western states. The "energy imbalance market" will give Western buyers the option to purchase electricity in five-minute increments, a privilege previously enjoyed only by participants in the California grid. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060006608/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY MISCELLANEOUS Gov. Brown signs phase-out of single-use plastic bags in stores. Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday fulfilled a promise by signing a measure that will phase out single-use plastic bags from checkout stands at California supermarkets, convenience stores, liquor stores and pharmacies. California is the first state in the nation to enact such a ban at the state level…Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-gov-brown-signs-phaseout-of-singleuse-plastic-bags-in-stores-20140929-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/30/6746966/brown-says-hes-likely-to-sign.html http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/29/plastic-bag-ban-california/ Earth Talk: Air quality. Dear EarthTalk: What are some of the more dangerous threats to our air quality and what can be done to eliminate them so we can all breathe more easily? - Melanie Smith, Pomfret, CT The main threats to local air quality across the United States (as well as most everywhere else) remain smog and particulate pollution, which combined or acting alone trigger millions of hospital visits and health complications for citizens every year. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/30/6747446/earth-talk-air-quality.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS How to End the Gridlock on Climate Change. MAZEN SKAF: Three interrelated questions are missing in the ongoing climate-change debate among the convinced and the skeptics: 1) What is the appropriate frame and could our biases cause us to miss out on specific interventions or solutions? 2) What if the models or analyses used on either side of the debate are significantly flawed; what will be the implications for upside risks and downside risks...Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2014/09/30/how-to-end-the-gridlock-on-climate-change/ California Is Burning. The drought may cost the region’s farmers upward of $1.7 billion in damages and lost crops, resulting in more than 14,500 farmhand layoffs, Mr. Sahagun writes. “Central Valley irrigators will only get two-thirds of their normal water deliveries,” he says. “Additional pumping of groundwater to replace those shortages will cost farmers about $450 million. Posted. http://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/california-is-burning/?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C{%221%22%3A%22RI%3A11%22} Harry Reid in favor of $10,000 federal EV tax credit. Harry Reid says the federal government should commit more funds towards incentives for electric-vehicle purchases. We'll wait for readers' shock to sink in. Now, here are the details. The Senate Majority Leader (D-NV) is backing President Barack Obama's efforts to raise federal incentives for EV drivers to $10,000 from $7,500, according to The Detroit News. Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2014/09/30/harry-reid-in-favor-of-10-000-federal-ev-tax-credit/ Totaled Tesla Model S is a case of buyer beware. Getting a Tesla Model S for just $50,000 is a steal, but when it's a salvage title car and was written off as totaled by an insurance company, the bargain might not be worth the headache. That's what a San Diego man is learning now that he's having trouble getting his fancy but damaged electric vehicle to work. Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2014/09/29/totaled-tesla-model-s-buyer-beware-video/ Big Greens Are Spending Big Green In 2014 Midterms. First there was a pickup truck. Then there was an ark. The vehicle of choice for drawing attention to the NextGen Climate Action Committee has been, well, vehicles. The climate change super PAC, funded by billionaire investor Tom Steyer, recently rolled a truck filled with fake oil barrels into New Hampshire to chide Republican Senate candidate Scott Brown. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/29/steyer-nextgen-climate-elections_n_5901232.html Cities are lapping countries on climate action. National governments — especially the American government — are largely paralyzed on climate change. But one message from the U.N. Climate Summit and surrounding events last week was that cities can do a lot to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their own. They account for most of the world’s population and emissions. Posted. http://grist.org/cities/cities-are-lapping-countries-on-climate-action/ The little island that could is going 100 percent renewable. Europeans thought the tiny island of El Hierro was the end of the world before Cristobal Colon sailed to that other hemisphere. Now it’s the beginning of a post-fossil energy world. One of Spain’s Canary Islands off Africa’s coast, El Hierro is an active volcanic landmass too remote to hook up to the motherland’s electricity grid. Posted. http://grist.org/news/the-little-island-that-could-is-going-100-percent-renewable/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.