What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for October 15, 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's Carbon Trading Program May Give You Money Soon.
California households who get their electricity from the state's
privately owned utilities will be getting a bit of a present in
their electric bills this fall, thanks to the state's greenhouse
gas cap-and-trade program. Most California residents' electric
bills will be credited an average of $35 in October or November
through the state's Climate Credit program.
http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/utilities/californias-carbon-trading-program-may-give-you-money-soon.html


Californians To Receive Credit On October-November Electricity
Bills. The California Air Resources Board says nearly 11 million
households in the state will get a credit averaging $35 on their
electric bills. The credit comes from California’s cap-and-trade
program to fight climate change. It's a result of payments power
plants and industries make when they buy carbon emission permits.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/10/15/californians-to-receive-credit-on-october-november-electricity-bills/


AIR POLLUTION

Wind Power Is Cheapest Energy, E.U. Analysis Finds. Wind Power Is
Cheapest Energy, E.U. Analysis Finds    Onshore wind is cheaper
than coal, gas or nuclear energy when the costs of 'external'
factors like air quality, human toxicity and climate change are
taken into
account...	http://insideclimatenews.org/content/wind-power-cheapest-energy-eu-analysis-finds

Did The Most Expensive Regulation Ever Just Arrive At The White
House?	Look out! Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) just sent what could be the most expensive regulation ever
to the Office of Management and Budget for final review. We don't
know what the ozone rule will look like, but an EPA advisory
board is pushing for standards that would, under EPA's own
estimates, cost about $100 billion to comply with every year.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisprandoni/2014/10/14/did-the-most-expensive-regulation-ever-just-arrive-at-the-white-house/
	

CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon-Free U.K. ‘Utterly Implausible,’ Ex-Minister Says. Former
U.K. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson will say government
targets to reduce the emission of gases linked to climate change
are “utterly implausible,” in a speech that puts him on a
collision course with his party leader, Prime Minister David
Cameron. In a speech in London today to the Global Warming Policy
Foundation, which is opposed to much of U.K. government policy
aimed at tackling climate change…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-14/carbon-free-u-k-utterly-implausible-ex-minister-says.html


U.S. considers climate change plan that would mandate emission
cuts. The United States is considering a proposal to combat
climate change that would require countries to offer plans for
curtailing greenhouse gas emissions on a certain schedule but
would leave it to individual nations to determine how deep their
cuts would be, said Todd Stern, the
nation's...	http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-climate-change-proposal-20141015-story.html


Pentagon finds a new enemy: Mother Nature.  From rising sea
levels to the melting Arctic ice sheet to political unrest that
feeds on starving populations, the U.S. military must rethink how
it protects the nation, says a new report from the Department...
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=26931
	

Exxon, Shell Carbon Emissions Rise Though Pumping Drops.	Exxon
Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell PLC are emitting more carbon
dioxide despite tapping less oil and natural gas. For every
barrel they pump, the two biggest Western oil companies generated
10 percent more in greenhouse gases each last year than they did
in 2011, according to company data.
http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/20141015/exxon-shell-carbon-emissions-rise-though-pumping-drops


Climate action a fiscal imperative: Obama's budget director. The
director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget
said action to combat climate change is imperative for fiscal
reasons, not just moral reasons, given the mounting costs of
climate events on the federal budget. Shaun Donovan, who took the
reins at OMB in August, said the Obama administration's pragmatic
approach...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/14/us-climatechange-summit-donovan-idUSKCN0I32S520141014
	

Study: EPA study proves plug-in vehicles making their mark	Filed
under: EV/Plug-in, MPG, USA. Talk about a report both green-car
advocates and gearheads can celebrate. The US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) put out its annual Light-Duty Automotive
Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends
report....
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/10/14/epa-study-proves-plug-in-vehicles-making-their-mark/
   

DROUGHT

The Risks of Cheap Water. This summer, California’s water
authority declared that wasting water — hosing a sidewalk, for
example — was a crime. Next door, in Nevada, Las Vegas has paid
out $200 million over the last decade for homes and businesses to
pull out their lawns. It will get worse. As climate change and
population growth further stress the water supply from the
drought-plagued West to the seemingly bottomless Great Lakes….
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/15/business/economy/the-price-of-water-is-too-low.html?_r=0


Amid drought, Mayor Garcetti directs L.A. to cut water use 20% by
2017 ...water use by 20% over the next 21/2 years and warned of
new water restrictions if conservation targets aren't met. In
announcing the plan, Garcetti said the city's already significant
reductions in water use were inadequate given the seriousness of
the drought.  "The ongoing drought has created a water crisis
second to none.
http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-city-water-20141015-story.html


Calif. Heads for Warmest Year As Drought Hangs On.  Heavy
precipitation fell across parts of the West in September, and
while some locations saw top-10 wettest Septembers, much of the
region is still mired in deep drought. Part of that is due to the
excess heat that's afflicted the region this year, including
what's been the warmest year to date in California according to
U.S. temperature data released on Tuesday. In a role reversal,
the normally...
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-warmest-year-drought-18178
	

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Futher Crackdowns On Diesel Emissions Only A Matter Of Time? Both
the U.S. and Europe have implemented tighter emissions or
fuel-economy standards for gasoline-powered vehicles, but
Europe's legion of diesel cars and trucks may get even closer
scrutiny. As concerns over urban air quality grow, European
analysts see diesel-exhaust emissions as the next major target of
regulation....
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1094943_futher-crackdowns-on-diesel-emissions-only-a-matter-of-time


FUELS

Exxon, Shell Carbon Emissions Rise Though Pumping Drops.
Greenhouse-Gas Increase Reflects Difficulty in Tapping New
Sources of Energy. For every barrel they pump, the two biggest
Western oil companies generated 10% more in greenhouse gases each
last year than they did in 2011, according to company data. The
rise in such emissions, which trap heat in the atmosphere, in
part stems from the mounting difficulty of getting oil and gas
out of the ground.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/exxon-shell-carbon-emissions-rise-though-pumping-drops-1413329329


Oil prices plunge as production rises, fueling concern in OPEC.
The roller-coaster ride of oil prices is speeding downward,
carrying with it bickering members of OPEC, anxious U.S. shale
oil producers and a Russia that relies heavily on petroleum
revenue. With a weak global economy, the customary swing producer
of oil — Saudi Arabia — has cut prices instead of cutting
production, setting off a scramble on world markets.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/oil-prices-plunge-as-production-rises-fueling-concern-in-opec/2014/10/14/9bfd877c-53c9-11e4-892e-602188e70e9c_story.html


Valley critics want to kill state proposal that could increase
gas prices. With a new proposal to lower greenhouse gases due to
kick in Jan. 1, opponents are calling on Gov. Jerry Brown and the
state Air Resources Board to kill the plan because they say it
will significantly increase gas prices. That price increase —
which by some estimates could range from 13 cents to as much as
76 cents per gallon — will mean the potential loss of more than
18,000 jobs and a $3 billion loss in economic output next year…
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2014/10/14/3902181_valley-critics-continue-calls.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy


Progress reported on cellulosic ethanol prospects. The potential
for producing cost-effective cellulosic ethanol that uses
plentiful and sustainable cellulosic plant biomass continues to
grow, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture.    Its
Agricultural Research Service scientists at the Bioenergy
Research Unit in Peoria, Ill., have recently completed studies on
multiple approaches that could help streamline cellulosic...
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=26933

U.S. diesel average falls 3.5 cents in biggest drop in year and a
half. ...Administration. That's the largest week-to-week drop
since the week ended April 29, 2013, when diesel fell 3.6 cents,
according to DOE data. Related Cheaper crude driving down diesel
prices; price drop expected to continue The country's average
price for a gallon of diesel fuel should continue to fall this
year and next, according to the Department of Energy, who ...
http://www.overdriveonline.com/u-s-diesel-average-falls-3-5-cents-in-biggest-drop-in-year-and-a-half/


VEHICLES

Volkswagen: Plug-In Hybrids A 'Bridge' To Pure Electric Cars In
Future. It's often said that plug-in hybrids are the "gateway
drug" to pure battery-electric vehicles, exposing drivers to the
electric-car experience without looming range anxiety. Now it
appears that a member of the powerful board of global automaker
Volkswagen Group
agrees.http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1094919_volkswagen-plug-in-hybrids-a-bridge-to-pure-electric-cars-in-future


GREEN ENERGY

Germany set for dip in renewable energy subsidy.	The cost to
Germans of subsidizing renewable energy is set to decline next
year for the first time, though the impact on their electricity
bills will be only slight.    Chancellor Angela Merkel's...
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Germany-set-for-dip-in-renewable-energy-subsidy-5823836.php


Scientists: EPA Underestimating Renewables Potential  ...and more
climate-friendly than the Obama administration expects it to be
through 2030, researchers at the Union of Concerned Scientists
said in an analysis released Tuesday.  The report says the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency set each state's renewable energy
production targets far too low in the proposed Clean Power Plan,
the Obama Administration's effort to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions from existing coal-fired power plants.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/scientists-epa-underestimating-u.s.-renewables-potential-18176


MISCELLANEOUS

Richmond storage company settles suit over bay pollution. San
Francisco Bay Keeper, an environmental group, reached an
agreement last week with a storage company it sued two years ago
for allegedly polluting San Francisco Bay, violating the Clean
Water Act and endangering the health of wildlife and neighboring
communities. Bay Keeper and the company in question,
Levin-Richmond Terminal Corp., reached a settlement that requires
the Richmond-based firm to better manage and clean up pollutants…
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_26732718/richmond-storage-company-settles-suit-over-bay-pollution


OPINIONS

Guest commentary: Hidden tax is about to hit low-income people
again. Over the summer, citing a recent Standard & Poor's report,
Gov. Jerry Brown addressed income inequality as a critical issue
facing our state that needs to be addressed, recognizing that if
consumers are in debt, the economy doesn't go forward. California
Air Resources Board's plan to raise gas taxes on Californians
anywhere from 16 to 70 cents per gallon in the name of
cap-and-trade will only compound the struggle already facing our
residents.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_26725898/guest-commentary-hidden-tax-is-about-hit-low


BLOGS

Gas prices could fall by 30 cents by the holiday season. Good
news, commuters, analysts predict that gas prices could fall by
as much as 30 cents per gallon before the end of the year. As of
Wednesday, the state average stood at $3.589, but some stations
were selling the product for 20 to 30 cents below that -- a far
cry from the midsummer high in July of about $4.09, according to
GasBuddy.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/morning-roundup/2014/10/gas-prices-could-fall-by-30-cents-by-the-holiday.html


Why clean energy might be cheaper than you think.  Wind and solar
power often get a bad rap for being more expensive than energy
produced from fossil fuels. But what happens when you factor in,
say, the health costs of people breathing smoggy air? Or the
financial impact of climate change's
effect...	http://grist.org/article/why-clean-energy-might-be-cheaper-than-you-think


Toyota giving away its first hydrogen car in US.  ...Tickets
Available Through Bidding For Good    California isn't Nevada,
but Golden State residents are nonetheless being given a chance
to make a small bet on what may be a large prize, courtesy of
Toyota. The Japanese automaker will start selling its first
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on the West Coast late next year, and
before that, Toyota would like to pick up some positive publicity
by giving America's first one away to one lucky Californian.  
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/10/09/toyota-will-give-away-first-hydrogen-car-in-us/?icid=autobloggrn%7ctrend%7chydrogen-car-giveaway

	
Global Climate Deal Shouldn't Be Legally Binding, Top State
Department Official Says.	WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - The
United States wants to broker a global agreement on climate
change that would contain some legal elements but would stop
short of being legally binding on an international level, the
country's top diplomat on climate change issues said.  Todd
Stern, the State Department climate...	
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/15/global-climate-deal-_n_5987252.html?utm_hp_ref=green



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