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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 29, 2015

Posted: 29 Jan 2015 13:25:23
This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
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individual websites to view some of the following news articles.

CAP AND TRADE

"California Climate Change Initiatives Create Framework for
Others"
With climate change mandates stalled at the federal level and
ongoing international political struggles complicating global
climate change efforts, several U.S. states and Canadian
provinces have been at the forefront of efforts to mitigate
climate change.
http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/california-climate-change-initiatives-c-85624/


Chaos in California's environmental planning?
What might seem like a minor appellate decision involving the San
Diego region’s long-range transportation plan rests on a
questionable legal holding that threatens to throw environmental
reviews all over California into confusion.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jan/28/environmental-planning-SANDAG-state-appeal/


AIR POLLUTION

EPA Sued by Environmentalists Over Factory-Farm Pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should set limits on
ammonia output and other pollutants from large-scale chicken, hog
and livestock facilities, a coalition of advocacy groups said in
two lawsuits accusing the agency of failing to use its authority
to curb harmful emissions.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-28/epa-sued-over-factory-farm-air-pollution-by-advocacy-groups


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/01/28/groups-sue-epa-over-air-pollution-from-large-farms/22481227/
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/01/29/refineries-challenge-epa-emissions-plan/

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765667330/Groups-sue-EPA-seeking-livestock-farm-air-quality-standards.html
 

Methane Leaks From Gas Pipelines Far Exceed Official Estimates,
Harvard Study Finds
Methane is leaking from natural gas infrastructure in Boston and
the surrounding region at rates two to three times higher than
government estimates, scientists at Harvard University and other
institutions found.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150128/methane-leaks-gas-pipelines-far-exceed-official-estimates-harvard-study-finds


E-Cigarettes Pose Public Health Concern, California Says
Electronic cigarettes contain toxic chemicals and are a
significant public health concern, California’s top health
official said in a report positioning the state to take a leading
role in regulating the battery-operated devices. A growing number
of state officials have expressed skepticism about manufacturers’
claims that the products are a healthier alternative…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-28/e-cigarettes-pose-major-public-health-concern-california-says


EU presses on with anti-pollution law after Commission U-turn
European Union president Latvia will push ahead with a law to
clamp down on air pollution after the European Commission's plan
to withdraw the proposals was rejected by many lawmakers. Air
pollution from traffic and industry is responsible for about
400,000 premature deaths per year in the European Union,
according to Commission data.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/28/eu-environment-air-idUSL6N0V71WD20150128


Spiky hedgehog particles could reduce VOC emissions from paints
and coatings
University of Michigan researchers have developed a new process
that can sprout microscopic spikes on nearly any type of particle
and that may lead to more environmentally friendly paints and a
variety of other innovations. The “hedgehog particles” are named
for their bushy appearance under the microscope.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150129-hedgehog.html 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Most of Hawaii's coral recover from mass bleaching
Coral rely on algae for food and their survival. So when the
stress of warmer-than-average ocean temperatures prompted many of
Hawaii's corals to expel algae last year - a phenomenon called
bleaching because coral lose their color when they do this - many
were worried they might die. Now the Hawaii Department of Land
and Natural Resources says most of the bleached corals have
recovered.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CORAL_BLEACHING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

OTHER RELATED STORIES
 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/29/us/ap-us-coral-bleaching.html


The climate debate is brutal and dysfunctional, but there’s still
a way out
As we watch the new GOP-controlled Congress clash over the
Keystone XL pipeline, it’s rather depressing to realize that this
is just the beginning of the pitched, drag-out battles to come
over climate change in the next two years. Even bigger than
Keystone XL is the coming fight over the Environmental Protection
Agency’s plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/01/29/the-climate-debate-is-brutal-and-dysfunctional-but-theres-still-a-way-out/


FUELS

Senate heads toward approval of Keystone XL pipeline bill
The Republican-controlled Senate is moving toward passage of a
bipartisan bill approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The move
defies a veto threat and sets up the first battle with the White
House over energy and the environment. The Senate plans to vote
later Thursday. It's the first measure taken up by the
Republican-controlled Senate, and one of the first to draw a veto
threat from the president.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/29/us/politics/ap-us-congress-keystone.html


Shell to slash investment after oil price drop hurts profit
In a sign of the impact on the oil sector of the slump in energy
prices, Royal Dutch Shell Plc said Thursday it plans to cut
spending by $15 billion over the next three years amid a drop in
earnings. Shell is the first major energy company to report
earnings, so its quarterly update is watched for hints on the
performance of the wider industry.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BRITAIN_EARNS_ROYAL_DUTCH_SHELL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Even with low prices, US oil industry pushing for exports
Never mind dropping oil prices. U.S. producers are pushing harder
than ever for the right to sell U.S. crude oil overseas. It might
seem counterintuitive: Oil prices are as low as they have been at
any point since 2009 and the height of the Great Recession, and
some say they could drop even further. But oil producers are
playing a longer game, betting that long-term demand will be
strong and new markets offer lucrative rewards for U.S.
producers.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OIL_EXPORTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


House passes bill aimed at expediting natural gas exports
Continuing its charge on energy, the Republican-controlled House
on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at expediting approvals of
natural gas exports. In a 277-133 vote, the House approved a bill
giving the Energy Department a 30-day deadline to authorize
natural gas exports from facilities after they are reviewed and
approved.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_NATURAL_GAS_EXPORTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


EU Gas Prices Prone to Declines on LNG Supplies, Vattenfall Says
European natural gas will probably extend declines as lower
prices for the liquefied fuel in Asia, the biggest buying region,
mean more cargoes head to Europe, according to Vattenfall AB, the
Nordic region’s largest utility. Gas prices in the Netherlands,
Europe’s second-biggest traded market…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-29/eu-gas-prices-prone-to-declines-on-lng-supplies-vattenfall-says
 

Phillips 66 Profit From Gasoline Sales Jumps Amid Price Drop
Phillips 66, the largest U.S. refiner by market value, said
profit from the sale of gasoline and other fuels tripled in the
fourth quarter as prices fell to a five-year low. Net income rose
to $1.15 billion, or $2.05 a share, from $826 million, or $1.37,
a year earlier, the Houston-based company said in a statement
Thursday.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-29/phillips-66-profit-increases-as-crude-fall-reduces-refining-cost


New Report Urges Western Governments to Reconsider Reliance on
Biofuels
Western governments have made a wrong turn in energy policy by
supporting the large-scale conversion of plants into fuel and
should reconsider that strategy, according to a new report from a
prominent environmental think tank. Turning plant matter into
liquid fuel or electricity is so inefficient that the approach is
unlikely ever to supply a substantial fraction of global energy
demand…
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/science/new-report-urges-western-governments-to-reconsider-reliance-on-biofuels.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0


As Gasoline Prices Drop, Americans Swing to Favor Oil Exports:
Poll
Americans are more likely than ever to favor easing a ban on
exporting crude oil, so long as it does not lead to higher
gasoline prices that have recently sunk to near $2 a gallon,
according to a new Reuters-IPSOS poll. In questions posed to more
than 2,000 voting-age Americans earlier this month, around 45
percent generally agreed that oil drillers should be allowed to
export domestic crude abroad…
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/29/business/29reuters-usa-oil-exports.html


VEHICLES

Diesel and gasoline cars; differences? You bet
Fundamentally, there are no real outward differences between a
vehicle powered by a gasoline-injected engine and one using
diesel fuel. No major differences in the actual cars themselves.
In fact, some manufacturers, such as Volkswagen, have similar
models of the same vehicle available either fuelled by gasoline –
or diesel. Under the hood is another tale entirely.
http://www.insidebrockville.com/community-story/5267091-diesel-and-gasoline-cars-differences-you-bet-/


GREEN ENERGY

Pattern Energy Acquires Majority Stake in Green Power Investment
Pattern Energy Group LP, the closely held developer associated
with Pattern Energy Group Inc., bought a majority stake of
Tokyo-based Green Power Investment Corp. for an undisclosed sum.
The deal will add as much a 1 gigawatt of projects to Pattern’s
portfolio and expand the development of wind and solar systems in
Japan, San Francisco-based Pattern said Wednesday in a statement.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-28/pattern-energy-acquires-majority-stake-in-green-power-investment


California Needs Cost-Effective Clean Energy Now
In the 1970s, the smog in Southern California was so bad we
couldn’t even see the nearby. San Gabriel Mountains from
downtown. Smog alerts forced school kids indoors, canceled
outdoor events and sent people to emergency rooms. In 2015, our
air may look cleaner, but we still have much to do to eliminate
air pollution. We also now face the added challenge of tackling
climate change.
http://egpnews.com/2015/01/california-needs-cost-effective-clean-energy-now/


Lawmaker introduces bill to raise state's renewable energy use to
50%
A California lawmaker yesterday introduced a bill to raise the
state's share of renewable energy to 50 percent by 2030. State
Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D) introduced A.B. 197, which
would implement Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) inaugural pledge earlier
this month to ratchet up the state's renewables target…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012512/print 

U.S. Wind Power Quadruples in 2014 as Texas Leads Installations
Installations of wind turbines in the U.S. more than quadrupled
last year led by growth in Texas, as developers took advantage of
an expiring federal tax credit, according to the American Wind
Energy Association. Developers completed 4,850 megawatts of wind
farms, up from 1,087 megawatts that went into service in 2013,
the Washington-based trade group said today in a statement.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-28/u-s-wind-power-quadruples-in-2014-as-texas-leads-installations


Affluent investors betting on natural gas, solar
Distinguishing between electricity generated by fossil fuel and
power pushed onto the grid by renewable energy sources is an
impossible task. But at least in the eyes of a little more than
1,000 high-net-worth Americans surveyed for a December report by
Morgan Stanley, the financial decisions related to energy
companies are sharper…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012511/print 

MISCELLANEOUS

Dustup ensues as SLO County air board tries to elect officers
A contentious San Luis Obispo County air board struggled
Wednesday to decide who would hold the panel’s chairman and vice
chairman seats in 2015. In the end, Supervisor Adam Hill is the
new chairman, replacing Atascadero City Councilwoman Roberta
Fonzi; Morro Bay Councilman Noah Smukler was elected vice
chairman by the narrowest of margins.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/01/28/3464861_air-pollution-control-district.html?rh=1


BLOGS

Libertarian Group Aims to Influence Immigration, Climate-Change
Policies
Libertarians are known more for their provocative ideas than
their ability to get those ideas enacted into law. A new
Washington-based think tank is trying to change that. The
Niskanen Center was launched last year with the aim of
influencing policy fights, not just authoring headline-grabbing
proposals that go nowhere in Congress.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/01/29/libertarian-group-aims-to-influence-immigration-climate-change-policies/


Climate and Renewable Trends for 2015
After the usual spate of stock-taking wrap-up blogs about 2014 it
is time to look ahead at what may be in store for us on the
renewable energy and climate change front in 2015. Will low oil
prices hurt or help renewable energy and climate action? Will the
new Congress succeed in rolling back progress and reversing the
President's leadership on the Clean Power Plan?
http://theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/2187581/climate-and-renewable-trends-2015


BMW Diesel Model Sales Unaffected By Lower Gas Prices, Exec Says
Gas prices are at their lowest level in years, and that's
triggered a flurry of speculation from analysts that sales of
hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles will suffer. That in
turn has led to a few confident ripostes from car-company
executives saying that isn't the case.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096534_bmw-diesel-model-sales-unaffected-by-lower-gas-prices-exec-says





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