What's New List Serve Post Display
Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
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 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 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 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.