What's New List Serve Post Display
Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 19, 2015
Posted: 19 Mar 2015 11:24:50
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 Report: Sacramento gets short end of stick from cap-and-trade program. California's cap-and-trade program will reap far more revenue for clean air projects than the state had previously projected. But most of those dollars will flow disproportionately to the Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley, according to a report released Tuesday. It's already stirred controversy. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/19/report-says-sacramento-gets-short-end-of-the-stick.html AIR POLLUTION Another Culprit Of Air Pollution: Palm Oil Used In Deodorants And Cookies. To the growing list of human behavior causing pollution and climate change, you can add one more: unsustainable production of palm oil, needed for multiple consumer products from deodorants and toothpastes to cookies and chocolates. The Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science advocacy organization based in Cambridge, Mass., in a report says air pollution in South East Asia, including the infamous and debilitating haze that can grip the region, is caused by, amongst other things, unsustainable practices like deforestation, landscape fires and draining peatlands. http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghabahree/2015/03/19/another-culprit-of-air-pollution-palm-oil-used-in-deodorants-and-cookies/ CLIMATE CHANGE California Legislature Debating 2015 Climate Leadership Legislation. During his fourth inaugural address just three months ago, California Governor Jerry Brown announced an ambitious new plan to address the impacts of climate change in California over the next 15 years. The groundbreaking plan proposed to increase from thirty-three to fifty percent the amount of electricity derived from renewable sources, reduce the petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to fifty percent, and double the energy efficiency of existing buildings and make heating fuels cleaner. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/03/18/california-legislature-debating-2015-climate-leadership-legislation/ Obama orders 40 percent cut in government's greenhouse gases. President Barack Obama ordered the federal government on Thursday to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases by 40 percent, as the U.S. seeks to spur other nations to get serious about climate change. Obama's executive order also directs the government to ramp up use of renewable energy sources to 30 percent of the federal government's consumption. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related articles: http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Obama-to-order-gov-t-to-cut-its-greenhouse-gas-6144478.php http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/17/obama-administration-calls-for-more-renewable-energy-tighter-pollution-controls-on-taxpayer-owned-lands/ Scientists document rapid decline in Amazon's ability to soak up carbon. How the world's tropical forests will respond to climate change is one of the greatest uncertainties dogging climate scientists today. As greenhouse gas concentrations increase, will forests suck up even more carbon dioxide, providing a modest cushion against the worst impacts of a warming planet? http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/03/19/stories/1060015356 Permafrost melt will severely tilt climate scales – researchers. Carbon released from permafrost will not be offset by plants absorbing carbon from the atmosphere -- even if plants grow more quickly in high-latitude regions, researchers say. As permafrost melts, plants are better able to access nitrogen in deeper layers of soil. Though Arctic plants may benefit from the fertilization effects of nitrogen… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015355/print Top U.S. negotiator heads to China as countries flesh out emission pledges. U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern is returning to Beijing for another set of bilateral climate talks with the Chinese government, the State Department announced yesterday. The U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group will be led by Stern and Vice Chairman Zhang Yong of the Chinese National Development… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015353/print Australia's farmers face the first serious threats from climate change. From tasteless carrots to sunburned apples, a new report by two University of Melbourne researchers paints a challenging picture for Australia's agricultural sector and the impacts of climate change in the decades to come. Through the examination of 55 food commodities and a breakdown of the ways each of the country's multiple climate regions will be affected by climate change… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015328/print DROUGHT California governor to propose $1B drought plan. Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders will propose more than $1 billion in drought relief spending for California, according to a legislative staffer who has been briefed on the package. The staffer tells The Associated Press that the vast majority of the package to be announced Thursday accelerates spending that voters have already approved for water and flood projects. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related articles: http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article15329447.html http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83094406/ Scientists say El Niño won't bring drought relief. Earlier this month, meteorologists announced that the El Niño weather phenomenon had finally arrived after a year of predictions. Though the phenomenon was expected to bring some drought relief to Southwestern states, this year's El Niño came in late and fairly weak. El Niño is triggered by a warming of parts of the central Pacific Ocean. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015316/print FUELS Feds eye oil, gas drilling off East Coast, Alaska, Gulf. Environmentalists say allowing offshore drilling along the U.S. East Coast from northern Virginia to the Georgia-Florida border could lead to a catastrophic oil spill devastating to the crucial tourism industry. But business and petroleum groups say they want to be able to explore whether significant oil and gas reserves exist that could stabilize energy prices and help the economy overall. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OCEAN_DRILLING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Propel Debuts High Performance Renewable Diesel. California-based Propel Fuels has debuted North America’s first retail rollout of High Performance Renewable (HPR) diesel. This company news release says the green fuel uses Neste Oil’s NEXBTL renewable diesel. “Diesel HPR exceeds conventional diesel in power, performance and value,” said Rob Elam, CEO and Co-Founder of Propel. “Propel is committed to offering Californians the most advanced low carbon fuels that meet our high standards for quality and value.” http://domesticfuel.com/2015/03/19/propel-debuts-high-performance-renewable-diesel/ It's clean and green, but don't ask what's in new diesel fuel. Speaking in front of a diesel pump in Sacramento on Wednesday, California Air Resources Board chairwoman Mary Nichols promoted the first high-performance renewable diesel fuel for sale in the state. "People who know me as the 'clean air' person might me surprised to see me selling diesel fuel," Nichols said. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/18/its-clean-and-green-but-dont-ask-whats-in-new.html Propel debuts cost-competitive renewable diesel in California. In California, Propel Fuels has launched California’s most advanced diesel fuel: Diesel HPR (High Performance Renewable) at Propel locations across Northern California. Propel’s Diesel HPR uses Neste Oil’s NEXBTL renewable diesel, a low-carbon renewable fuel that meets petroleum diesel specifications for use in diesel engines while realizing the benefits of better performance and lower emissions. http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2015/03/18/propel-debuts-cost-competitive-renewable-diesel-in-california/ VEHICLES China boosts fleet of electric, hybrid vehicles. Chinese authorities have announced plans to boost the number of electric, hybrid and other alternative fuel-powered vehicles used for public transportation, while sales of such cars for private use have spiked in recent months. The Transport Ministry announced Wednesday that officials aimed to add 200,000 buses and 100,000 taxis powered by alternative fuels by 2020. Last year, the country added 15,000 alternative fuel-powered buses to its roads. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/china-boosts-fleet-of-electric-hybrid-vehicles/2015/03/19/cfb81e16-cdee-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html PG&E giving rebates for electric cars? Californians who buy an electric car already get a generous rebate from the state, not to mention a hefty federal tax credit. Soon, many of them may get a rebate from their utility company as well. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Wednesday proposed offering one-time rebates to customers with electric cars. If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, the rebates could be available as soon as next year. The amount of the rebate has not yet been determined. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/PG-E-giving-rebates-for-electric-cars-6143856.php GREEN ENERGY Outlook for Solar Gets a Bit Brighter. Here is a trick question: Which country led the European Union last year in putting new solar panels on rooftops and in countryside energy parks? If you chose sunny Spain or balmy Italy, you were wrong. Britain, the green and pleasant land often shrouded in cloud, was the leader, according to the market research firm I.H.S. Britain, like other countries in the European Union, has pledged to sharply cut carbon dioxide emissions blamed for global warming. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/business/energy-environment/solar-outlook-improves-in-europe-and-developing-countries.html?_r=0 Solar-powered plane lands in Myanmar on 3rd leg of journey. A solar-powered plane landed in Myanmar on Thursday night, the third leg of a round-the-world trip aimed at highlighting clean energy. Dozens of trees had to be cleared ahead of the Solar Impulse 2's arrival at the Mandalay International Airport for its giant mobile hangar and exhibition tent, said Taik Aung, the country's director of air navigation and safety division. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article15329099.html MISCELLANEOUS Cal State L.A. receives $1-million gift to study urban environment. Cal State Los Angeles has received a $1-million gift to study environmental problems afflicting large urban areas, officials said this week. The donation from the Sikand Foundation will establish the Gunjit S. Sikand Faculty Endowment for Research in Urban Sustainability. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-calstate-gift-20150318-story.html Urban sprawl costs U.S. billions annually – report. Rapid and uncontrolled development in urban areas costs the United States more than $1 trillion annually, according to a new study. When cities grow, they tend to get more spread out, increasing residents' need to commute by car and reducing the accessibility of a city. The sprawl can create increased fuel costs from sitting in traffic, maintaining cars and larger homes, and more dispersed activities. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015330/print BLOGS Top hurricane expert: Climate change influenced Tropical Cyclone Pam. Late last week, one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record in the South Pacific made a direct hit on the island nation of Vanuatu, leaving more than 20 people dead and massive destruction in its wake. Tropical Cyclone Pam’s sustained winds of 165 mph and gusts nearing 200 ripped trees from the ground and flattened homes. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/03/18/top-hurricane-expert-climate-change-influenced-tropical-cyclone-pam/ The Wages of Cyclone Pam He also warned that the climate in the region would remain volatile as long as global warming goes unchecked. “The cyclone seasons, the warm, the rain, all this is affected,” he said. “Yes, climate change is contributing to this.” No deaths have been reported in other countries, but, according to a press release issued by Tuvalu, nearly half of its population has been displaced. http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-wages-of-cyclone-pam California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.