What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for April 7, 2015. 

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 touts provincial action as best way to tackle carbon
emissions. Carbon pricing enacted by provinces, rather than
federal regulations, will allow Canada to meet increasingly
ambitious greenhouse-gas emission targets, a prominent group of
economists urge in a report to be released Tuesday. As Ontario
prepares to unveil its proposed cap-and-trade plan, the
economists who make up Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission say
provincial action…
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/report-touts-provincial-action-as-best-way-to-tackle-carbon-emissions/article23817140/

AIR POLLUTION

Modi blames changing lifestyles for India's rising pollution.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday blamed the changing
lifestyles that have come with India's economic development for
rising pollution levels that have given the country some of the
world's dirtiest air. With his government rolling out a new air
quality index to 10 of the nation's cities, Modi urged Indians to
curtail waste and conserve resources even as they become
wealthier, in order to prevent an environmental catastrophe.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Appeals court rules against Oceano Dunes dust rule. The
California Court of Appeal in Ventura has ruled that the San Luis
Obispo County Air Pollution Control District overstepped its
authority when it required that Oceano Dunes State Vehicular
Recreation Area get an air permit in order to operate.The ruling,
handed down Monday by the 2nd District Court of Appeal, deals
with the air district’s Rule 1001…
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/06/3574191/oceano-dunes-dust-court-ruling.html#storylink=cpy


Los Angeles County gets C+ in environment, according to UCLA
study. Los Angeles County’s air quality has improved but
continues to be some of the worst in the nation, while the area’s
groundwater and stormwater have excessive levels of pollution, a
UCLA study said today, giving the county a “C+” grade for its
environment. “Despite a strong recent history of environmental
improvements, the county has a long way to go before joining the
honor
roll…http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150407/los-angeles-county-gets-c-in-environment-according-to-ucla-study


FedEx CO2 Emissions Drop More Than 20%. FedEx avoided nearly 1.3
million metric tons of CO2 emissions between 2013 and 2014 as a
combined result of its various energy-savings initiatives,
according to the company’s 2014 Global Citizenship Report. In
2014, year-over year aircraft emissions dropped 1.5 percent,
bringing the company’s total reduction in CO2 emissions intensity
to 21.4 percent from 2005 levels.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/04/07/fedex-co2-emissions-drop-more-than-20/#ixzz3Wdsi948t


New study finds asthma morbidity in children is enhanced in areas
with high traffic-related air pollution near the home. Results
from a new study by researchers at the University of California
Irvine support a growing body of scientific literature indicating
that sensitive populations, including children, certain ethnic
groups and people of lower socioeconomic status, are more
vulnerable to the effects of high exposures to traffic-related
air pollution.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150407-delfino.html 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Achilles: Businesses Across the Globe Paying ‘Lip Service’ to
Reducing Carbon Footprint. Businesses across the globe have
claimed that reducing carbon is going to become a bigger priority
in 2015, but most are not taking basic steps to make it happen,
new research shows. “In our experience, most large businesses are
only motivated to tackle carbon emissions when it’s mandated by
clients as part of the tendering process.”
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150407006043/en/Achilles-Businesses-Globe-Paying-%E2%80%98Lip-Service%E2%80%99-Reducing#.VSQPPhZO3So

Obama presents climate change as hazard to your health. President
Barack Obama will ask Americans to think of climate change as a
threat not just to the environment, but also to their health.
Obama on Tuesday was to announce a series of steps that private
entities like Google and Microsoft are taking to better prepare
the nation's health systems for the inevitable effects of a
warmer, more erratic climate.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE_HEALTH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


White House to explore how climate change makes you sick.
President Obama is launching an initiative Tuesday aimed at
highlighting the connections between climate change and public
health, bringing both medical and data experts to the White House
this week. As part of the effort, the White House will hold a
Climate Change and Health Summit later this spring, featuring
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/07/white-house-to-explore-how-climate-change-makes-you-sick/


Global Warming Will Bring Fast, Clumsy Spiders. The fluid that
controls their limb movement can’t keep up with the high speeds
that come with high temperatures, a study finds. One major
downside of global warming? Spiders. So many spiders. Previous
studies have suggested that warmer weather may mean more spiders
overall (and bigger ones, at that)…
http://www.nrcm.org/news/environmental-issues-in-the-news/global-warming-will-bring-fast-clumsy-spiders/


Are we reaching a positive climate change tipping point? Are we
tipping the right way? One of the great environmental stories is
of how catastrophe can creep up and be noticed only when it is
too late to act. Examples range from the sudden, inexplicable
collapse of bee colonies, to ice cores revealing the potential
for dramatic climatic upheavals that happen not in millennia or
centuries, but the time it takes to pass through a coalition
government or two.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/07/are-we-reaching-a-positive-climate-change-tipping-point

 
Can Climate Scientists Make A Difference by Not Flying? Globally,
air travel accounts for 2.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
If air travel were a country, it would be roughly on par with
Germany in emissions. And if air travel by climate scientists
were a city, it would be a one-stoplight outpost. In other words,
climate scientists curtailing their air travel would make a
microscopic dent in reducing emissions…
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-scientists-flying-18864


New York Just Quietly Raided Its Climate Program For Cash. It
Might Destroy The Entire Effort. A relatively small provision
buried in New York state’s $150 billion budget has got
environmentalists in a bit of a tizzy. In the budget passed last
week, lawmakers agreed to take $41 million away from state’s
climate change mitigation program and sweep that money into the
general fund.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/07/3641147/new-york-raids-rggi-possibly-threatens-obama-climate-action/


Utility Giant Cuts Ties With Willie Soon. Southern Company
supplied nearly $470,000 for research by climate contrarian
affiliated with Harvard-Smithsonian, now conducting an ethics
investigation. Controversial climate contrarian and
Harvard-Smithsonian scientist Wei-Hock "Willie" Soon has one more
report to complete for a giant utility company that has pumped
nearly a half-million dollars into his highly disputed research
before the company cuts his funding.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/07042015/utility-giant-cuts-ties-willie-soon-southern-company-coal-climate-change-skeptic-contrarian

 
At the macro level, most Americans believe climate change is
real; but on the micro level, there is confusion. The majority of
Americans believe climate change is real and are worried about
its effects, but fewer than half think it is primarily caused by
human activity, according to a paper published yesterday in
Nature Climate Change. Even fewer -- about 4 in 10 -- believe
there is broad consensus within the scientific community that the
planet is steadily warming.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/07/stories/1060016341 

Battlefield conversions: Hunters see climate changing their
traditions. On the Eastern Shore of Maryland, waterfowl season
arrives in a "big way," said Maryland native Steve Kline. The
colder it gets up north, the more compelled the birds are to
migrate south to the Chesapeake Bay, and come November, it's time
to don the hunter's orange and hit the fields. First come the
wood ducks, then the green-winged and blue-winged teal. And then
there are the Canada geese. The place Kline calls home,
Chestertown, calls itself the goose capital of the East.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016344 

Climate campaigners losing faith in value of engaging with fossil
fuel firms.  As the divestment campaign gathers pace, those in
favour argue that investor pressure is ‘useless’ as an effective
means for industry reform – but some experts say putting all your
eggs in one basket is a risky strategy. It’s been 23 years since
investor activists first tried to get the oil business to face up
to the risks of climate change.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/07/climate-campaigners-losing-faith-in-value-engaging-with-fossil-fuel-firms


DROUGHT

Storm brings rain and snow, but little relief, to California. An
unusually cold spring storm will bring heavy rain and hail to
parts of Northern California on Tuesday and coat the mountains in
snow - a welcome respite that will do little to ease the historic
drought, forecasters say. Up to 2 feet of snow could fall in the
Sierra Nevada, according to the National Weather Service.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_STORM?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


California cities pressured to step up to slash water use.
Determined to erase its spotty water conservation record, the
wealthy coastal community of Newport Beach is among the cities
preparing to crack down on water guzzlers and wasters in response
to California's worsening drought.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_WATER_USE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Drought expands across large section of nation's crop region.
Drought conditions expanded last month amid weather that was
warmer and drier across much of the western U.S., but spring rain
in the agricultural Midwest could improve conditions for farmers
preparing for the corn and soybean growing season. Weekly data
released by the National Drought Mitigation Center shows moderate
drought or worse covered 36.8 percent of the U.S. …
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EXPANDING_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


How a plan to ration water in Southern California will work.
Southern California's water wholesaler is planning to wield its
powerful hammer to force more urban conservation this year by
cutting water deliveries. Faced with dwindling regional reserves
and a fourth year of drought, the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California is expected to vote next week to ration
imported water that it supplies to 26
http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83234054/ 

State will unveil specifics on drought water cuts soon. The State
Water Resources Control Board hopes to announce a preliminary
framework by Tuesday that will outline how it plans to implement
the historic mandatory water restrictions Gov. Jerry Brown
ordered last week. The framework will detail how the state plans
to achieve the 25% water-use cut Brown ordered and will explain
the consequences for agencies that fail to meet the targets.
http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83231037/ 

Drought turning green street medians to brown. Grassy center
medians on boulevards across the state, including Sacramento’s
Capitol Mall corridor, are likely to go brown this summer under
Gov. Jerry Brown’s new emergency water restrictions. Faced with a
four-year drought, the governor last week ordered first-time
mandatory state water-usage reductions, targeting a 25 percent
cut through early next year.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article17587127.html#storylink=cpy


California water board says February savings were worst yet.
California's water board said Tuesday that residents saved less
water in February than in any other month since it began tracking
conservation efforts last summer. Newly released figures showed a
water use reduction of just 3 percent in February compared with
2013 figures, dismal savings that came after the driest January
on record in the state.
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27863495/california-cities-pressured-step-up-slash-water-use

http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-cities-pressured-to-step-up-to-slash-6182936.php


Almond Rush Raises Tough Questions During Dry Times. Conveyer
belts carry millions of kernels through sorting machines in a
giant processing plant in the western San Joaquin Valley near
Newman, California. Last year Stewart and Jasper Orchards hulled
and shelled more than 40 million pounds of almonds -- most of
which were headed overseas. Eighty percent of California’s
almonds are exported. http://www.capradio.org/45521 
 
Palm Desert cutting water use at parks, elsewhere. Palm Desert
will be watering its roadway medians and parks up to 25 percent
less following Gov. Jerry Brown's mandatory restrictions on water
use. The increased conservation efforts will be implemented
immediately in some spots and in phases over the next two weeks
in other areas, city spokesman David Hermann said.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/04/06/palm-desert-water-conservation-parks-medians-misters-civic-center-el-paseo-joe-mann-park/25385433/


Drought triggered improved water clarity in 2014. Drought
conditions helped fuel a drastic improvement in the clarity of
Lake Tahoe last year, researchers reported today. Decreased
runoff from mountain snow meant that fewer contaminants entered
the iconic lake, located at the border of California and Nevada,
according to data from the University of California, Davis.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/07/stories/1060016372 

FUELS

Oil rallies on U.S. jobs data, bullish EIA monthly report. Oil
futures rallied on Tuesday, erasing losses on strong jobs data
and U.S. government forecasts for lower domestic crude production
growth and higher global demand for oil. U.S. job openings surged
to a 14-year high in February the Labor Department said in its
monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), lifting
oil prices.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/07/us-markets-oil-idUSKBN0MX01T20150407?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews


Fracking: Oil company drops lawsuit attempting to overturn San
Benito County ban. One month after mounting a legal challenge to
San Benito County's ban on the controversial oil exploration
practice of fracking, a Southern California oil company has
withdrawn its lawsuit. The decision now means that none of the
local bans on fracking in California is under legal challenge,
environmentalists said Monday, even as several more counties --
including Santa Clara, Monterey and Butte -- may see similar bans
on next year's ballots.
http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27861090/fracking-oil-company-drops-lawsuit-attempting-overturn-san


What Future For Coal In The U.S.: Slow Decline Or Faster Retreat?
Coal is the largest source of carbon dioxide and other harmful
emissions produced by generating electricity, but that doesn't
mean it will go away any time soon. While coal's deleterious
environmental effects are well known, certain economic factors
could ensure its continued role as fuel for electricity
generation for years to come.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097657_what-future-for-coal-in-the-u-s-slow-decline-or-faster-retreat


Environmentalists Across the Nation Hail NY Ban on Fracking. The
ban does not prohibit fracking-related infrastructure planned for
New York, and local activists vow to continue the fight. New York
Gov. Andrew Cuomo surprised environmentalists Thursday when his
administration banned hydraulic fracturing in the state, citing
public health concerns.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20141217/environmentalists-across-nation-hail-ny-ban-fracking


Scientists use corn husks to produce cheaper hydrogen fuel. A
team of scientists from Virginia Tech has discovered a way to
produce hydrogen out of corn waste to power cars, reducing costs
and carbon emissions. Leftover corn stalks, cobs and husks can be
broken down using new cell-free artificial enzyme processes
enhanced through kinetic modeling and made into high-purity
hydrogen that can directly supply fuel-cell vehicles, according
to the team.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016369/print 

VEHICLES

Nissan launches new X-Trail Hybrid in Japan. Nissan Motor Co.,
Ltd. launched the new Nissan X-Trail Hybrid, which goes on sale
on 13 May 2015 at Nissan dealers throughout Japan. Equipped with
an optimized 2.0-liter MR20DD engine and Nissan’s
one-motor-two-clutch hybrid system (earlier post), the new
X-Trail Hybrid delivers performance eclipsing those of typical
2.5-liter gasoline engines, Nissan said. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150407-xtrail.html 

BMW staging world premiere of X5 plug-in hybrid at Auto Shanghai.
BMW is using the upcoming Auto Shanghai event as the platform for
the world premiere of the BMW X5 xDrive40e Sports Activity
Vehicle, the first plug-in hybrid production model from the BMW
core brand. With a total system output of 230 kW/313 hp generated
by a four-cylinder gasoline engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo
technology…
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150407-bmw.html 

EPA Insider: Agency Bluffed Carmakers To Get CAFE Standards.
Sometimes in negotiations, it's best to open with an unrealistic
offer. That leaves room to deal. 
In the end, the party making the offer gets what it really
wanted--less than its opener--and the opposing party feels like
it's extracted some concessions.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097656_epa-insider-agency-bluffed-carmakers-to-get-cafe-standards

 
GREEN ENERGY

Tokyo turns focus to delivering 'sustainable' 2020 Games.
Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have promised the most
innovative, impeccably run and "sustainable" games ever. With
just a little more than five years to go, doubts are growing
whether they will deliver on the last pledge. On Tuesday, the
World Wide Fund for Nature and others backing use of renewable
energy and other standards…
http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/07/4465397_tokyo-turns-focus-to-delivering.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy


Report: The way we power our homes may be on the verge of a major
change. In recent years, the growth of the rooftop solar market
has been astounding. According to the Solar Energy Industries
Association, the growth rate for at-home solar has been above 50
percent for three years running (2012, 2013, and 2014). But if a
new study is to be believed, the changes have only begun.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/07/study-the-way-we-get-electricity-may-be-on-the-verge-of-a-major-change/

 
Net Metering vs. Self-Generation for Solar PV. Recently, NAATBatt
member Tucson Electric Power (TEP) announced a change in its net
metering program, whereby TEP will compensate new solar PV
customers for net metered electricity at the same rate that TEP
pays for power from large solar arrays, rather than at the higher
retail electricity rate. 
http://theenergycollective.com/jim-greenberger/2213681/net-metering-vs-self-generation-solar-pv


This Texas City Will Soon Be Powered Entirely by Renewable
Energy. Georgetown officials say their green power plan will save
residents money. News that a Texas city is to be powered by 100
percent renewable energy sparked surprise in an oil-obsessed,
Republican-dominated state where fossil fuels are king and
climate change activists were described as "the equivalent of the
flat-earthers" …
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/04/georgetown-texas-renewable-energy


Wash.'s Inslee tapped to lead Governors' Wind Energy Coalition. A
first-term Democratic governor from the Pacific Northwest and a
seasoned Republican from the Corn Belt have been appointed
chairman and vice chairman of the Governors' Wind Energy
Coalition, the organization announced yesterday.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/07/stories/1060016338 

MISCELLANEOUS

Deadly Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: How You Can Protect Yourself.
The deaths of eight family members in Maryland has brought
attention to the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Every year
400 Americans die from exposure to carbon monoxide, according to
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 4,000
hospitalized and 20,000 ending up in the emergency room as a
result of exposure to the colorless, odorless gas.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/deadly-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-protect/story?id=30136539


OPINIONS

Climate-change deniers are in retreat. There is no denying it:
Climate-change deniers are in retreat. What began as a subtle
shift away from the claim that man-made global warming is not a
threat to the planet has lately turned into a stampede. The
latest attempt to deny denial comes from the conservative
American Legislative Exchange Council, a powerful group that
pushes for states to pass laws that are often drafted by
industry.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/climate-change-deniers-are-in-retreat/2015/04/06/942eb980-dc9f-11e4-be40-566e2653afe5_story.html

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/sfl-climate-change-denial-20150407-story.html


‘Green chemistry’ is hampering goals on energy efficiency,
climate change. California is known as a leader on a variety of
environmental issues. I’m proud to work in an industry helping
the state to meet its goals to increase energy efficiency and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the American Chemistry
Council, many of our member companies work on sustainable
technologies that are revolutionizing the way we generate and
store energy – solar cells, wind turbines…
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article17557583.html#storylink=cpy


Opinion: Jerry Brown now a champion for farmers. It was somewhat
incongruous to watch Gov. Jerry Brown defend California’s farmers
and their water use on national television Sunday. In imposing
mandatory cutbacks on water use last week, the governor had
exempted farmers, generating sharp criticism, especially from
Brown’s usual allies in the environmental movement.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article17585870.html#storylink=cpy


Avoid Arctic assault. One might be forgiven for feeling that the
Obama administration policy to tackle climate change can
sometimes appear a little inconsistent. In the run-up to the
Paris climate summit later this year, President Barack Obama
announced the U.S. pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
26 to 28 percent by 2025.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/07/3574685_avoid-arctic-assault.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy


Mass transit isn’t necessarily the answer to lower carbon
emissions. There’s no way to drive around it: Commuting to work
behind the steering wheel emits carbon dioxide and contributes to
climate change. Dense cities are pretty good at keeping those
tailpipe emissions low when measured on a per-person basis
because many commuters often use trains and buses to get to work.
http://qz.com/378155/mass-transit-isnt-necessarily-the-answer-to-lower-carbon-emissions/


Letter: Solar energy in Utah. Why did President Obama choose Utah
to announce his initiative to train 75,000 workers in the solar
industry (“Hill AFB, Salt Lake City win praise from Obama,” April
3)? Was it Utah’s great potential for solar? Was it our rapidly
growing population and strong economy? It was certainly not
because Utah is a leader in solar energy.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865625909/Solar-energy-in-Utah.html


Like a carbon tax, but much worse. Kathleen Wynne’s Ontario has
chosen the second way. The fact that cap-and-trade schemes are
incredibly opaque is considered a feature, not a bug. The
government can swear it’s not a tax, even though the taxpayers
will wind up paying for it anyway as industry passes on the extra
cost. Cap-and-trade schemes are supposed to encourage companies
to find cleaner forms of energy.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/like-a-carbon-tax-but-much-worse/article23812654/
.

BLOGS

Diving in to California’s most pressing problem — water. Just a
day after Gov. Jerry Brown announced the first mandatory water
rationing in California’s history, a new Water Policy Center
opened its doors to help guide the state through decisions of how
we will live with drought. Ellen Hanak, who will direct the
Public Policy Institute of California’s water efforts…
http://blog.sfgate.com/opinionshop/2015/04/06/diving-in-to-californias-most-pressing-problem-water/


NRDC Ad Hits Senator Rob Portman for His Polluter Protection
Proposal. A couple of weeks ago, Senator Rob Portman decided to
lead the charge in Congress to let power plants keep fouling our
air with pollution that contributes to catastrophic climate
change and leads to childhood asthma attacks. We owe it to our
children and future generations to do what we can to fight
climate change by limiting carbon pollution, and power plants are
the biggest source of this pollution.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/nrdc_ads_hit_senator_rob_portm.html


ALEC Climate Change Denial: Attacks on Climate Regulations and
Clean Energy Solutions. The American Legislative Exchange Council
is trying to silence critics for exposing their history of
climate change denial, according to the Washington Post. ALEC
sent cease-and-desist letters to the League of Conservation
Voters (LCV) and Common Cause, demanding that the two
organizations “cease making false statements”…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabe-elsner/alec-climate-change-denial-attacks-on-climate-regulations-and-clean-energy-solutions_b_7012454.html


Dear Humans, Industry, Not Your Activities, Is Causing Climate
Change. Scientists and climate policy wonks usually say global
warming is caused by "human activities." This shorthand obscures
an important point: While we humans are certainly responsible for
climate change on some level, just a few of us, particularly in
industry and government, are a lot more responsible than the rest
of us.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-huertas/dear-humans-industry-is-c_b_7017470.html






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