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ARB Newsclips for May 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

Greece, other EU strugglers emerge winners from carbon
reforms-data. Europe's poorest nations, including heavily
indebted Greece, emerge the main winners from a deal to reform
the world's biggest carbon market that will raise billions for EU
governments, data from Thomson Reuters Point Carbon shows. The
European Union on Tuesday reached a preliminary accord to launch
on Jan. 1, 2019…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-eu-ets-revenue-idUSKBN0NS16220150507?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews


AIR POLLUTION

Industry groups object to EPA's review of NO2. Industry
organizations are quietly raising concerns that a U.S. EPA draft
science review overstates the negative health impacts of exposure
to nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant emitted by vehicles, power
plants and other industrial operations. In public comments to the
agency, organizations representing the oil and auto sectors said
the draft assessment does not provide enough evidence to
strengthen the associations between NO2 exposure…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060018084/feed 

Ethanol refinery emissions far exceed estimates -- fed study.
Ethanol refineries may emit more air pollution than commonly
thought, according to a new study led by researchers from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NOAA team,
which also included scientists from NASA and academic
institutions, measured the air downwind from an ethanol plant in
Illinois...
http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2015/05/06/stories/1060018105 

CLIMATE CHANGE

UN climate chief says technology has changed carbon politics.
Technological advances that have reduced prices and improved
efficiency of renewable energy have helped transform the politics
around climate change since 2009 when an attempt to forge a
global deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions failed, the U.N.
climate chief said Thursday.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AUSTRALIA_CLIMATE_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-usa-california-drought-brown-idUSKBN0NR2M820150507

http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/UN-climate-chief-says-technology-has-changed-6247825.php


A congressional climate change denier's disingenuous defense.  As
chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) is one of the most eminent
and influential climate change deniers in Congress. He's also
mightily irked that we described his press release announcing his
committee's vote on NASA's funding last week as "a model of
misdirection and deceit.
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-a-congressional-climate-change-deniers-20150506-column.html#page=1


UN climate chief says technological advances have changed
politics since Copenhagen failure. Technological advances that
have reduced prices and improved efficiency of renewable energy
have helped transform the politics around climate change since
2009 when an attempt to forge a global deal on reducing
greenhouse gas emissions crashed in Copenhagen, the United
Nations climate chief said Thursday.
http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/05/07/un-climate-chief-says-technology-has-changed-carbon-politics


Program gets solar power to residents in struggling Fresno
neighborhoods.
New program uses cap-and-trade money to fund energy efficiency
home upgrades.
California Environmental Protection Agency ranks many Fresno
neighborhoods among the riskiest places to live. Savings will put
Salvador Mendoza of southeast Fresno closer to affording
expensive medication.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/06/4513005/fresno-residents-receive-solar.html#storylink=cpy

Weather Forecasters Used To Be Among The Country’s Staunchest
Climate Deniers. Why That’s Changing Fast. Keah Schuenemann, a
meteorology professor at the Metropolitan State University of
Denver, has never met an atmospheric or climate scientist who
doesn’t agree that most of the planet’s warming over the last
century is a result of human activity.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/07/3653307/where-have-all-the-climate-denying-weather-forecasters-gone/


As people flock to cities, Columbia University studies how they
adapt to climate change.  Cynthia Rosenzweig has worked at NASA
for more than 20 years, but she's never seen a black hole quite
like this. Something out there is sucking up all the lessons
cities are learning as they try to adapt to climate change. It's
swallowing whole the reams of documents that show what they
tried, what worked and what didn't.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/07/stories/1060018128 

DROUGHT

California approves new uniform rules for seawater desalination.
California water regulators on Wednesday adopted a new uniform
permitting process for seawater desalination projects expected to
expand in number as the drought-stricken state increasingly turns
to the ocean to supplement its drinking supplies.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/06/us-usa-drought-desalination-idUSKBN0NR21J20150506?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews


California water districts scramble to deal with ruling on rate
tiers. During the last major drought in the early 1990s, Irvine
pioneered a different approach for calculating water bills for
customers. The city's water agency allocated each customer a
certain amount of water and then charged higher rates to those
who exceeded it. 
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-rates-20150507-story.html#page=1


No New Water Cuts for Now. Los Angeles Department of Water &
Power customers will not be forced to reduce their water use for
now since L.A. officials were able to persuade state regulators
to lower the mandated water reductions from 25 percent to 16
percent, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. However, city
officials are preparing for new restrictions just in case.
http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/may/07/no-new-water-cuts-now/


California Gov. Jerry Brown says opponents of his Delta water
tunnel proposal should just “shut up.” He spoke to the
Association of California Water Agencies in Sacramento Wednesday.
One day after the State Water Resources Control Board set
mandatory reduction requirements for every local water agency,
Brown thanked the agencies for helping California through the
drought.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/06/brown-defends-delta-tunnels-project,-agriculture-industry/
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Brown-says-critics-of-delta-tunnels-should-shut-6247261.php

http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/07/stories/1060018149 

DIESEL ACTIVITIES

Non-automotive diesel in China to meet new quality standards in
2018. Diesel used outside the automotive sector will have meet
the "National V" fuel quality standards by January 2018, a year
later than automotive fuels, China's powerful central planning
authority said on Thursday, as the government continues to battle
rampant smog.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-china-fuel-standards-idUSKBN0NS1AN20150507?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews


$13.5M in EPA clean diesel grant funding available. The US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability
of $13.5 million in grant funding to help governments and
nonprofit organizations switch to cleaner diesel engines. Local
governments, tribal agencies and nonprofits can win grants up to
$2.14 million each.  
Eligible applicants include regional, state, local or tribal
agencies…
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150507-epa.html 

$400k trucks? Overdrive talks to CCTA’s Joe Rajkovacz about
impact of emissions regs. A recent decision by a federal court
denied the California Construction Trucking Association’s appeal
of the EPA’s greenhouse gas standards based on a lack of
standing. The CCTA has been at the forefront of challenging EPA
regulations on the trucking industry in California and
nationally…
http://www.overdriveonline.com/qa-cctas-joe-rajkovacz-on-epas-greenhouse-gas-regs/


FUELS

The debate over Arctic drilling - what's at stake. Seattle's
mayor and environmentalists have vowed to block Royal Dutch Shell
PLC from parking two Arctic offshore drilling rigs on Seattle's
waterfront, an effort to thwart the new frontier in oil
exploration and spark a national debate about fossil fuels and
climate change.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING_QA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


In Seattle, 'kayaktivists' take on Arctic oil drilling. Royal
Dutch Shell wants to park two massive Arctic oil drilling rigs in
Seattle's waterfront - but the petroleum giant will have to get
around protesters in kayaks and a mayor determined to take on
climate change. The fast-approaching battle with so-called
kayaktivists is unfolding in a city well known for embracing
environmental causes…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Hawaii enters national debate over future of ethanol in gas.
Hawaii lawmakers have put the state at the front of a national
discussion over the future of ethanol in gasoline by passing a
bill that puts an end to a requirement that the corn-based
additive be mixed into fuel sold in the state. The move comes as
Congress faces pressure to review a federal mandate that calls
for ethanol and other renewables in the nation's fuel supply.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ETHANOL_MANDATE_HAWAII?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Gas prices or economy, experts disagree on what drives U.S.
demand.  Americans hit the road in record numbers this winter,
reigniting a long debate that may determine whether global oil
markets hold steady or tumble anew. But many economists and
academics are split on whether prices matter when it comes to
gasoline demand.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-usa-gasoline-demand-analysis-idUSKBN0NS08B20150507


GAO: Gov't waste of natural gas costing taxpayers millions.
Significant amounts of natural gas on federal lands are being
wasted, costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each year
and adding to harmful greenhouse gas emissions, a congressional
investigation has found. The nonpartisan Government
Accountability Office also said the Bureau of Land Management
failed to conduct production inspections for hundreds of
high-priority oil and gas wells…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article20356143.html#storylink=cpy


Small town evacuated after oil train derails in North Dakota.  A
BNSF train carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire in North
Dakota on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of a nearby small
town just days after the United States and Canada announced
reforms to improve the safety of such shipments.  About 40
residents from the tiny Wells County town of Heimdal were
evacuated after 10 tank cars left the rails…
http://news.yahoo.com/oil-train-derails-north-dakota-small-town-evacuated-141312163.html


Lowey: Ban explosive crude from rail. Moments before U.S. Rep.
Nita Lowey was preparing to talk about her latest oil train
safety initiative, she received word that a 109-car oil train had
derailed in North Dakota, with several of the tank cars exploding
and catching fire, leading to the evacuation of a town of about
35 residents.
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2015/05/06/lowey-ban-explosive-crude-oil-trains/70893144/


The Keystone Pipeline Just Lost a Top Washington Advocate. 
Alberta elections usher in a new leader who says the pipeline is
a U.S. domestic issue.  The upset election victory by a
center-left party in Alberta—the heart of Canada's oil
country—may also have eliminated one of the most public faces in
the lobbying effort promoting the Keystone XL pipeline.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/keystone-pipeline-alberta-election-19691231


Is Corn Ethanol Breaking The Law? Corn ethanol may be breaking
the law, according to a study from last month, “Cropland
Expansion Outpaces Agricultural and Biofuel Policies in the
United States.” It appears that corn was caught yellow-handed by
University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers in a plot with other
crops like soy to replace “millions of acres of grasslands.”
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/07/3654392/corn-ethanol-illegal/


Democratic senators go to bat for biodiesel. Seven Democratic
senators today plan to call on U.S. EPA to swiftly set robust
targets for biodiesel through the renewable fuel standard
program. Led by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), the coalition plans
to highlight what it calls "extensive and undue burdens" on
biodiesel producers and farmers brought on by EPA delays in
setting annual targets under the program…
http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060018137/feed 

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS

Lumber Liquidators Pulls Chinese-Made Laminate Flooring Amid
Safety Concerns. Flooring company also brings on former FBI
director Louis Freeh’s firm to review sourcing procedures. Lumber
Liquidators Holdings Inc.  is pulling all of its Chinese-made
laminate flooring and has brought on a former Federal Bureau of
Investigation director to review its sourcing procedures amid
widespread concern over the safety of its products.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/lumber-liquidators-pulls-chinese-made-laminate-flooring-amid-safety-concerns-1430992801

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/05/07/lumber-liquidators-suspends-sales-of-chinese-made-flooring/70938868/


VEHICLES

Losses Widen at Tesla, but Company Says Production Is on Track.
Tesla Motors reported a larger first-quarter loss on Wednesday,
but it was still smaller than analysts forecast and the company
appeared to be on track for important production milestones.
Tesla, a maker of high-end electric cars based in Palo Alto,
Calif., said its net losses tripled in the first quarter compared
with the previous year, to $154 million.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/07/automobiles/losses-widen-at-tesla-but-company-says-production-is-on-track.html?ref=business&_r=0


Roseville Toyota among first California dealerships to get
hydrogen-fueled Mirai cars.  Roseville Toyota will be among eight
California auto dealerships to receive the automaker’s
groundbreaking hydrogen fuel cell vehicle this fall. The
Roseville store overseen by longtime local dealer John L.
Sullivan’s automotive group will take delivery of the Toyota
Mirai in October, the Toyota’s U.S. headquarters said Wednesday.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article20368926.html#storylink=cpy


GREEN ENERGY

Huffing and puffing won't blow these straw homes down. A batch of
straw houses have gone on sale in the UK - and their
manufacturers insist that unlike the home featured in classic
nursery rhyme The Three Little Pigs, huffing and puffing will not
lead the buildings to blow down. In fact, the architect of the
scheme, Professor Pete Walker of the University of Bath, says
that using straw in home construction isn't just viable…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/uk-straw-houses-idUSKBN0NS19F20150507


MISCELLANEOUS

OPINIONS

U.S. refineries run hard to absorb crude glut: Kemp. U.S.
refineries are running at near-record levels to turn the glut of
crude into gasoline and other refined fuels ahead of the summer
driving season. U.S. refineries processed an average of 16.347
million barrels per day (bpd) last week, an increase of almost
250,000 bpd compared with the previous week.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-usa-oil-refineries-kemp-idUSKBN0NS02U20150507


Editorial:  If not this California delta plan, then what? n years
of average rainfall, when pumps at the south end of the
Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta lift water to two parallel
aqueducts to begin the journey to Central Valley fields and
Southern California households, the suction reverses the flow of
the San Joaquin River, one of the state's two main freshwater
arteries.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-bay-delta-conservation-plan-20150507-story.html
 

Letters: Retailers are stocking too many thirsty plants. I’ve
wanted to write this letter for at least six weeks now as that is
how long I have been steaming with incredulity regarding the
gross stock of landscaping plants being peddled everywhere! Don’t
these retailers know we are experiencing an historic drought?
Have you seen the plants for sale at Orchard, Home Depot, Costco,
at most grocery stores, etc.?
http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150506/letters-retailers-are-stocking-too-many-thirsty-plants


BLOGS

Bank Of America Backs Away From Funding Coal Mining. Bank of
America is cutting off its financing for coal extraction
projects, the company announced at its shareholder meeting
Wednesday. "With regard to coal, over the past several years, we
have been gradually and consistently reducing our credit exposure
to companies focused on coal mining," said Andrew Plepler, Bank
of America's Corporate Social Responsibility executive, at the
meeting.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/06/bank-of-america-coal_n_7226830.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green

10 Green Technologies That Could Help Revolutionize Our Changing
Planet.  In an era of drought, climate change and food shortages,
environmental pioneers have joined forces to help tackle some of
the world's most pressing issues through technological
advancement. Here are 10 burgeoning technologies that have the
potential to help revolutionize our planet of consumerism.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/07/green-technology_n_7208264.html?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=WorldPost


‘Aggressive’ New Drought Rules for California: Now Comes the Hard
Part. The clock is ticking. After state regulators approved
California’s first-ever statewide water restrictions on Tuesday,
it’s now up to nearly 3,000 local water agencies, big and small,
to make it work. Water agencies throughout California bear the
burden of achieving the 25 percent reduction in water use ordered
by Governor Jerry Brown on April 1.
http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/05/06/aggressive-new-drought-rules-for-california-now-comes-the-hard-part/







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