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 CAP AND TRADE

Alberta Should Boost Carbon Price Slowly, Suncor’s Williams Says.
Suncor Energy Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Williams says he
supports a higher carbon tax for Alberta as long as the rate is
increased gradually to ensure Canada’s oil remains competitive
with other jurisdictions. The current price of C$15 ($12) a
metric ton that’s applied to large industrial emitters…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/alberta-should-boost-carbon-price-slowly-suncor-s-williams-says
 

Dems propose carbon tax. Two Senate Democrats sponsored a bill
Wednesday to institute an economy-wide tax on carbon dioxide
emissions, revenue that would be returned through rebates and tax
cuts. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Brian Schatz
(D-Hawaii) pitched their proposal at an event hosted by the
conservative American Enterprise Institute…
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/244578-dems-propose-carbon-tax


AIR POLLUTION

Shell Says Carbon Capture Projects Face Large Risk Premiums.
Projects to capture carbon emissions from power plants and store
them permanently underground face “large risk premiums” from
insurers because the technology is so new, Royal Dutch Shell Plc
said. “Insurance will be able to address only part of the
financial risk exposure,” the company said in a document posted
Thursday…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/shell-says-carbon-capture-projects-face-large-risk-premiums
 

Aircraft Spew 3% of Greenhouse Gases, EPA Says in Emissions Plan.
 Aircraft account for 3 percent of all U.S. greenhouse-gas
emissions and warrant regulation, the Environmental Protection
Agency said as it expanded a fight against climate change beyond
automobiles and power plants. As a first step, the EPA on
Wednesday said it intended to declare that burning jet fuel…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-10/aircraft-spew-3-of-greenhouse-gases-epa-says-in-emissions-plan
 

EPA Plan to Cut Airplane Emissions Won’t Take Effect Until 2018.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday declared
airplanes as a significant contributor to global climate change,
but said a final rule requiring cuts in emissions is still years
away. The EPA’s first step to regulating pollutants from aircraft
is a proposal to determine that burning of jet fuel endangers
human health and welfare.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-10/epa-plan-to-cut-airplane-emissions-won-t-take-effect-until-2018


CLIMATE CHANGE

UN climate talks inch forward, putting off tough decisions 
Two weeks of U.N. climate talks ended Thursday with negotiators
trimming a draft global climate pact but leaving core sticking
points to be untangled later, before a December summit in Paris
where the landmark agreement is to be adopted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UN_CLIMATE_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

OTHER RELATED:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/11/world/europe/ap-eu-un-climate-talks.html


What countries have offered for Paris climate agreement 
Ethiopia on Wednesday became the latest country to present a plan
to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions for a global climate pact
that's supposed to be adopted in Paris later this year.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_WORLD_TARGETS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Panel passes measure cutting EPA's budget. A House panel passed a
spending measure on Wednesday that cuts the budget at the
Environmental Protection Agency by 9 percent and blocks the Obama
administration from advancing new rules to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Republicans used their majority to pass the bill by
voice vote.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_ENVIRONMENTAL_SPENDING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
  

G-7’s Fossil Fuel Pledge Fails to Spur Momentum at UN Talks.
Pledges by some of the richest industrial countries to phase out
fossil fuel emissions by the end of the century failed to
translate into substantial progress at United Nations climate
talks this week. Envoys from some 190 nations capped 11 days of
discussions in Bonn with no breakthrough on how nations should
pare back the pollution…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/g-7-s-fossil-fuel-pledge-fails-to-spur-momentum-at-un-talks
  

Sorry, “skeptics”: Global warming may not be so great for plant
life after all. Climate change is already a heavily charged
issue, fraught with political tension. But complicating the mix
are a slew of misconceptions about exactly how it will affect the
planet and its inhabitants. One confusion involves plant growth.
Some skeptics have argued that rising carbon dioxide levels could
actually benefit agriculture, and in fact…
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/10/bp-boss-widens-transatlantic-rift-in-energy-industry-over-climate-change
 

Tehama County helps ranchers, farmers participate in Green House
Gas Reduction Exchange. The Tehama County Board of Supervisors
Tuesday approved moving forward on a Memorandum of Understanding,
or MOU, with the Bay Area Air Quality Control District that will
allow county residents to participate in a Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Exchange.
http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150611/tehama-county-helps-ranchers-farmers-participate-in-green-house-gas-reduction-exchange


Paul Ryan Adds Amendment to Trade Bill to Block Climate Deals. A
provision seeks to bar the president from using trade to act on
climate. If House Republicans get their way, President Obama
won't be able to use any trade pact to strike a deal on climate
change. Late Tuesday evening, House Ways and Means Committee
Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin offered up an amendment to a
customs bill that would…
http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/trade-tpp-climate-change-paul-ryan-20150610
  

BP boss widens transatlantic rift in energy industry over climate
change. Bob Dudley says UN global warming summit needs deals to
encourage energy efficiency and renewable power. BP has
threatened to widen a rift between European and US oil companies
over how to respond to global warming by urging political leaders
to deliver a “substantial” deal at international climate change
talks later this year.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/10/bp-boss-widens-transatlantic-rift-in-energy-industry-over-climate-change
  

Ethiopia submits carbon cutting plan for UN climate deal.
Ethiopia became the third African country to unveil its plan to
slash carbon dioxide emissions as part of an global pact on
Wednesday. The continent’s second most populous country said it
would target at least a 64% cut within 15 years on the current
trajectory of emissions, in its submission to a UN portal.
http://www.rtcc.org/2015/06/10/ethiopia-submits-carbon-cutting-plan-ahead-of-un-climate-deal/#sthash.FR9UsHxJ.dpuf


White House blasts international funding cuts, rider 
The White House is blasting legislation championed by House
Republicans that would cut funding for international efforts to
tackle climate change. President Obama wanted $1.2 billion to
help poor countries make carbon reductions, including $500
million for the United Nations' Green Climate Fund
http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060020050/feed 

EPA takes first steps toward regulating commercial aviation GHGs
with endangerment finding under CAA
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to find
under section 231(a) of the Clean Air Act that greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions from commercial aircraft engines endanger the
health and welfare of Americans by contributing to climate
change. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150611-epa.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/11/business/energy-environment/epa-says-it-will-set-rules-for-airplane-emissions.html

Industry-Funded Lawmakers Target Public Health and Environmental
Protections
Americans consistently support environmental safeguards by wide
margins. A survey of likely 2016 voters, for instance, found that
91 percent of Americans endorse strengthening drinking water and
air pollution protections, 87 percent want expanded renewable
energy development, and 82 percent would like the government to
place limits on power plant carbon pollution.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliott-negin/industry-funded-lawmakers_b_7556454.html?utm_hp_ref=rand-paul


Indonesia Sets 19% Renewable Energy Target For 2019
Indonesia has announced a short-term target for increasing their
share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix. The
south-east Asian country has announced a medium-term target for
increasing the share of renewable energy in total energy use to
25% by 2025. The Indonesian government has now set a target to
increase the share of renewable energy in total energy mix to 19%
by 2019.
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/11/indonesia-sets-19-renewable-energy-target-2019/


Santorum's Political Theology of Climate Denial
Former Pennsylvania Senator and recurring presidential hopeful,
Rick Santorum, as a devoted Catholic, recently publicly sparred
with the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope
Francis. The Pope has been speaking out again what he
acknowledges as the human role in climatic changes that are
currently plaguing our planet.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/warren-j-blumenfeld/santorums-political-theol_b_7540106.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics?view=print&comm_ref=false


Before Francis, long line of popes voiced environment alarm 
Anxiety has so gripped American conservatives over Pope Francis'
upcoming encyclical on the environment that you might think a
pope had never before blamed fossil fuels for global warming. Or
accused energy companies of hoarding the Earth's resources at the
expense of the poor. Or urged the rich to consume less and share
more.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_POPE_ENVIRONMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED: 
http://www.mercurynews.com/faith/ci_28295595/before-francis-long-line-popes-voiced-environment-alarm
http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/06/11/before-francis-long-line-of-popes-voiced-environment-alarm


Pope's plans on abuse, environment shape US bishops' meeting 
The U.S. bishops' point-person on the environment defended Pope
Francis' plan to issue a high-level teaching document next week
on ecology and climate change, saying Wednesday that global
warming was the result of moral failings that the Roman Catholic
Church has a duty to address.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CATHOLIC_BISHOPS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Climate Change Is A 'Moral Issue,' Says Archbishop On Papal
Encyclical
Next Thursday, Pope Francis will release a papal encyclical that
will address the environment, and specifically the question of
climate change. Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami chairs the
committee that covers the environment at the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops which is meeting in St. Louis, and that's where
he is today.
http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/06/10/164718/climate_change_is_a_moral_issue_says_archbishop_on_papal?source=npr&category=world


Coal exports to get closer look at Wyoming energy conference 
The prospect that Wyoming's lagging coal industry could get a
boost from overseas exports will get a closer look from industry
insiders during the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority's spring
energy conference in Cheyenne. Panelists Thursday will discuss
proposed coal export terminals in Oregon and Washington state.
They'll also talk about international shipping of coal and
potential markets for Wyoming coal in the Pacific Rim.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article23727142.html#storylink=cpy

It’s a tough time for the Joshua Tree, California’s desert icon 
canopies of dead angular branches and drooping fronds, University
of California, Riverside ecologist Cameron Barrows made his way
across a forest of skeletal Joshua trees that have not reproduced
in decades. As Barrows explained, it’s a tough time to be a
Joshua tree. Climate change is taking an enormous toll, and the
current drought has hastened the decline of a species that is
regarded as the symbol of California deserts. 
http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article23740081.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/06/11/3674408_its-a-tough-time-for-the-joshua.html?rh=1

DROUGHT

Sexy ads promote water saving with a wink in San Francisco. No
such thing, according to San Francisco Bay Area water officials
who are rolling out a new line of racy public awareness ads
coaxing an already water-thrifty metropolis to give it up just a
bit more. "Go full frontal" blares one ad featuring a photo of a
front-loading washer - sleek, steel and up to half as
water-guzzling as a top-loading machine.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_RACY_ADS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-06-11-01-20-12
 

Ducks, geese and rice -- the next victims of California's
drought?  The nests of hundreds of thousands of birds and the
food for millions more could be imperiled this year because of
fewer rice crops in California – the latest symptom of the
state’s historic drought.  In summer, the rice is used as nesting
for native mallards and shore birds…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-rice-shortage-20150610-story.html
    

California drought: El Niño continues to build, bringing
increased chances of a wet winter. In a promising trend that
increases the likelihood of steady storms this winter that could
offer relief for California's historic drought, federal
scientists on Thursday reported that El Niño conditions in the
Pacific Ocean are continuing to grow stronger. The probability of
El Niño conditions being present through the end of 2015 is now
85 percent…
http://www.insidebayarea.com/drought/ci_28295652/california-drought-el-nino-continues-build-bringing-increased
 

California Drought Changes What Farmers Grow. Water scarcity is
driving farmers to plant different crops. Growers are switching
to more profitable -- less thirsty fruits, vegetables and nuts.
Nowhere is this more true than San Diego County where the water
prices are some of the highest in the state. Billowing orange and
grapefruit trees shade Triple B Ranches winery and vineyard near
Escondido.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/11/california-drought-changes-what-farmers-grow/
 

Drought could worsen rabies risk. As California’s record-breaking
drought continues and summer approaches, San Mateo County health
officials warn that the threat of rabies increases. They are
touting the benefits of vaccinating pets against the disease.
Rabies is transmitted through animal bites and saliva. Animal
bites are more common during the summer, as pets and people spend
more time outside.
http://www.hmbreview.com/news/drought-could-worsen-rabies-risk/article_40c8c25a-105b-11e5-9af4-db5b1a557c58.html
 

A year later, California drought-relief money is unspent. More
than $320 million that was supposed to be rushed to
drought-stricken California communities sits unspent in
government bank accounts more than a year after lawmakers voted
to use the money to provide water, protect wells from
contamination and upgrade outdated water systems. 
http://news.yahoo.com/later-california-drought-relief-money-unspent-163453289.html;_ylt=AwrTcc4_w3lVNU0A4w8nnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTE0NmU1YnRpBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDRkZYVUkzM18xBHNlYwNzYw--
 

El Niño Forecast Brings Calif. Hope for Drought Relief. El Niño
is gaining steam in the Pacific Ocean and forecasters are now
leaning towards it being a strong event, the first since the
blockbuster El Niño of 1997-1998. That possibility is again
raising the collective hopes of Californians that this winter may
finally see some desperately needed precipitation to begin the
slow climb out of a historic drought.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/el-nino-california-drought-19100


Is grass-fed beef better in a drought?
I live in drought-stricken California. While I eat a largely
plant-based diet, I enjoy a good 100-percent grass-fed steak or
hamburger every now and then. Everyday there’s a new article
about how much water is needed to grow X, Y, or Z in California,
and the latest I’m hearing is that it takes 1,800 gallons to
create a pound of beef.
http://grist.org/food/is-grass-fed-beef-better-in-a-drought/ 

Californians Look To Sierra Nevada Native Americans for Drought
Solutions
In the Sierra Nevada above Fresno, a Native American tribe is
working to thin the forest. The approach has been used for
centuries to restore meadows, and now California's severe drought
means these ancient techniques are a possible long-term
water-saving solution. From Valley Public Radio, Ezra David
Romero has the story.
http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/06/10/164722/californians_look_to_sierra_nevada_native_americans_for_drought?source=npr&category=science


Why Some California Cities Are Bracing for a Bear Invasion
June is the beginning of bear season, and California game warden
Marty Wall is doing the rounds in this quiet suburb only 20 miles
from downtown Los Angeles. In his green pickup truck, the
wildlife veteran patrols the streets as he waits for locals to
report problem bears.
http://time.com/3912675/california-bear-invasion/?xid=newsletter-brief


Drought-wary lawn owners line up for money to rip out their
grass
California lawn owners irrigated more acreage last year than
drought-pummeled farmers fallowed for lack of water. But the
flawless green sward — suburban status symbol and “Downton Abbey”
throwback — is under siege.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/drought/article/Drought-wary-lawn-owners-line-up-for-money-to-rip-6319873.php


California water wasters beware: #DroughtShaming on the rise
Pssst. Ready to water that beautiful lush lawn of yours? The one
that's the envy of the entire neighborhood. If you live in
Southern California, you'd better wait until after midnight.
Preferably on a cloudy, new-moon night during a power outage when
it's so dark even night-vision goggles won't give away your
position. Otherwise, you could wind up the star of the latest
drought-shaming video posted on YouTube or Twitter.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/California-water-wasters-beware-DroughtShaming-6320247.php

http://www.usnews.com/news/technology/articles/2015/06/11/california-water-wasters-beware-droughtshaming-on-the-rise

DIESEL ACTIVITIES

EPA Seen Siding With Engine Makers in Truck Efficiency Rules. The
Obama administration is poised to deliver a victory to engine
makers at the expense of truck manufacturers in the next stage of
the U.S. government’s plan to tackle climate change.
The Environmental Protection Agency is about to propose fuel
economy standards that would mandate efficiency gains in engines
and transmissions made by companies like…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/epa-seen-siding-with-engine-makers-in-truck-efficiency-rules


Study Finds Health Problems From Diesel Fuel. The report from
scientists in Europe suggests new risks as the shipping industry
switches from heavy fuel to meet emissions standards. Emissions
from ships that switch from fuel oil to cleaner-burning diesel
may still cause health problems, according to a new study.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/study-finds-health-problems-from-diesel-fuel-1434036637


Shell Lubricants: All Cylinders Firing for Two New Diesel Oil
Categories
The industry campaign to develop not one but two new API
oil-service categories to eventually replace the current CJ-4
spec for heavy-duty diesel engines is on a fast track for new
formulations to be licensed starting in late 2016, according to
Shell Lubricants.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fuel-smarts/news/story/2015/06/shell-lubricants-all-cylinders-firing-for-two-new-diesel-oil-categories.aspx


FUELS

Record exports led to higher California gas prices, activists
say. In December, one month before pump prices started soaring
across California, a record amount of gasoline left West Coast
refineries, to be sold elsewhere. Exports of finished gasoline
from the West Coast hit an abrupt, all-time high of 2.7 million
barrels in December, according to federal government data.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Activists-say-record-exports-led-to-higher-6319821.php
 

As global pressure to reduce CO2 mounts, Boeing looks to
biofuels. Goodbye, petroleum. That sums up the Boeing (NYSE: BA)
30-year strategy to reduce aircraft impacts on climate change,
and in the process, stay ahead of global regulators. The
potential for regulation on aircraft emissions clarified
Wednesday…
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2015/06/10/as-global-pressure-to-reduce-co2-mounts-boeing.html


India inaugurates first solar-powered H2 fueling station;
power-to-gas
India’s first solar-powered hydrogen fueling station, supplied by
Air Products was inaugurated recently at an event with chief
guest Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Power, Coal, and New
and Renewable Energy, in conjunction with Shri Upendra Tripathy,
Secretary, Minister of New and Renewable Energy. Part of a mass
public transport bus fueling and vehicle demonstration program…
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150611-india.html

SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL

California oil spill cleanup costs reaches $62 million. The cost
of cleaning up the oil spill that fouled beaches last month on
the California coast has reached $62 million so far, the pipeline
company said Wednesday. Costs are running at $3 million a day,
and there is no timetable for when the cleanup will be complete…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_OIL_SPILL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
  

OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-santa-barbara-oil-spill-cleanup-cost-20150610-story.html
 

VEHICLES

Expanded electric car charging network coming to San Diego. San
Diego already has more than 16,000 plug-in hybrid and electric
cars. Soon, area drivers will have access to an expanded EV
charging network featuring 5,500 new charging points, thanks to
an agreement reached between San Diego Gas & Electric and a
number of governmental and civic groups in the area.
http://ecomento.com/2015/06/11/expanded-electric-car-charging-network-coming-to-san-diego/
 

Chevy Bolt EV Prototype Electric Cars Now Testing In Public. When
General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced the Chevrolet Bolt
Concept, it changed everything in the world of electric cars. She
said it would have a battery range of 200 miles, cost $37,500
before incentives--putting it squarely into the mass market--and
be sold in all 50 states.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098684_chevy-bolt-ev-prototype-electric-cars-now-testing-in-public
   

Electric Vehicles To Become Mainstream In Short Period Of Time.
What would the world look like if electric cars took the lead in
market share by 2030? “Couldn’t happen,” you say? Consider the
ramping up of some of the most basic items that have conquered
the American market over the past century. Refrigerators went
from a luxury item to 60 percent household penetration during the
Depression and World War II.
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/10/electric-vehicles-to-become-mainstream-in-short-period-of-time/


Chevy Bolt EV Prototype Electric Cars Now Testing In Public
When General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced the Chevrolet Bolt
Concept, it changed everything in the world of electric cars. She
said it would have a battery range of 200 miles, cost $37,500
before incentives--putting it squarely into the mass market--and
be sold in all 50 states.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098684_chevy-bolt-ev-prototype-electric-cars-now-testing-in-public

Indianapolis Council Will Sue City to Prevent Electric Cars 
The Indianapolis City-County Council voted overwhelmingly Monday
to sue the city to stop it from implementing a $32 million plan
to rent electric cars. By a 23-6 vote, the council authorized the
council attorney to file a suit to nullify the no-bid contract
with California-based Vision Fleet on the grounds that it was
signed illegally.
http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/indianapolis-city-council-vs-electric-cars.html


GREEN ENERGY

USDA grants totaling $6.7M encourage efficiency, renewables. A
solar power system to be installed at one of Wyoming's bigger
microbreweries helped Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on
Wednesday promote a nationwide program to encourage energy
efficiency and renewable energy.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VILSACK_ENERGY_GRANTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
 

Renewable Energy Trust Borrowing $54 Million to Buy Solar Farm.
Renewable Energy Trust Capital, a clean-energy financing
provider, is borrowing C$66 million ($54 million) to help fund
its acquisition of a 14.1-megawatt Canadian Solar Inc. power
plant in Ontario. RET Capital didn’t provide terms for the
non-recourse debt facility in a statement Thursday.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/renewable-energy-trust-borrowing-54-million-to-buy-solar-farm
 

Senate leader praises utilities' work on clean-energy bill,
invites oil industry to negotiate. California's Senate leader
yesterday praised the state's major investor-owned utilities for
their work on a bill to raise the state's share of renewable
energy and encouraged fossil fuel producers to join negotiations
on the measure.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/11/stories/1060020053 

California moves closer to zero net energy for buildings 
Buildings built in California starting in 2016 will have to
comply with the nation’s toughest energy conservation standards.
The California Energy Commission has unanimously approved
building energy efficiency standards that it says will reduce
energy costs, save consumers money, and increase comfort in new
and upgraded homes and other buildings.
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28492 

Hawaiian Electric shareholders approve sale to NextEra
Hawaiian Electric shareholders have approved the company's sale
to Florida-based NextEra Energy, the company said Wednesday.
Owners of 90 percent of the company's shares voted for the deal,
the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported (http://bit.ly/1B7e6Fn ).
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article23682283.html#storylink=cpy


Hawai‘i Governor signs bill setting 100% renewable portfolio
standard for electricity sector by 2045
Hawai‘i Governor David Ige this week signed into law four energy
bills, including one (HB623) directing the state’s utilities to
generate 100% of their electricity sales from renewable energy
resources by 2045. This makes Hawai‘i the first state in the
nation to set a 100% renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for the
electricity sector.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150611-hawaii.html

Whirlpool windmill produces power without blades.  A 1940 clip of
the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge in the United States
stretching like chewing gum in a gale captured the imagination of
a Spanish engineering student who became obsessed with how he
could turn that chaos into power. Twelve years later, David Yanez
is part of a team inspired by the motion that collapsed the
bridge to create a bladeless wind turbine - an
inverted-cone-shaped structure half the cost of a conventional
machine.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/11/renewables-wind-bladeless-idUSL5N0YX1N520150611


Vermont governor to sign renewable energy bill
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is planning to sign into law a bill
that retools Vermont's system for promoting renewable energy.The
bill also calls on utilities to expand their roles both as
sources of home heating energy and as efficiency experts that
help consumers save power.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Vermont-governor-to-sign-renewable-energy-bill-6320463.php


MISCELLANEOUS

House spending bill could put some bullet train funds at risk 
One of the financial lifelines of California's bullet train
project has been $3.2 billion in federal grants. But a provision
included in a key transportation funding bill passed by the House
of Representatives on Tuesday could place a roadblock on future
federal payouts.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bullet-amendment-20150611-story.html


These Google products would fit right into Google's plan to build
the city of the future 
Google unveiled its latest moonshot idea on Wednesday with a new
“urban innovation” company called Sidewalk Labs, which has as a
mission the lofty goal of re-inventing cities for the modern age.
http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/These-Google-products-would-fit-right-into-6320147.php


Jonathan Foley to lead California Academy of Sciences
Jonathan Foley, an environmental scientist and expert on the
world's food problems, has been named executive director of the
California Academy of Sciences, the academy's trustees said
Monday.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Jonathan-Foley-to-lead-California-Academy-of-5436781.php

OPINIONS

Petroleum by-products. Plastics, synthetic fibers such as
polyester, nylon, and acrylic; paving materials for building
roads, synthetic rubber, fertilizers and pesticides, paint,
detergents, food additives, make-up, medicine such as
acetylsalicylic acid, candles, bunker fuel used to power ships,
jet fuel, diesel, heating oil and gasoline.
http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/11/Petroleum-by-products.html

Joe Mathews: Who’s to blame for the drought? Everyone,
everywhere
This drought is all your fault.You are watering outdoors too
much. You kept your lawn – or you tore it out and put in hard
surfaces that make your city hotter and the drought worse. This
drought is the fault of rich people in Beverly Hills and Newport
Beach. You poor people in places like Antelope Valley use too
much water, too. Why can’t you spend thousands on low-water
appliances and drip irrigation like the rest of us? 
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article23680798.html#storylink=cpy

Robert Reich Certainly Doesn't Understand Tax Incidence Then
I’ve been watching this little series of videos Robert Reich has
been making on the subject of how to make America a better place
and just marveling at the number of things that Reich seems not
to know about. Not so much that he doesn’t know certain things:
there’s an entire railroad train full of stuff that I don’t know
about.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/06/11/robert-reich-certainly-doesnt-understand-tax-incidence-then/


BLOGS

U.S. Is Wasting Its Energy Advantage, New Paper Argues. Seventeen
years ago –June 11, 1998 –Mitchell Energy performed the first
modern frack job on a natural-gas well in Texas and unleashed the
U.S. energy boom. Whether hydraulic fracturing is a force for
good or evil remains one of the most divisive questions in
America today. Boosters emphasize the economic benefits and the
promise that the U.S. could one day achieve energy independence…
http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2015/06/11/u-s-is-wasting-its-energy-advantage-new-paper-argues/
 

Here's One Smart Way California's Avocado Farmers Can Adapt To
Drought. These days, it's hard not to feel a little guilty when
you eat a California avocado. Not because they're high in
calories, but because they're seen as an outsized contributor to
the drought that's ravaging California. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/10/avocados-drought-california-farmers-adapt_n_7557850.html
 

Industry-Funded Lawmakers Target Public Health and Environmental
Protections. Americans consistently support environmental
safeguards by wide margins. A survey of likely 2016 voters, for
instance, found that 91 percent of Americans endorse
strengthening drinking water and air pollution protections, 87
percent want expanded renewable energy development…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliott-negin/industry-funded-lawmakers_b_7556454.html
  

IKEA Vows to Slow Climate Change. Got kids? Then chances are
you've got IKEA furniture. Or maybe you're an IKEA design hack,
one of those cost-conscious DIYers repurposing IKEA products into
functional design masterpieces. Of course, if your child goes to
college near an IKEA store, like mine did, a pit stop is in order
for a "treasure box of textiles" and a BJORN bookcase (sans the
missing nuts and bolts).
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronnie-citronfink/ikea-vows-to-slow-climate-change_b_7552168.html
 

This Big Texas City Will Soon Be Powered Entirely By Wind And
Sun. There’s a fast-growing city in Texas that also has one of
the most progressive energy programs in the country — and it’s
not Austin. Located about 30 miles north of the Texas capital in
a deeply conservative county, the city of Georgetown will be
powered 100 percent by renewable energy within the next couple
years.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/11/3666649/georgetown-texas-one-hundred-percent-renewable/




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