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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 22, 2015.
Posted: 22 Jun 2015 16:24:17
ARB Newsclips for June 22, 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 Pope blasts California’s cap-and-trade system. In its brief history, California’s cap-and-trade system to fight global warming has faced many foes, including oil-company executives and manufacturing magnates. On Thursday, it came under fire from a new quarter: the Vatican. Pope Francis, in his highly anticipated call to action against climate change, took an unexpected swipe at the cap-and-trade systems used in both California and Europe to control greenhouse gases. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Pope-blasts-California-s-cap-and-trade-system-6336494.php AIR POLLUTION Coal Train Dust Worries Richmond Residents. Trains heaped with coal pass through Richmond every week on their way to the city’s port. In Parchester Village, a largely black and Latino neighborhood in northwestern Richmond, residents say coal dust blows off the open mounds, covering the grass and coating their screen doors.“ http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/06/22/coal-train-dust-worries-richmond-residents/ Air pollution may affect the way the brain ages and functions. Investigating the impact of air pollution on the human brain is a new area of environmental neurosciences, Keck School researcher says. Exposure to air pollution has been known to affect respiratory diseases, lung function and cardiac health… http://news.usc.edu/83093/air-pollution-may-affect-the-way-the-brain-ages-and-functions/ Democratic governors back tighter ozone standard. Five Democratic governors Friday called on U.S. EPA to follow the advice of its scientific advisory panel and lower the limit for ground-level ozone. In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the governors warned of potential adverse health effects linked to ozone levels above the current limit of 75 parts per billion. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/22/stories/1060020648 CLIMATE CHANGE Polish Opt-Out From EU Climate Pact? Lets Talk, Says Naimski. Poland’s leading opposition party is seeking to negotiate exemptions from the European Union’s rules on reducing carbon emissions because the nation’s energy security and economic development depends on coal. Law & Justice, which opinion polls show winning October’s general election, has vowed to toughen Poland’s stance on climate issues to protect the $526 billion economy… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-21/a-poland-opt-out-from-eu-s-climate-pact-lets-talk-says-naimski Effects of Climate Change Could Cost Billions, E.P.A. Report Says. In the absence of global action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the United States by the end of the century may face up to $180 billion in economic losses because of drought and water shortages, according to a report released Monday by the White House and Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/us/politics/effects-of-climate-change-could-cost-billions-epa-report-says.html Few Echo Pope’s Environment Plea in Sunday Sermons. On the first Sunday after Pope Francis issued a landmark document on the environment, Roman Catholics attending Mass in Kenya, France, Mexico, Peru and the United States said they were thankful that he was using his pulpit to address climate change, pollution and global inequality. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/world/few-echo-popes-environment-plea-in-sunday-sermons.html?_r=0 How climate-change doubters lost a papal fight. Pope Francis was about to take a major step backing the science behind human-driven global warming, and Philippe de Larminat was determined to change his mind. A French doubter who authored a book arguing that solar activity — not greenhouse gases — was driving global warming… http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/how-climate-change-doubters-lost-a-papal-fight/2015/06/20/86af3182-15ce-11e5-8457-4b431bf7ed4c_story.html White House: Action needed now to slow climate change. Failure to act on climate change could cause an estimated 57,000 deaths in the United States from poor air quality by 2100, the Obama administration argued in a new report Monday that warns of dire effects of global warming. The report underscores the costs of inaction on climate change as well as the benefits from taking action now. http://www.sfgate.com/news/medical/article/White-House-Action-needed-now-to-slow-climate-6341799.php Can Pope end bickering on climate change? Thrilled but not surprised. Veerabhadran Ramanathan felt that way last week when Pope Francis delivered a powerful encyclical pleading with the world to deal with climate change. The UC San Diego climate scientist helped shape the Pope's thinking as a member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/21/pope-francis-climate/ On climate, Obama's legacy a work in progress. Seven years ago this month, Barack Obama stood on a stage in St. Paul, Minnesota, and claimed victory in the Democratic presidential primaries. Hillary Clinton hadn't conceded, but the numbers told the story. Obama had clinched the nomination. He made some bold predictions that night. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/06/20/obamas-climate-legacy-work-progress/29004163/ Climate change turning sacred land against Navajo. A 19-year drought in Navajo Nation is stretching an already struggling people. But the climate change is also highlighting their endurance and ingenuity. The land of the Navajo Nation is sacred to its people, bordered by four mountains that are central to the tribe’s identity and beliefs. But this land has been turning increasingly hostile as the regional climate has changed. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0619/Climate-change-turning-sacred-land-against-Navajo Climate Aid Key to Paris Deal, Says Amber Rudd. Climate aid to developing countries is likely to be the biggest sticking point hindering a global deal at the U.N. climate talks in Paris later this year, according to the U.K.’s energy and climate secretary. Amber Rudd, who will lead the U.K.’s negotiating team, said that creating a meaningful financial package for developing countries is “absolutely essential” for brokering an agreement. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-aid-key-to-paris-19140 U.S. Summers Bringing More and More Heat. It’s officially summer! We have now passed the points that mark the traditional start to summer (Memorial Day), the meteorological start (June 1), and now the astronomical start, or summer solstice (June 21) — so break out those flip-flops and beach towels! Though June, July, and August usually bring the heat, for parts of the country spring felt decidedly more like summer. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/summers-here-and-so-is-the-heat-19139 EPA: Limiting Climate Change Would Have Tremendous Benefits For The U.S. Acting on climate change will have major economic, environmental, and health benefits, according to a report released Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The report analyzes two future climate change scenarios — one in which “significant global action” on climate change has limited warming to 2°C (3.6°F)… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/22/3672455/epa-climate-change-benefits-report/ Global Warming Leads to Sea Level Rise in Northern Europe. Global warming leads to the ice sheets on land melting and flowing into the sea, which consequently rises. New calculations by researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute show that the sea level in Northern Europe may rise more than previously thought. There is a significant risk that the seas around Scandinavia, England, the Netherlands… http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22064 Obama admin report touts economic benefits of U.S. action. The United States' future with global climate change action looks a lot brighter than its future without it, U.S. EPA argues in a peer-reviewed scientific report unveiled today at the White House. The report examines two scenarios -- one that keeps warming to 2 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial levels and another that doesn't… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/22/stories/1060020657 DROUGHT As its water dwindled, Fresno cracked down hard. Don Wells spotted a trail of pooling water and slowed his van. Runoff from a sprinkler gone rogue streamed down a long block of thirsty brown lawns, watering the sidewalk. "There it is," he said, pulling up to a house with grass too wet for this time of day. He grabbed his city-issued clipboard and a small digital camera. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-fresno-water-penalties-20150622-story.html#page=1 Santa Barbara's cautious relationship with water offers a drought lesson. First came the rain garden, where bees buzz around the lavender and sage. Then came the back patio, where bananas, guava, passion fruit, ginger and an herb garden are fed by water diverted from the clothes washer. Later came the raised beds thick with kale, chard, strawberries and several varieties of squash. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-santa-barbara-conserve-20150621-story.html#page=1 Drought could increasingly lead wildlife into populated areas. At camp, things can go bump in the night. We all know that. But at your house, you don’t expect a bump in the day at your front gate. But that’s what happened last week when a bear strolled through yards and along streets in Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel Valley. http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Drought-could-increasingly-lead-wildlife-into-6339782.php California: Many farmers miss deadline to report water cuts. A majority of farmers and others holding some of California's strongest claims to water have missed a deadline to confirm they stopped pumping from rivers and streams, state officials said Monday. Data show less than a third of those affected by California's broadest cut on… http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-Many-farmers-miss-deadline-to-report-6342095.php Sacramento region a leader in snitching on water wasters. As the drought deepens, Sacramento-area residents haven’t exactly been shy about turning in their water-profligate neighbors. Area water agencies took more than 4,000 complaints related to suspected water waste from their customers in April, according to the latest figures from the State Water Resources Control Board and interviews with city officials. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article25122205.html California Legislature passes drought bill imposing fines, water system consolidation. A California budget bill that would allow the state to force consolidation of water systems, exempt certain water projects from environmental review and make other far-reaching changes in response to the drought cleared the Legislature on Friday over the angry objections of Republicans. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article24999385.html#storylink=cpy Drought a boom for Valley businesses offering water savings. California’s historic drought has triggered a flood of business for Valley companies and entrepreneurs specializing in water-saving equipment, tools and technology. As the state endures its fourth dry year, California residents are being encouraged by Gov. Jerry Brown to slash their water usage by 25%. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article24942298.html#storylink=cpy California drought: Big difference in water use between wealthy communities and everyone else. Both communities receive their water from the same source -- the East Bay Municipal Utility District -- and both are bound by the same conservation rules and rates. But the residents of San Lorenzo, a working-class Alameda County suburb along Interstate 880, use a mere 51 gallons of water per person a day. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28351946/california-drought-big-difference-water-use-between-wealthy Is end of small water districts coming? Pressure for savings, efficiency may spur more mergers. A potential merger of two North County water districts has revived the long-standing debate about whether ratepayers are best served by small water districts or bigger agencies that potentially can save money through economy of scale. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/21/the-end-of-small-water-districts/?st Five drought-busting resources. Water-saving classes, apps and loads of mulch. Ditch your lawn. Fix your toilet. Don’t even think about letting your kids run through the sprinklers. If the deluge of drought-related demands has you melting like the Wicked Witch of the West, time to reach for a water-wise lifeline. And in San Diego County, we’re swimming in them. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/19/water-saving-tips-resources-san-diego/ Drought heightens awareness for water reuse and recycling. Sounds of chhh!…chhh!…chhh! cut the predawn air as sprinklers drop showers of artificial rain on golf course fairways and freeway embankments in western Los Angeles County. Lush green turf thrives on rolling courses in Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and Westlake Village, and well-watered ivy hugs Ventura Freeway medians -- all sustained by unique water supplies. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28545 How California's drought could spur an ecological rebirth. As water-hungry turf turns brown in the state’s fourth year of severe drought, many homeowners find the time ripe to revegetate with native plants such as cacti, buckwheat and sage scrub: ‘It’s helping sustain biodiversity’. Jennifer and Lawrence Kesteloot like to begin the day with breakfast in their San Francisco backyard garden. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/21/california-drought-landscaping-succulents-wildflowers As California’s drought continues, spotlight turns to water czar. Felicia Marcus peered over her desk the other day as the State Water Resources Control Board came to order in a state office hearing room, bracing for another day of bad drought news. There would be warnings about die-offs of birds and fish. An anguished farmer describing how he is being forced to fallow fields of crops. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/insight/2015/06/21/1-the-water-czar.html Israeli Water Experts Advise Drought-stricken California. A noted Israeli hydrologist is helping drought-stricken California cope with its water crisis. Eilon Adar, director of the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev desert, came to Sacramento, California, recently for a conference on how Israel, no stranger to drought… http://www.voanews.com/content/israeli-water-experts-share-knowledge-with-drought-stricken-california/2832658.html Calif. agencies allege farmers are illegally diverting water in stressed delta. As the California drought rages on, a group of 27 public water agencies is lodging a complaint with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) asking for an immediate order to block farmers in the southern part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from diverting water for crop irrigation. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060020622/search?keyword=california DIESEL ACTIVITIES Proposed Rule for Big Trucks Aims at Cutting Fuel Emissions. The Obama administration on Friday introduced a major climate change regulation intended to reduce planet-warming carbon pollution from heavy-duty trucks. The rule, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department, is the latest in a march of pollution constraints… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/20/business/energy-environment/epa-rules-carbon-pollution-heavy-trucks.html http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/EPA-proposes-tougher-mileage-standards-for-trucks-6337487.php http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/245526-obama-seeks-24-percent-cut-in-trucks-fuel-use http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/white-house-proposes-greater-fuel-efficiency-for-trucks-to-cut-emissions/2015/06/19/1009901a-1621-11e5-89f3-61410da94eb1_story.html?hpid=z4 Volvo Trucks approves 100% renewable diesel for all Euro 5 engines, prepping certification for Euro 6. After extensive field testing of renewable diesel HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils), Volvo Trucks has approved the fuel for all Euro 5 engines and is preparing certifications for Euro 6 engines. HVO (such as Neste’s NEXBTL) is produced from renewable raw materials such as vegetable and animal fats and acts as regular diesel. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150622-volvo.html SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Workers clean up oil spill on Santa Barbara beaches by hand. Along a stretch of beach heavily marred by a crude oil spill, workers in hard hats and white protective suits use wire brushes and putty knives to scrape the black liquid off cobblestones and cliff faces. The painstaking task at Refugio State Beach marks a new front in the cleanup after an underground pipeline leaked last month and released up to 101,000 gallons of oil… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/oil-667749-spill-beaches.html VEHICLES Will new incentives spark interest in electric cars? Paul Gipe’s plug-in electric vehicle gets about 84 miles on a full charge, so getting around town is never a problem. It’s when the Bakersfield resident and his wife wanted to visit a niece in Ridgecrest earlier this month that things got tricky. Faced with a lack of “fast charge” stations along… http://www.bakersfield.com/news/2015/06/17/electric-car-owners-may-soon-get-more-public-charging-stations-but-how-much-will-it-help.html Toyota Fuel-Cell 'Megafactory' Matches Tesla Gigafactory In Impact. As shown by its roughly half-million references in Google, Tesla’s lithium-ion cell and battery Gigafactory is a big deal. Producing the same volume of lithium-ion cells in one building in 2020 as were produced by the whole industry during 2013 should allow substantial economies of scale for those cells--and the cars that use them. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098818_toyota-fuel-cell-megafactory-matches-tesla-gigafactory-in-impact GREEN ENERGY House panel to review BLM's 'chronic mismanagement' of reclamation bonds A House Natural Resources panel Wednesday will review a new report by the Government Accountability Office that committee Republicans say documents the Bureau of Land Management's "chronic mismanagement" of wind and solar reclamation bonds. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060020602/feed MISCELLANEOUS American recycling is stalling, and the big blue bin is one reason why. Tucked in the woods 30 miles north of Washington is a plant packed with energy-guzzling machines that can make even an environmentalist’s heart sing — giant conveyor belts, sorters and crushers saving a thousand tons of paper, plastic and other recyclables from reaching landfills each day. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/american-recycling-is-stalling-and-the-big-blue-bin-is-one-reason-why/2015/06/20/914735e4-1610-11e5-9ddc-e3353542100c_story.html OPINIONS Pope Francis’ Call to Action Goes Beyond the Environment. IN Pope Francis’ sprawling new encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” there are many mansions: A meditation on biblical ecology, a discussion of environmental policy, a critique of consumerism, even a reflection on the perils of social media. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/opinion/sunday/ross-douthat-pope-francis-call-to-action-goes-beyond-the-environment.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0 California helps lead a U.N. mission. Pope Francis’ clarion call on climate change has been duly hailed as a potential game changer in the long-elusive effort to gain a global commitment for action. His 184-page encyclical, released last week, framed the issue in stark moral terms. The former chemist warned of the planet devolving into “an immense pile of filth” from its wealthier economies’ overreliance on fossil fuels. http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODE/SanFranciscoChronicle/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=SFNGQy8yMDE1LzA2LzIx&pageno=NTk.&entity=QXIwNTkwMA..&view=ZW50aXR5 Mercury News editorial: Fracking laws need to be stronger. When the need for fossil fuels conflicts with the need to protect the environment -- particularly our water supply -- we've got to come down on the side of safe water. So the Legislature needs to pass a bill by Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Calabasas, to update the state's policies of monitoring oil extraction operations. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28334029/mercury-news-editorial-fracking-laws-need-be-stronger Berger: Adjusting wine expectations with climate change. A decade ago, in an issue of my private wine newsletter, I wrote about an interview I’d had with a Swedish winemaker. The gentleman revealed to me that he was growing Cabernet Sauvignon just outside Stockholm, that he hoped the resulting wine would display all the characteristics that a great red wine should have… http://www.pressdemocrat.com/lifestyle/4091828-181/berger-adjusting-wine-expectations-with Harold Johnson: Celebrate the Magna Carta by cancelling cap and trade tax. Cue the candles and cake: One of the great documents of liberty hit the big 8-0-0 last week. Eight centuries ago, at Runnymede on June 15, 1215, England’s barons forced a resentful King John to sign the Magna Carta — the “Great Charter.” With its historic restrictions on royal power, Magna Carta set precedents that echo down to our day: http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150621/harold-johnson-celebrate-the-magna-carta-by-cancelling-cap-and-trade-tax BLOGS California's "Grand Experiment" in Climate Policy Is Working. Sometimes we need to look back in order to see the road forward. Whenever I reflect on the success of California's climate policies, I like to hop in my time machine and dial it all the way back to ancient history - circa 2010 - when I was a young staffer in Washington D.C. fresh out of grad school with big policy dreams and an even bigger student debt. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jorge-madrid/californias-grand-experim_b_7638394.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green?view=print&comm_ref=false Methane: The Good And The Good. Methane is a very touchy subject with the Environmental Protection Agency. If you don’t believe me just open up a web search and type in “methane, epa”. I could provide you with a bunch of examples but y’all are all intelligent capable folks. Methane is touchy with many environmentalists as well. http://www.forbes.com/sites/billtucker/2015/06/22/methane-the-good-and-the-good/ California is figuring out the whole drought thing for the rest of us. California drought,yadda yadda yadda. You’ve probably heard it all by now — water rights debates, evil almonds, lawn hate — but that overexposure could be a boon for the rest of the world, where drought is forecast to be a serious and growing problem as the climate warms. http://grist.org/science/california-is-figuring-out-the-whole-drought-thing-for-the-rest-of-us/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.