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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 29, 2015.
Posted: 29 Jun 2015 13:09:06
ARB Newsclips for June 29, 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. AIR POLLUTION Justices rule against EPA power plant mercury limits. The Supreme Court ruled Monday against the Obama administration's attempt to limit power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants, but it may only be a temporary setback for regulators. The justices split 5-4 along ideological lines to rule that the Environmental Protection Agency failed to take cost into account when it first decided to regulate the toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired plants. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_EPA_EMISSIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/usa-court-pollution-idINL2N0ZF11920150629 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-29/epa-loses-at-u-s-supreme-court-on-power-plant-emissions-rule http://www.wsj.com/articles/high-court-strikes-down-epa-limits-on-mercury-emissions-1435590069?tesla=y http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/supreme-court-rules-against-epa-on-air-pollution-rules/article/2567221 http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-supreme-court-toxic-air-pollution-power-plants-20150629-story.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/06/29/supreme-court-clean-air/28366777/ http://www.climatecentral.org/news/justices-block-emissions-rule-19170 http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/supreme-court-invalidates-obama-administration-mercury-air-pollution-rule/ar-AA9ZiTl Drought conditions make bad air worse, aggravate health problems. A longtime asthma sufferer, Shirley Bittante tries to stay inside when the air district rates conditions outside her Fair Oaks house as “unhealthy.” She may have to spend more time indoors this summer as heat and drought degrade air quality across the state. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article25719685.html#storylink=cpy Air quality will be a ‘game changer’ for EV uptake. Air quality issues across Europe will prove to be a game-changer for electric vehicles (EVs), according to Nissan. Governments are looking at how they can mitigate the harmful effects of exhaust emissions, which include nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM10). In the UK, London will launch the world’s first ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) in 2020… http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/environment/2015/06/29/air-quality-will-be-a-game-changer-for-ev-uptake CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE 1-China works for "win-win" climate plan, poised for pledge. China is seeking a fair, global system to tackle climate change and is about to make a joint announcement on the environment, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said before a summit in Brussels with top European Union officials on Monday. Expectations are high that China, the world's biggest carbon emitter, is about to submit to the United Nations a… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/eu-china-climatechange-idUSL5N0ZF3SC20150629 ‘Snail’s Pace’ in Climate Talks, Weak Pledges Frustrate UN Chief. The secretary general of the United Nations is frustrated with the pace of negotiations for what’s intended to be a crucial agreement limiting global warming. Climate change pledges submitted so far from the world’s leading economies won’t be enough to keep the planet from warming dangerously… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-29/un-leader-says-climate-talks-won-t-hit-mark-to-limit-warming Look after fossil fuel workers in shift to clean energy - union chief. Coal, oil and gas workers need a secure future as the world moves away from fossil fuel use, and governments and companies must plan to ensure any new global climate change deal is fair for all those impacted, a top trade unionist said. So far there has been little effort to design a "just transition" to a fossil-free future, putting workers in dirty energy sectors. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/climatechange-fossilfuels-workers-idUKL5N0ZF2C520150629?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews RPT - ANALYSIS-Oil companies played hardball in bid to defeat climate outsiders. Petty legal filings. Diversionary ballot measures. Counting abstentions as no votes. These are just some of the tactics U.S. oil companies used this spring to quash efforts by investors to win the right to nominate climate experts for board seats. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/climatechange-oilcompanies-governance-idUKL1N0ZC2Q820150629 Melting Arctic sea ice could be disrupting the oceans’ circulation—with major consequences. We already know that melting sea ice in the Arctic is bad news. Less ice means less habitat for animals like polar bears, and it also means there are fewer reflective surfaces in the North to bounce sunlight back into space, allowing the planet to absorb more heat. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/29/melting-arctic-sea-ice-could-be-disrupting-the-oceans-circulation-with-potentially-major-consequences/ DROUGHT Lawsuits over California water rights are a fight a century in the making. The lawsuits hit the courts within days of the state mailing notices to some Central Valley irrigation districts: They were to stop diverting from rivers and streams because there wasn't enough water to go around. Unsurprising as the move may be in this fourth year of drought, to the districts, the notices amounted to an assault on water rights they have held for more than a century. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-rights-legal-20150629-story.html#page=1 Sacramento water agencies brace for historic drop in Folsom Lake levels. Folsom Lake is losing more than a billion gallons of water each day. Lake levels will likely fall to historic lows by summer’s end, testing the reliability of a water supply that once seemed invulnerable. The region’s top water officials say they are ready: Scared, but prepared. They have imposed significant, mandatory water-use rules on their customers. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article25676410.html#storylink=cpy California drought resurrects old population growth concerns. Earlier this month, with his East Bay community facing the prospect of losing its only source of water, Edwin Pattison appeared before residents at a town hall meeting and lamented the strain of California’s growing population on dwindling water supplies. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article25672837.html#storylink=cpy DWP fast-tracks $600 million water treatment plant in North Hollywood. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power may spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the next 20 years to capture rainwater and send it underground into the massive San Fernando Valley Groundwater Basin to eventually be used as drinking water. But that groundwater basin is home to one of the largest Superfund contamination sites in the U.S. … http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20150628/dwp-fast-tracks-600-million-water-treatment-plant-in-north-hollywood Drought Blamed For Decline In Duck Population. The drought can be blamed for a number of problems and the latest is a major decline in the duck population. A new survey shows lack of rain has led to poor habitats. The duck population in California's Central Valley has dropped by 30 percent from last year. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/29/drought-blamed-for-decline-in-duck-population/ California drought: State orders San Francisco water cutbacks. San Francisco is the latest community that regulators have told to stop taking some river water during the drought despite the city's decades-old water rights. The State Water Resources Control Board on Friday ordered the cutback under its latest round of notices that waterways are too dry to meet demand in the drought. Its cutbacks have involved water districts and corporations generally spared from water cuts because of their strong claims. http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150626/california-drought-state-orders-san-francisco-water-cutbacks More historic water cutbacks for California farmers. State officials once again slashed water use for Northern California farmers on Friday, announcing a new round of cutbacks targeted at people and businesses who laid claim to their water as far back as 1858. The new curtailments impact just 11 water rights holders, but they're one more sign of how serious the drought has become. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/06/26/more-historic-water-cutbacks-for-california-farmers/29364113/ Parched California Farmers Hope to Tap Wastewater From Cities. Facing record-low water supplies and a dry summer ahead, some California farmers are getting creative in looking for new sources of water. In one community, they’re planning to buy water from cities — after it’s already been used. Through flushing toilets and running faucets, the city of Modesto produces millions of gallons of wastewater a day… http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/06/29/parched-california-farmers-hope-to-tap-wastewater-from-cities/ FUELS For Godfather of Ethanol, a Bet on Nascar With High Stakes. Jeff Broin’s silhouette shines in the glossy hood of the modified grass-green Chevrolet SS. It’s moments before the start of Nascar’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, and Broin is having a quick chat with young driver Austin Dillon. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-25/for-the-godfather-of-ethanol-a-bet-on-nascar-with-high-stakes Exxon Mobil, BP Suspend Canadian Arctic Exploratory Drilling Program in Beaufort Sea. Imperial Oil to seek retroactive extension of Canadian Arctic exploration lease. An oil industry consortium including Exxon Mobil Corp. and BP PLC on Friday suspended its Canadian arctic exploration program in the Beaufort Sea, citing insufficient time to begin test drilling before its lease expires in 2020. http://www.wsj.com/articles/exxon-mobil-bp-suspend-canadian-arctic-exploratory-drilling-program-in-beaufort-sea-1435348381 U.S. gasoline prices dip for first time in more than two months –survey. The average price of regular grade gasoline fell by nearly 2 cents over the last two weeks, the first nationwide price decline at the pumps after more than two months of steady increases, according to the Lundberg survey released on Sunday. Drivers paid an average of $2.85 a gallon, 86 cents below the average price paid at this time last year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/28/usa-gasoline-prices-idUSL2N0ZE0CG20150628 U.S. weekly oil rig count decline slows: Baker Hughes. Energy firms pulled three rigs from U.S. oil fields this week, the smallest drop in five weeks, data showed on Friday, a sign the collapse in drilling is coming to an end as crude prices recovered after falling 60 percent from last June to March. It was the 29th straight weekly decline, bringing the total down to 628, the lowest since August 2010, oil services company… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/us-energy-oil-rigs-baker-hughes-idUSKCN0P902320150629 US Ethanol production reaches record high. In Washington, according to EIA data as analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol production averaged 994,000 barrels per day (b/d)—or 41.75 million gallons daily. That is up 14,000 b/d from the week before and an all-time record high. The four-week average for ethanol production stood at 985,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 15.10 billion gallons. http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2015/06/27/us-ethanol-production-reaches-record-high/ Diesel Priced Almost As Low As Gasoline, As Gas Demand Surges. The price of diesel fuel in the U.S. has fallen more than 25 cents per gallon this year. And thanks to high demand for gasoline, the two fuels now cost nearly the same in many states. The difference in price between gasoline and diesel is now the smallest that it's been in six years. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098907_diesel-priced-almost-as-low-as-gasoline-as-gas-demand-surges Scientists report cheaper, more efficient way to produce hydrogen for fuel. Researchers at Stanford University have developed a low-cost catalyst that could help make the development of zero-emission hydrogen fuel more feasible. In a study published last week in the journal Nature Communications, graduate student Haotian Wang and his colleagues showed that it is possible to split water and isolate hydrogen… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/29/stories/1060021004 VEHICLES VW Renewable Diesel Test Finds Same Drivability, Lower Carbon Emissions. Three years ago, Volkswagen announced that it was testing two different types of renewable diesel fuel in a pair of its TDI diesel-engined cars sold in the U.S. Now, the company says it has finished its testing, and the results are in. The renewable fuel gave the same performance as conventional crude oil-based diesel… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098895_vw-renewable-diesel-test-finds-same-driveability-lower-carbon-emissions Tesla Gigafactory Update, VW Tests Renewable Diesel, Chevy Cruze Hybrid: Today's Car News. Today, we have an update on construction of the Tesla battery "Gigafactory," Volkswagen's verdict on renewable diesel, and the possibility of a Chevrolet Cruze hybrid. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Breathing the fumes produced by heavy traffic is bad for your health, but could the actual noise it makes cause problems as well? http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098913_tesla-gigafactory-update-vw-tests-renewable-diesel-chevy-cruze-hybrid-todays-car-news Solid-State Batteries Already Powering Electric Cars: BlueCars, In Fact. In the quest for a better battery chemistry that can make electric cars more competitive with internal combustion, solid-state cells have generated quite a bit of buzz. As the name implies, solid-state cells replace the liquid electrolyte used in current lithium-ion cells with a solid material--a design that has numerous potential advantages, proponents say. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098904_solid-state-batteries-already-powering-electric-cars-bluecars-in-fact GREEN ENERGY Solar-powered plane takes off on longest leg of round-the-world trip. The takeoff was planned under the cover of darkness. After two months of setbacks, delay and dismay, the team aiming to accomplish the first ever solar-powered plane trip around the world wanted to start its longest and most difficult leg in secret. If they had to turn back yet again… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/29/solar-powered-plane-takes-off-on-longest-leg-of-round-the-world-trip/?tid=hp_mm First Zero-Net Affordable Apartments Open In Woodland. Zero-net energy homes produce as much energy as they use. But it’s not easy to find zero-net energy housing that’s affordable. The city of Woodland now has the first zero-net energy low-income apartments in the nation. Open the door of this three bedroom apartment in Woodland and it looks like most other new apartments. Clean, with new appliances and cool on this hot summer day. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/29/first-zero-net-affordable-apartments-open-in-woodland/ DOE to award $20M to projects to recover rare earth elements from coal and coal byproducts. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001202) that will award an estimated $20 million to projects quickly to develop bench scale and pilot scale projects for recovering Rare Earth Elements (REE)—a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table and key components of electronics and renewable energy technologies—from coal and coal byproducts. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150629-doeree.html Half of Europe’s electricity set to be from renewables by 2030. Europe will likely get more than half of its electricity from renewable sources by the end of the next decade if EU countries meet their climate pledges, according to a draft commission paper. A planned overhaul of the continent’s electricity grids will now need to be sped up, says the leaked text, seen by the Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/26/half-europes-electricity-set-to-be-renewable-2030?CMP=share_btn_tw OPINIONS Opinion: Drought shows need to untangle California water rights. There is absolutely nothing in California government – or its politics – more complicated and contentious than water rights. Who has what rights to extract and use how much water from which California rivers and aquifers is an almost impenetrable thicket of state laws, regulatory decisions, judicial actions and, in some cases… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article25682590.html#storylink=cpy Valley Voice: Think before you jump on landscaping swap. California is enduring the most serious drought it has ever faced. But is the choice to rip up your lawn, or keep it and be considered a water hog? The answer may not be clear cut. We know Californians love their yards. According to a study we conducted recently with Harris Poll, 82 percent of those in the Western U.S. think spending time outside in their yards is important. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/06/28/valley-voice-landscape-choices-drought/29365459/ Letter: Clean air for our kids. I was interested to learn about the connection between disease risk and the time of the year one is born in Ana Swanson’s recent article (Monitor Nation & World, June 16). While we may not yet understand this fascinating phenomenon very well, we do understand how global warming can affect health. http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/17535629-95/letter-clean-air-for-our-kids BLOGS Climate laws and policies have doubled every five years since 1997: Global Climate Legislation Study. The 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study comes at a pivotal time in international climate diplomacy, as countries will be meeting for the UN Conference of the Parties in December of 2015 to discuss each country's intended actions for dealing with climate change. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/hchen/climate_laws_and_policies_doubled.html As EPA Hands Down New Rules on Renewable Fuel Standard, Critics Say 'Blend Wall' a Fiction Created by Big Oil. The renewable fuel industry is at a crossroads. It has been put into peril by a concept, known as a "blend wall," some observers believe is a fiction created by the oil industry. The very future of the renewable fuel industry hangs in the balance. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-alexander/as-epa-hands-down-new-rul_b_7685190.html Saab Owner To Build $400 Million Electric Car Factory In China. The Chinese-backed investment group that bought technology and assets from Sweden’s Saab in 2012 now says it plans to build a $400 million factory and R&D unit for electric cars in Tianjin, northeast China. National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs) held a launching ceremony on Sunday in the Tianjin Binhai Hi-Tech Industrial Development Area… http://www.forbes.com/sites/jnylander/2015/06/29/saab-owner-to-build-400-million-electric-car-factory-in-china/ Will the World Plug Into the Sun? Even as the world is frantically searching for alternative energy, there is one source that will always hang around without ever getting depleted. The Sun. In the next 10 to 20 years, or maybe even by 2050, solar PV is expected to be the main source of powerful energy, suited to the new millennium. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/preetam-kaushik/sun-energy_b_7684572.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.