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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 6, 2015.
Posted: 06 Jul 2015 13:09:11
ARB Newsclips for July 6, 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 White House quietly revises social cost of carbon. The White House has slightly reduced its estimate for the social cost of carbon (SCC) in response to public comments that officials collected more than a year ago. The Office of Management and Budget posted its revision of the controversial estimate Thursday, immediately before the Fourth of July weekend. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/06/stories/1060021287 AIR POLLUTION Moreno Valley warehouse project raising concerns over air quality. A master planned warehouse development that would fill nearly 700 football fields has raised concerns among state and regional air quality regulators, the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the American Lung Association. The proposed World Logistics Center — with its 40.6 million square feet of warehouses and 14,000 daily truck visits… http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20150705/moreno-valley-warehouse-project-raising-concerns-over-air-quality Demand for Small Modular Reactors may be Impacted by Supreme Court Ruling on EPA Coal Plant Emissions. On June 29th the US Supreme Court threw out EPA’s coal emissions regulations that if implemented would have forced many utilities to close older coal-fired plants. The new emissions controls are aimed at mercury and other toxic pollutants which are not removed from stack emissions by current air pollution controls. http://www.theenergycollective.com/dan-yurman/2245276/demand-small-modular-reactors-may-be-impacted-supreme-court-ruling-epa-coal-plant CLIMATE CHANGE No plan B if Paris climate summit ends in failure, says EU climate chief. There is “no plan B” if the Paris climate conference ends in failure, Europe’s climate chief has warned, urging world leaders to intervene to force their ministers to agree a landmark deal this December. In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Miguel Cañete, commissioner for climate action… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/06/no-plan-b-if-paris-climate-summit-ends-in-failure-says-eu-climate-chief?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it Canada's new carbon emissions rules provide new hope for the Keystone pipeline. TransCanada Corp. has written to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arguing that new Canadian rules on emissions should persuade him to approve the construction of the much-delayed Keystone XL pipeline. The proposed US$6.4 billion project would carry an estimated 830,000 barrels of Canadian crude oil per day from Hardisty… http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Canadas-Carbon-Emissions-Rules-Sparks-Hopes-For-Keystone.html#ixzz3f8BPDjKo India 'will not announce' carbon emissions peak year. Prakash Javadekar said that Delhi would submit plans to cut emissions to the UN, but would not announce a target date for when it expected its total carbon emissions to drop. His comments came two days after China told the United Nations that its emissions would peak around 2030. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33353181 DROUGHT California water rates rise as cities lose money in drought. Saving water doesn't always mean saving money in parched California. Millions of Californians expecting relief on their water bills for taking conservation measures instead are finding higher rates and drought surcharges. Water departments are increasing rates and adding fees because they're losing money as their customers conserve. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_RATE_HIKES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_RATE_HIKES_GLANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/californias-rural-poor-hit-hardest-as-groundwater-vanishes-in-long-drought/2015/07/05/0ed88938-1452-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article26530126.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-water-rates-rise-as-cities-lose-money-6367059.php http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/0705/Californian-cities-hike-up-water-rates-while-customers-conserve-amid-drought Las Vegas completing last straw to draw Lake Mead water. It took $817 million, two starts, more than six years and one worker's life to drill a so-called "Third Straw" to make sure glittery casinos and sprawling suburbs of Las Vegas can keep getting drinking water from near the bottom of drought-stricken Lake Mead. The pipeline, however, won't drain the largest Colorado River reservoir any faster. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VEGAS_WATER_LAKE_MEAD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Almond Prices Surge as Sales Boom Collides With Drought. The almond is having its moment. Though criticized for being a water-thirsty crop grown mostly in California, almonds are more popular than ever. And spreads made from the tree nut are increasingly supplanting peanut butter in U.S. lunch boxes and pantries. Americans are eating about 2 pounds of almonds per person annually, double the amount they consumed just seven years ago. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-06/almond-prices-surge-as-sales-boom-collides-with-drought How NASA's Flying Laboratory Is Tracking California's Drought. They're using a high-frequency laser that scans the ground 800,000 times a second. A team of scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is tracking California’s snowpack levels aboard a flying laboratory. It’s called the Airborne Snow Observatory… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-06/how-nasa-s-flying-laboratory-is-tracking-california-s-drought California’s rural poor hit hardest as massive drought makes remaining water toxic. Whenever her sons rush indoors after playing under the broiling desert sun, Guadalupe Rosales worries. They rarely heed her constant warning: Don’t drink the water. It’s not safe. The 8- and 10-year-olds stick their mouths under a kitchen faucet and gulp anyway. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/californias-rural-poor-hit-hardest-as-groundwater-vanishes-in-long-drought/2015/07/05/0ed88938-1452-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html Drought Sends U.S. Water Agency Back to Drawing Board. Drew Lessard stood on top of Folsom Dam and gazed at the Sierra Nevada, which in late spring usually gushes enough melting snow into the reservoir to provide water for a million people. But the mountains were bare, and the snowpack to date remains the lowest on measured record. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/us/california-drought-sends-us-water-agency-back-to-drawing-board.html?_r=0 Drought puts California pool repairman who works underwater in high demand. In water-starved California, pool repairman Kevin Wallace might be viewed as a hero in a scuba suit. The 63-year-old Wallace dives underwater in some of the best pools in Southern California to fix rust spots, rebar, structural cracks and drains, using a secret concoction of plaster-based compounds, sterilizing agents and hardeners. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-pool-repairman-20150706-story.html Embarrassed officials try to explain surge in water use. They stuck out like skunks at a drought-resistant garden party. While residential water consumers and suppliers throughout California won praise for slashing water consumption 29% recently, a handful of small water agencies caused bewilderment when they reported a surge in water use in May. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-wasters-20150706-story.html Cutting Edge Silicon Valley struggles to pitch water-saving tech to farmers. Olivier Jerphagnon needed a customer. So he drove toward the farmland north of Fresno, with his marketing director by his side. They came to convince farmers that PowWow Energy's Pump Monitor software can manage irrigation via smartphone. They spotted a prospect off the side of Highway 99: a work crew near a massive pump in an unmarked almond orchard. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-irrigation-innovation-20150705-story.html#page=1 Las Vegas completing last straw to draw Lake Mead water. It took $817 million, two starts, more than six years and one worker's life to drill a so-called "Third Straw" to make sure glittery casinos and sprawling suburbs of Las Vegas can keep getting drinking water from near the bottom of drought-stricken Lake Mead. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Las-Vegas-completing-last-straw-to-draw-Lake-Mead-6367083.php Baja California turns to desalination. Far from the Colorado River, Baja California’s coastal regions are increasingly looking to alternative sources of supply — and desalination has become a favored option. Set to launch operations in 2017, the state’s first utility-scale ocean desalination plant is under construction in Ensenada, where residents have been subject to water rationing. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/04/ensenada-san-quintin-desalination-plants/?st City will keep filling lake with tap water. Park and Recreation reducing water use 16% yet will replenish six recreational ponds. San Diego’s plan to meet state-mandated water conservation targets includes parching dog parks and “nonessential” grass, but officials plan to continue pumping some 57 million gallons of tap water per year into recreational ponds. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/06/city-will-keep-pumping-tap-water-into-lake/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES First Commercially Ready Ship Emissions Capturing System Approved. Clean Air Engineering-Maritime (CAEM) has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) approval for the first commercially ready ship emissions capturing system called the Maritime Emissions Treatment System (METS).Clean Air Engineering-Maritime (CAEM) has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) approval for the first commercially ready ship emissions… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/06/first-commercially-ready-ship-emissions-capturing-system-approved/#ixzz3f8Ag3g7r FUELS U.S. ethanol makers race to expand even with policy uncertainty. Some U.S. ethanol producers are racing to bring on capacity, pushing output to fresh highs even as soaring corn prices tighten margins and the nation's biofuels program faces prolonged uncertainty. Betting on exports and robust domestic fuel demand, four companies are finalizing expansions and projects that will add 375 million gallons of corn-based ethanol capacity this year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/06/usa-ethanol-output-idUSL1N0ZC2NK20150706?virtualBrandChannel=11563 State issues toughest-in-the-nation fracking rules. State officials on Wednesday formally adopted new rules governing hydraulic fracturing in California, setting in motion some of the toughest guidelines in the nation for the controversial oil extraction practice. The oil and gas agency also released its environmental impact report that concluded fracking could have “significant and unavoidable impacts” on a number of fronts… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-state-issues-fracking-rules-20150701-story.html U.S. ethanol makers race to expand even with policy uncertainty. Some U.S. ethanol producers are racing to bring on capacity, pushing output to fresh highs even as soaring corn prices tighten margins and the nation's biofuels program faces prolonged uncertainty. Betting on exports and robust domestic fuel demand, four companies are finalizing expansions and projects that will add 375 million gallons of corn-based ethanol capacity this year. http://www.agweek.com/event/article/id/27212/group/Agribusiness/#sthash.VFApy944.dpuf VEHICLE A fleet of ‘robocabs’ could dramatically slash vehicle emissions, study suggests. Whenever we hear the latest buzz about driverless vehicles — like the ones currently in development by Google — one of the first benefits brought up is safety. The gist is that the vast majority of car accidents are the result of human error, and taking the human out of the equation would thus make streets a lot safer. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/06/new-research-suggests-that-robotaxis-could-be-good-for-the-planet/ America’s Lowest Carbon Footprint Cars. According to the U.S. EPA, a plug-in hybrid like a Ford Fusion Energi can save 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) tailpipe emissions per year compared to a 26-mpg non-hybrid Fusion, or enough to plant 79 trees. This is based on 15,000 annual miles, the trees are just a theoretical way to offset the greenhouse gases (GHG) released. http://www.hybridcars.com/americas-lowest-carbon-footprint-cars/ GREEN ENERGY RPT-French renewables power grid pilot shows limits of batteries in Europe. A major pilot project by Europe's largest power network operator to integrate power from rooftop solar panels into the grid has shown that battery storage of renewable energy is not yet economically viable in Europe. The conclusion is a sobering one for proponents of sun and wind energy because as more of it comes on tap… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/06/utilities-grids-france-idUSL8N0ZM18F20150706?type=companyNews Israeli Gas Boon Blocks Out Solar Industry Hopes. Renewable energy projects’ prospects dashed as huge gas finds change the government’s priorities. The residents of this village in the Negev desert have everything they need to build a solar-panel field: construction permits and loans, a contract with a company to build the field, and plenty of sun. But Tarabin village doesn’t yet have permission from the government to sell its solar power to the national grid… http://www.wsj.com/articles/israeli-gas-boon-blocks-out-solar-industry-hopes-1436187071?mod=rss_Technology Solar energy revolution: Past point of no return. When the SunShot Initiative was launched by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2011, even I thought it was a little crazy to think the goal of $1-per-watt solar energy was within reach. In this article from April 2011, I said that $1 per watt by 2017 had a "fighting chance" at best, but it was a long way off at the time. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2015/07/05/motley-fool-solar-energy/29583021/ New York sees strong growth in solar power installations. New York state has seen a significant increase in solar power in the last three years. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says Monday that installed solar power generation tripled since 2011. That's just more than twice the rate of the entire U.S. over the same period. While solar power remains a relatively small source of electricity in the state, the governor says the rapid growth reflects state efforts to encourage renewable energy. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/New-York-sees-strong-growth-in-solar-power-6368606.php Renewable energy: Ukiah ‘70 percent carbon free’. Mel Grandi is excited about Ukiah’s power. He is the city’s electrical utility director, and is happy to talk about the carbon-free sources of 65- to 70 percent of that power. In 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order that “…all retail sellers of electricity shall serve 33% of their load with renewable energy by 2020.” http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/general-news/20150703/renewable-energy-ukiah-70-percent-carbon-free Marin businesses collecting food scraps for energy-saving program. At San Rafael’s West Brooklyn Pizza Co., workers have always strived to maintain an eco-friendly business by recycling the bottles and plastics used at the restaurant. Within the past three months, though, the workers’ efforts have been beefed up. Uneaten pizza crusts left by customers… http://www.marinij.com/environment-and-nature/20150705/marin-businesses-collecting-food-scraps-for-energy-saving-program Solar & Wind = 74% of New US Electricity Capacity January–May 2015 (Exclusive). US renewable energy electricity capacity May 2015Wind power and solar power are increasingly the most cost-competitive options for new electricity generation, and the installation numbers for the first 5 months of 2015 are just another data point showing that. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/06/solar-wind-74-of-new-us-electricity-capacity-january-may-2015-exclusive/ Solar Impulse Sun-Powered Airplane Lands Safely In Hawaii. Nearly four months after taking off from Abu Dhabi to attempt a circumnavigation of the globe, the sun-powered Solar Impulse 2 airplane has crossed the Pacific Ocean. The plane landed in Hawaii Friday, achieving another milestone in the attempt to fly around the world with no onboard fuel. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098992_solar-impulse-sun-powered-airplane-lands-safely-in-hawaii German Wind-to-Hydrogen Plant Takes Car-Fuel Battle to Tesla. After decades of research, Linde AG says the elements needed to make hydrogen-fuelled cars a viable challenger to Tesla Inc.’s battery-driven vehicles are finally falling into place. The world’s largest industrial gas supplier will today open a plant that uses wind power to convert water into the gas. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/news/2015/07/german-wind-to-hydrogen-plant-takes-car-fuel-battle-to-tesla.html US Solar Production Is Being Vastly Underreported. Analysis from SEIA and kWh Analytics shows that the US produced 50 percent more solar than it’s getting credit for. Good news abounds in the solar energy industry. Recently, California became the first state to source more than five percent of its electricity from solar power. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2015/07/us-solar-production-is-being-vastly-underreported.html Nation's renewable energy consumption highest since the 1930s. Is Utah doing enough? Opinions vary. U.S. consumers are increasingly turning to solar, wind and biomass for their energy needs, driving domestic renewable energy consumption to its highest peak since the 1930s. A recent analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration — an independent research service of the U.S. Department of Energy — found that renewables… http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865631967/Nations-renewable-energy-consumption-highest-since-the-1930s.html?pg=all Renewable energy on tribal lands stalls out. Is the Bureau of Indian Affairs delaying wind and solar projects? In 2008, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, in south-central South Dakota, was ready to start developing the 30-megawatt Owl Feather War Bonnet wind farm on tribal lands. The turbines would generate money for the tribe and some of the power would go to homes on the nearly 2-square-mile reservation… http://www.hcn.org/articles/federal-agency-shortcomings-stalling-solar-wind-tribal-winds Kenya’s New Wind Farm Will Provide Nearly One Fifth Of The Country’s Power. Last week Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta broke ground on a major renewable energy project for the country and for the African continent as a whole: a 310-megawatt wind farm some 300 miles north of the capital city of Nairobi. The farm, which will consist of 365 turbines when fully completed in mid-2017… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/06/3677104/kenya-builds-africas-largest-wind-farm/ MISCELLANEOUS Former Transportation and Air Quality Director Oge says EPA doing 'pretty good job' with imperfect renewable fuels statute. Following a heated public hearing on U.S. EPA's proposed renewable volume obligations for 2014-2016, how open to change is the agency as it crafts its final numbers? During today's OnPoint, Margo Oge, former director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, discusses the challenges facing the agency in determining volume obligations under the current RFS. http://www.eenews.net/tv/videos/2005/transcript OPINIONS As lakes drain, we must rethink water. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials, who operate the Central Valley Project, relied on a faulty gauge in April and overestimated the amount of cold water behind Shasta Dam. That error might seem trivial, but not in this fourth parched year of the drought. It is now cascading throughout the water system, making clearer than ever that Californians must rethink how water is used. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article26414845.html#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: Congress should kill ethanol mandate. The country’s decade-old Renewable Fuel Standard requires increasing levels of plant-based ethanol and biodiesel to be added to traditional fossil fuels. It was supposed to be good for the economy and great for the environment. It has been neither — and it could get even worse. Under the RFS, most gasoline sold in the United States is classified as E10… http://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorial-congress-should-kill-ethanol-mandate BLOGS Carbon fee legislation would cut gas emissions. Thank you for your editorial on the New York ban on fracking (“A smart ban on fracking,” July 1). You cited the grassroots victory over a “well-funded gas and oil industry that has long been willing to distort science in order to shape public opinion and policy on critical issues like global warming.” We would like to add to that success story. http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion/carbon-fee-legislation-would-cut-gas-emissions/32835/ Autonomous Taxis Would Deliver Significant Environmental and Economic Benefits. New Berkeley Lab study finds lower greenhouse gas emissions on per-mile basis for driverless cars deployed as taxis. Imagine a fleet of driverless taxis roaming your city, ready to pick you up and take you to your destination at a moment’s notice. While this may seem fantastical, it may be only a matter of time before it becomes reality. http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/07/06/autonomous-taxis-would-deliver-significant-environmental-and-economic-benefits/ This Humble Cactus Could Help Fuel Our Drought-Stricken World. As drought strikes broad regions of the world, farmers are focusing on the crops that can feed people—not the crops that can power their cars. But what if there was an energy crop that could grow where traditional crops can’t? Even in a drought? Enter the cactus. Climate change and drought aren’t just affecting agriculture. http://gizmodo.com/this-humble-cactus-could-help-power-our-drought-stricke-1715966241 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.