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ARB Newsclips for August 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.

AIR POLLUTION

US carbon pollution from power plants hits 27-year low.
Heat-trapping pollution from U.S. power plants hit a 27-year low
in April, the Department of Energy announced Wednesday. A big
factor was the long-term shift from coal to cleaner and cheaper
natural gas, said Energy Department economist Allen McFarland.
Outside experts also credit more renewable fuel use and energy
efficiency.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_CARBON_POLLUTION?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/05/science/ap-us-sci-carbon-pollution.html


UPDATE 1-China's steel city feels impact of pollution
regulations. Struggling from weak demand and facing new rules to
clean up pollution, some firms in China's top steel producing
city have scaled back production or even closed completely,
lifting local steel prices off 20-year lows. China is using
tougher environmental rules to help tackle a severe steel
capacity glut that has depressed prices and saddled much of the
sector…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/06/china-steel-tangshan-idUSL3N10H14N20150806


Tesoro settles Martinez refinery pollution suit for $4 million.
Texas-based oil manufacturer Tesoro Corp. has agreed to pay $4
million to settle a lawsuit claiming the company spewed smog- and
ozone-producing pollutants at its refinery in Martinez. Bay Area
air quality regulators announced the deal Wednesday after an
eight-year investigation found that refinery workers disposed of
the plant’s byproducts in sewer and water-treatment…
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Suit-over-air-pollution-at-East-Bay-refinery-6427224.php
 

Butte County air quality remains OK despite smoky skies. While
smoke from regional wildfires drifted high above Butte County on
Wednesday, the air quality here has remained, for the most part,
OK, according to the Butte County Air Quality Management
District. Jason Mandly, associate air quality planner for the
district, said north winds pushed smoke…
http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150805/butte-county-air-quality-remains-ok-despite-smoky-skies


Air quality advisory for Tehama County. The air quality in Tehama
County is in the unhealthy range. Conditions will most likely
vary from unhealthy to moderate over short periods of time as
smoke from wildland fires in the Northstate drift over Tehama
County. 
Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease,
such as asthma…
http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150806/air-quality-advisory-for-tehama-county


EPA foes turned asthma study into weapon for ozone fight. When a
Johns Hopkins University researcher published a study showing
race and income as risk factors for asthma, she started getting
phone calls from industry groups opposing U.S. EPA's bid to
tighten the national ozone standard. Dr. Corinne Keet said her
newfound fans wanted to use her work to show EPA's ozone proposal
wouldn't yield public health benefits.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023092 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Warming Climate Leaves Alaskans With Fewer Walrus to Hunt. Anna
Oxereok grew up eating walrus in the western Alaska village of
Wales. Today it's such a rare treat she can't bring herself to
part with the plastic gallon bag of meat in her freezer. "I have
to save it for something special," she says. Her brother caught
two animals this spring and shared the meat and fat, but it
didn't go very far in the village of 150.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ALASKA_WALRUS_HUNTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/06/us/ap-us-alaska-walrus-hunts.html
 
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Warming-temps-push-walrus-north-leave-Alaskans-6427987.php


El Niño Tests How Soft Commodities Weather the Storm. The El Niño
weather pattern can wreak havoc on already battered agricultural
commodities. Investors in soft commodities are used to being
slaves to the weather’s twists and turns. With prices now in a
depression and the El Niño weather pattern looming, the forecast
looks more unsettled than normal.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/el-nino-tests-how-soft-commodities-weather-the-storm-1438834405


Senate panel votes to block Obama's climate rule. A Senate
committee voted Wednesday to block implementation of the
administration’s climate rule for power plants. The bill passed
by voice vote at a hastily organized meeting of the Senate
Environment and Public Works Committee just across the hall from
the Senate chamber in the Capitol…
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250347-senate-panel-votes-to-block-obama-climate-rule


EPA Clean Power Plan: Start Trading Carbon, Please. U.S. EPA’s
Clean Power Plan does far more than the draft proposal to support
states pursuing carbon trading, offering a “panoply” of tools, in
the rule’s words. States can still choose to write plans to
direct individual carbon-cutting actions, from burning more
natural gas to building renewable power.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/epa-clean-power-plan-start-trading-carbon-please/


Hot enough for you? This is just the beginning. Millions of
people around the world are experiencing a scorching summer, as
records are broken and thermostats climb this week in parts of
Europe. Temperatures in Paris and Brussels exceeded 90 degrees
Fahrenheit at a time of year when 70-degree weather is the norm…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023072 

Salmon face warming waters, changes to El Niño patterns in fight
for survival on West Coast. It's not easy to be a salmon on the
West Coast these days. From California to Alaska, record high
temperatures and low snowmelt are affecting the species' survival
in their freshwater habitats. Now, new research finds changes in
the climate patterns associated with El Niño have shifted and are
affecting productivity…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023067 

Climate models fall short in predicting how insects respond to
warming – study. If you are trying to predict how pests will
respond to climate change, don't rely too much on climate
modeling, says Daniel Bebber, a senior research fellow at the
University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. While the climate
models can provide agricultural producers with information about
how temperature…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023082

Climate change could help Canada's wine industry. Global warming
could give Quebec's wine industry a boost by allowing new
varieties of grapes to flourish, according to recent research.
Climate scientists Philippe Roy and Isabelle Charron presented
their work at the American Geophysical Union's Joint Assembly,
held in Montreal in May.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023051 

DROUGHT

Hospitals look for ways to cut water use. Hospitals are among the
highest water users in communities, but have a lot of potential
to help California fight its ongoing drought, according to the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Jonah Schein, a technical
coordinator for the EPA's WaterSense Program, said the drought is
shifting the focus of utilities' efficiency from energy to water.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0806-drought-watch-hospitals-20150806-story.html


Biologists fear repeat of 2002 salmon kill in Klamath River. 
Biologists are worried the drought in the West is setting up the
Klamath River through southern Oregon and Northern California for
a repeat of the 2002 fish kill that left tens of thousands of
adult salmon dead. Low water and warm temperatures have slowed
the upriver migration of spring chinook, allowing parasites to
infect them as they crowd together in cool water pools.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/national/biologists-fear-repeat-of-2002-salmon-kill-in-klamath-river_91709267


How marijuana is making California drought worse. Environmental
studies find that marijuana, now the top cash crop in California,
is taking a heavy toll on some of the state's most sensitive
ecosystems, especially in a drought. California's most valuable
cash crop, marijuana, is taking a heavy toll on some of the
state's most sensitive ecosystems, with the effects ranging from
erosion…
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0806/How-marijuana-is-making-California-drought-worse


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

Shale Boom Nudges Propane-Powered Trucks From Dream to Reality.
For almost 80 years, Blue Star Gas distributed propane throughout
the U.S. West Coast on trucks mostly powered by gasoline. Now the
company is working to convert its 55 vehicles to run on the same
stuff it delivers. Blue Star won’t be alone. UPS Inc. already has
more than 1,000 propane-powered delivery trucks on the street,
with plans to buy more.
http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39086 

Carbon Adsorption to Reduce CNG Costs. Low-pressure dispensing
and storage of compressed natural gas through carbon adsorption
will further cut the price of the low-cost fuel and make filling
stations affordable for smaller fleets, according to companies
now working on the technology. Both said scientific breakthroughs
with activated carbon about a year ago will commercialize the
science involved.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/08/carbon-adsorbsion-set-to-bring-down-cost-of-cng-storage-and-use-developers-say.aspx


FUELS

Oil hits multi-month lows on U.S. gasoline build worries. Oil
prices hit multi-month lows on Wednesday after a surge in
gasoline stockpiles in the United States as the summer season,
the country's biggest demand period for motor fuels, neared its
end. Futures of Brent, the global oil benchmark, hit a six-month
bottom while that of U.S. crude touched a 4-1/2-month trough,
despite a bigger-than-expected drawdown in U.S. crude stockpiles
announced by the Energy Information Administration.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/05/us-markets-oil-idUSKCN0QA04O20150805


Eletrobras to pay Petrobras in debt settlement, government says.
Brazil's two largest energy companies, Eletrobras and Petrobras ,
settled a quarrel on Wednesday worth billions of dollars in late
payments for fuel supplies, the government said. Brazil's Energy
Ministry said Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, as Eletrobras is
known, will pay Petrobras a bill that at one point late last year
was estimated at around 8.6 billion reais ($2.47 billion)…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/06/eletrobras-petrobras-debt-idUSL5N10G4XL20150806


Group seeks a legislative fix as California refinery profits
surge. A consumer advocacy group says Californians paid a
$4.8-billion premium compared with prices in the rest of the
nation during the first half of 2015 because of the state's
gasoline price spike, and it proposed legislation to fix what it
sees as problems in the market.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0806-gas-prices-legislation-20150806-story.html

http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023085 

VEHICLES

Tesla cuts annual production forecast; second-quarter loss
widens. Tesla Motors Inc.'s second-quarter loss nearly tripled as
it invested in launching a sport utility vehicle, releasing new
versions of its flagship Model S sports sedan and constructing a
giant battery plant near Reno. The Palo Alto electric-car company
said Wednesday that it lost $184 million in the second quarter,
compared with a loss of $62 million a year earlier.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-second-quarter-results-20150805-story.html

Tesla In MI, Electric Cars In OK, Canadian Plug-In Car Sales:
Today's Car News. Today, Tesla doubles down on efforts to
overturn Michigan's direct-sales ban, an Oklahoma oil-field
worker plans an electric-car rally, and we tally Canadian plug-in
electric car sales for July 2015. All this and more on Green Car
Reports.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099440_tesla-in-mi-electric-cars-in-ok-canadian-plug-in-car-sales-todays-car-news


Home and grid batteries sell out as Tesla gears up to launch new
car. For Tesla Motors Inc., stationary energy storage is shaping
up to be a big part of its business. The company introduced a
home battery storage system, Powerwall, and a larger,
utility-scale storage unit called Powerpack, in April
(ClimateWire, June 10). "The demand has been really crazy. It's
well over a billion dollars" of reservations…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023083 

GREEN ENERGY

Solar deals are hot, but investors fret; Sunrun IPO fizzles. A
string of deals involving rooftop solar companies has shown both
the appeal and potential of the business - and limits to investor
enthusiasm. SunRun, the San Francisco-based solar financing
pioneer, raised $250 million in an initial public offering
Wednesday, but shares fell 13 percent.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SOLAR_DEALS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


East Bay cities aiding homeowners in adopting solar power. East
Bay cities are making it easier for homeowners to go solar
through a new program called East Bay SunShares, according to
Walnut Creek city officials. Walnut Creek, Concord, Fremont, and
Lafayette are partnering in running this program, which aims to
promote utilizing solar power…
http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28589960/east-bay-cities-aiding-homeowners-adopting-soalr-power


Cities making aggressive GHG cuts from buildings, transportation
– DOE. A new Energy Department analysis of 20 U.S. cities shows
that municipalities continue to lead the nation on key metrics of
energy sustainability and climate change preparedness, including
the widespread use of energy audits, the adoption of
energy-efficient heating and cooling systems…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023068

OPINIONS

COLUMN-U.S. refiners find the oil market's sweet spot: Kemp. Low
crude prices and strong demand for gasoline are creating
near-perfect conditions for oil refineries across the United
States, especially those geared towards maximizing gasoline
production. Valero, the country's largest independent refiner,
made a gross margin of more than $13 on every barrel of oil
processed in the second quarter…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/06/usa-refiners-kemp-idUSL5N10H3IB20150806


Jay Ambrose: Three strikes for Obama’s climate plan. President
Barack Obama has a new plan to fight global warming, and science
is on his side, isn’t it? No, not exactly. But wait, calculations
show the economy will benefit, don’t they? No, not even close —
consumers will take a bath. Well, finally, the Constitution backs
up the effort’s legality, does it not? It does not. These are
some questions and answers...
http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/columnists/2015/08/05/ambrose-obama-climate-change-plan/31168023/


Gov. Brown must release L.A. oilfield pollution report: Guest
commentary. Are oil companies contaminating underground water
supplies in Los Angeles? A more critical question is hard to
imagine during California’s devastating drought. At stake is the
purity of water our parched state desperately needs for drinking
and irrigation.
http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150806/gov-brown-must-release-la-oilfield-pollution-report-guest-commentary


EDITORIAL: Clean Power Plan breath of fresh air.  President
Barack Obama’s new and badly needed Clean Power Plan to reduce
air pollution in the form of greenhouse gases released this week
has put him on a collision course with most of the Republicans
running for president, including Gov. Chris Christie, who claim
this is one more example of the Obama administration’s expensive
job-killing regulatory overreach.
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/08/06/editorial-clean-power-plan-breath-fresh-air/31216953/


The economics of climate change. People have a lot of
misconceptions when you tell them you’re from Alaska. No. We
don’t all live in igloos. No. It’s not dark all the time. And
yes, I am a Democrat who is concerned about climate change and
supports responsible oil and gas development in Alaska.  Now that
you’re confused about Alaska again, let me explain.
http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/250368-the-economics-of-climate-change


BLOGS

3 Ways the Clean Power Plan Will Strengthen Our Economy. On
Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the
Clean Power Plan, the first legislation of its kind to curb
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing U.S. power plants.
By improving air quality, the plan promises to prevent 90,000
childhood asthma attacks and avoid up to 3,600 premature deaths
each year – without compromising economic growth.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023092 

Clean Power, Dirty Money. The climate change rules that President
Obama announced earlier this week will force modest but important
and desperately needed reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. 
Yet opponents of the rule are making apocalyptic predictions
about its impact, with many newly discovering their voice as
consumer advocates.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weissman/clean-power-dirty-money_b_7948516.html


Clean Power Plan Puts Emphasis on Clean Energy, Not on Natural
Gas. America is taking historic action against climate change. On
Monday, President Obama announced the first-ever national limits
on carbon pollution from power plants. This breakthrough will
help shield future generations from climate chaos and prevent
thousands of premature deaths each year.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-caseylefkowitz/clean-power-plan-puts-emp_b_7949772.html




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