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AIR POLLUTION

AIR QUALITY: Salton Sea stink alert issued. The Salton Sea
belched sulfer-smelling gas Thursday, triggering an odor alert by
the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Hourly average
concentrations of hydrogen sulfide reached levels of 129 parts
per billion in the community of Mecca in the morning. That is
more than four times the state standard of 30 parts per billion
for outdoor levels of the…
http://www.pe.com/articles/sulfide-779180-hydrogen-air.html 

Smog reaches acceptable levels in Lancaster, but milestone may be
shortlived. Here’s the good news: Lancaster County will soon not
be a violator of federal smog pollution standards for the first
time in eight years. The bad news: The federal regulator
Environmental Protection Agency intends to toughen smog limits,
possibly again putting Lancaster County in violation.
http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/smog-reaches-acceptable-levels-in-lancaster-but-milestone-may-be/article_14540bf4-51aa-11e5-bea0-a74738bb9ac4.html


New air quality rule for remote area of Tehama Co. Air Quality
Official: "The regulation really doesn't regulate anything". On
Tuesday the Tehama County Board of Supervisors approved a new
rule for a remote part of the county under the Air Pollution
Control District. The rule addresses a remote and desolate part
of the Tehama County mountains called the Tuscan Buttes that cars
cannot access and where there are no buildings.
http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/new-air-quality-rule-for-remote-area-of-tehama-co/35095722


California 'job killer' bill aims to reduce emissions.  A bill on
the move at the California statehouse would have severe
ramifications for professional drivers. In an effort to reduce
pollution and cut the state’s oil consumption, the full Assembly
could soon vote on a bill from Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de
Leon, D-Los Angeles, to enact energy policies that include a
requirement for the use of gas and diesel in the state to be
trimmed in half in the next 15 years.
http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29725#.VenE1U2IOUk


White House sets stakeholder meetings on EPA ozone plan. The
White House has scheduled a series of meetings with industry and
public interest groups on U.S. EPA's proposed air standard for
ozone. The Office of Management and Budget has scheduled six
meetings between now and Sept. 16, according to an online post by
the White House. Other meetings are also possible.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/09/04/stories/1060024285 

CLIMATE CHANGE

China slowdown needn't hamper climate deal: U.N. A slowdown in
the Chinese economy that has alarmed global stock markets won't
cast a "dark cloud" over U.N. efforts to reach an accord to slow
global warming by December, the United Nations' climate chief
predicted on Thursday. Christiana Figueres also told Reuters that
investments in renewable energies were rising despite some
worries that a fall in oil prices…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/03/us-climatechange-summit-economy-idUSKCN0R322B20150903


On Gardening: Carbon farming important to climate change fight.
Climate change has been described as the consequence of the
Industrial Revolution, which introduced extensive burning of
fossil fuels. This practice disrupts the natural balance of
carbon in the soil, the atmosphere and the ocean. Plans to slow
or reduce the process of climate often emphasize reducing use of
fossil fuels.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/lifestyle/20150903/on-gardening-carbon-farming-important-to-climate-change-fight


California's healthcare industry can lead the way on stronger
climate change regulation. The health care industry is focused on
providing high quality care for its patients. But making and
keeping people well involves more than just treating individuals:
it requires an environment that enables people to enjoy a healthy
lifestyle. Today, that environment is under siege. The effects of
climate change are already being felt…
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/sep/04/california-healthcare-industry-climate-change-paris-cop21-sb-32-dignity-health


Clean Power Plan Hostility Arises on Campaign Trail. Two
Republican presidential candidates this week condemned the
centerpiece of President Barack Obama's plan to address climate
change, the latest in vocal opposition from their party to the
Clean Power Plan. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told a crowd of
energy officials Sept. 2 that as president he would stop the
Obama administration's regulation to curb carbon dioxide
emissions… http://www.bna.com/clean-power-plan-n17179935579/ 

UN climate talks: Hints of compromise on key issue. Rich nations
at UN climate talks are said to be edging towards a compromise on
the thorny issue of loss and damage. Poorer countries want
compensation for extreme weather events that they link to large
scale carbon emissions. But the US and EU have long resisted this
idea, fearing an endless liability running into billions of
dollars. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34147192 

DROUGHT

How green should a course be in times of drought? For the
non-golfer, the image is an unsettling one -- lush golf courses
sprawling across the desert areas around Palm Springs in arid
California while the state is suffering a drought for a fourth
consecutive year. Similar scenes can be found in states such as
Nevada, Texas and Arizona where golf courses appear to be getting
more than their fair share of water in an era of climate change…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/03/us-golf-courses-water-idUSKCN0R32J520150903?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews

To battle drought, Burbank is giving free access to recycled
water. In a new move to battle the drought, Burbank residents
will get access to free recycled water starting this month and
running through the end of October. Plumbing every home in
Burbank for the treated wastewater, which is good for most uses
except drinking, would be “outrageously, hugely expensive,”
Jeanette Meyer…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-to-drought-burbank-free-recycled-water-20150904-story.html


California farm revenue grew in 2014 despite drought.  Take a
spin through rural California and evidence of the drought is
everywhere: cracked soil, unplanted fields. Unprecedented
cutbacks in deliveries of water from state and federal reservoirs
have put agriculture on the defensive. In terms of dollars and
cents, however, farmers seem to be holding their own.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article33812181.html#storylink=cpy


Drought funds help clean up fire hazard, invasive plants near
Bidwell Park. Little by little, and with an enormous amount of
work overall, some places in Chico are getting a makeover through
a work program of the Alliance for Workforce Development, a
nonprofit organization that matches workers with jobs that need
to get done.
http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150903/drought-funds-help-clean-up-fire-hazard-invasive-plants-near-bidwell-park


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

Court orders Navistar to produce EPA certification documents.
While Labor Day weekend will mean barbecues, trips to the lake
and baseball for many, executives at Navistar may hope it will
close the book on a season of disappointing news.  On Tuesday,
Sept. 1, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a
judge’s order that the truck-making giant hand over documents the
company had been trying to keep under wraps.
http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29726#.VenFoU2IOUk


FUELS

The Oil-Sands Glut Is About to Get a Lot Bigger. The last place
oil producers want to be when prices plummet to
profit-demolishing lows is midstream on a billion-dollar project
in one of the costliest parts of the planet to extract crude. Yet
that’s exactly where half a dozen oil sands operators from Suncor
Energy Inc. to Brion Energy Corp. find themselves with prices for
Canadian oil now hovering around $30 a barrel.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-03/canada-oil-sands-fork-over-billions-for-500-000-unneeded-barrels


Oil industry, environmentalists in ad war over bill to cut
gasoline use. When Californians check their mailboxes or flip on
their radios these days, they might be forgiven for thinking an
election is around the corner. It's not, of course. But with just
a week left for lawmakers to finish their work this year, a
heated ad war is being fought over a bill to cut state gasoline
consumption in half.
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-ad-war-20150904-story.html


California fines oil companies for failing to report water use
data. The state fined 30 oil companies on Thursday for failing to
meet a deadline to report information about the source, volume
and disposal of water used in oil and gas production. Under a
2014 law, California's 433 oil producers were required to report
the data to the California Department of Conservation, but only
half filed completed reports in time.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0904-oil-fines-20150904-story.html


Toshiba catalyst for efficient direct solar conversion of CO2
into ethylene glycol. Toshiba has developed a prototype of a
highly efficient molecular catalyst that converts carbon dioxide
into ethylene glycol, a useful industrial raw material, without
producing other and unwanted by-products. The new catalyst can be
used in artificial photosynthesis powered by solar energy to
convert carbon dioxide…
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20150904-toshiba.html 

DRIVERS FEES

New road-repair plan from Gov. Jerry Brown includes higher gas
taxes, vehicle fees.  Gov. Jerry Brown has ramped up his efforts
to reach a deal on funding road repairs, dispatching a top
administration official to present a new proposal to Republican
leaders on Thursday morning. The proposal would provide $3.6
billion annually for transportation and includes a new $65 fee
for vehicle owners…
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-road-repairs-california-proposal-20150903-story.html
 
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-brown-legislature-20150904-story.html

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-drivers-could-face-a-new-65-highway-6483821.php

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article33812049.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/04/california-governor-proposes-65-driver-fee/
   
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/03/driver-fees-would-fund-california-governors-road-fix/

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/09/03/gov-jerry-brown-california-fee-registrations-highway-repairs/


GREEN ENERGY

Finland to get less wind power as govt overhauls subsidies.
Finland's government proposed setting a November 2017 deadline
for granting subsidies to wind power plants as applications
exceeded a previously set capacity limit. The decision, if
approved by the parliament, would mean the end of the existing
feed-in tariff system in Finland, and follows a decision by
Britain to scrap all new subsidies for onshore wind from next
April.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/04/finland-windpower-idUSKCN0R40NH20150904


Renewable energy bill far from perfect, experts say. With one
week until California’s Legislature closes shop for the year,
lawmakers are scrambling to pass an ambitious climate and energy
plan. At stake are several top priorities for Gov. Jerry Brown: a
50 percent cut in oil use, a 50 percent increase in energy
efficiency in existing buildings, and a 50 percent clean energy
mandate.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/09/03/renewable-energy-bill-far-perfect-experts-say/71670984/

OPINIONS

Storms Come Up Short on Drought Relief for Caribbean, Florida.
One bright spot in the roiling clouds of tropical storms and
hurricanes is that they often provide the rain that
drought-stricken areas of the world need to slake parched land.
As Tropical Storm Erika, which killed at least 20 people across
the Caribbean, moved toward the U.S., there was hope it would at
least help ease the dryness in Florida and Puerto Rico. It
didn’t.
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NU40456KLVRN01-6RPBIRABU7DPAEMR9P48JJ2I2K


A Mixed Legacy on Oil. If Obama rejects the Keystone XL pipeline,
it would taint his strong reputation of boosting domestic energy
production. Single action can define a legacy. If President
Barack Obama rejects the Keystone XL pipeline in the next few
weeks, as appears likely, it will solidify the impression that
the administration is fully committed to action on climate change
and generally opposed to domestic energy production.
http://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2015/09/04/rejecting-keystone-xl-will-hurt-obamas-energy-legacy


Is the drought killing our trees? The city claims the heritage
oak as its symbol, but the actual trees that line its streets
might not feel particularly adored. The leader of the city's fire
department says some trees along his route are in such sad shape
that he recently brought up the idea of forming a task force to
make sure they're getting enough water during the drought, now in
its fourth year.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150904/is-the-drought-killing-our-trees


BLOGS

Obama Puts Alaska At Epicenter Of Climate Change With Big Oil's
Blessing. President Obama has ventured where no other U.S.
president has gone before — the Arctic Circle. But his trip there
coincides with another ethereal cause where no other leader of
the Free World has traveled: the curbing of climate change and
the attempts to win approval in Congress and the courts.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2015/09/04/obama-puts-alaska-at-epicenter-of-climate-change-with-big-oils-blessing/


California Is Fining a Company That's Supplied Starbucks' Bottled
Water—for Making the Drought Worse. Sugar Pine Spring Water, a
California company that has supplied bottled water to Starbucks,
was hit on Tuesday with a complaint and draft cease-and-desist
order by the California State Water Resources Control Board
(SWRCB) for alleged illegal diversion and bulk delivery of water
in 2014 and 2015.
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/09/california-fining-starbucks-bottled-water-drought


Is America Ready for Climate Change Refugees? Right after the
government of Iceland announced to accept only 50 refugees in
2015, more than 10,000 Icelanders offered on Facebook to take
them in their own houses this week. If Iceland would have as many
inhabitants as the U.S. the number would be more than 1 million.
The number of refugees coming to Europe this year is the highest
on record.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andreas-sieber/more-than-10000-icelander_b_8083880.html


Taking Solar to the Next Level. Google grabbed headlines last
month with a tool that makes it easier than ever before to go
solar. Project Sunroof allows its users to determine exactly how
much solar power could be generated at their address, how much it
would cost, and even which local companies could install the
panels. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-sargent/taking-solar-to-the-next-level_b_8083294.html


Climate Truth, Justice, and the American Way. The overwhelming
scientific consensus is that humans are warming our planet by
burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees. 97% of climate
scientists agree about this. But the agreement doesn't stop
there; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also
went to a lot of effort to create equally strong reports about
who will be hurt worst…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joylette-portlock/climate-truth-justice-and_b_8080508.html


Broad Set of Voices Agree: EPA’s Proposed Methane Pollution
Standard is Common Sense. Last month, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first-ever nationwide
standards to reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas
industry. It’s a common sense move: With its potent global
warming power and low-cost solutions, cutting methane is the
biggest bargain for greenhouse gas reductions in the energy
business.
http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/09/03/broad-set-of-voices-agree-epas-proposed-methane-pollution-standard-is-common-sense/




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