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ARB Newsclips for September 30, 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

Luxury Markets Are No Breath of Fresh Air. It may be fair in San
Diego, but air quality? Au contraire. Relative to other parts of
the country, California’s luxury real-estate markets have the
worst air quality, according to an analysis of data from the
Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/luxury-markets-are-no-breath-of-fresh-air-1443630700


Pilot Program Will Gauge Air Quality in New York Nail Salons. It
is a question that has lurked in the minds of many manicurists:
Are the chemicals they handle on a daily basis endangering their
health? A pilot program, introduced Tuesday by the New York City
public advocate’s office and backed by the Clinton Global
Initiative, is designed to ensure that they do not. Dozens of
desk lamps fitted with air quality sensors…
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/nyregion/pilot-program-will-gauge-air-quality-in-new-york-nail-salons.html?_r=0

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/09/30/air-quality-to-be-tested-at-nyc-nail-salons/

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-nail-salons-air-quality-monitors-article-1.2379364


New Regulations on Smog Remain as Divisive as Ever. In August
2011, as President Obama prepared to unveil a major new
environmental regulation on smog, his political advisers issued a
warning: The rule would affect power plants and factories
throughout the Midwest, slowing the economy in states like Ohio
that would be crucial to the president’s re-election.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/us/politics/new-regulations-on-smog-remain-as-divisive-as-ever.html?src=twr&_r=1


EPA adopts rules to limit oil refineries' emissions into
neighborhoods. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adopted
new rules Tuesday intended to clean the air around oil refineries
across the nation, including communities near six major
refineries in Southern California. The rules for the first time
require refineries to monitor and report levels of benzene, a
cancer-causing compound, at the boundaries of their properties…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-refinery-emissions-epa-rules-20150929-story.html

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rules-342035-ocprint-bill-defense.html

http://www.ibtimes.com/obama-ozone-rule-epa-make-it-harder-factories-power-plants-emit-smog-pollution-2121052?rel=latest1
 
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/29/3706306/ozone-rule-coming-soon
/ 
http://www.pressherald.com/2015/09/30/epa-issues-rules-to-reduce-oil-refinery-air-pollution/
 

HEALTH: Cancer risk from air toxins on the decline.  Analysis by
California air pollution experts finds dramatic drop in cancer
risk from emissions since 1990. Californians can breathe easier
these days thanks to significant progress in the battle against
air pollution, officials said. The latest good news came in a
study published this month by state air pollution regulators…
http://www.pe.com/articles/air-781905-diesel-cancer.html 

South Bay environmentalists praise new federal oil refinery
mandates. South Bay environmentalists and public health
advocates, who for years have fought for stronger government
regulation of the hazardous air pollutants released by the
region’s six oil refineries into neighboring communities, praised
new federal mandates signed into law Tuesday.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/environment-and-nature/20150929/south-bay-environmentalists-praise-new-federal-oil-refinery-mandates

https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2015/09/29/new-epa-rules-will-cut-refinery-emissions/


Michigan-based Guardian to spend $70M to cut pollution.
Michigan-based Guardian Industries Corp. on Monday agreed to
spend more than $70 million to reduce emissions from producing
glass for automobile windshields and office and home windows —
and will pay a fine of $300,000, federal regulators said. The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department
disclosed the settlement…
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2015/09/29/michigan-based-guardian-spend-cut-pollution/73034958/


Current smog limit inadequate to protect public health, EPA says.
The current federal limit on smog-forming pollution linked to
asthma and respiratory illness "is not adequate to protect the
public health," a top environmental regulator said Tuesday. Janet
McCabe, acting assistant administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, said a new, stricter standard is needed to cut
dangerous ozone pollution…
http://napavalleyregister.com/ap/washington/current-smog-limit-inadequate-to-protect-public-health-epa-says/article_a5d16925-35a5-5942-8f46-61d04ceb03b8.html


Lord Drayson launches pollution sensor powered by radio waves.
Businessman and Labour party donor’s FreeVolt project uses
ambient wireless and mobile network waves to power CleanSpace tag
for app designed for cyclists and pedestrians. Lord Drayson, the
millionaire businessman, Labour party donor and former science
minister, has released a pollution monitor that he hopes will
drive efforts to improve air quality around the world.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/sep/30/lord-drayson-launches-pollution-sensor-powered-by-radio-waves

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34401616 

Appeals court rules state air pollution plan for parks is
insufficient. The air pollution control plan Pennsylvania
submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 is
insufficient to protect national parks and wilderness areas from
regional haze, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2015/09/30/Appeals-court-rules-state-air-pollution-plan-for-parks-is-insufficient/stories/201509300203
 

Wide range of cars emit more pollution in realistic driving
tests, data shows. Diesel cars made by Renault, Nissan, Hyundai,
Citroen, Fiat and Volvo among others emitted far more NOx in more
rigorous tests, research shows. New diesel cars from Renault,
Nissan, Hyundai, Citroen, Fiat, Volvo and other manufacturers
have all been found to emit substantially higher levels of
pollution…
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/30/wide-range-of-cars-emit-more-pollution-in-real-driving-conditions-tests-show


CLIMATE CHANGE

BHP Tests Climate-Deal Scenario. World’s biggest miner says a
global agreement on climate-change action would merely slow
demand growth. BHP Billiton Ltd. , the world’s biggest miner,
says a global agreement on climate-change action would slow but
not stop demand growth for most of the commodities it produces.
Revealing projections for the first time as December’s Paris
Climate Conference nears…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/bhp-tests-climate-deal-scenario-1443524401


One of the World’s Most Powerful Central Bankers Is Worried About
Climate Change.  A new speech about climate change is fascinating
both for what it says and who said it. Mark Carney, the governor
of the Bank of England, declared that the warming climate
presented major risks for the global economy and global financial
stability…
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/upshot/one-of-the-worlds-most-powerful-central-bankers-is-worried-about-climate-change.html

http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060025569 

Can pledges to cut emissions save the world from climate change?
Many nations are pledging to curb greenhouse gas emissions, but
these plans may not be enough. Greenhouse gases may be the
culprit in the climate change dilemma, but will countries’
pledges to curb emissions solve the problem? The pledges have
been picking up, with more nations adding their commitments…
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0929/Can-pledges-to-cut-emissions-save-the-world-from-climate-change
 

IMO Argues Against Hard Emissions Cap on Shipping in Paris
Climate Deal. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is
urging world leaders to decide against the idea of an overall
emissions cap for the shipping industry ahead of global climate
deal talks to be held in Paris at the end of the year, the IMO
announced this week.
http://shipandbunker.com/news/world/821863-imo-argues-against-hard-emissions-cap-on-shipping-in-paris-climate-deal


Global Warming to Affect El Niño and La Niña. A research which
was recently published in Journal Science Advances has revealed
that global warming’s frequency may double and this can have
negative effects on El Niño and La Niña phenomena. They are
expected to become even stronger and more frequent. The National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describe El Niño
and La Niña as complex weather phenomena…
http://www.wallstreetotc.com/global-warming/220888/ 

Warming Ocean Could Make King Crabs Predators in Antarctic Marine
Ecosystems. King crabs may soon become high-level predators in
Antarctic marine ecosystems where they haven't played a role in
tens of millions of years, according to a new study led by
Florida Institute of Technology. "No Barrier to Emergence of
Bathyal King Crabs on the Antarctic Shelf," published online in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ties the
reappearance of these crabs to global warming.
http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22554 

France, U.K. increase their payments to climate aid. French
President François Hollande announced yesterday that his
government will increase climate change finance from €3 billion
to €5 billion ($3.3 billion to $5.62 billion) annually by 2020,
boosting chances of an accord in Paris in December but putting
the United States in an awkward position.
http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060025470 

Carbon-trading options -- and questions -- swirl in Ga. As
Georgia continues to consider using a market-based approach to
comply with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, it's clear that those
who would have to create such a market still have a lot of
questions.
The state already intends to ask for a two-year extension when it
files an initial plan on how it will meet EPA's carbon-reduction
goals…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025558 

DROUGHT

Water, 2015, California: The no-good, very bad year -- now, 'pray
for rain'. The year of the brown lawn and shortened showers
concludes Wednesday, with water officials citing bleak statistics
and expressing hope that the next few months will bring the heavy
rains California so desperately needs. “Water year” 2015 was hot,
dry and fiery, compounding the misery brought on by a fourth year
of drought.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-year-20150929-story.html


Poll: Californians Willing To Sacrifice In Drought. The Hoover
Institution’s Golden State Poll focused on how to address the
state's fourth year of drought. It found 54 percent of likely
voters back current water cuts. An even higher percentage would
support sharing groundwater or restricting its use.
http://www.capradio.org/58091 

Sacramento Area Water Districts Reducing Outdoor Water Days. The
173,000 customers of the Sacramento Surburban Water District,
from Carmichael to Antelope, are currently allowed to water two
days a week on an odd-even schedule.  Now, the district wants
customers to cut that to one day a week.  Under a California
state mandate, SSWD is required to reduce its water use by 32
percent from June through February 2016 compared to the same
period in 2013.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/29/sacramento-area-water-districts-reducing-outdoor-water-days/


Even in drought, CA water rights politically toxic. It was the
worst drought in California’s history. Reservoirs hit new lows as
a historically dry year was followed by the driest year ever
recorded. Forty-seven of the state’s 58 counties declared drought
emergencies, and officials urged Californians to flush their
toilets less and let their lawns go brown.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/09/30/even-drought-ca-water-rights-politically-toxic/73065384/

FUELS

Biodiesel can help slash U.S. carbon emissions – report.
Biodiesel can contribute significantly to U.S. carbon dioxide
reduction goals, according to a new analysis released by the
industry's main trade group. The report conducted by Bates White
Economic Consulting found that boosting biodiesel production
would represent nearly 20 percent of the transportation sector's
share of the United States' climate commitment by 2025.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025595 

Fossil fuel firms sponsor $20M prize to turn captured CO2 into
sellable products. A consortium of fossil energy producers
yesterday opened a new prize challenge for putting captured
carbon to work. The $20 million in awards administered by XPRIZE
will go to the team that can most profitably turn carbon dioxide
into something useful, whether that's polymers, concrete or
fuels.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025564 

VEHICLES

France to Run Emissions Tests on 100 Cars of All Makes. Cars to
be tested in real-world situations. France will test cars
belonging to individuals and rental agencies to see if their
emissions in real-world situations exceed legal limits, French
Environment Minister Ségolène Royal said Wednesday. The new
tests—part of an effort to find out whether techniques used by…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/france-to-run-emissions-tests-on-100-cars-of-all-makes-1443597905


Tesla pulls back curtain on its latest offering, the Model X.
Tesla Motors Inc. frontman Elon Musk unveiled the company's Model
X sport utility vehicle in California last night.The midsized
crossover and newest option in the electric automaker's lineup
has several new selling points -- a HEPA filter, blazing
acceleration, agile "falcon wing" doors, a low center of gravity
that reduces rollover risk…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025565 

VW RECALL

Volkswagen to refit cars affected by emissions scandal. 
Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) said on Tuesday it will repair up to 11
million vehicles and overhaul its namesake brand following the
scandal over its rigging of emissions tests. New Chief Executive
Matthias Mueller said the German carmaker would tell customers in
the coming days they would need to have diesel vehicles…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/30/us-volkswagen-emissions-plan-idUSKCN0RT0OL20150930


UPDATE 1-VW communications chief may resign on Wednesday –
sources. Volkswagen's communications chief may resign later on
Wednesday, sources told Reuters, following departed Chief
Executive Martin Winterkorn as Europe's largest automaker
grapples with the fallout of cheating diesel emissions tests.
Stephan Gruehsem, head of group communications, external…
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL5N1202U820150930


Despite Volkswagen Scandal, Europe’s Diesel Habit Could Be Hard
to Kick. A loyal Volkswagen owner for years, Jane Kelley was
“shocked,” she says, by recent revelations that the German
company had cheated on emissions tests in the United States. Snug
in Ms. Kelley’s garage in North London recently was a white 2013
Passat powered by a 2-liter diesel engine.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/business/international/volkswagen-diesel-europe.html


ENVIRONMENT: When VW cheated on emissions, it cheated on health.
Dozens of Californians may have died from pollution linked to the
automaker’s diesel vehicles, analyses suggest. Already,
Volkswagen Group is on the hook for what the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency says could be more than $18 billion in civil
penalties for violating the U.S. Clean Air Act with its emissions
scam.
http://www.pe.com/articles/health-781861-air-california.html 

The Latest: Nordic nations face up to VW scandal; Norway
considering action. The latest developments in the Volkswagen
emissions scandal. All times local. Norway says it's considering
action against Volkswagen over the emissions-rigging scandal,
with auto dealers in the Nordic region estimating that at least
500,000 cars could be affected.
http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/09/30/the-latest-czech-republic-has-148-000-vw-cars-to-be-fixed


VW braces for hit to business from emissions scandal. Financing
arm freezes hiring; engine factory cuts a shift; U.S. law firm
Jones Day to lead external probe. Volkswagen has imposed a hiring
freeze at its financing business and cut a shift at a German
engine factory as it braces for a hit to business from cheating
in diesel emissions tests.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20150930/OEM02/150939985/vw-braces-for-hit-to-business-from-emissions-scandal


GREEN ENERGY

Utilities battle for share of rooftops. The large, old-school
power companies want to keep your business, even if it's on your
roof. Solar power is still relatively small compared to
traditional power, but it increased more than 50 percent in 2014
and is gaining momentum.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025519 

OPINIONS

Climate 'Reparations' for Poor Nations? Not So Fast. There is
unprecedented momentum for a real international agreement at the
Paris climate talks in December: The U.S. is on track to make
significant cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions, China has announced
a cap-and-trade program and many others have made commitments of
their own. The biggest obstacle? Justice -- or at least two ideas
about justice.
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-09-29/climate-reparations-for-poor-nations-not-so-fast


Test Emissions Where Cars Pollute: On the Road. VOLKSWAGEN has
shown how easy and tempting it can be for car manufacturers to
rig the pollution controls on vehicles to cheat the system. We
shouldn’t have been surprised. Manufacturers of heavy-duty diesel
engines were caught doing the same thing in the 1990s. How do we
guard against this happening again?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/opinion/test-emissions-where-cars-pollute-on-the-road.html


China's change of heart on climate change.  Think of the irony,
if the push that finally makes the United States a world leader
in combating climate change comes from ... China. Of course,
President Xi Jinping would first have to follow through on the
promises made in his new carbon-cutting accord with President
Obama, which commits China to launching a cap-and-trade program
for…
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-adv-china-climate-20150930-story.html

 
Your food waste contributes to global warming. Southern
Californians, for decades now, have become quite used to
separating their curbside trash into recyclables, yard waste and
plain old garbage. Actually, there was just a short span in which
we weren’t used to it. Sam Yorty in 1961 successfully ran for
mayor of Los Angeles on a platform of “eliminating the
inconvenience of separating refuse.”
http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150929/your-food-waste-contributes-to-global-warming


PD Editorial: Free markets, emissions and China. The irony of
China’s climate plan is hard to miss. As journalist Elizabeth
Kolbert wrote for the New Yorker: “The leader of China —
nominally, at least, a Communist country — came to Washington and
announced that his government was adopting a market-based
approach to curbing carbon emissions.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/opinion/4548890-181/pd-editorial-free-markets-emissions


Millennials leading climate change movement: David Oxtoby.
Repairing the world is not a one-person job. To confront the
greatest environmental crisis of our time — climate change — we
need a movement. A groundswell of action, each person reaching
another, is what is required to galvanize political and business
leaders to move on behalf of our environment rather than moving
against it.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/opinion/20150929/millennials-leading-climate-change-movement-david-oxtoby
 
One of the biggest consequences of the Volkswagen diesel scandal.
Cheating is not a victimless crime. The recent revelations that
Volkswagen rigged in-vehicle software to defeat emissions tests
are but the latest example of efforts to evade regulations that
protect human health and the environment. In crimes against the
environment, it’s sometimes difficult to calculate who is
affected…
http://fortune.com/2015/09/30/volkswagen-diesel-scandal-consequences/


LA Chefs Editorial – methane and global warming. Domesticated
ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) in North American basically
replaced the corresponding wild ruminants (bison, elk, deer,
pronghorns, and moose). (1). So in regards to methane and a
reductionist point of view, if there still were the approximately
110 million wild ruminants (instead of the domesticated ones)… 
http://www.examiner.com/article/la-chefs-editorial-methane-and-global-warming


BLOGS

China Set to Achieve 2015 Climate Goals, Study Says. China is on
track to hit its short-term target for reducing carbon emissions,
newly released research shows, as slower economic growth proves a
boon for global efforts to control greenhouse gas. In a
newly-published paper, the World Resources Institute said an
analysis of unofficial data shows that by the end of 2014…
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/09/30/china-set-to-achieve-2015-climate-goals-study-says/




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