What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for October 2, 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

California regulator says new claims could double Exide
penalties.  A California air pollution regulator is pressing the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware to allow it to bring revised
claims in a suit in state court that could boost penalties for
battery maker Exide Technologies to at least $80 million. The
South Coast Air Quality Management District and Exide have been
sparring for months…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/bankruptcy-exide-idUSL1N1220J720151002

New Limit for Smog-Causing Emissions Isn’t as Strict as Many Had
Expected. The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a major
new regulation on smog-causing emissions that spew from
smokestacks and tailpipes, significantly tightening the current
Bush-era standards but falling short of more stringent
regulations that public health advocates and environmentalists
had urged.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/us/politics/epa-to-unveil-new-limit-for-smog-causing-ozone-emissions.html


New federal EPA smog standard angers both sides of the issue. The
U.S Environmental Protection Agency adopted a stricter smog limit
Thursday that will force states to reduce emissions over the next
decade, improving respiratory health for millions of people
through pollution controls that will cost industry billions of
dollars. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy issued a new standard…
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-epa-adopts-stricter-smog-standard-but-disappoints-environmentalists-20151001-story.html


Port of Los Angeles emissions show dramatic drops in most recent
survey. The Port of Los Angeles has set new records for reducing
harmful emissions from port-related activity, with diesel
particulates down an unprecedented 85 percent in the past 10
years and sulfur oxides bordering on total elimination. The
latest pollution-reduction figures, contained in a report
released Thursday…
http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151001/port-of-los-angeles-emissions-show-dramatic-drops-in-most-recent-survey


CLIMATE CHANGE

India vows to cut carbon intensity in Paris pledge.  As the last
major economy to submit a target for a global climate pact, India
is pledging to reduce the intensity of its carbon emissions and
boost the share of electricity produced from sources other than
fossil fuels to 40 percent by 2030. The world's third-largest
carbon polluter filed its climate action plan to the
Germany-based U.N. climate secretariat 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_INDIA_CLIMATE_TARGET?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/climatechange-summit-india-emission-idUSKCN0RW05C20151002?virtualBrandChannel=11563

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-10-02/india-pledges-clean-energy-push-in-un-plan

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-02/india-seeks-2-5-trillion-to-curb-fossil-fuel-pollution-by-2030
 
http://www.wsj.com/articles/indias-modi-expresses-support-for-climate-change-agreement-1443460252
 
http://www.wsj.com/articles/india-pledges-to-cut-emissions-intensity-to-help-fight-climate-change-1443752106
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/world/asia/india-announces-plan-to-lower-rate-of-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html?_r=0


Philippines aims to cut carbon by 70 percent by 2030, if it gets
help. The Philippines aims to cut its carbon emissions by 70
percent by 2030 but only if it gets financial and technical help
to meet that target at international climate change talks this
year, a presidential aide said on Friday. Countries have
submitted plans to limit greenhouse gases this week, in advance
of a summit in Paris…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/us-climatechange-summit-philippines-idUSKCN0RW0KN20151002

Govts must cooperate more in water 'hotspots' to prevent
conflict-UN University. Governments in water 'hotspots' need to
scale up cooperation over shared water resources to avoid
'drastic' consequences such as international conflicts, the
United Nations University (UNU) said on Friday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/global-water-cooperation-idUSL5N11Z2D920151002


51 countries just released their climate plans — and they’re
still not enough. When it comes to slowing climate change, it
takes more than a village. On Wednesday and Thursday, 51
countries filed their climate action plans with the United
Nations, a key step toward reaching an international accord at
the Paris climate summit in December.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/02/51-countries-just-released-their-climate-plans-and-theyre-still-not-enough/


9 things we learned from national climate pledges. Almost 150
countries covering 90% of world carbon pollution submit timely
plans to UN in unprecedented global exercise. final whistle blew
at midnight in Bonn on Thursday as UN officials set down to tot
up a torrent of national plans, or “intended nationally
determined contributions” (INDCs) in climate lingo.
http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/10/02/9-things-we-learned-from-national-climate-pledges/


DROUGHT

Drought Woes in California Town Highlight Thirsty Poultry
Industry. Residents of Livingston, California have sharply
reduced their water usage during the state’s severe drought, now
in its fourth year. But this summer, when state officials ranked
how water suppliers had done meeting mandated conservation goals,
the blue-collar town of 13,800 came in dead last.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/02/business/02reuters-usa-drought-fosterfarms-insight.html


Looking At Year 5 Of Drought In California. The U.S. Drought
Monitor shows no changes in the drought across California or
throughout the Western U.S. for the period ending Tuesday,
September 29. But the report released October 1 says any rain
falling after Tuesday morning (Sept. 29) will be incorporated
into next week’s U.S. Drought Monitor. "Across California and the
Great Basin, drought remained unchanged…
http://www.capradio.org/58180 

DIESEL ACTIVITIES

California ARB announces $24M grant solicitation for
zero-emission truck and bus pilot commercial deployment projects.
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced a grant
solicitation for Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Pilot Commercial
Deployment Projects. Up to $23,658,000 is available for this
project from FY 2014-15 funds. Up to an additional $60,000,000
may be available for projects under this solicitation from future
funds appropriated by the California legislature on or before 30
June 2016.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151002-arbzet.html 

FUELS

U.S. fines Exxon $2.63 million for Arkansas oil pipeline leak.
The U.S. pipeline safety office has fined Exxon Mobil Corp $2.63
million for spilling crude oil in an Arkansas residential area in
2013, the regulator said on Thursday. The Illinois-to-Texas, 20
inch (51 cm), Pegasus pipeline spilled about 3,190 barrels of oil
in a neighborhood near the town of Mayflower.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/01/us-usa-exxon-mobil-pipeline-idUSKCN0RV5NP20151001?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/02/us/ap-us-pollution-trial.html
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article37303071.html   

VEHICLES

Student-built solar motorbikes hit the road in Kenya. Motorcycle
taxi operators waiting for passengers in this village in western
Kenya's Kisumu County lounge on their various machines – but
Alfred Omondi's plug-in electric scooter stands out from the
crowd. Surrounded by motorbikes running on polluting fossil
fuels, Omondi sits astride his solar-powered rechargeable
motorcycle…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/us-kenya-solar-motorbikes-idUSKCN0RW11N20151002

Why Car Insurance Costs More for Electric Vehicles. Electric cars
require less service than their gas counterparts, but insurance
rates are still higher. When you buy an electric car, you’re
showing fuel costs the door. But you might be letting in an
unexpected guest: higher auto insurance rates. NerdWallet
researched insurance premiums for gas and electric versions of
the same cars…
http://time.com/money/4058630/electric-car-insurance/?xid=homepage

 
VW RECALL

UPDATE 2-VW starts telling customers if affected by emissions
scandal. Two weeks after it admitted to cheating diesel emissions
tests, Volkswagen provided the first information on Friday
allowing customers to find out if their vehicles are affected.
The German carmaker, which has said it will have to refit up to
11 million cars and vans containing illegal software…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/volkswagen-emissions-idUSL5N1222ID20151002?feedType=RSS&feedName=marketsNews


Town That VW Built Views Future With Caution. Residents of
Wolfsburg, Germany, begin belt-tightening over diesel-emissions
scandal. In the hometown of Volkswagen AG , residents are bracing
for a bumpy ride. Wolfsburg grew around a 1938 factory created as
part of Adolf Hitler’s plan to mass-produce his “people’s car”.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/town-that-vw-built-views-future-with-caution-1443797584

U.S. States Jumping Into Investigation of VW Emissions Deception.
 A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from at least 30
states and the District of Columbia has joined a fast-moving
investigation into the possibilities of consumer fraud and
environmental violations by the German automaker Volkswagen.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/03/business/us-states-jumping-into-investigation-of-vw-emissions-deception.html?_r=0


VW Rivals Risk Bigger Blow as Emissions Scandal Hits Diesel.
Volkswagen's cheating on emissions tests has soured the European
car industry's heavy bet on diesel, with Renault, Peugeot and
Fiat Chrysler potentially facing bigger long-term setbacks than
the company that sparked the crisis.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/02/business/02reuters-volkswagen-emissions-industry-insight.html


Problems With VW Engines Will Not Affect Russia: Russia Head.
Problems with emissions from Volkswagen diesel engines will not
affect Russia, the German carmaker's head of Russian operations
said on Friday. "I'm not expecting any problems in Russia," said
Marcus Osegowitsch, general director of Volkswagen's Russian
unit.
Russia said earlier this week it was yet to find any problems…
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/02/business/02reuters-volkswagen-emissions-russia.html


VW scandal widens as France and Italy launch deception inquiries.
BMW, Chrysler, GM, Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz diesel models
also being investigated by US Environmental Protection Agency.
The Volkswagen emissions-testing scandal is deepening, with
authorities in France and Italy launching investigations into the
embattled German carmaker.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/02/vw-scandal-french-authorities-launch-deception-inquiry


GREEN ENERGY

Clean energy growth is ‘off track’ to avert climate change, says
energy agency. First the good news: In a new report on the near
term future of the global renewable energy industry, the
International Energy Agency is projecting impressive growth.
Renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydropower should
constitute nearly two-thirds of new net power capacity…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/02/why-the-world-could-be-shifting-to-clean-energy-a-lot-faster/


SolarCity makes more efficient panels for life after tax credits.
SolarCity Corp. announced a new solar panel today that, it
claims, prepares it for a world of lower tax credits. The San
Mateo, Calif.-based firm said it has built "the world's most
efficient rooftop solar panel," with an efficiency of more than
22 percent. That compares with the 21.5 percent advertised by
SunPower Corp.'s high-efficiency unit…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/02/stories/1060025737 

U.S. offshore wind industry feels momentum building as steel hits
the water. Backers of the U.S. offshore wind industry are hoping
to build on recent momentum to crack the major financial and
regulatory roadblocks that still remain before they can catch up
with their thriving European counterparts. The image of a steel
foundation being lowered into the ocean off the coast of Rhode
Island this summer has become a sign of hope for the industry.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/02/stories/1060025746 

OPINIONS

Ways to Combat Global Warming. Re “Progress Seen on Warming, With
a Caveat” (front page, Sept. 28): With the world’s countries
heading kicking and screaming into a climate meeting in Paris in
December, and China announcing a woefully complex cap-and-trade
scheme, we should be talking about carbon fees, which are as
painless as they are effective.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/opinion/ways-to-combat-global-warming.html
 

California’s huge solar projects causing energy poverty: Thomas
Elias. When ex-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Interior
Secretary Ken Salazar made their way onto a hot, dry alkali flat
just west of the 15 Freeway between Barstow and Las Vegas in late
2010, all anyone knew for sure was that they were opening an era
of giantism in solar electricity in California.
http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20151002/californias-huge-solar-projects-causing-energy-poverty-thomas-elias


Adapting to a Hotter World. We must prioritize adaptation efforts
– not just mitigation plans – to handle global climate change. As
countries gear up for the 2015 United Nations Climate Change
Conference – which comes on the heels of President Obama's Clean
Power Plan announcement, aiming to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions from U.S. power plants…
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2015/10/02/the-vital-element-missing-from-the-climate-change-debate


Californians need some attitudinal changes on drought: Guest
commentary. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that, in this land of
tanning beds and liposuction, Californians expect more in the way
of instant gratification — a deluge of winter rain to ease the
Golden State’s four-year drought. That is, if El Niño arrives and
is as formidable as forecasted.
http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20151001/californians-need-some-attitudinal-changes-on-drought-guest-commentary


BLOGS

Why ‘science’ alone isn’t enough for setting environmental
policy. The Environmental Protection Agency announced new,
stiffer smog rules on Thursday that will reduce the allowable
level of ozone in the air. Business leaders and state officials
point out that many regions of the country still cannot meet
federal standards set in 2008, or even back in 1997.
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/10/02/why-science-alone-isnt-enough-for-setting-environmental-policy/


David Lazarus: Duped VW owners wonder what their next move should
be. Paul Mason works for Pacific Forest Trust, a San Francisco
nonprofit group focusing on environmental protection. He is, by
his own admission, a tree-hugging kind of guy. That’s why Mason
purchased a Volkswagen Golf TDI five years ago.
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/article37339596.html#storylink=cpy


The Fire Next Time: The Precious Opportunity of Climate Change.
We are in the process of burning ourselves and many of the beings
on Earth right out of existence. Overwhelming. Unbelievable.
Wildly inconvenient. Weirdly difficult to take in. But true. We
are. The fire, too slowly for our senses to note, warms and warms
and warms some more. We could lower the flame, but we don't.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/davidgoldstein/the-fire-next-time-the-pr_b_8222716.html


Stanford poll shows Californians ready for drought ‘sacrifice’.
When it comes to California’s longstanding drought, citizens are
ready for action – both of the policy as well as the personal
kind. On Sept. 29, Stanford’s Hoover Institution released a new
survey revealing deep concern within the Golden State’s
electorate about California’s historic drought. Ideology and
regional affiliations did not matter on most issues.
http://news.stanford.edu/thedish/2015/10/02/stanford-poll-shows-californians-ready-for-drought-sacrifice/




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