What's New List Serve Post Display
Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 8, 2015
Posted: 08 Oct 2015 16:11:18
ARB Newsclips for October 8, 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 Air district’s environmental standards face skeptical justices. State Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical Wednesday of the Bay Area air district’s environmental standards that would require developers of new projects to consider the harm residents and workers might suffer from local conditions, like air pollution from nearby freeways. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Air-district-s-environmental-standards-face-6557102.php CLIMATE CHANGE Coal Industry Seeks Unusual Partner in UN Green Climate Fund. With more than 2,000 new coal power stations planned or being built in Asia to Africa, the UN Green Climate Fund should help finance making the plants more efficient, according to Mick Buffier, the chairman of the World Coal Association. New coal technology can cut climate-warming… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVUCU0SYF01U01-414AQC6NSIKP0OPTN281HREJE2 Climate change hears a cattle call. Tom Steyer's crusade to force politicians to confront climate change is well known, manifesting itself in millions of dollars of campaign funding, including the windfall he raised for Hillary Rodham Clinton recently in his San Francisco home. Less well known is the billionaire's crusade to force farmers to confront it. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article38172414.html#storylink=cpy Activists promise largest climate civil disobedience ever at Paris summit. Thousands expected to take part in ‘red line’ blockades of Paris climate summit, after two weeks of colourful protests that have been dubbed ‘the Climate Games’ Thousands of climate change campaigners have promised to blockade a major UN climate summit… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/08/activists-promise-largest-climate-civil-disobedience-ever-at-paris-summit Exxon's Business Ambition Collided with Climate Change Under a Distant Sea. Throughout the 1980s, the company struggled to solve the carbon problem of one of the biggest gas fields in the world out of concern for climate impacts. In 1980, as Exxon Corp. set out to develop one of the world's largest deposits of natural gas, it found itself facing an unfamiliar risk: the project would emit… http://insideclimatenews.org/news/08102015/Exxons-Business-Ambition-Collided-with-Climate-Change-Under-a-Distant-Sea California enacts monumental climate change goals. Gov. Jerry Brown has set an ambitious goal of producing half of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030. California already has some of the toughest air quality standards in the world, but Gov. Jerry Brown still isn’t satisfied. On Wednesday, Mr. Brown committed the state to ambitious climate change goals… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/1008/California-enacts-monumental-climate-change-goals States seek answers on Clean Power Plan delay. Fourteen states seeking to challenge the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan in federal court are pushing U.S. EPA to release any internal communication explaining why the rule has not yet been published in the Federal Register. The states, led by West Virginia, filed a Freedom of Information Act request Tuesday, asking EPA to turn over emails… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026069 http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026068 Expert says algae cultivation will be needed as rising heat shrinks farmland. Algae may be tiny, but new research suggests the single-celled organisms could play an outsized role in slowing the rate of global warming over the rest of the 21st century. In fact, it is their small size, or rather their small land requirement that could make them an important tool to help mitigate climate change… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026053 Warm waters causing 3rd global coral bleaching event on record – NOAA. Corals around the world are undergoing stress and are in danger of dying in the third global coral bleaching event ever recorded, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Climate change and an ongoing El Niño have warmed the ocean significantly and caused the bleaching event, Mark Eakin… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026045 This year's climate change victim: pumpkins. Pumpkin lovers, it's time to stock up. Poor growing conditions and significantly lower-than-normal yields of processing pumpkins used for baking mean that the popular canned pumpkin brand, Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin, may be in short supply in the coming months -- just in time for the holiday season. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026048 DROUGHT The drought is so bad in one California town that restaurants can’t wash dishes. California has turned off its sprinklers, shortened its showers and let its gardens turn brown beneath a baking sun. But even that wasn’t enough to save the coastal city of Fort Bragg, where ocean water recently started leaking into municipal pipes. More drastic measures had to be taken. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/08/the-drought-is-so-bad-in-one-california-town-that-restaurants-cant-wash-dishes/ New forecast says El Niño could help Northern California, ease drought. Forecasters now say Northern California stands a decent chance of getting significant precipitation from this winter’s El Niño weather pattern, a development that could help ease the state’s four-year drought. In a revised forecast released Thursday, the National Weather Service said the outlook for precipitation has become “more favorable” http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article38191380.html#storylink=cpy DIESEL ACTIVITIES Virginia trucking firm fined $100,000 for violating California's diesel pollution rules. Virginia-based firm will pay a $100,000 fine and spend $285,000 on pollution-reduction programs for operating 73 trucks in California without diesel particulate filters, federal and state officials announced Thursday. The Environmental Protection Agency’s settlement with Estes Express Lines was the first federal enforcement action against a company for violating… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-california-diesel-truck-penalties-estes-20151008-story.html VEHICLES Infiniti Sees No Demand For Luxury Electric Cars Before 2020. The Renault Nissan Alliance has sold more electric cars globally than any other company, more than a quarter million as of June. But Nissan's Infiniti luxury division has not been a part of that volume--and now it appears it may not be for some time. Infiniti says it has the capability to launch an electric car… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100386_infiniti-sees-no-demand-for-luxury-electric-cars-before-2020 More Than 1,000 People Want 2016 Toyota Mirai Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles. Order books for the 2016 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell car have been open to California residents since July. Between then and now, Toyota says customer requests have exceeded the number of cars allotted to the U.S. for the first year of production.. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100377_more-than-1000-people-want-2016-toyota-mirai-hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicles 2016 VW Diesel Lineup Withdrawn: Jetta, Passat, Golf, Beetle TDI Models May Be Modified. Michael Horn, CEO of Volkswagen's U.S. arm, will testify today before Congress on the VW diesel-emission cheating scandal, including what he knew and when he knew it. His testimony, released yesterday, included a nugget of future product information: VW has withdrawn its application for certification of 2016 model-year Jetta… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100383_2016-vw-diesel-lineup-withdrawn-jetta-passat-golf-beetle-tdi-models-may-be-modified Toyota to unveil new fuel cell vehicle concept; focus on distributed generation as well as transportation. With its fuel cell Mirai already on sale, Toyota Motor is continuing to push the fuel cell envelope with the introduction of a new fuel cell concept at the upcoming Tokyo Moto Show at the end of this month. The new Toyota FCV Plus is a fuel cell concept that embodies Toyota’s vision of a hydrogen-based society. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151008-toyota.html VW RECALL German prosecutors raid Volkswagen offices. German prosecutors raided Volkswagen's headquarters and other offices on Thursday as part of their investigation into the carmaker's rigging of diesel emissions tests. Prosecutors from Braunschweig, close to the German company's home town of Wolfsburg, said they were targeting documents and data storage devices that might help with their inquiries. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/08/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0S217M20151008?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews VW Pulls Request to Certify 2016 Diesel Models. Auto maker’s U.S. CEO to testify at congressional hearing Thursday. Volkswagen AG conceded it won’t be able sell diesel-powered vehicles in the U.S. for a prolonged period, withdrawing a request for regulators to certify new models in the wake of an emissions-cheating scandal. http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-withdraws-request-to-certify-2016-model-year-vehicles-1444243809 VW’s U.S. Head to Tell Congress There’s No Repairs Schedule. “Volkswagen has betrayed a nation -- a nation of regulators, loyalists and innocent customers. It’s time to clean it up or get off the road” said Representative Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican, as a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee began Thursday. “VW will inevitably pay a steep price for its dirty little secret. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVVE1X6K50XT01-6M2PU6BS1FB7AVL2007FECSHE1 How Volkswagen Got Away With Diesel Deception. Volkswagen has admitted that 11 million of its diesel cars worldwide were equipped with software that was used to cheat on emissions tests. How Did the System Work? The software sensed when the car was being tested and then activated equipment that reduced emissions, United States officials said. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/business/international/vw-diesel-emissions-scandal-explained.html Story So Far What you need to know about the VW emissions scandal. Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal has shaken the auto industry on both sides of the Atlantic, displacing the company's chief executive and sparking investigations in the U.S. and Europe. The scheme was discovered by U.S. and California environmental regulators in 482,000 vehicles with VWs… http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-volkswagen-qa-html-20151007-htmlstory.html VW executive: Any fix for car owners could take year or more. Volkswagen's top U.S. executive apologized Thursday as the emissions-rigging scandal engulfing the world's largest automaker deepened and members of Congress said the company violated the public's trust. "On behalf of our company, my colleagues in Germany and myself, I would like to offer a sincere apology for Volkswagen's use … http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article38168607.html#storylink=cpy The Latest: VW is looking at compensating car owners. The latest on the congressional hearing on Volkswagen's emissions-rigging (all times local): 11:47 a.m. Volkswagen is looking at compensating owners of diesel-powered cars that have devices set up to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. U.S. CEO Michael Horn tells lawmakers that the company may pay customers for a loss in resale values because of the scandal. http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article38175054.html#storylink=cpy Volkswagen U.S. CEO: 3 suspended over emissions scandal. Volkswagen U.S. CEO Michael Horn on Thursday apologized for the company's emissions scandal in testimony before a Congressional committee, pledged to fix cars and said three people in Germany have been suspended. He said he believes the company's American workers did not know about the matter… http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2015/10/08/volkswagen-us-ceo-michael-horn-congress-testimony/73572476/ GREEN ENERGY U.K. Confirms Plan to End Onshore Wind Subsidy a Year Early. The U.K. government confirmed plans to end a subsidy program for onshore wind farms a year early, after finishing consultations on the issue. The Renewables Obligation will close for new projects on April 1, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVWDHZ6S972H01-0MOGGESLU6VEQ9J291AGMVAAUQ The U.S. needs a solar energy revolution. But it’s laying off solar energy researchers. On Monday, Oct. 5, Stuart Farrell had planned to take the morning off from his job as a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., after being awake all night taking care of his sick 2-year-old son. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/08/the-u-s-needs-a-solar-energy-revolution-so-why-did-federal-solar-researchers-just-lose-their-jobs/ State sets ambitious energy goals. Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new energy law Wednesday that sets California on a path to attack global warming on two fronts – by boosting renewable energy production and increasing energy efficiency. Brown and others wanted a third front – reducing oil consumption by half – but oil companies and others lobbied against that. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/energy-343408-ocprint-california-law.html California Wants Renewable Energy For Half Its Power By 2030. "What has been the source of our prosperity now becomes the source of our ultimate destruction, if we don't get off it" Gov. Jerry Brown dramatically increased California’s climate-change goals, committing the state to use renewable energy for half its electricity and make existing buildings twice as energy-efficient in just 15 years. http://time.com/4065940/californi-renewable-energy-power-2030/?xid=homepage http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/california-wants-renewable-energy-for-half-its-power-by-2030/ Renewables soon could knock the wind out of natural gas. Energy industry experts here predict that the growth of renewable energy will challenge natural gas in the years to come, based purely on the economics. Reporting relative ease with garnering long-term renewable power contracts with electricity distributors, renewables investors were beaming with optimism at the annual South by Southwest Eco conference… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026041 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Lumber Liquidators to Pay $13.2 Million to Resolve Complaints. Some timber harvested illegally, among other violation. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. has agreed to plead guilty and pay a combined $13.2 million for importing illegally harvested timber from such areas as forests in far eastern Russia and other compliance issues. Shares of the company, down 78% this year, rose 12% in after-hours trading to $16.29. http://www.wsj.com/articles/lumber-liquidators-to-pay-13-2-million-to-resolve-complaints-1444255244 OPINIONS Down on Diesel? The 2016 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid Is a Greener Pasture. The plug-in hybrid version of the ubiquitous fancy SUV is there to make you feel good about yourself—at a price. Last Saturday I went downtown with Moti Ankari, the impeccably dressed, devastatingly young Bloomberg market editor with 116,000 Instagram followers and many beautiful leather man bags. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-08/down-on-diesel-the-2016-porsche-cayenne-s-e-hybrid-is-a-greener-pasture Don’t give free ride to geothermal energy. California’s landmark legislation calling for 50 percent renewable energy by 2030 is helping the state grapple with clean energy needs in the face of climate change and population growth. Geothermal energy – using heated water and steam from deep below the earth’s surface to produce electricity – is a viable source of clean energy from the north state… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article38111055.html#storylink=cpy California's Drought Is About Economic Inequality. Racial disparities and political dysfunction are at the heart of the state's water crisis. Bulmario Tapia Madrigal doesn't want to shower in a stream of dirt. He doesn't want to cook with bottled water, haul a bucketful to flush the toilet, or wonder if he has enough water to clean the diabetes wounds on his feet. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/10/san-joaquin-valley-communities-no-running-water-drought BLOGS Americans haven’t been doing what they said were doing with their fuel savings. Gasoline prices began to plunge a year ago. They rebounded a bit this spring, and then they fell again. American drivers haven't enjoyed prices this low, for this long, in at least five years. By most economic thinking, that should be a big boost to the economy… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/08/americans-havent-been-doing-what-they-said-were-doing-with-their-fuel-savings/ Hydrogen: Power for the present and the future. Today, Oct. 8, the United States celebrates National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day to acknowledge the significant and important contributions hydrogen makes to our nation’s economy and environment, and to recognize its potential for the future. As it receives its day in the spotlight, all Americans, both policymakers and private citizens… http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/256232-hydrogen-power-for-the-present-and-the-future Nations Most Threatened By Climate Change Form 'Vulnerable 20' Group. Twenty of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, from the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, will form a new group on Thursday to press for tougher action to curb warming. Draft documents for a meeting of finance ministers in Lima… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nations-most-threatened-by-climate-change-form-vulnerable-20-group_5616656be4b0082030a136f8 Candle Soot May Be The Key To A Better Battery For Electric Cars. The discovery could also help us fight pollution and global warning. It sounds like something that Harry Potter might have bought himself as a reward for defeating the most powerful dark wizard who ever lived -- a car powered by candles. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/candle-soot-electric-cars_5615892ce4b0fad1591aac14 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.