What's New List Serve Post Display
Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 20, 2015.
Posted: 20 Oct 2015 12:20:08
ARB Newsclips for October 20, 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 Singapore Set to Suffer Indonesia's Defaults as Well as Its Smog. Singapore’s bond market is bracing for the latest unfortunate export from Indonesia: debt defaults. The city state, shrouded in smog from fires in its neighbor, is also starting to feel the impact of that nation’s currency woes. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-19/singapore-set-to-suffer-indonesia-s-defaults-as-well-as-its-smog White House Emphasizes Companies’ Commitment to Cutting Emissions. The Obama administration announced Monday that 81 major companies have committed to large reductions in carbon emissions, part of a broad push by the White House to show progress ahead of international climate talks in Paris this year. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/us/politics/obama-carbon-emissions-climate-nike-mcdonalds-procter-gamble.html?_r=0 Desert solar power plant has a pollution problem. A solar power plant at the center of the Obama administration’s push to reduce America’s carbon footprint by using millions of taxpayer dollars to promote green energy has its own carbon pollution problem. The Ivanpah plant in the Mojave Desert uses natural gas as a supplementary fuel. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/plant-688230-gas-energy.html Using Fenceline Monitoring to Track Fugitive Emissions. Fenceline monitoring is making it easier to track fugitive emissions — undetected air pollution leaks from pipes, seals and other areas at industrial facilities, according to an article in the EPA’s Science Matters newsletter. Last month the agency updated air pollution standards with a rule requiring first-of-its-kind fenceline monitoring to control emissions from refineries. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/10/20/using-fenceline-monitoring-to-track-fugitive-emissions/#ixzz3p7bKUS8l CicLAvia improves air quality in LA neighborhoods, study finds. Thousands of people biked, skated and walked the streets in and around downtown Los Angeles Sunday, breathing in the fresh air — at least, fresher air. In a study released Monday, researchers at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health said events like CicLAvia — in which residents are encouraged to ditch their cars and use alternative forms of transportation… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/10/19/55084/ciclavia-improves-air-quality-in-neighborhoods-stu/ Human body acts as ‘big sponges’ by absorbing air pollutants directly through skin, say scientists. A new study reveals that the human body absorbs harmful pollutants in the air through the skin, equivalent to the levels absorbed through breathing. The absorption through the skin, called “dermal uptake,” has been found to potentially cause asthma and cancer due to prolonged period of exposure. http://www.ibtimes.com.au/human-body-acts-big-sponges-absorbing-air-pollutants-directly-through-skin-say-scientists-1476249 Greens decry ozone limit as easier lift than Bush-era reg. Key green allies are delivering a scathing critique about the new ozone standard finalized by the Obama administration earlier this month: President Obama is letting industry off easy compared to the Bush administration. Green groups contend that fewer counties are likely to be named out of compliance under U.S. EPA's final standard than… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060026526 CLIMATE CHANGE Obama Huddling With CEOs to Shore Up Support on Climate. President Barack Obama is bringing executives from five Fortune 500 companies to the White House on Monday in a bid to shore up business support for combating climate change. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-16/obama-huddling-with-ceos-to-shore-up-business-help-on-climate Beefed-up climate deal draft forms basis for UN talks. Governments have begun negotiating on an updated draft of a global climate change deal that was released on Tuesday morning at the latest round of U.N. talks in Bonn, amid relief new additions had not seen the text balloon. Developing countries voiced anger at the beginning of the talks on Monday that a slimmed-down 20-page version of the text… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12K2F220151020 Dalai Lama: Combating Climate Change a Matter of ‘Survival of Humanity’. Spiritual leader calls for protection of the Tibetan plateau in particular. The Dalai Lama said on Tuesday that action against climate change was a question of “the survival of humanity,” echoing recent statements by Pope Francis on the need to combat global warming. http://www.wsj.com/articles/dalai-lama-combating-climate-change-a-matter-of-survival-of-humanity-1445358872 http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/10/20/tibet-climatechange-idINL3N12K2H420151020 A Case Study of Climate Change vs. Human Activity. Human activity has had at least as much effect as climate change on the survival of animals on the Bahamian island of Abaco, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at 10,000-year-old fossils found in an underwater cave on Abaco. They compared them with fossils from the island that date to 1,000 to 3,000 years ago, along with data from current vertebrate populations. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/science/a-case-study-of-climate-change-vs-human-activity.html Europe's greenhouse gas emissions fall to record low. Member states report a 23% drop since 1990, but the pace is slowing and several countries have missed renewable and energy efficiency targets. Greenhouse gas emissions in Europe have plunged to the lowest level ever recorded after the EU’s member states reported an estimated 23% drop in emissions between 1990 and 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/20/europes-greenhouse-gas-emissions-fall-to-record-low Are humans a bigger threat than climate change? A study of fossils and bones in a Bahamian sinkhole revealed that, of the species no longer alive today, 56 percent made it through a dramatic global warming, only to be killed off by humans. Seventy-five percent of Americans believe that global warming is a “very” or “somewhat” serious problem, even if they continue to debate whether human activity is to blame. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1020/Are-humans-a-bigger-threat-than-climate-change Obama recruits 68 companies to support economic impacts of new climate accord. Nearly 70 companies announced plans to cut carbon output yesterday as part of a White House campaign to enlist American businesses in its effort to strike a global deal on climate change and to challenge attacks that describe warming policies as economically harmful. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060026585 DROUGHT Drought takes toll on 'agritourism' farms that once thrived on Halloween crowds. Bob Lombardi, 70, went ahead and planted two acres of baby bear pumpkins in a corner of his shut-down ranch this year, just to say he had farmed for 50 years. He hoed them every day by hand, too, the way he and his wife, Joann, did in the beginning, when they had youth, hope and water. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pumpkins-drought-20151017-story.html Monarchs Get Help From Unlikely Source: California's Drought. The struggling monarch butterfly is getting help from an unlikely source: the California drought. Californians have been ripping up their lawns in record numbers and many are planting native, drought-tolerant plants instead -- including milkweed species native to California that can thrive in arid conditions. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/20/monarchs-get-help-from-unlikely-source-californias-drought/ FUELS New Corn Ethanol Study Finds Renewable Fuel Standard “Created More Problems Than Solutions”. A ten-year review of the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by researchers at the University of Tennessee (UT) found that the RFS is “too reliant” on corn ethanol, and the production of this biofuel is resulting in additional water and soil problems, as well as “hampering advancements” in other biofuels. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/10/19/new-corn-ethanol-study-finds-renewable-fuel-standard-created-more-problems-than-solutions/ Obama administration closes off two avenues for new Arctic drilling. The Obama administration moved on several fronts Friday to block new oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean, weeks after Shell said it would be walking away from the area “for the foreseeable future.” The Interior Department announced it was canceling government auctions of drilling rights in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas… http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/10/16/obama-administration-closes-off-two-avenues-for-new-arctic-drilling/ VEHICLES Consumer Reports Pulls Its Recommendation on the Tesla Model S. Consumer Reports pulled its recommendation to purchase the Tesla Model S after owners of the luxury electric car reported a long list of reliability issues to the magazine. Tesla shares plunged 9% following the announcement, made in Detroit at an Automotive Press Association meeting. http://www.wsj.com/articles/consumer-reports-pulls-its-recommendation-on-the-tesla-model-s-1445363667?mod=e2tw GM partners with LG companies to develop Chevy Bolt EV. General Motors Co. said Tuesday that it created a partnership with LG Corp. to develop the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt EV, combining expertise from the automaker and supplier to engineer several components for the vehicle that goes into production next year. The Detroit-based automaker called its relationship with LG “unprecedented.” http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2015/10/20/gm-partners-lg-companies-develop-chevy-bolt-ev/74263840/ Even In 2007, As VW Designed Dirty Diesels, It Said Electric Cars Were The Future. Many journalists tend to have pack-rat tendencies, but sorting out old press kits, files, and magazines can have unexpected rewards. So it was for auto writer John Rettie, who recently uncovered an interesting tidbit in an issue of Driver… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100539_even-in-2007-as-vw-designed-dirty-diesels-it-said-electric-cars-were-the-future 2016 Scion iA Review, Honda Solar Charging, VW On Electric Cars: Today's Car News. Today, we drive the 2016 Scion iA subcompact sedan, Honda tests solar-powered electric-car charging in the Marshall Islands, and some digging reveals that Volkswagen thought electric cars were the future, back in 2007. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100548_2016-scion-ia-review-honda-solar-charging-vw-on-electric-cars-todays-car-news HIGH-SPEED RAIL Banks May Balk at Financing $68 Billion California Bullet Train. California is counting on private companies to kick in as much as $35.5 billion toward the most expensive public-works project in U.S. history, a proposed high-speed rail line linking San Francisco with Los Angeles. Banks and other contractors who’ve studied the plan say not so fast. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-19/banks-may-balk-at-financing-68-billion-california-bullet-train VW RECALL Volkswagen Suspends Quality-Control Chief. Frank Tuch is the fifth senior executive to be put on leave in connection with an emissions cheating scandal. Volkswagen AG recently suspended its chief quality-control official, Frank Tuch, the fifth senior executive to be put on leave in connection with an emissions cheating scandal, according to a person close to the company. http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-suspends-quality-control-chief-1445345666 http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/10/20/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-investigation-suspension/74262268/ States probe VW over emissions, look for settlement money. An expanding investigation into Volkswagen's emissions-cheating scandal launched by state attorneys general could last years and will likely end in a negotiated settlement. Forty-five states and D.C. have joined the review, investigating how VW was able to game emissions tests to hide that its "Clean Diesel" cars emitted smog-causing exhaust up to 40 times dirtier than the law allows. http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/States-probe-VW-over-emissions-look-for-6578765.php Two-thirds of Germans still trust Volkswagen after emissions scandal. Polls shows 65% of respondents think the scandal has been exaggerated, and 63% expect it to be forgotten in a year. Two-thirds of Germans say they still trust Volkswagen despite the emissions rigging scandal that has engulfed the carmaker, according to a survey. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/20/two-thirds-of-germans-still-trust-volkswagen-after-emissions-scandal GREEN ENERGY Power line opponents give renewables their Keystone moment. Dave Ulery was set to build his "forever home" on his family's 26-acre property near the Ozark mountain foothills in Arkansas when a knock on the door heralded trouble. The visitor represented Clean Line Energy Partners LLC, a Texas company established to build transmission lines for carrying wind and solar power. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/20/us-usa-climatechange-renewables-insight-idUSKCN0SE0BL20151020 Google’s newest renewable energy investment: Africa’s biggest wind farm. Google has made a reputation for itself in recent years as a major investor in renewable energy. And this morning, the company announced its newest investment: a wind power project in Kenya that, when completed, will be the continent’s biggest wind farm. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/20/googles-newest-renewable-energy-investment-africas-biggest-wind-farm/ Energy minister 'open-minded' about UK solar subsidy cuts. Energy minister Andrea Leadsom has told MPs she remains “open-minded” about plans to slash subsidies for solar power in order to protect consumer bills, but told MPs on Tuesday that “very expensive” nuclear power stations were nonetheless “affordable for customers”. Leadsom was questioned by MPs on the energy and climate change (ECC)… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/20/energy-minister-open-minded-about-uk-solar-subsidy-cuts Rubio targets environmental regs in energy plan. Sen. Marco Rubio wants to overhaul and limit the way that environmental regulations are written and give states more control over energy. The Republican senator from Florida and presidential hopeful largely targets environmental restrictions favored by the Obama administration and Democrats in his energy plan released Friday. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/257168-rubio-targets-environmental-regs-in-energy-plan Renewable Energy Cuts Wholesale Cost Of Energy. A new report has concluded that renewable energy is cutting the wholesale price of energy as well as decreasing the impact of subsidies on bill payers. Specifically, wind and solar generators reduced the wholesale cost of electricity by £1.55 billion in the UK in 2014. In net terms, the cost of supporting wind and solar generation technology in 2014 was only £1.12 billion… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/10/20/renewable-energy-cuts-wholesale-cost-energy/ A renewable energy success story above the Arctic Circle. An autumn rainstorm was moving across the Kotzebue Sound in late September as Matt Bergan stopped by the power plant to check how much renewable electricity was flowing into this northeastern coastal community. Four miles outside town, 19 wind turbines were spinning steadily in the breeze… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060026559 OPINIONS Will the Brown Administration’s War on Climate Change Doom the State’s Logistics Industry? California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. has long had a tortuous relationship with state transportation policy. The latest episode, involving his administration’s proposals to sharply reduce the harmful air emissions associated with the movement of goods is no exception. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/10/will-the-brown-administrations-war-on-climate-change-doom-the-states-logistics-industry/ California’s Diesel Rule Scam. The state imposes a rule based on phony science on all U.S. truckers. The Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board (CARB) are riding high after exposing Volkswagen’s emission scam. But the self-proclaimed guardians are running their own regulatory racket. See their shakedown of Virginia-based trucker Estes Express Lines. http://www.wsj.com/articles/californias-diesel-rule-scam-1445212223 Water desalination is here. But is it sustainable? In a very dry state, turning to the sea as a source of water for drinking, bathing and irrigation has its attractions. Desalination is drought-proof — the ocean is one pond we can’t empty so quickly. It’s more expensive, but the cost is relatively stable, and as technology makes the process more efficient, those costs have been trending downward. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/livable-city/la-ol-desalination-20151019-story.html Climate change isn't the cause of California's wildfires, but it's still a major threat. To the editor: It's correct to call out Gov. Jerry Brown for invoking climate change to explain this year's wildfires if the science is not there to back it up. ("Gov. Brown's link between climate change and wildfires is unsupported, fire experts say," Oct. 18) On the other hand, there's nothing in his faux pas… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1020-tuesday-fires-climate-change-201501020-story.html Valley Voice: Don't fall for CV Link's flowery promises. The Oct. 4 Valley Voice, "CV Link would be a boon for the valley," by Sabby Jonathan is disingenuous at best. It is a boondoggle! First, equating year-round athletic training with the YMCA's one day health event is ridiculous. I worked extensively with our biking and hiking communities (the "bump and grind" trail, for example)… http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/2015/10/20/valley-voice-dont-fall-cv-links-flowery-promises/74271822/ Solar power in crisis: 'My panels generate enough power for two loads of washing' Endless energy from the sun looked like a long-term solution for running our homes. But now the state has pulled the plug on the subsidies that made panels affordable for many. What happens now? Sit back, relax, and read this story with an untroubled conscience: it has been created on a laptop and mobile phone powered entirely by the rays of the sun. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/20/solar-power-in-crisis-panels-generate-power-government-subsidy Solar Power Expansion Could Pose Ecological Risks. Scientists are concerned about threats to biological diversity. Solar power development is big business in sunny California, fueled by low solar panel prices and the drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to tackle climate change. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/solar-power-expansion-could-pose-ecological-risks/ BLOGS As Lightning Deaths Surge in India, Some Blame Global Warming. Villagers squeezed into a tiny community hall in August to ask visiting scientists to help fight a killer stalking their families. Four people in this hamlet of 1,100 have been killed by lightning strikes this year, in what locals say is a steadily worsening toll of injuries and deaths. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/10/20/as-lightning-deaths-surge-in-india-some-blame-global-warming/ Europe Already Beat Its 2020 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target. It's a "strong signal" that "Europe stands by its commitments and that our climate and energy policies work," EU Climate Commissioner said. The European Union, the world's No. 3 greenhouse gas polluter, says its emissions fell 4 percent last year, meaning the 28-nation bloc has already surpassed its target for 2020. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/europe-already-beat-its-2020-greenhouse-gas-emissions-target_56263c5ee4b0bce347021b8b Is Your Car Affected By The Volkswagen Diesel Scandal? Check Your VIN. We're one month into the Dieselgate fiasco, and there's no relief in sight for Volkswagen owners. In fact, as more of the automaker's offices are raided and plundered by investigators, we wouldn't be surprised to see new and unpleasant revelations come to light. http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1100545_is-your-car-affected-by-the-volkswagen-diesel-scandal-check-your-vin California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.