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ALISO CANYON

Energy secretary says California gas leak a symptom of age. A
major gas leak near Los Angeles has brought attention to the
nation's aging energy infrastructure and points to a need for new
gas storage regulations, the U.S. energy secretary said Tuesday.
Secretary Ernest Moniz visited the site of the Southern
California Gas Co. well blowout to learn lessons to help frame a
multiagency approach to improving safety at energy facilities
nationwide.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/APFN_US_CALIFORNIA_GAS_LEAK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


California agencies set safety air standards for Porter Ranch as
residents return home. Two agencies that have been monitoring air
quality in Porter Ranch released a set of standards Tuesday to
determine whether air contaminants in the area have returned to
levels prior to the natural gas leak from nearby Aliso Canyon.
The standards, set by the South Coast Air Quality Management
District and…
http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20160216/california-agencies-set-safety-air-standards-for-porter-ranch-as-residents-return-home


Calif. gas leak seen as litigation gusher rivaling BP spill. 
With the plugging of a months long methane leak at a natural gas
well in Los Angeles last week, lawyers have turned their
attention to litigation stemming from the environmental debacle.

They are comparing Southern California Gas Co.'s handling of the
gas leak to another environmental disaster: the 2010 Deepwater
Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/02/17/stories/1060032503 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Calif. air chief Nichols says state poised to stay on track with
rule timeline. How are state air agencies proceeding with
planning following last week's Supreme Court stay of the Clean
Power Plan? During today's OnPoint, Mary Nichols, chairwoman of
the California Air Resources Board, explains how her state plans
to not only stay the course with its compliance planning, but
also stay on the timeline prescribed by U.S. EPA in its rule.
Nichols also discusses California's plans to work with other
states on compliance.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2016/02/17/stories/1060032481 

Satellite boosts Europe's environmental, border surveillance. A
European satellite designed to monitor environmental changes will
also be able to provide early warnings of possible migrant flows
at a time when governments on the continent are grappling with an
unprecedented influx of people fleeing conflict and poverty
elsewhere in the world.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_SURVEILLANCE_SATELLITE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Next Supreme Court Justice Will Be Crucial to Climate Change. The
United States sure knows how to throw cold water on international
harmony. Just two months have passed since the world’s top
diplomats cobbled together the best plan we’ve ever had to start
curbing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Yet already
the Supreme Court of the United States said no…
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/business/economy/next-supreme-court-justice-will-be-crucial-to-climate-change.html


Former climate negotiator says other nations shrug at high
court's stay. The Supreme Court's delay of the Clean Power Plan
does not seem to be ruffling foreign feathers, a former top
climate negotiator said yesterday. Jonathan Pershing, who is now
an official with the Department of Energy, said that the foreign
counterparts he's talked to will implement their Paris carbon
reduction pledges despite last week's high court decision.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/02/17/stories/1060032492 

Prospects for Obama's Carbon-Cutting Plan. The Supreme Court
vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death improves the
outlook for President Barack Obama’s controversial plan to cut
carbon emissions from U.S. power plants, just a week after the
court raised doubts about its viability. “The math changes
completely,” said FBR Capital Markets analyst Benjamin Salisbury.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-17/scalia-vacancy-boosts-prospects-for-obama-s-carbon-cutting-plan


Why the U.S. is cutting carbon emissions no matter what happens
with the Supreme Court. Last week, the Supreme Court threw U.S.
and international climate policy into turmoil by freezing
President Obama’s Clean Power Plan while it is being challenged
before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. But
matters took a turn over the weekend with the death of Justice
Antonin Scalia, whose absence from the high court could mean that
the plan will ultimately survive.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/02/17/why-the-u-s-is-cutting-carbon-emissions-no-matter-what-happens-with-the-supreme-court/


Antarctic melting could raise seas 15 feet. Scientists are
warning that thinning ice shelves in Antarctica could accelerate
sea-level rise. Two separate studies published in Geophysical
Research Letters analyze the ice's movement from land to water.
"As ice shelves continuously lose ice by calving…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/02/17/stories/1060032479 

Buy a new car, save the planet. Driving a more fuel-efficient car
could be among the most effective ways a person could help cut
back on national carbon emissions, according to a new analysis.
Twenty-seven percent of the United States' emissions come from
transportation -- and the majority of those come from vehicles.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/02/17/stories/1060032482 

DROUGHT

Drought plan. Despite the rainfall and snowpack that California
has received this year, State water officials warn that the
drought is far from over. For that reason, water conservation
requirements that were implemented last year have been extended,
possibly through October. With news of the decision by the State
Water Resources Control Board to extend mandatory water-use
restrictions and reductions…
http://www.kernvalleysun.com/news/drought-plan/article_49850858-d4fb-11e5-8453-f3b903396e6b.html


Parched continents soak up water, slowing sea-level rise. Global
sea levels rose more slowly between 2003 and 2011 than scientists
expected, and NASA scientists now know why: Continents drank in
almost 3,200 gigatons of water from the ocean during that time.
The water got stored on land unevenly. As the wet regions of the
world got wetter, dry regions got drier…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/02/17/stories/1060032488 

FUELS

UAE energy minister refuses to discuss tentative oil cap. Dodging
reporters' questions, the United Arab Emirates' energy minister
refused Wednesday to discuss a proposed cap to crude oil
production agreed to by four oil-producing countries the day
before, raising new questions about the proposal aimed at
stabilizing global prices.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_EMIRATES_OIL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


There's One Place Where OPEC Can't Broker an Oil Deal: Texas.
Saudi Arabia and Russia have taken the first step to stem the
slide in oil prices. There’s just one problem: If they are
successful -- and that’s a big if -- the wildcatters of Texas,
Oklahoma and North Dakota are waiting to pounce. With 4,000 wells
drilled and just waiting…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-17/there-s-one-place-where-opec-can-t-broker-an-oil-deal-texas

Sierra Club Sues 3 Energy Companies Over Rising Quake Risks. The
Sierra Club weighed into the controversy over fracking and
increased earthquake risk with a lawsuit accusing a Chesapeake
Energy Corp. unit, Devon Energy Production Co. and New Dominion
LLC of triggering tremors in Oklahoma and Kansas. The
environmental group said the companies’ practice of injecting
liquid oil and gas waste others since 2011 making similar
allegations…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-16/sierra-club-sues-3-energy-companies-over-increased-quake-risk


UPDATE 1-Germany rejects EU plan for levy on industry for green
energy. Germany has rejected as unacceptable European Commission
plans to make industrial firms generating their own power pay a
surcharge to help fund a transition to renewable energy,
according to an economy ministry paper seen by Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/article/germany-energy-eu-idUSL8N15W3BS 

Europe places bets on natural gas to secure energy future. Green
campaigners say commission’s continued reliance on fossil fuel
imports as part of sustainable energy security package is at odds
with Paris climate deal. The future of Europe’s energy supply is
to rely heavily on natural gas for the coming two decades and
beyond, according to a new strategy set out on Tuesday by the
European commission.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/16/europe-places-bets-on-natural-gas-to-secure-energy-future


VEHICLES

S. Korea's SK Innovation to supply EV battery cells for
Mercedes-Benz. South Korea's SK Innovation said on Wednesday it
has secured orders to supply battery cells for Mercedes-Benz
electric cars, which will come out starting 2017. The battery
maker said the "large-scale project" involved multiple models in
diverse segments, without disclosing details.
http://www.reuters.com/article/sk-innovation-daimler-idUSL3N15W1A1?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews


Aston Martin to Build Electric Cars With China’s LeEco. Move
creates informal affiliation with Los Angeles-based startup
Faraday Future. Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. is creating a joint
venture with Chinese partner LeEco to help bring its first
electric car to market in 2018, a move that creates an informal
affiliation with Los Angeles-based electric car startup, Faraday
Future Inc.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/aston-martin-to-build-electric-cars-with-chinas-leeco-1455730154


How Tesla Techs Service Model S Electric Cars: Software Screens
Revealed. Tesla Motors [NASDAQ:TSLA] handles pretty much every
step of the sales and service process differently. In addition to
that, it’s also conceived its Model S and Model X vehicles with a
different approach to firmware, software, and updates—allowing
periodic “over the air” upgrades to the entire vehicle’s control
software.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102402_how-tesla-techs-service-model-s-electric-cars-software-screens-revealed


Utilities To Lead Surge Of Electric-Car Charging In Southern
California. California already aggressively promotes electric
cars, and has among the most developed networks of charging
stations of any state. That network will continue to grow, thanks
to help from some new players. In Southern California, electric
utilities are about to undertake projects…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102396_utilities-to-lead-surge-of-electric-car-charging-in-southern-california


VW RECALL

VW's European sales show biggest contraction since scandal. The
marquee Volkswagen brand was hit in January by its biggest drop
in European sales since the German carmaker was engulfed in its
diesel emissions scandal, according to industry data released
Tuesday. The European carmaker's association, ACEA, reported that
sales of Volkswagen brand cars dropped 3.8 percent compared with
a year earlier…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_CAR_SALES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Small diesel cars seen vulnerable to post VW scandal reforms.  A
tougher European testing regime following Volkswagen's
(VOWG_p.DE) emissions test cheating scandal could mean new small
diesel car models are modified or withdrawn, the European auto
lobby said on Wednesday. When news broke in September that
Volkswagen (VW) had used software to conceal nitrogen oxide
emissions…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-small-cars-idUSKCN0VQ1SZ


Illegal VW Diesel Emissions: Tallying Public Health Damage. It's
clear that the Volkswagen TDI diesel cars equipped with illegal
"defeat device" software have contributed to a significant amount
of extra air pollution. Some of the affected models were found to
emit up to 35 times the legal levels of nitrogen oxides.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102397_illegal-vw-diesel-emissions-tallying-public-health-damage


GREEN ENERGY

17 governors announce clean energy, transportation agreement.
Governors from 17 states said Tuesday that they will work
together to develop cleaner energy and transportation as they
look to lead a national shift to renewable fuels. The states vary
widely in their approach and sources of fuel, but the bipartisan
group said its goal is to cooperate on planning and policies.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GOVERNORS_ENERGY_AGREEMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/02/17/stories/1060032493 

Unclear if U.S., India can reach solar settlement: U.S. official.
Negotiations between the United States and India to resolve a
solar power trade dispute are continuing with no clear end in
sight, the top U.S. trade official said on Tuesday, signaling
another likely delay in a World Trade Organization public ruling
in the case. The World Trade Organization (WTO) had set a
Wednesday deadline to announce its decision…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-usa-solar-idUSKCN0VQ0O0 

OPINIONS

Beyond the Emissions Test at VW. Volkswagen is rarely out of the
news these days, but the stories hardly paint a coherent picture.
One report says VW is planning to offer “generous” compensation
to American owners of VW cars with software designed to cheat on
emissions tests. Yet another says that the trickery may not have
been illegal in Europe, where auto manufacturers can apparently
determine engine settings for pollution testing…
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/opinion/beyond-the-emissions-test-at-vw.html?_r=0


Cities must stick to smart growth. The Sacramento Area Council of
Governments is scheduled to adopt its 2016 Metropolitan
Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy update on
Thursday. The Environmental Council of Sacramento applauds this
regional plan. While we believe it could be even stronger, our
greatest concern is that the region is not on a path to implement
the strategy effectively.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article60587921.html#storylink=cpy


Valley Fire, climate change. Expect more victims from
catastrophic fires. Re “Recovery on Cobb Mountain” (Page 1A,
Feb.14): This is a story of real-life victims of the Valley Fire.
Scientists have told us that one of the consequences of climate
change is more frequent and intense wildfires. It is one thing to
discuss wildfires abstractly; it is another to portray them in
terms of a single family.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article60683461.html#storylink=cpy


Climate change threatens all peoples. The pope's denouncement of
the “systematic and organized way” indigenous people have been
misunderstood and excluded over the course of history is directed
as much at us, as it is to the powers that be in Mexico. When he
speaks of “others intoxicated by power, money and market trends”
who have “stolen lands or contaminated them,”…
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/need-364767-ocprint-see-nominee.html



BLOGS

Huge spike in methane emissions tied to the U.S. There was a huge
global spike in one of the most potent greenhouse gases driving
climate change over the last decade, and the U.S. may be the
biggest culprit, according a new Harvard University study. The
United States alone could be responsible for between 30 percent
and 60 percent of the global growth in human-caused atmospheric
methane emissions since 2002…
http://grist.org/climate-energy/huge-spike-in-methane-emissions-tied-to-the-u-s/
  

Does ExxonMobil Really Support a Carbon Tax? Before Kenneth Cohen
retired from his post earlier this year as ExxonMobil's
longstanding vice president of public and government affairs, he
published a blog reasserting the company's support for a
revenue-neutral carbon tax. Cohen's December 2 column was part of
a broader public relations campaign to deflect allegations…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliott-negin/does-exxonmobil-really-su_b_9246950.html
  



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