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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 21, 2016.
Posted: 21 Mar 2016 15:24:34
ARB Newsclips for March 21, 2016. 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 Mumbai rubbish dump fire causes spike in air pollution. A fire in one of Mumbai's three rubbish dumps on Saturday has triggered a fall in air quality to "poor", the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board said. The rise came after several schools in India's financial capital had to be shut down in January due to worries children would suffer breathing problems tied to the smog because of a fire at the same dump. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-mumbai-fire-idUSKCN0WN186?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews The End of the Road for LOS Analysis of Traffic Impacts. Automobile traffic congestion, and our collective behavior as automobile drivers, is front and center in environmental conversations and debates. A primary reason being that traffic congestion can dramatically affect air quality, emitting pollutants including nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and ozone. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2016/03/21/the-end-of-the-road-for-los-analysis-of-traffic-impacts/#ixzz43YyiOse3 GOP bill pushes back deadline for ozone standard. Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) is taking another swing at U.S. EPA's recently adopted ozone standard, this time with the backing of two top House leaders. With H.R. 4775, introduced late last week, Olson seeks to push back the deadline for states to make attainment recommendations for the 70-parts-per-billion standard from this October to 2024… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2016/03/21/stories/1060034319 ALISO CANYON How can gas company offset emissions from the Aliso Canyon leak? Regulators offer a plan. To offset greenhouse gas emissions from the massive Porter Ranch leak, Southern California Gas Co. could pay to plug abandoned wells, install methane-gobbling digesters at dairy farms and help people buy more efficient furnaces and water heaters, state regulators say. Those are the kinds of projects the gas company… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-gas-offset-20160321-story.html Aliso Canyon owner should pay for GHG cuts equal to leak, says ARB. The owner of the Los Angeles-area natural gas storage facility that leaked methane for nearly four months should fund an equal amount of emissions reductions, focusing on the agriculture and waste sectors, air regulators said Friday. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/03/21/stories/1060034328 CLIMATE CHANGE Emissions-cutting aviation deal must be enforceable: NGOs. A deal this fall to cap carbon emissions from global aviation at 2020 levels must be enforceable and set long-term goals in line with the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change, a coalition of environmental groups said on Monday. Aviation was excluded from the landmark climate accord in Paris in December. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-aviation-idUSKCN0WN095 REFILE-Three Pacific island nations are first to ratify Paris climate deal. The Marshall Islands will become the third country to ratify the Paris climate change agreement, after its parliament approved the step on Friday - following two other Pacific Island nations also highly vulnerable to the impacts of the changing climate. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL5N16T2FX Global Warming Is Messing With Wine. Heat tied to a CO2 trend with no precedent in at least 66 million years has changed the way grapes grow. Unprecedented heat has pushed global average temperatures into alien territory, and scientists have long established humanity as the dominant cause. Now, even the grapes are talking, and new research makes it easy to view the rising thermometer through a rosé-colored glass. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-21/global-warming-is-messing-with-wine http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/21/470872883/an-upside-to-climate-change-better-french-wine China's Five-Year Plan Seen as Boosting Climate Action. China's latest five-year plan that sets out policies guiding its economic growth and energy use would provide impressive gains in reducing the carbon intensity of its economy—a 48 percent cut by 2020 from 2005 levels—a key indicator of its commitment to address carbon pollution linked to climate change… http://www.bna.com/chinas-fiveyear-plan-n57982068753/ Environmental Activists Take to Local Protests for Global Results. They came here to get arrested. Nearly 60 protesters blocked the driveway of a storage plant for natural gas on March 7. Its owners want to expand the facility, which the opponents say would endanger nearby Seneca Lake. But their concerns were global, as well. “There’s a climate emergency happening,” one of the protesters, Coby Schultz, said. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/science/earth/environmental-activists-take-to-local-protests-for-global-results.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share&_r=1&utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=08df067e90-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-08df067e90-327747457 Remote reefs thrive despite climate change. Scripps report emboldens advocates of coral reef preservation. As ocean warming continues to trigger widespread destruction of coral reefs, a decade-long study of remote islands in the Central Pacific suggests these biodiversity hotspots may be able to thrive despite the threats posed by an increasingly hotter planet. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/mar/20/sd-me-scripps-coral-reef-health/?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=08df067e90-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-08df067e90-327747457 China can be climate change ‘hero,' DiCaprio says. Leonardo DiCaprio praised China's work to combat climate change on a trip to Beijing on Sunday and said he believes the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases could be “the hero of the environmental movement.” The actor and environmentalist, who called for action to combat climate change… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/china-369728-ocprint-clooney-rights.html Is this mysterious hybrid butterfly a harbinger of climate change? Tanana Arctic butterflies, the first such species discovered in Alaska in almost 30 years, could be a bellwether for change in the fragile arctic ecosystem. A butterfly species, misidentified for more than 60 years, may be the only type of butterfly endemic to Alaska, say scientists. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2016/0319/Is-this-mysterious-hybrid-butterfly-a-harbinger-of-climate-change Climate: Carbon emissions highest in 66 million years. UN studies project temperatures could rise by up to 4.8C this century, causing floods, drought and more powerful storms. The rate of carbon emissions is higher than at any time in fossil records stretching back 66 million years to the age of the dinosaurs, according to a study on Monday that sounds an alarm about risks to nature from man-made global warming. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/climate-carbon-emissions-highest-66-million-years-160321172434890.html Panel looks beyond U.S. leadership on fast-warming Arctic. The United States is challenging the leaders of the world's Arctic nations to consider new ways of responding to climate change at a time when scientific studies indicate that the Far North is warming significantly faster than the rest of the world. At last week's meeting of the Arctic Council's senior officials… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/03/21/stories/1060034335 DROUGHT President Barack Obama on Monday directed the federal government to come up with a less reactionary and more long-term strategy for dealing with drought. President Barack Obama on Monday directed the federal government to come up with a less reactionary and more long-term strategy for dealing with drought. About 12.5 percent of the continental U.S. was experiencing drought as of mid-March… http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2016-03-21/obama-seeks-more-coordination-on-dealing-with-drought FUELS China Diesel Exports May Rebound Further on Oil Price Rally. China’s diesel exports may be climbing further after rebounding from a five-month low as rising global crude prices make shipments overseas more profitable, according to ICIS China. Outbound shipments may surge to more than 1 million metric tons this month, up more than 30 percent from average during January and February, according to Lin Jiaxin, an analyst with the Shanghai-based commodity researcher. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-21/china-diesel-exports-seen-rebounding-further-on-oil-price-rally An obstacle on the way to zero carbon: natural gas. The University of California, one of the world's most prestigious institutions of higher learning, has encountered a seemingly insoluble problem as it sets it sights on being carbon neutral by 2025. The problem isn't getting clean electricity, like solar power, which has become standardized and often inexpensive. The problem is how to replace natural gas. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2016/03/21/stories/1060034301 VEHICLES California to Implement Income Cap on Green Car Rebates. California's rebate program for electric vehicles will soon cut off higher-income green car buyers. The program is implementing an income cap starting on March 29, the Sacramento Bee reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/1Uuah5j). Single tax filers who earn $250,000 will not qualify for rebates on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/03/20/us/ap-us-clean-car-rebates.html http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vehicles-369745-ocprint-rebates-electric.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article66591292.html 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric to offer 110 miles of range: company. As electric-car range moves above the 100-mile mark in EPA ratings, one of the more interesting models to watch will be the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric. That car uses essentially the same 28-kilowatt-hour battery pack as the low-volume Kia Soul EV, a blocky tall wagon that's rated at 93 miles. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102963_2017-hyundai-ioniq-electric-to-offer-110-miles-of-range-company 2017 Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid: technical details revealed. The second-generation Chevrolet Volt is important not only as a high-volume plug-in hybrid, but also because components from its Voltec powertrain are designed to be used in other GM models. Last year, General Motors unveiled the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, with a powertrain very similar to the Volt's. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102951_2017-cadillac-ct6-plug-in-hybrid-technical-details-revealed Chinese investors make 'long bets' on electric-car companies. China's aggressive promotion of electric cars is turning into boon for a few U.S. companies. The Chinese government offers generous incentives for new electric cars, and is pushing companies to develop and sell more of them. That level of enthusiasm is leading Chinese investors to show more interest in U.S. electric-vehicle companies than they might otherwise receive. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102953_chinese-investors-make-long-bets-on-electric-car-companies VW RECALL EU Trials New Way to Measure Emissions but Will It Make a Difference? An ungainly contraption that resembles a bicycle rack with tubing attached will become a common sight on cars around Europe over the coming months as a new way of measuring car pollution gains traction following the Volkswagen scandal. The Portable Emission Measurement System (PEMS) aims to supplement laboratory tests… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/03/21/business/21reuters-volkswagen-emissions-device.html Experts: Toyota, GM Settlements Window to Volkswagen Case. Hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and fines over unintended acceleration in Toyotas and faulty ignition switches in General Motors' vehicles provide a glimpse of what consumers and the government might get from Volkswagen for cheating on diesel emissions, legal scholars say. But the Volkswagen case comes with a wild card that could significantly drive up damages: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/03/20/us/ap-us-volkswagen-legal-stakes.html GREEN ENERGY California Regulators Give Ivanpah Solar Plant More Time. Lifeline gives owners up to a year to work out problems. California regulators threw a lifeline Thursday to the struggling Ivanpah solar plant, which has failed to generate the electricity it is required to produce under contracts with PG&E Corp. The California Public Utilities Commission approved without discussion forbearance agreements that would give the owners of the… http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-regulators-give-ivanpah-solar-plant-more-time-1458242826?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f MISCELLANEOUS Lucy Jones is leaving her job - to shake up more than just earthquakes. The questions were coming fast and frantic: How strong was the earthquake? Was it on the San Andreas? Is the Big One coming? A massive temblor had struck near Joshua Tree shortly before 10 p.m., causing buildings to sway all the way to Las Vegas. As the public braced for more shaking, the media flocked to Caltech that night in 1992. One woman seemed to have all the answers. It was a magnitude 6.1, explained U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones, and the odds of a larger quake in the next three days stood at 15%. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-lucy-jones-20160320-story.html OPINIONS Another View: Half-truths disguise true drought impacts. The commentary “Thirsty farmers must wise up over water use” (Viewpoints, March 13) was rife with half-truths that distort the real situation facing California farmers. Half-truth: California farms earned record revenue in 2014. You don’t have to be an economist to know that revenue is only half the story. Farm production costs rose faster than revenues did. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article66497237.html#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: Taxpayers pay price for Ivanpah ... again. The owners and operators of the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility have bought themselves some time to increase energy output at the underperforming facility. On Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission voted to approve a deal between the plant’s owners and Pacific Gas & Electric giving the solar plant six months to improve production in exchange for a payment to PG&E… http://www.pe.com/articles/plant-797446-ivanpah-energy.html Record number of Americans now say humans cause climate change. More Americans than ever believe humans are responsible for climate change, according to a Gallup poll. And scientists say this is no coincidence. ixty-five percent of Americans say human activities are responsible for climate change, the highest reading ever according to a Gallup poll published earlier this month. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2016/0321/Record-number-of-Americans-now-say-humans-cause-climate-change BLOGS Gallup Finds Concerns Rising Over Global Warming and Nuclear Energy Solution. The climate appears to be changing in American attitudes about global warming. The evidence lies in the graph above from a new Gallup survey. This graph got far less attention this week than a much sharper year-on-year spike in worry and the highest level of belief (in 15 years of tracking) that humans are the main cause. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/19/behind-sloshing-views-on-global-warming-a-steady-rise-in-concern/ People Of Color Care About Climate Change, But Less Likely To Call Themselves Environmentalists. “We need better and more creative solutions to climate change, and more diverse groups are better groups,” says the co-author of a recent study. Racial minorities are among the most vulnerable when it comes to climate impacts. But a new study finds they’re often underrepresented in positions of environmental leadership… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/minorities-climate-change-environmentalism_us_56ec01ede4b084c6721ffd9f California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.