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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 20, 2016.
Posted: 20 Apr 2016 14:36:55
ARB Newsclips for April 20, 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 Clean air advocate: California has nation's dirtiest air. Millions of Californians live in places with dirty air, according to an annual report card issued Wednesday that ranks two major urban areas in the state as the nation's most polluted. Bakersfield tops the list for having the most unhealthy days from airborne particles spewed by highway traffic, diesel trucks, farm equipment and fireplaces… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AIR_POLLUTION_REPORT_CARD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-air-pollution-report-20160420-story.html http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/20/dangerous-air-pollution-us-population-report http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article72814927.html#storylink=cpy http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20042016/air-pollution-spike-global-warming-climate-change-coal-ozone-particulate-matter-lung-association Air quality in eastern China improves but slips elsewhere: Greenpeace. The air quality in eastern China continued to improve in the first quarter, but smog worsened in central and western regions, Greenpeace said in a report on Wednesday after analyzing government data for 362 cities. An analysis of concentrations of tiny airborne pollutants known as PM2.5 highlighted the effectiveness of government policies to clean the air… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-idUSKCN0XH04Y Carbon from planes, ships targeted before climate deal. With countries poised to sign the Paris climate deal, negotiators are working behind the scenes to limit emissions from two sectors not covered by the agreement: shipping and aviation. The sectors combined produce around 4 percent of the world's emissions… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/04/20/stories/1060035929 ALISO CANYON Aliso Canyon, methane, and global climate. On October 23, 2015, the Aliso Canyon underground storage facility for natural gas in the San Fernando Valley—the fourth largest of its kind in the United States—had one of its wells blow out, leading to a large release of methane. The leak was not fully under control until February 11, 2016. In the interim, residents of nearby neighborhoods were sickened by the odorants added to the http://phys.org/news/2016-04-aliso-canyon-methane-global-climate.html#jCp CLIMATE CHANGE Earth's hot streak continues for a record 11 months. Earth's record monthly heat streak has hit 11 months in a row - a record in itself. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that March's average global temperature of 54.9 degrees was not only the hottest March, but continues a record streak that started last May. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_RECORD_HEAT_1ST_LD_WRITETHRU?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT More Than 160 Nations UN-Bound for Signing of Climate Pact. Four months after nearly 200 nations finally reached an historic deal in Paris to address climate change, more than 160 of them will send representatives April 22 to sign it in New York, in hopes of getting the deal entered into force well before 2020. United Nations and world leaders are touting the likely historic nature of the April 22 ceremony—they expect to set a record for… http://www.bna.com/160-nations-unbound-n57982070024/ How Earth itself has upped the stakes for the Paris climate accord. Representatives from more than 150 countries will gather at the United Nations on Friday to officially sign a global accord aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing climate change. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/04/20/as-nations-gather-to-sign-climate-accord-planet-reaches-new-warming-heights/ UPDATE 1-China wants ships to use faster Arctic route opened by global warming. China will encourage ships flying its flag to take the Northwest Passage via the Arctic Ocean, a route opened up by global warming, to cut travel times between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, a state-run newspaper said on Wednesday. China is increasingly active in the polar region… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N17N2XD VEHICLES German politicians seek tax break for electric car buyers. Germany's coalition parties plan to boost demand for electric cars by exempting them from vehicle tax, according to a draft document seen by Reuters on Wednesday. German auto executives have long pushed the government to introduce incentives to lift demand for electric cars. http://www.reuters.com/article/autos-electric-germany-idUSL5N17N3BR Valley’s only hydrogen fuel station opens at Harris Ranch. California business, air quality and energy officials will be in Coalinga on Wednesday afternoon to cut the ribbon on a new location in the state’s nascent system of fueling stations for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. The True Zero hydrogen station at the Harris Ranch Inn… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article72677232.html#storylink=cpy U.K. electric-car sales finally take off after long lag. After years of low sales and tepid government support, U.K. plug-in electric car sales are taking off, five years after the first modern electric cars hit the road. Sales steadily increased during 2015, but really took off in the first quarter of this year. From January through March, a total of 10,496 electric cars… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1103499_u-k-electric-car-sales-finally-take-off-after-long-lag New Flyer introduces first 60-foot hydrogen fuel cell bus in North America. New Flyer of America, a subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc., the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses and motor coaches in the United States and Canada, conducted the inaugural road demonstration of the Xcelsior XHE60 heavy-duty articulated fuel cell transit bus. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/04/20160420-newflyer.html FTA selects 7 projects to receive $22.5M in grants for battery-electric and fuel cell buses, infrastructure. The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the latest project selections for the Low and No-Emission Vehicle Deployment Program, known as Low-No. Seven transit providers in five states will receive a share of $22.5 million toward transit buses and related facilities that utilize battery-electric… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/04/20160420-fta.html Group of Calif. lawmakers opposes utility's EV charger plan. A bipartisan group of California lawmakers yesterday protested a utility's plan to install 7,600 electric vehicle charging stations, less than a month after the proposal gained some support. State senators and Assembly members, led by Assemblyman Rich Gordon (D) of the San Francisco Bay Area… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/04/20/stories/1060035933 VW RECALL VW Fooled Your DMV Too, Prompting Calls for Tougher Air Tests. Each year, millions of American motorists trudge to state inspection stations to make sure their vehicles aren’t violating pollution limits. At least, that’s what they think they’re doing. As the emissions-cheating scandal involving Volkswagen AG demonstrates, the tests may not be all they are cracked up to be. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-20/vw-fooled-your-dmv-too-prompting-calls-for-tougher-air-tests VW Says Diesel Emissions Fix Progress Makes Trial Unneeded (1). Volkswagen AG said there will be no need for a trial this summer over damages related to its rigging of 600,000 diesel vehicles to cheat pollution control laws. The carmaker does “not believe” an expedited trial will be necessary after the company updates a judge April 21 on its proposed solution to address the polluting vehicles… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O5WBRR6TTDS7-1FK6J8R2LUHD4PM3HJ4A00LKG8 http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL5N17N2M7 European fix for VW diesels complies with law, but real-world emissions still too high. Updates to the millions of Volkswagen TDI diesel cars that turned out not to meet European emission regulations were supposed to be well underway by now. German authorities had signed off on the modifications—software updates and for one group of engines, a new plastic insert to alter incoming airflow… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1103509_european-fix-for-vw-diesels-complies-with-law-but-real-world-emissions-still-too-high VW owners seek trial if there's no fix in emissions case. Lawyers representing thousands of people who own diesel Volkswagens that cheat on emissions tests are asking a judge to order repairs and compensation if the company and government regulators don't agree to a fix by Thursday. The request was made in a proposed agenda for hearing Thursday before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer in… http://bakersfieldnow.com/news/auto-matters/vw-owners-seek-trial-if-theres-no-fix-in-emissions-case http://www.modbee.com/news/state/article72606102.html GREEN ENERGY Utilities, developers strike deal on solar pricing in N.Y. New York state's major electric utilities and three leading solar power developers yesterday announced an agreement on a new net-metering plan, a move that links two sides that elsewhere are in a pitched battle over the fair cost that owners of distributed solar units should receive for surplus carbon-free power they sell back to the grid. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2016/04/20/stories/1060035928 OPINIONS Drought is the new normal for California -- but we need to build more housing? To the editor: The Times has published an interesting juxtaposition of articles in the last few days. One speaks of the need for more housing to keep rents and housing prices affordable, and this Op-Ed article, "Is the California drought America's water wake-up call?" (April 16), discusses how a water deficit may be our new normal. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0420-wednesday-drought-housing-california-20160420-story.html State should give Sacramento region a break on water conservation. Water providers from throughout the Sacramento region will urge the State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday to release their customers from emergency conservation targets as local water supplies recover from drought. In their place, we will continue local programs to encourage ongoing improvements in water efficiency. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article72689442.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS Restoring green to a city’s concrete hardscape. Americans’ personal connection to the environment, which the founders of Earth Day hoped to restore nearly 50 years ago, is all but lost. Today 80 percent of American families live in urban areas, the vast majority of which are densely populated and defined by concrete. There are no open vistas, unobstructed night skies or untouched forests. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2016/04/19/restoring-green-to-a-citys-concrete-hardscape/ Most Of Us Believe In Global Warming, But That’s Not Enough To Stop It. A new survey finds 94 percent of Americans believe in the phenomenon. More Americans than ever believe in global warming, according to a new poll Nat Geo WILD released just ahead of Earth Day. The survey published Wednesday found 94 percent of Americans believe our planet is warming… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-change-belief-america_us_571712b4e4b0060ccda4d5ce How Teaching A Math Problem To A Child Can Help Solve Climate Change. World leaders achieved something extraordinary last December at COP21 in Paris; a binding agreement, which will be signed this week in New York, that unites all countries in a shared duty to fight climate change. But in the weeks before the Summit, there were doubts and skepticism. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sylvia-bongo-ondimba/how-teaching-a-math-probl_b_9736896.html Will the Worst Methane Leak in U.S. History Transform California's Energy Grid? California officials advance plan to use restitution to spur energy innovation. Before SoCalGas plugged the methane leak at its Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in Los Angeles earlier this year, state officials made clear the company would have to pay to counteract the damage: 107,000 tons of methane emissions… http://www.govtech.com/fs/perspectives/Will-the-Worst-Methane-Leak-in-US-History-Transform-Californias-Energy-Grid.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.