What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for June 16, 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.

CAP AND TRADE

California's cap-and-trade program faces daunting hurdles to
avoid collapse. The linchpin of California’s climate change
agenda, a program known as cap and trade, has become mired in
legal, financial and political troubles that threaten to derail
the state’s plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-climate-change-challenges-20160614-snap-story.html


Battle lines emerging in fight to extend carbon caps. Lawmakers
working to extend California's landmark carbon cap have some hard
decisions before them. Proponents of cementing the state's carbon
targets into law through 2030 may have to concede parts of their
program to opponents or leave their plans open to legal
challenge… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060038921 

AIR POLLUTION

Indoor Pollution From Fuels May Threaten Heart. Regularly using
kerosene or diesel for cooking, heating or lighting may increase
the risk of heart attack and early death, a new study warns.
Researchers followed more than 50,000 people in Iran, to assess
the effects of indoor air pollution caused by burning kerosene,
wood, diesel, cow dung and natural gas.
http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/indoor-pollution-from-fuels-may-threaten-heart/article_a3ec6abd-b610-5212-b9d7-868adc91d847.html

Feds Ordered to Develop New Texas Pollution Plan. The
Environmental Protection Agency must revise its plan to reduce
Texas air pollution that blows to other states despite a court
order that let the plan take effect, a federal judge ruled. The
Clean Air Act's "good neighbor" provision requires the EPA…
http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/06/15/feds-ordered-to-develop-new-texas-pollution-plan.htm


CLIMATE CHANGE

Kerry tours Arctic Circle to see climate change impact. U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday visited Norway's
extreme north, viewing areas where climate change has melted ice
and opened new sea lanes. Trailed by staff and journalists in
small Zodiac-type inflatable boats, Kerry and Norway's foreign
minister motored in an Arctic scientific vessel from a research
station…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UNITED_STATES_ARCTIC?SITE=MOJOP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=8771002716-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-8771002716-327747457


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/world/2016/06/16/united-states-arctic/85972554/


France ratifies the Paris Agreement on climate change. France’s
President Francois Hollande has ratified the Paris Agreement, a
deal on curbing global warming reached last year by 195
countries.  France on Wednesday became the second European
country to ratify, after Hungary, and the first the Group of
Seven advanced economies.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/france-ratifies-the-paris-agreement-on-climate-change/2016/06/15/fe64f3f4-32d0-11e6-ab9d-1da2b0f24f93_story.html


Exxon Sues a Second Attorney General To Fight Off Climate Fraud
Probe. The company asks a federal court in Texas to block the
investigation by Massachusetts prosecutors, citing its
constitutional rights. ExxonMobil has sued to derail a second
attorney general's investigation of the oil giant's climate
record. The company filed a complaint in federal district court
in Fort Worth on Wednesday…
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/16062016/exxon-sues-massachusetts-attorney-general-climate-change-fraud-investigation?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=8771002716-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-8771002716-327747457


Do clouds + smoke = climate change? Africa may have answers.
Smoke originating from Africa, which intermixes with clouds over
the southeast Atlantic Ocean. Scientists have proposed measuring
the aerosols and clouds in the southeast Atlantic to better
understand the planet's sensitivity to carbon emissions.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/06/16/stories/1060038903 


Can a highway underpass help a frog survive climate change? For
plants and animals that can't handle the heat from rising global
temperatures, help from humans may be their main hope to reach
cooler homes. A new study published in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences shows that man-made "corridors"…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/06/15/stories/1060038825

Dems insist they see stealth GOP support for a carbon tax.
Discussing climate change with Republicans in Congress can take
on the covert air of a jailbreak plot, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
(D-R.I.) said yesterday. The key to both busting out of the
slammer and drafting climate laws is knowing who else is
watching.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060038904/climate_digest


At All Costs: Oil-Rich Norway to Pay Dearly for Carbon
Neutrality. Norway has been Western Europe's main oil producer
for decades. Recently Oslo committed itself to becoming
carbon-neutral two decades ahead of the set date, despite the
fact that this bold step may cost the affluent Nordic country
billions of dollars.
http://sputniknews.com/environment/20160616/1041429401/norway-carbon-emissions-neutrality.html#ixzz4Blbf1Vys


Atmospheric CO2 levels hit grim milestone – NOAA. The Earth hit a
milestone last month in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
when a South Pole observatory registered CO2 concentrations of
400 parts per million, according to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/06/16/stories/1060038939

DIESEL ACTIVITIES

Is Zero-Emission Freight Possible? The Port of Los Angeles Thinks
So. The ports in southern California are cleaning up their act,
but what will it take to ship cargo with no emissions?  In a
conference room high above the 43 miles of waterways that make up
the Port of Los Angeles, the view is incredible: cranes, ships
and the massive Pacific Ocean. The port looks much the same from
the outside as it did ten years ago…
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonianmag/california-plans-clean-its-entire-freight-industry-2050-starting-la-ports-180959337/#t2zmMXubTHpH4Pas.99


VEHICLES

Ford’s Crown Jewel, the F-150, Has a Big Problem After Overhaul.
Ford Motor Co. executives spared no expense in overhauling the
crown jewel of their empire, the F-150. They gave the truck a new
aluminum body, smaller turbocharged engines and a lighter and
stronger steel frame -- all with an eye to appease U.S.
regulators demanding cleaner vehicles. The initiative took six
years and cost Ford more than $1 billion.
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O8RZDV6TTDSA01-109OG0BNRD5JEP93G34REKPO8G


California lawmakers unplug the state's electric car program. A
few months ago, Gabriel Lua purchased a 2013 Chevy Volt to
replace his 1987 Honda Civic, which had been giving him exhaust
headaches and made him worry about the health of his children,
ages 3 and 5. Even though the old Civic had failed the state's
smog test three times…
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-clean-vehicle-rebate-project-no-money-20160616-snap-story.html


Tesla will soon sell EVs at a Nordstrom store in LA. The
clientele can probably afford one. Tesla is about to start
selling cars at a Los Angeles outlet of the upscale fashion
retailer Nordstrom, according to Fast Company. It will display
its Model X SUV inside the tiny, 400 square foot store at The
Grove mall starting June 18th, and allow prospects to take test
drives with on-site Tesla employees.
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/06/15/tesla-will-soon-sell-evs-at-a-nordstrom-store-in-la/


The world’s electric vehicle fleet surpassed 1 million cars, now
to the next million. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is out
with its Energy Technology Perspectives report (via Carbon
Brief). The agency compiled data from the automotive industry and
determined that the world’s electric vehicle fleet surpassed the
1 million cars mark last year.
http://electrek.co/2016/06/15/world-electric-vehicle-fleet-1-million-car/


VW RECALL

VW bets on electric cars, services to recover from crisis.
Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) will invest billions of euros in electric
cars, ride-hailing and automated driving to become a world leader
in green transport by 2025, it said on Thursday, as it reshapes
its business following its diesel emissions scandal. Europe's
biggest carmaker said it would fund "the biggest change process
in the company's history" …
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-strategy-idUSKCN0Z217C?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29

http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2016/06/16/volkswagen-electric-vehicles-mobility/85972522/


Volkswagen Pushes for Redemption With Electric Cars, Robo-Taxis.
Volkswagen AG will seek redemption in electric cars, autonomous
driving and ride-sharing after its cheating on diesel-emissions
technology led to the biggest scandal in its history and hastened
a corporate overhaul. The shift will entail more than 10 billion
euros ($11.2 billion) in investments by 2025…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O8TAWZ6K50XY01-10O9Q15VCVJ8FM9E3RHJTD9162


Volkswagen to launch more electric cars after diesel scandal.
German automaker Volkswagen plans to ramp up its offerings of
electric vehicles as it fights to bounce back from a scandal over
diesel cars rigged to cheat on emissions tests. The electric
campaign is part of a wide-ranging review of the company’s
strategy that also includes making the company’s management more
open and trustworthy.
http://www.modbee.com/news/business/article84104077.html#storylink=cpy


GREEN ENERGY

Solar, wind costs could fall up to 59 pct by 2025, study says.
The average cost of electricity generated by solar and wind
energy could fall by up to 59 percent by 2025 if the right
policies are in place, a report by the International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA) said on Wednesday. Since 2009, solar
photovoltaic (PV) module prices have fallen by 80 percent and
wind turbine prices…
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N19623J

EUROPE POWER-Spot slides on higher wind, solar and nuclear
output. European spot power prices for day-ahead delivery fell on
Wednesday on the back of increased nuclear, solar and wind power
output in Germany, and higher nuclear electricity availability in
France. German solar power supply for Thursday is expected to hit
6.6 gigawatts (GW)…
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N1972LN 

Solar’s Latest Subsidy Is Squeezing Down Costs -- And Companies.
The latest mechanism designed to support solar power is proving
wildly successful in squeezing down the cost of energy. It’s also
threatening to destabilize the renewable-energy industry. From
India to Mexico and the United Arab Emirates, authorities are
moving away from making fixed subsidy payments for clean energy…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O858OE6VDKHU01-3TQRN56KPVIKGDQFNVN0KPDPU6


Cenovus Mulls Renewable Energy Amid Shift to Low-Carbon Crude.
Solar panels and wind turbines may find a home alongside Cenovus
Energy Inc.’s future low-carbon oil-sands business as the
Canadian producer adjusts to changing patterns of supply and
demand for energy. Cenovus has had discussions about renewable
energy investments…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O8S7HO6KLVR801-7TM0B3BTH95JMANPA4NRUP9US4


Oil giant sees bright future for renewables. One of the world's
largest oil companies confirmed scant growth in global carbon
emissions from energy yesterday and projected a robust future for
renewables in its annual energy assessment. Oil major BP PLC
found that growth in shale oil and gas output in the United
States…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/06/16/stories/1060038920 

OPINIONS

Solar's great and so is wind, but we still need nuclear power. If
you are concerned about climate change, then you should take note
of this: Over the last eight months, utilities from New York to
Nebraska have announced plans to shutter six nuclear reactors by
2019. These closures will come on the heels of earlier ones —
five reactors have been shuttered in the last three years alone.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-bryce-clean-energy-requires-nuclear-power-20160616-snap-story.html


Cap-and-trade's future gets murkier. The Capitol’s politicians
were shocked last month when the state’s quarterly auction of
“cap-and-trade” carbon emission allowances generated just 2
percent of anticipated revenues. Suddenly, plans to spend
billions of dollars, including critical financing for Gov. Jerry
Brown’s pet bullet-train system, were in jeopardy.
http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/columnists/dan-walters/cap-and-trade-s-future-gets-murkier/article_57c7469d-9d48-5523-9a4b-b01ce8aee55d.html


California's Bullet Train Was Born Doomed And Will Never Be
Completed. In November 2008 California voters approved borrowing
$10 billion to build a high-speed rail system from San Francisco
to Los Angeles. In the official ballot pamphlet, proponents
claimed that the rail project would be funded with a combination
of federal dollars and private investment “WITHOUT RAISING
TAXES.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckdevore/2016/06/15/californias-bullet-train-was-born-doomed-and-will-never-be-completed/#70fada1d7f17


It’s time to put a price on carbon. The United States should set
a persuasive example for the rest of the world. Many
coal-supporting Westerners cheered when the Supreme Court halted
the federal government’s implementation of its Clean Power Plan,
pending judicial review. But even though the attorneys general of
Colorado, Wyoming…
http://www.hcn.org/articles/its-time-to-put-a-price-on-carbon 

BLOGS

California’s drought isn’t going away anytime soon. Several
months after storms fueled by a fierce El Niño exploded over the
northern Sierra Nevada, California’s mountain snowpack has nearly
disappeared. Scientists bid adieu last week to an El Niño that
had been among the strongest on record, but that brought
disappointingly few wintertime snowflakes and raindrops to the
Southwest.
http://grist.org/climate-energy/californias-drought-isnt-going-away-anytime-soon/




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