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ARB Newsclips for October 13, 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

Electric vehicles could go first at traffic lights under UK clean
air zone plans. Government proposals to tackle air pollution in
five UK cities could see electric vehicle drivers using bus lanes
and getting priority at traffic lights. Drivers of electric
vehicles could be allowed to use bus lanes in five UK cities and
even go first at traffic lights, to tackle illegal levels of air
pollution, the government has suggested.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/13/electric-vehicles-could-go-first-at-traffic-lights-under-uk-clean-air-zone-plans


EPA Agrees Its Emissions Estimates From Flaring May Be Flawed. 
Agency says it will re-examine the formulas it uses, based on
data provided by industry, and people near oil and gas sites hope
that means cleaner air. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
has agreed to re-examine the accuracy of its 33-year-old
estimates of air pollution from flaring near refineries and at
oil and gas drilling sites.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12102016/epa-natural-gas-oil-drilling-flaring-emissions-estimates-flawed-fracking

CLIMATE CHANGE

Did a cosmic crash heat up Earth 56 million years ago?
Researchers have found evidence that a comet or space rock
smashed into Earth 56 million years ago, perhaps setting off a
massive warming that began around that time. It's a suggestion
that is causing much debate among scientists, many of whom
question the link. Researchers study the mysterious ancient
warming to better understand current man-made climate change and
Earth's future.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_COSMIC_CRASH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-10-13-14-17-21


Powerful greenhouse gases in focus at global climate meeting.
Greenhouse gases that are more powerful than carbon dioxide are
the focus of a global gathering this week in Africa. Experts say
cutting hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, is the fastest way to reduce
global warming. The United States is among the countries that
want the world to quickly phase out the use of HFCs…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_AP_EXPLAINS_AFRICA_CLIMATE_MEETING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-af--ap-explains-africa-climate-meeting-20161013-story.html
 
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-climatechange-idUSKCN12D17G?feedType=RSS&virtualBrandChannel=11563
 
Climate change could drive 1 in 6 species to extinction by 2100.
The warming climate is expected to drive animals worldwide — on
land and in the oceans — closer to extinction. (VIDEO) 
http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/world/2016/10/13/91991390/ 

L.A. wins nearly $65 million in state funds to build six
affordable housing projects. The city of Los Angeles has won
nearly $65 million in state funding to develop six affordable
housing projects amid a homelessness crisis. The money allows for
553 below-market units to be built, the office of L.A. Mayor Eric
Garcetti announced Wednesday.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-affordable-housing-20161012-snap-story.html

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article107768717.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.dailynews.com/article/20161012/NEWS/161019813 

Climate change could plunge tens of millions of city dwellers
into poverty by 2031. Climate change could plunge tens of
millions of city dwellers into poverty in the next 15 years,
threatening to undo decades of development efforts, the World
Bank said on Wednesday. Fast-growing cities particularly in the
developing world are ill-prepared to deal with increasing
climate-related disasters…
http://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-could-plunge-tens-of-millions-into-poverty-by-2031-2016-10
 

Coffee And Climate Change: In Brazil, A Disaster Is Brewing.
Coffee lovers, alert! A new report says that the world's coffee
supply may be in danger owing to climate change. In the world's
biggest coffee-producing nation, Brazil, the effects of warming
temperatures are already being felt in some communities.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/10/12/497578413/coffee-and-climate-change-in-brazil-a-disaster-is-brewing


UK must focus on carbon removal to meet Paris goals, climate
advisers urge. Report from the Committee on Climate Change says a
government strategy to deploy new, radical technologies at scale
by 2050 must begin now. The UK government needs to kickstart
technologies to suck carbon dioxide from the air if it is to
play…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/13/focus-carbon-removal-meet-paris-goals-uk-committee-climate-change
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37632620 

Investors warn car industry over climate change. Car
manufacturers told they must address climate change by switching
to low-emission models − or face a sell-off of their
shares, reports Climate News Network. Major investors have warned
the automotive industry it needs to accelerate its readiness for
a low-carbon world if it is to retain their support and prosper.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/12/investors-warn-car-industry-over-climate-change


DROUGHT

South Africa faces water rationing as dam levels drop after
drought. South Africa will experience water rationing if
consumers do not heed calls to cut consumption to avoid a
collapse of the water system as dam levels fall after a drought,
an official in the country's water department said on Thursday.
Concerns over water supply in Africa's most industrialized
country have risen after an El Nino weather pattern…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-drought-water-idUSKCN12D1U3


Farmers were paid $32M to pump and not farm. Was it a waste of
money? n a move that could have ramifications across the arid
West, a government watchdog agency accused federal water
regulators of wasting taxpayer funds when they gave Klamath Basin
farmers more than $32 million to stop growing crops and to pump
groundwater instead of drawing from lakes and rivers.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article107896837.html#storylink=cpy


What a potentially short and weak La Niña means for SoCal’s
ongoing drought. According to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center
report released Thursday, ocean and atmospheric conditions are
pointing towards a weak and brief La Niña in the coming winter
and fall. La Niña, a phenomenon marked by the cooling of water in
the equatorial Pacific, is a major driving force behind weather
around the globe. Just last month, the forecast was neutral…
http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2016/10/13/52690/what-a-potentially-short-and-weak-la-nia-means-for/

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/science/feds-forecast-a-weak-and-fleeting-la-nina-coming-next-month/

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2016/10/13/feds-warn-of-week-la-nina-pattern-coming-next-month/


6th YEAR OF DROUGHT?  Manteca rules calls for no irrigation
within 48 hours of measurable rain. The first rain of fall
forecast for Friday and Sunday is expected to drop between a half
and three-quarters of an inch on various parts of the Stanislaus
River watershed that South San Joaquin Irrigation District
depends upon to supply water to farmers as well as the cities of
Manteca, Lathrop, and Tracy.
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/1/article/138428/ 

DIESEL ACTIVITIES

MTS Opens $38M Bus Facility in El Cajon. The San Diego
Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) celebrated the grand opening of
the East County Bus Operations & Maintenance Facility, furthering
the agency’s role in improving regional air quality. The
facility, which was built to LEED Silver standards, will be home
to 120 clean-burning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses.
http://www.masstransitmag.com/press_release/12268659/mts-opens-38-million-bus-facility-in-el-cajon


Detroit Diesel to Pay $28.5 Million in Clean Air Act Settlement.
Detroit Diesel Corp. will pay $28.5 million, in a combination of
fines and funding for pollution-reduction projects, to settle
alleged violations of the Clean Air Act that the Department of
Justice said entailed selling heavy-duty diesel engines that were
not certified by the Environmental Protection Agency and did not
meet applicable emission standards.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2016/10/detroit-diesel-to-pay-28-5-million-in-clean-air-act-settlement.aspx


FUELS

US fossil-fuel emissions lowest since 1991. The United States
pumped out the least climate-changing pollution from fossil fuels
in the first six months of this year than at any such period
since 1991, federal energy officials said Wednesday. That's in
part because those six months were the third-warmest on record in
the country. From January to June, the number of days that
Americans needed to turn on their heating…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_CHANGE_LOWER_EMISSIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Fight Pipeline, Drill for Oil: Either Way, Tribes Want Control of
Their Lands. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe of southwestern
Colorado has a higher long-term credit rating than Wells Fargo &
Co., and more oil and natural-gas wells than it has members.
Welcome to the other side of the tribal land energy conundrum.
While the Standing Rock Sioux have drawn considerable media
coverage for their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline
project…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-12/tale-of-two-tribes-utes-want-to-drill-as-sioux-battle-pipeline?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=1902e1091a-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-1902e1091a-327747457

Natural Gas Prices Leap After Stockpiles Grow Less Than Expected.
The EIA reported that natural gas stockpiles grew by 79 billion
cubic feet last week. Natural gas prices surged following federal
data that showed a surprisingly small addition to natural gas
stockpiles last week. Natural gas futures for November delivery
jumped up 10 cents, or 3.12%, to $3.31 a million British thermal
units on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/natural-gas-prices-leap-after-stockpiles-grow-less-than-expected-1476371932


British public support for fracking sinks to lowest ever level.
Long-running YouGov poll shows support for shale gas extraction
at 37.3% – just as industry gears up to begin drilling. The
British public’s support for fracking has fallen sharply in the
last year and is now at the lowest level ever, according to a
long-running poll published as the industry gears up to begin
drilling.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/13/british-public-support-for-fracking-sinks-to-lowest-ever-level?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=1902e1091a-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-1902e1091a-327747457

Greens press Obama to end federal fossil leasing. In order to
secure a true climate legacy, President Obama should end the
practice of leasing oil, gas and coal on federal public lands,
says a report released today by the environmental group
Rainforest Action Network. The group joins a chorus of
environmental groups calling on the administration to keep fossil
fuels in the ground to help keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/10/13/stories/1060044185 

Renewable energy rises to 23% of global production — report.
Rapidly rising investment in renewable energy has allowed for a
"decoupling" of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions
across much of the world, but the future will continue to be
shaped by dynamic and sometimes volatile energy markets,
according to findings released yesterday by the World Energy
Council.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/10/13/stories/1060044186 

Groups sue over Calif. drilling. Three environmental groups this
week said they plan to sue the Forest Service and other federal
agencies over oil and gas drilling in the Los Padres National
Forest in California. The groups — the Center for Biological
Diversity, Los Padres ForestWatch and Defenders of Wildlife —
said approvals to expand drilling would be granted under a 2005
Forest Service plan for oil and gas…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060044232/search?keyword=california


VEHICLES

Toyota recalls 340,000 Prius hybrid cars for faulty brakes.
Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 340,000 gas-electric hybrid Prius
cars around the world 212,000 of them in Japan and 94,000 in
North America, for a defect in their parking brakes. Japanese
automaker Toyota said in a statement Thursday that it was not
aware of any reports of accidents linked to the defect "as of
Oct. 3, 2016,"…
http://bigstory.ap.org/b19479a9db7f433697b229d86b84f025 

Electric cars set to pass 2m landmark globally by end of 2016.
China leads EU and US in market size, with Nissan Leaf taking the
top spot for best-selling model followed by Tesla’s Model S and
two Chinese-made models. The number of plug-in electric cars on
the world’s roads is set to pass the landmark of 2m vehicles by
the end of 2016, with industry observers saying the electric car
revolution is finally underway.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/13/electric-car-sales-set-to-pass-2m-landmark-globally-by-end-of-2016


GREEN ENERGY

WHY IT MATTERS: Energy. THE ISSUE: Energy independence has been a
goal of every president since Richard Nixon. Hillary Clinton and
Donald Trump have very different ways to achieve it. How energy
is produced and where it comes from affect jobs, the economy and
the environment. WHERE THEY STAND. Clinton pledges that under her
leadership, the U.S. will be able to generate enough renewable
energy to…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CAMPAIGN_2016_WHY_IT_MATTERS_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Tesla, SolarCity shareholders to vote on merger next month. Tesla
Motors CEO Elon Musk faces a referendum next month, as
shareholders decide whether to support his vision and combine
Tesla with solar panel company SolarCity Corp. Tesla and
SolarCity announced Wednesday that shareholders will vote on the
controversial proposal Nov. 17. SolarCity shareholders will
receive 0.11 share of Tesla for each SolarCity share.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TESLA_SOLARCITY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Once just a cabin, now an emblem in debate over wind energy. Once
it was just another cabin on a Vermont hillside. Now it's an
emblem in the debate over noise from the growing wind energy
industry. Studies have repeatedly found no evidence connecting
noise from wind power turbines to human health problems. But
critics question the soundness of those studies.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WIND_POWER_NOISE_LAB?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Clean Power Just Turned Back the Clock on Global Warming Gases.
It looks as if all those wind and solar farms in the U.S. are
making a dent in greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
During the first six months of the year, carbon dioxide emissions
from America’s energy industry dropped to the lowest point since
1991, according to a statement Wednesday from the U.S. Energy
Information Administration.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-12/clean-power-just-turned-back-the-clock-on-global-warming-gases


New York to give $10 million boost to clean energy companies. New
York state is investing $10 million into efforts to assist new
clean energy companies. The money will go to business incubators,
a series of centers around the state that work to connect startup
companies with investors and partners. State officials say $14
million has already been invested in existing incubators that
have assisted 146 energy technology…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/APec1e155b7c164a4c96943f3bf7233282 

How Google is using big data to protect the environment. Google’s
sustainability officer Kate Brandt outlines the company’s
wide-range interest in sustainable fishing, green buildings and
renewable energy. For many people, Google is simply the gateway
to a vast archive of facts and memories. For those who pay closer
attention to its business dealings, the company also invests
billions to find new ways to use…
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/oct/12/google-environmental-sustainability-data-kate-brandt


Here’s How To Build 100% Clean Renewable Energy In The US Before
2040. There really is a feasible way to build our way out of the
climate crisis in time to avoid the worst effects of global
warming. We do it by rapidly replacing all fossil fuel-based
energy with renewable energy built with current technology,
installed in a smart grid. We pay for it without damaging the
economy and actually save money vs. our current reliance on
fossil fuels.
http://cleantechnica.com/2016/10/12/heres-build-100-clean-renewable-energy-us-2040/


OPINIONS

Massive fires, destroyed property: The costs of climate change
are adding up. To the editor: The denial of human-caused climate
isn’t so bad until you find yourself paying for destroyed public
infrastructure and ruined private property or experiencing lost
lives. (“Human-caused warming doubled how much of the West has
burned since 1984,” Oct. 10) The number of multibillion-dollar
weather disasters keeps on going up.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-climate-change-fires-20161013-snap-story.html

Letter to the editor: If only wind turbines were the magic cure
for climate change. If only wind turbines were the magic cure for
climate change. Listening to the drone of a plane flying overhead
as I begin renovations on my cabin on Fairfield Pond, I'm struck
by just how quiet it is here. Usually, just the sound of the
loons, waves lapping on the rocks and children laughing are the
things that stand out here on the water.
http://www.manchesterjournal.com/letters/ci_30465885/letter-editor-if-only-wind-turbines-were-magic


People have too many things to charge, and that's a problem for
electric cars. When it comes to electric vehicles, we're about to
exit the age of "range anxiety." Mass-market EVs, first from
Tesla and Chevy, but later from pretty much every other major
automaker, are going to provide numerous 200-mile-range cars, at
reasonable prices.Range anxiety had been a big concern; car
companies favored various hybrid designs because they correctly
assumed that…
http://www.businessinsider.com/electric-car-charging-problem-2016-10


BLOGS

The Haunting Sound Of Climate Change Over 100 Years. Two Stanford
researchers have transformed data of a dying Alaskan tree into
song. Quick, bright piano notes open the melody. It’s lively,
almost playful; conjuring images of birds chirping through
sun-dappled forests. Then suddenly, a shift. The piano notes
quieten; the silence interrupted only by the lament of a lone
flute.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-change-music-data-sonification_us_57fd9494e4b0e9c70229d691


Has man already solved global warming? Most graphs of
20th-century temperatures show a warming period starting in the
mid-1970s. One reason for this rise in temperatures might be the
onset of a “warm” phase of the roughly 30-year cycle known as the
Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). However, climate alarmists
assume that any warming seen since that time has been caused by
increasing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2).
http://climatechangedispatch.com/has-man-already-solved-man-made-global-warming/




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