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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 20, 2017.
Posted: 20 Jan 2017 14:29:23
ARB Newsclips for January 20, 2017. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE California unveils sweeping plan to combat climate change. California environmental officials released an ambitious plan on Friday that seeks to cut the state's output of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. The California Air Resources Board proposal includes an extension of the state's controversial carbon cap-and-trade program, which sets limits on total emissions, and includes a 20 percent cut to greenhouse gas emissions from the state's oil refineries. http://www.reuters.com/article/california-climate-idUSL1N1FA1F1 http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-1484938433-htmlstory.html http://www.4-traders.com/news/California-Air-Resources-Board-issues-proposed-plan-to-achieve-groundbreaking-2030-climate-goals--23728290/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-20/as-trump-vows-to-kill-climate-plan-california-pushes-back White House climate change webpage disappears after Trump's inauguration. Less than an hour after President Trump took the oath of office on Friday, the White House’s webpage on climate change disappeared, the latest sign that the new administration will divert resources – and attention – from the issue. The removal of the page from the White House’s website came around the same time the site… http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/315284-white-house-climate-change-webpage-disappears-after-trumps http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/01/donald-trump-climate-white-house-website http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/20/the-white-house-websites-page-on-climate-change-just-disappeared.html http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/315284-white-house-climate-change-webpage-disappears-after-trumps http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/donald-trump-president-white-house-global-warming-climate-change-environment-a7538381.html Al Gore’s ‘Inconvenient Truth’ sequel shows he’s hopeful on climate change despite Trump. Eleven years after “An Inconvenient Truth” rocked the Sundance Film Festival and went on to become an Oscar winner and box office success, Al Gore’s eco-warrior alter-ego is back on-screen at Sundance with a timely follow-up, “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.” Its release arrives on the heels of news that 2016 was, like the two years before it, the hottest on record. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/01/20/al-gores-inconvenient-truth-sequel-shows-hes-hopeful-on-climate-change-despite-trump/?utm_term=.431e1e297d01 http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-sundance-updates-2017-htmlstory.html http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Al-Gore-has-a-triumphant-new-documentary-about-10871788.php http://www.businessinsider.com/al-gore-an-inconvenient-sequel-review-movie-2017-1 Mayor Calls For Cities Nationwide To Continue Fighting Climate Change Under Trump. At a conference in Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo called for cities across the country to continue fighting for the environment under a new presidential administration "not likely to be a significant partner in our battle against climate change." http://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/Mayor-Calls-For-Cities-Nationwide-To-Continue-10869674.php ‘Antarctica: Ice and Sky’ Review: Environmental Doc Overpraises Its Subject. The director of “March of the Penguins” sounds the alarm for global warming but also lavishes his glaciologist subject with too much gushy narration. Luc Jacquet’s documentary “Antarctica: Ice & Sky” comes to praise Claude Lorius, the now-84-year-old glaciologist who was the first researcher to discover a link between greenhouse gases and global warming. http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/the-wrap/article/Antarctica-Ice-and-Sky-Review-10871979.php Trump begins with call to kill climate action plan. As President Trump delivered his inaugural address Friday, his staff posted a variety of proposals ranging from an "American First Foreign Policy" to killing President Obama's climate action plan — plans largely echoing his campaign website. "For too long, we’ve been held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry. http://www.vcstar.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/20/donald-trump-first-day-barack-obama-white-house/96829932/ Scotland sets ambitious goal of 66% emissions cut within 15 years. Holyrood ministers aim higher after hitting target of 42% cut by 2020 six years early, but say Brexit poses challenge. Scotland is seeking to dramatically cut its reliance on fossil fuels for cars, energy and homes after setting a radical target to cut total climate emissions by 66% within 15 years. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/19/scotland-sets-ambitious-goal-of-66-emissions-cut-within-15-years?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=8500fa4599-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-8500fa4599-327747457 World’s poorest urge G20 to make long-term climate plans. Put your money where your mouth is. That’s the demand from a coalition of 43 of the poorest and most climate vulnerable countries ahead of July’s G20 summit in Hamburg. They want governments from the wealthy Group of 20 to start work on long term plans to ditch fossil fuels ahead of a UN climate policy review in 2018. http://www.climatechangenews.com/2017/01/19/worlds-poorest-urge-g20-to-make-long-term-climate-plans/?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=8500fa4599-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-8500fa4599-327747457 Warm Air Invades Arctic Again, Slowing Sea Ice Growth. A surge of warm air and stormy weather has once again invaded the Arctic, sending temperatures soaring and stagnating winter sea ice growth. These repeated incursions have helped keep sea ice area at record low levels for much of the freeze season, and have even contributed to an exceptional cold season retreat. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warm-air-slowing-sea-ice-growth-21081?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=8500fa4599-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-8500fa4599-327747457 Obama's climate legacy: 8 years of troubles and triumphs. When an environmentalist asked a recent adviser to President Obama what the future holds for confronting climate change, the answer cast a shadow on today's inauguration. That was before almost anyone gave Donald Trump a shot at winning the presidential election. No one would match Obama's zeal on climate, the adviser said. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/01/20/stories/1060048703 U.S. crop harvests to 'suffer' with climate change. Shifting climate patterns in North America could hit U.S. crop production hard, possibly even halving the production of corn by the end of the century, a new study finds. Scientists believe that the spike in average temperatures that is widely predicted by climate models for North America could hurt its agriculture sector. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/01/20/stories/1060048700 AIR POLLUTION Beijing to spend $2.7 billion on cleaning capital's air. Beijing will spend $2.7 billion to fight air pollution in the capital this year, state media reported Thursday. Part of the money will be used to close or upgrade more than 2,000 polluting factories, replace the use of coal with clean energy on the outskirts of the city and phase out 300,000 high-polluting older vehicles, the official Xinhua News Agency said… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Paramount metal finisher suspends operations after violating Chromium 6 pollution limit. A Paramount metal-finishing plant was forced to suspend some operations Thursday after violating limits on a potent cancer-causing air pollutant. Aerocraft Heat Treating Co., Inc. shut down operations that had the potential to emit Chromium 6 after levels of the pollutant outside the facility exceeded a specified threshold. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-paramount-metal-emissions-20170119-story.html Schools in Lindsay, San Joaquin added to pesticide monitoring list. Two areas in the central San Joaquin Valley have been added to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s air monitoring list, and will begin giving samples this month. Air samples from San Joaquin Elementary School in San Joaquin and Jefferson Elementary School in Lindsay will be taken once a week until December 2018… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article127145354.html#storylink=cpy Gas fireplaces offer a wide range of styles, and they're good for the environment. Southern California’s air quality in 2017 is much cleaner than it was a generation ago, thanks to some of the nation’s most stringent regulations. A 2016 USC study that tracked the health of Southern California children over two decades concluded that they now have significantly fewer respiratory symptoms because of improved air quality. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fireplace-741654-wood-hatabu.html EPA offers 2-pronged legal attack on MACT rule critics. U.S. EPA sought yesterday to parry a two-sided attack on its emission standards for brick and ceramic manufacturers, arguing in a newly filed court brief that the new limits are strong enough to satisfy public health requirements, yet not skewed against industry. "Neither side is right," EPA lawyers wrote in the brief, submitted as a rebuttal… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/01/20/stories/1060048727 EPA delays Del. ozone compliance petition response. U.S. EPA is giving itself another six months to address Delaware's complaint that a coal-fired power plant in southwestern Pennsylvania is contributing to ozone compliance problems. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control had brought the petition against the 1,711-megawatt… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/01/20/stories/1060048737 DROUGHT Western drought watchers keep wary eye on Lake Mead level. In a new report about an ongoing problem, an advocacy group is projecting the effects in places that depend on the Colorado River if the water level at drought-stricken Lake Mead continues to fall. Western Resource Advocates says the vast reservoir behind Hoover Dam is being drained faster than it can be filled, and the first to feel the effects would be farmers in Arizona. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article127701749.html#storylink=cpy Should California drought rules be lifted? State ponders question as storms roll in. With rivers roaring and more rain coming, California’s drought cops are wrestling with a complicated question: Should they keep patrolling the beat? A chorus of urban water districts Wednesday urged the State Water Resources Control Board… http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article127255174.html#storylink=cpy California Drought Retreats During Winter Rain Storms. California’s drought continues to wane just as the Bay Area is about to receive five straight days of rain, according to the National Weather Service. The U.S. Drought Monitor’s weekly analysis, released on Thursday shows only 2 percent of the state remains in the most extreme category “exceptional drought,” down 43 percent from a year ago. Recent heavy rains have resulted in significant improvements for much of California, most of it in the Northern half of the state. https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2017/01/19/california-drought-retreats-during-winter-rain-storms/ California's wet year means we will get increased water deliveries. State announces plans to send more Northern California water here. California water suppliers pleaded with state water officials on Wednesday to end a statewide emergency water conservation regulation. Nearly half of the state is out of drought as much of Northern California has been socked with one of its wettest years in decades. http://www.pe.com/articles/water-823477-state-california.html Drought’s back broken — or not? Despite the torrential rains of the last few weeks, experts say it’s too early to tell whether California’s interminable drought is really over. It will be necessary to monitor rainfall through at least March to make an assessment. California has been in a drought since 2012. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency in January 2014 after the state experienced record dry conditions. http://capitolweekly.net/drought-california-rains-over/ As drought eases, what’s next for California’s water strategy? With storms drenching much of California and snow blanketing the Sierra Nevada, the state’s top water regulators are grappling with how to shift from conservation rules devised during more than five years of drought to a long-term strategy for using water more sustainably. The State Water Resources Control Board plans to decide in February whether to extend the current drought regulations… http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2017/01/19/california-grapples-pivot-drought-rules-long-term-water-strategy/96805682/ California’s snowpack is good news for the parched state—for now. It's still early in the season, and the drought isn't ending. California’s wet winter continues, with rain and snowstorms still pelting the state. These constant storms are building up the California snowpack to levels that haven’t been seen in the drought-plagued state in several years. “This is way better than some of the recent years we’ve had… http://www.popsci.com/snowpack-increase-in-california-leads-to-cautious-optimism DIESEL ACTIVITIES DEQ receives more than $1 million in grants to reduce diesel emissions in Idaho. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has been awarded more than $1 million in grants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to retrofit and replace old, polluting diesel vehicles and equipment in Idaho. The funds will be used to retrofit or install diesel particulate filters or oxidation catalysts on construction… http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/idaho/deq-receives-more-than-million-in-grants-to-reduce-diesel/article_73f04910-df3e-11e6-8035-5b662e719c73.html FUELS Stinky cows and climate change: Scientists try to mitigate methane from cows. Many creatures, including you and me, emit methane from time to time. Microbes within our guts break down one substance and turn it into another, making methane in the process. Northern lakes and tundra plants also leak methane. That gas, too, is from microbes, which become more active as the air warms. http://juneauempire.com/outdoors/2017-01-20/stinky-cows-and-climate-change-scientists-try-mitigate-methane-cows Ethanol lowers GHG emission 43% compared to petrol, USDA says. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with corn-based ethanol in the US are about 43% lower than petrol when measured on an energy equivalent basis, a new study finds. Carried out by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the study – Life-Cycle Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Based Ethanol… http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/11716/ethanol_lowers_ghg_emission_43_compared_to_petrol_usda_says/ MIT team engineers yeast to boost lipid production for biofuels. MIT engineers have genetically engineered strains of the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica to boost the production of lipids by about 25% compared to previously engineered yeast strains. Their approach could enable commercialization of microbial carbohydrate-based lipid production, supporting the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/01/20170120-mit.html VEHICLES Ford Targets London’s ‘White Van Man’ to Drive Down Emissions. Ford Motor Co. will trial plug-in hybrid vans in London in an effort to accelerate the uptake of low-emissions vehicles and tackle climate change and air pollution. Aided by 4.7 million pounds ($5.8 million) of U.K. government funding, the automaker will test 20 of the vehicles, which mainly operate using an electric battery but can fall back… https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-20/ford-targets-london-s-white-van-man-to-drive-down-emissions Utah plans for larger charging station network. Utah state leaders are planning to create an electric corridor connecting Yellowstone National Park to Disneyland. Rocky Mountain Power, the regional utility, has been provided with $14 million to create a network of electric charging stations in the region — enough that an electric vehicle driver could travel comfortably from Disneyland in California to Yellowstone in Montana. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/01/20/stories/1060048695 VW RECALL Almost 67,000 polluting VW and Audi diesels returned so far. Almost 67,000 of the roughly 470,000 Volkswagen and Audi 2-liter diesel models sold in the United States with emissions-cheating software have been returned to dealers for buybacks or lease terminations, an attorney for the automaker said at a hearing in federal court in San Francisco Wednesday. http://www.sfgate.com/cars/article/Almost-67-000-polluting-VW-and-Audi-diesels-10866125.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop Volkswagen’s $14.7 billion “Dieselgate” settlement could greenify. Volkswagen’s pain could be Georgia's gain. Georgia's roads. About $58 million of Volkswagen’s $14.7 billion settlement for violating federal clean air laws is headed to Georgia to help clean up the state’s transportation system, according to a report from the Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center. http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2017/01/20/volkswagen-s-14-7-billion-dieselgate-settlement.html GREEN ENERGY British village gets solar battery boost in green energy trial. Villagers in northern England may soon see their electricity bills slashed by as much as 50 percent in a pilot project allowing them to use solar power around the clock. In a 250,000 pound ($307,000) trial, 40 houses in the village of Oxspring, 12 miles (19 km) north of Sheffield, will be linked in a "virtual power plant"… http://www.reuters.com/article/britain-renewables-solar-idUSL5N1FA236 Rick Perry expresses ‘regret’ for pledging to abolish Energy Department. Former Texas governor Rick Perry, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Energy Department, parried questions about climate change at his confirmation hearing Thursday morning, reversing his earlier skeptical stance but still balking when pressed to declare it a crisis. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/rick-perry-seeks-to-lead-the-energy-department-an-agency-he-pledged-to-abolish/2017/01/18/19b14494-dd0a-11e6-acdf-14da832ae861_story.html?utm_campaign=8500fa4599-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Inside Climate News&utm_term=.1e731259442d Hawaii bill aims for 100 percent renewable transportation. Hawaii has the most aggressive renewable energy targets in the nation, aiming for its utilities to get 100 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2045. Now advocates want to extend that goal to the transportation sector to urge all forms of ground transportation to fuel up using renewable sources by 2045. http://www.seattlepi.com/business/technology/article/Hawaii-bill-aims-for-100-percent-renewable-10867919.php http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/01/20/stories/1060048696 Trump Treasury pick backs wind credit — for now. Treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin voiced support yesterday for keeping the federal tax credit for wind intact during the first several years of the Trump administration. At his confirmation hearing, Mnuchin was asked by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) whether he supported the current phaseout of the production tax credit for wind… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/01/20/stories/1060048724 On Inauguration Day, Trump's energy agenda starts to unfold. A cavalcade of limousines and marchers is ready to usher Donald Trump to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. this afternoon as the 45th president, in a highly secured procession where every minute detail has been scoped and scripted. But the currents of energy and economic actions that will follow Trump's inauguration won't resemble today's clockwork plans… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/01/20/stories/1060048692 MISCELLANEOUS Barack Obama's science legacy. In 2008, President Barack Obama said that he would “change the posture of our federal government from being one of the most anti-science administrations in American history to one that embraces science and technology.” As Obama’s final days in office come to a close, it is important to look back and examine his legacy on science. http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/story/barack-obamas-science-legacy/ OPINIONS State climate policies are boosting San Joaquin Valley’s economy. From the statehouse to the courthouse to Washington, D.C., California’s pioneering climate policies face scrutiny. How do they affect jobs? How do they affect the economy more broadly? Do they cost too much? People have a lot of opinions about these questions. At Next 10, we wanted to add hard economic data to the discussion. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article127307039.html#storylink=cpy Leonard Galan: If state won’t build water storage, I won’t quit watering my lawn. The next time the state asks me to let my yard go dry because of a drought, I will ignore the request. I have not heard of any legislation in California to support building more water storage. Do we not think the population in California will continue to grow? And I guess we think there will not be another severe drought. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article127702274.html#storylink=cpy The threat to species from climate change should provoke shame in our hearts. While Australia bakes through another hot, angry summer, its precious wildlife is increasingly under threat, not just from the extreme weather of fires and floods but by the growing reality of a changing climate. It is getting hotter. Day by day, month by month, year by year – 2016 is confirmed as the hottest year on record globally… https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/20/the-threat-to-species-from-climate-change-should-provoke-shame-in-our-hearts BLOGS Better Transportation Choices are Key to Meeting California’s 2030 Climate Goals. California has set ambitious targets for reducing climate emissions by 2030 – a 40% reduction in emissions compared to 1990 levels. And transportation is the largest source of emissions in the Golden State – accounting for nearly half of the state’s emissions when you consider production and refining of oil as well as burning it in our cars, trucks, trains and ships. http://blog.ucsusa.org/don-anair/better-transportation-choices-are-key-to-meeting-californias-2030-climate-goals California Dreamin’ of a Clean Electricity Grid. My daughter is almost a year old, so lately I’ve been reading a lot of books about farm animals. It’s been fun to practice animal noises, but it has also felt a little strange to teach my daughter about a lifestyle that fewer Americans experience. It’s gotten me thinking about what else in our daily lives might look different by the time my daughter is a teenager. http://blog.ucsusa.org/laura-wisland/california-dreamin-of-a-clean-electricity-grid Ancient Warm Period Hints at Future Sea Level Rise. Ocean temperatures in a natural warm period 125,000 years ago were indistinguishable from today—but sea level was six to nine meters higher. Sea levels could rise by a greater-than-expected six metres (20 ft) over many centuries even if governments cap global warming around current levels, scientists said on Thursday, based on clues from an ancient warm period. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ancient-warm-period-hints-at-future-sea-level-rise/ Trump Day 1: Global Warming's Fate. If the new president delays climate action as promised, the world is far more likely to miss its Paris agreement goals. Donald Trump’s presidency begins today, giving him the ability to act on numerous pledges he has made related to global warming. They include “canceling” American involvement in the Paris climate accord, reviving the coal industry and rolling back federal environmental regulations. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-day-1-global-warmings-fate/ California's grid geeks: The keepers of a clean future. The Sacramento-based Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT) and its allies long have seen themselves as prime keepers of California’s clean energy future. To keep the state on track, the center long has contended that a much more balanced portfolio of renewable sources is needed. The state’s rapid growth of rooftop and utility-scale solar installation must… https://www.greenbiz.com/article/californias-grid-geeks-keepers-clean-future Rick Perry’s hearing was blindsided by a report that Trump plans to gut the Energy Department. When Rick Perry walked into his secretary of energy confirmation hearing this morning, he was all set to make a bold pitch for the Department of Energy’s crucial role in supporting scientific research and developing new energy technologies. He told the Senate panel that the DOE was crucial in developing hydraulic fracturing technology, which led to a huge oil and gas boom in America. http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/1/19/14324412/perry-energy-research-trump Mar-a-Lago’s Destiny as Trump’s Presidential Retreat. Donald Trump’s Presidency, whatever else it may be, can be viewed as the fulfillment of a dying wish of Marjorie Merriweather Post, who was the daughter of the founder of the cornflake company that evolved into General Foods, the second wife of the financier E. F. Hutton (her second husband), and one of the wealthiest Americans ever. http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/mar-a-lago-trump-presidential-retreat We're Still Using A Lot Of Nonrenewable Energy. That Has Pros And Cons. There is a lot of talk about the rapid growth of renewable energy, including wind and solar. It can be easy to forget that at least for now, we still rely heavily on nonrenewable energy sources, such as oil, natural gas, coal and uranium. Today, it’s hard to imagine the western standard of living without fossil fuels and nuclear energy… http://www.forbes.com/sites/uhenergy/2017/01/20/were-still-using-a-lot-of-nonrenewable-energy-that-has-pros-and-cons/#6aebab7a4d9a The Saudis' Solar Boom Hits the Next Level. It’s not really news to hear about the sprawling state of California adopting more solar power. For one, the state has a reputation for being one of the most clean energy–friendly states in the U.S. and the biggest market for solar energy in the country. California also gets to play guinea pig to Elon Musk’s latest innovations, from his electric cars to his home battery packs. http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/the-saudis-solar-boom-hits-the-next-level/5722 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.