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ARB Newsclips for February 9, 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.

ARB BUSINESS

Low Carbon Fuel Standard Discussion Paper and Materials for
February 10, 2017 Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Working Meeting.
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff has posted the
discussion paper and additional materials for the Low Carbon Fuel
Standard Fuel-Specific Working Meeting focusing on Biodiesel and
Renewable Diesel on February 10, 2017. The above can be found
at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/lcfs_meetings/lcfs_meetings.htm.

CAP AND TRADE

How will California battle climate change? A new proposal revs up
debate over cap-and-trade program. California lawmakers are
moving to reshape the state’s climate change policies by focusing
on social justice issues such as alleviating local pollution and
creating job opportunities, laying down a marker in conversations
about the future of the cap-and-trade program.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-california-cap-trade-proposal-20170209-story.html


Here's what you should know about this year's debate over
California's cap-and-trade program. Battles over climate change
policies have become an annual fixture at the state Capitol, and
this year appears to be no different. Lawmakers are preparing to
decide the future of the cap-and-trade program, the centerpiece
of California’s battle against global warming. Cap and trade is
extremely complex, and so are the politics involved.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-cap-trade-debate-20170209-htmlstory.html


Republican Carbon Tax Proposal: Novel Climate Solution or
Regulatory Giveaway?  A new plan offered by veteran Republican
policymakers trades off a price on carbon for de-fanging the EPA
on regulating carbon dioxide. A group of eminent establishment
Republicans have proposed a grand compromise on climate change
policy: a carbon tax, offset by a payout to individuals and
families, in exchange for repeal of other regulations on
industry.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08022017/carbon-tax-epa-clean-power-plan-climate-change-donald-trump


Conservatives Push Carbon Tax to Address Climate Crisis. With
President Trump and Republicans in Congress moving swiftly to
repeal regulations that slow global warming, a group of prominent
conservatives on Wednesday touted a different potential solution
— a carbon tax that pays cash dividends to Americans. In a paper
titled “The Conservative Case For Carbon Dividends,” op-eds in
the New York Times and Wall Street Journal and…
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/conservatives-push-carbon-tax-to-address-climate-21148


CLIMATE CHANGE

Good Luck Killing the EPA. Dismembering the agency requires
changing 45 years worth of laws, warns one Republican who ran it.
Republicans have been known to threaten this from time to time,
with the understanding that it was red meat for ideological or
business interests with no real chance of success. “Everybody
hates regulation,” said Republican Christine Todd Whitman, a
former EPA administrator and New Jersey governor,
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-08/good-luck-killing-the-epa


EPA Officials Yanked From Alaska Event as Trump Team Weighs In.
Just three days before this week’s environment conference in
Alaska, the top Environmental Protection Agency official in
Anchorage called the organizer with some news: The agency had
been instructed by the White House to slash the number of EPA
staffers who could attend.
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-02-09/epa-officials-yanked-from-alaska-event-as-trump-team-weighs-in


Former EPA head Gina McCarthy: “I don’t know why climate change
got to be a religion”. Former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy
says she has deep concerns about the agency’s direction under the
Trump administration and is urging California and other states to
take the lead on slowing climate change. “I think I’m concerned
about this administration and their commitment…
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/08/former-epa-administrator-i-dont-know-why-climate-change-got-to-be-a-religion/


Obama EPA Head Says Calif. Must Lead Climate Change Action. Less
than three weeks out of her job as the nation’s top environmental
regulator, former E.P.A. Administrator Gina McCarthy flew to
California to discuss environmental action with Democratic
lawmakers. McCarthy says, since President Donald Trump and new
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt have rejected mainstream climate
science…
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2017/02/08/obama-epa-head-says-ca-must-lead-climate-change-action/

http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/09/stories/1060049800 

Were World Leaders Duped Over Manipulated Global Warming Data?
The world’s leading source of climate data rushed to publish a
landmark paper that exaggerated global warming and was timed to
influence the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change reports
David Rose. A high-level whistle blower reported that America’s
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) breached…
http://canadafreepress.com/article/were-world-leaders-duped-over-manipulated-global-warming-data


What climate change action, Republican-style, might look like. A
group of prominent conservatives put forward a plan for
addressing climate change. In some ways, it's a marker for the
future. Climate-change activists keep knocking on President
Trump’s door. Only this time, it’s not Al Gore or Leonardo
DiCaprio. It’s former Reagan Treasury Secretary James Baker –
backed up by a Mitt Romney tweet.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Inhabit/2017/0208/What-climate-change-action-Republican-style-might-look-like


Nine Northeastern States Cut Global Warming Pollution. Over the
past 12 years, a pollution-trading program has helped states
reduce carbon emissions, save money, and create jobs. Dykes:
“Pollution reduction and economic growth can go hand-in-hand.”
That’s Katie Dykes, the chair of the board of directors of the
Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, affectionately
known as “Reggie.”
http://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2017/02/nine-northeastern-states-cut-global-warming-pollution/


Sea ice levels hit record low. Arctic sea ice levels hit record
lows in January, continuing a months long pattern of depleted ice
volume that began last October. The sea ice extent was
particularly low in the Bering Sea, along Alaska's southwest
coast, as well as in the Barents and Kara seas north of Russia
and Norway…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/09/stories/1060049773 

Tree-lined suburbs increasingly threatened by climate change. The
suburbs evoke images of white picket fences and organized sports,
a peaceful escape from big-city living. But new research finds
verdant residential communities are increasingly likely to go up
in smoke. In an analysis of more than 23 million fires…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/09/stories/1060049767 

DROUGHT

California retains drought measures, despite wet weather. Water
regulators in California on Wednesday extended what are now
largely symbolic conservation measures lingering from the drought
after the state has seen one of the wettest winters in years.
Regulators decided to retain the measures at least until spring
as a precaution against the possible return of dry weather — even
as another major storm bears down on the state.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/california-retains-drought-measures-despite-wet-weather/2017/02/08/06a5425c-ee61-11e6-a100-fdaaf400369a_story.html?utm_term=.1b229cd4cbfc


Despite epic rain and snow, California keeps emergency drought
restrictions in place. California’s snowpack is at 184% of
average for this time of year. Cities from San Francisco to Los
Angeles have recorded their highest rain levels in years.
Rockslides and flooding hit Northern California. And the spillway
of the state’s massive dam at Lake Oroville, once a symbol of the
state’s brutal drought when it sat near empty, is actually
eroding due to so much runoff from fall and winter rains.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-emergency-regulations-20170208-story.html


California extends emergency drought regulations despite heavy
rain, snow. The State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday
voted to keep statewide emergency drought controls in effect,
even as most of California sees historic amounts of rain and
snow. The drought regulations, which have been greatly relaxed in
recent months, will run at least another 270 days.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article131586379.html#storylink=cpy


California storms: Drought gone in 53 percent of state, most
since 2013. For the first time in four years, more than half of
California is no longer classified as being in drought conditions
by the federal government — the latest milestone signaling the
end of the state’s historic drought. Altogether, 53 percent of
California has seen enough precipitation, and its reservoirs and
groundwater levels filled so much that it is not in drought…
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/09/california-storms-drought-gone-in-more-than-50-percent-of-state-for-first-time-since-2013/

Why the worst drought in U.S. history was a 'climate surprise'.
For a while, it seemed as though the big questions about what
weather forecasters call the "Great Plains Drought" in the summer
of 2012 had been answered. It was the most peculiar and damaging
drought in U.S. history. As it parched the earth over U.S.
breadbasket states from May through August, it caused $30 billion
worth of damage.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/09/stories/1060049766 

DIESEL ACTIVITIES

California Pilot Project Pushes Alt-Fuel School Buses. A
California program is offering $10 million for purchasing school
buses powered by electricity (pictured), renewable diesel,
natural gas, or propane. A California program is offering $10
million for purchasing school buses powered by electricity
(pictured), renewable diesel, natural gas, or propane.
http://www.schoolbusfleet.com/news/719955/california-pilot-project-pushes-alt-fuel-school-buses?utm_campaign=Newsline-Thursday-New-20170209&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter
 

FUELS

As feds roll back methane rule, California pushes ahead with its
own. As Congress moves towards scrapping a federal rule
regulating methane, California is plowing forward with the
nation's strictest rules designed to curb the emissions of the
potent greenhouse gas from oil and gas sites – the latest example
of the state going it alone on climate change. The rule was one
of a suite of environmental regulations passed in the waning days
of the Obama Administration.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2017/02/08/68859/as-feds-roll-back-methane-rule-california-pushes-a/


VEHICLES

There Are Now More Plug-in Cars For Sale In the US Than Hybrids.
Just six years ago when the first major manufacturer plug-in
electrified vehicles were experimentally launched, who knew that
by now there’d be more plug-ins for sale in the U.S. than
more-established regular hybrids? What began with the extended
range 2011 Chevy Volt and all-electric 2011 Nissan Leaf…
http://www.hybridcars.com/there-are-now-more-plug-in-cars-for-sale-in-the-us-than-hybrids/


Tesla factory getting upgrades as Model 3 electric car
approaches. Tesla plans to shut down its California assembly
plant for a week to make equipment upgrades for production of its
new mass-market electric car in a sign that the vehicle might be
on track to hit ambitious production goals. The automaker
confirmed that would halt manufacturing temporarily in February
to add capacity…
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/02/09/tesla-model-3/97684884/

California goal: eliminate gasoline, diesel light vehicles
altogether. What if gasoline and diesel cars and light trucks
were simply eliminated altogether from the new vehicles sold in a
state? Residents of one state in the U.S. may, eventually, find
out. California already leads the nation in promoting
zero-emission vehicles, but the Golden State may soon take that
policy a step further.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1108799_california-goal-eliminate-gasoline-diesel-light-vehicles-altogether


Not enough charging points for electric cars; fracking in
Scotland economically marginal. While it is good news for the
environment that UK sales of electric cars are rising (Report, 7
February) this trend is unlikely to really take off while we have
such a disjointed and shortsighted policy regarding electric
vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
Boris Johnson sold the London-wide charging network to a French
company…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/09/not-enough-charging-points-for-electric-cars-fracking-in-scotland-economically-marginal


VW RECALL

VW turns on ex-chairman over emissions allegations. Volkswagen
signalled it could take legal action against former chairman
Ferdinand Piech after a media report said he had informed top
directors about potential cheating of diesel emission tests six
months before the scandal became public. The report, without
citing sources, said Piech raised the issue with then-Chief
Executive Martin Winterkorn…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKBN15O18H


VW diesels that can be fixed to meet emissions standards (and
those that can't). So far only a relatively small number of
settlement vehicles can be modified to meet emissions standards
and stay on the road. More than 16 months after Volkswagen's use
of illegal "defeat device" software in diesel vehicles was
announced by the Environmental Protection Agency…
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2017/0207/VW-diesels-that-can-be-fixed-to-meet-emissions-standards-and-those-that-can-t


This Latest Revelation About Dieselgate Is Kind Of Insane. The
main issue around Dieselgate for most people is how are all of
VW’s cheater cars going to get fixed, but there’s a second
question of when VW’s executives found out about the cheat and if
there was an internal coverup. New news on that front involves
backstabbing, lies and a former ambassador to Israel.
http://jalopnik.com/this-latest-revelation-about-dieselgate-is-kind-of-insa-1792145655


Volkswagen has a new subbrand – Electrify America. The Dieselgate
scandal is still making ripples across VW’s strategy – at least
as far as America is concerned – where the German group has set
up a completely new, green subsidiary. As part of the settlement
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the automaker has
revealed it has deployed a new subsidiary called Electrify
America…
http://www.inautonews.com/volkswagen-has-a-new-subbrand-electrify-america

GREEN ENERGY

Why two American billionaires are betting on renewable energy.
According to a couple of American billionaires, the future of the
energy grid looks very green. Philip Anschutz, of oil and
entertainment industry wealth, is hoping to build what would
become America's largest wind farm in Wyoming. What’s more,
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, a large player in renewable
energy…
https://cms.marketplace.org/2017/02/08/world/why-two-american-billionaires-are-betting-renewable-energy

Low solar costs could mean end of coal demand by 2020. The demand
for coal and oil could peak as soon as 2020, according to a new
report. The report, prepared by researchers from the Grantham
Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at
Imperial College and the Carbon Tracker Initiative, attributes
this trend to the rapid drops in the pricing of renewable energy,
specifically solar power and electric vehicles.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/09/stories/1060049772 

Storing power raises energy consumption and emissions — study.
Storing solar energy for nighttime use actually increases
consumption and emissions, according to new research from the
University of Texas, Austin. The finding runs counter to the
notion that solar panels are reliable 24-hour power sources only
if the energy can be stored. Instead…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/02/09/stories/1060049777 

Wind expands to country's 4th-largest electricity source. U.S.
wind power developers installed nearly 6,500 megawatts of new
generation capacity between October and December, marking the
industry's second-largest quarterly growth and solidifying wind's
position as the nation's No. 1 renewable energy resource,
according to data released this morning by the American Wind
Energy Association.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/02/09/stories/1060049827 

MISCELLANEOUS

Trump's last answer to a carbon tax? No way! The number of ideas
for replacing the Clean Power Plan is beginning to grow. The
proposal yesterday by former Secretary of State James Baker and
other distinguished Republicans to tax carbon dioxide and return
the revenue to Americans in quarterly dividend checks is an
ambitious plan that could outperform Obama-era regulations in
terms of reducing greenhouse gases.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/09/stories/1060049798 

OPINIONS

Want ‘climate change consensus’? Let’s form the McChrystal
Commission. Imagine, if you will, an August 2017 Post headline:
“McChrystal Commission report surprises, energizes and outrages.”
The first paragraph reads: “The much-anticipated and closely
guarded final report of the McChrystal Commission on Climate
Change released Tuesday shook nearly every interest and player in
the capital.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/want-climate-change-consensus-lets-form-the-mccrystal-commission/2017/02/09/1f5c346c-ee53-11e6-9973-c5efb7ccfb0d_story.html?utm_term=.9b9aefc0e3fc


BLOGS

GOP Climate Group Tries to Warm White House to Carbon Tax. The
main issue around Dieselgate for most people is how are all of
VW’s cheater cars going to get fixed, but there’s a second
question of when VW’s executives found out about the cheat and if
there was an internal coverup. New news on that front involves
backstabbing, lies and a former ambassador to Israel.
http://jalopnik.com/this-latest-revelation-about-dieselgate-is-kind-of-insa-1792145655


Something is very, very wrong with the Arctic climate. This
Arctic winter has startled even the most even-keeled scientists,
with records set for low sea ice extent, high temperatures and
other indicators of a climate gone awry. Sea ice has plummeted to
record lows and stayed there as pulses of unusually warm air have
swept across the region, with the latest one set to reach the
North Pole on Thursday.
http://mashable.com/2017/02/08/sea-ice-record-low-january/#deKNKflk45qQ


California Aims to Buy Clean — and it Starts with Buying
American-Made. Sourcing steel, aluminum, & other industrial
products from the U.S. can help lower carbon emissions.
Environmental advocates, labor unions, Silicon Valley leaders and
steel producers are joining forces to support new legislation in
California that would add a Buy Clean mandate to state
procurement rules.
http://www.americanmanufacturing.org/blog/entry/california-aims-to-buy-clean-and-it-starts-with-buying-american-made


UK grocer first in Europe to use new trucks fuelled by food
waste.  A British supermarket has become the first retailer in
Europe to use a new type of tank that keeps trucks motoring on
fuel made from food waste for 500 miles, almost twice the current
average. The longer driving range - capacity had held back
earlier green fuel options - could entice more business to turn
to low-emission lorries and thereby help fight global warming.
http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report-uk-grocer-first-in-europe-to-use-new-trucks-fuelled-by-food-waste-2318197


EPA Comes Under the Gun in Congressional Hearing. The hearing
also examined a complaint that a former NOAA scientist
manipulated data in a high-profile global warming paper.
Republicans in the new U.S. Congress unleashed on Tuesday some of
their opening salvos against the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), which they say creates unnecessary and burdensome
regulations…
https://eos.org/articles/epa-comes-under-the-gun-in-congressional-hearing




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