What's New List Serve Post Display

CARB Newsclips for April 5, 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.

CARB BUSINESS

The Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) will conduct a public
meeting at the time and place noted below to consider Truck Field
Enforcement Activities and New Screening Technology for High
Emitting Vehicles.

DATE:  	April 27, 2017
TIME:  	9:00 a.m.
LOCATION: 	California Environmental Protection Agency
          		Air Resources Board
         		Byron Sher Auditorium, 2nd Floor
          		1001 I Street
          		Sacramento, California 95814

WEBCAST: http://www.cal-span.org/       

Air Resources Board staff have posted a white paper on the health
benefits of physical activity and air pollution exposure while
walking and bicycling for transportation.  
Download the White Paper:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/vprp/physical_activity_and_health_final_161216.pdf
    

For more information, including the White Paper and other
resources, visit our Built Environment webpage:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/vprp/vprp.htm      

A fact sheet summarizing this document can be found here:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/html/fact_sheets/physical_activity_fact_sheet.pdf


On Monday, April 24th, the California Air Resources Board will
host a research seminar focusing on household transportation
choices and commitments of statewide greenhouse gas reductions
required by SB 375. Announcement available here:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/seminars/mokhtarian/mokhtarian.htm
 


AIR POLLUTION

London plans vehicle emissions fee to fight air pollution. The
mayor of London says drivers of the most polluting cars will have
to pay a 12.50 pound ($15.55) charge to drive in the city in a
bid to improve air quality. Mayor Sadiq Khan says the charge will
start in April 2019 and apply to diesel cars more than four years
old and petrol cars more than 13 years old. It will initially
cover central London, with plans to widen the zone by 2021.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BRITAIN_AIR_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s claim that ‘clean coal’ helped
reduce carbon emissions. “We’ve demonstrated through the steps
we’ve taken already, the pre-1994 levels, because of that
technology — we can burn coal in clean fashion.” “I think that
we’ve done it better than anybody in the world at burning coal
clean, in a clean fashion. The innovative and technological
advances that we’ve seen, along with natural gas production and
generating electricity…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/04/05/epa-administrator-scott-pruitts-claim-that-clean-coal-helped-reduce-carbon-emissions/?utm_term=.fb5e8ee37034


Vehicles Responsible For Much Higher Proportion Of Ammonia Air
Pollution Than Previously Thought. While agriculture has
generally been assumed to be the primary source of ammonia air
pollution in cities, it seems that quite a lot of it is actually
originating with vehicles in the cities themselves, according to
new research. To state that again: more of the ammonia air
pollution…
https://cleantechnica.com/2017/04/05/vehicles-responsible-much-higher-proportion-ammonia-air-pollution-previously-thought/


Auto exhaust absorbed in snow presents health hazard — study.
Snow is quick to absorb a class of toxic chemicals from vehicle
exhaust, which may then find their way into the broader
environment after a thaw, a study has found. The study, recently
published online in the journal Environmental Pollution, used a
laboratory setting to see what happens when snow is exposed to
engine exhaust.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/04/05/stories/1060052665 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Unusually large swarm of icebergs drifts into shipping lanes.
More than 400 icebergs have drifted into the North Atlantic
shipping lanes over the past week in an unusually large swarm for
this early in the season, forcing vessels to slow to a crawl or
take detours of hundreds of miles. Experts are attributing it to
uncommonly strong counter-clockwise winds that are drawing the
icebergs south, and perhaps also global warming…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SHIPPING_LANES_ICEBERGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Mayors will lead on climate change for political gain, says
ex-NYC mayor. Mayors globally are increasingly adopting measures
to slash greenhouse gas emissions because it makes them popular
with voters, former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said on
Monday. Days after U.S. President Donald Trump dismantled
countrywide climate-change policies, Bloomberg said mayors are
going beyond…
http://uk.reuters.com/article/usa-climate-mayors-idUKL2N1HB0V9  

Former Obama DOT head questions Trump decision on emissions.
Trump's order in March reversed a decision made under the Obama
administration in January to affirm standards that were adopted
in 2012 that will usher in tougher standards from 2021 – 2025.
The decision to restart the review process of automotive
emissions standards by the Trump administration is a possible
"setback" for efforts to curtail climate change…
http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2017/04/05/anthony-foxx-emissions-auto-regulations/100065816/


California's conservative farmers tackle climate change, in their
own way. As California transitions from devastating drought into
one of the wettest periods in decades, farmers are seeking new
ways to protect their fields from whipsaw weather extremes. Like
all California farmers, Don Cameron is used to long dry spells
interrupted by wet years. Drought and flood, he says, have always
been a way of life in the Golden State.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Inhabit/2017/0404/California-s-conservative-farmers-tackle-climate-change-in-their-own-way


Shipping Industry & EU at Odds on Carbon Emissions. The shipping
industry may not ultimately be able to regulate itself in terms
of cutting carbon emissions, according to some within the
European Union; the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
disagrees, according to Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide. The
IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee has worked within
the shipping industry to create a reduction strategy…
https://www.environmentalleader.com/2017/04/shipping-industry-eu-odds-carbon-emissions/
 

Human Evolution Through Climate Change: Most Species On Earth Are
Changing. The temperature of the Earth has risen 1 degree Celsius
since the pre-industrial era, scientists believe. That may seem
like a tiny change, but because of that 1 degree, salamanders
from the Appalachian Mountains have shrunk and the skulls of
chipmunks in Yellowstone National Park have actually changed
shape.
http://www.ibtimes.com/human-evolution-through-climate-change-most-species-earth-are-changing-2521265


EPA Watchdog Could Spark Internal Clash Over Pruitt’s Climate
Denial. The agency’s scientific integrity officer, a former
environmental advocate, is tasked with evaluating EPA chief’s
statements denying CO2 drives global warming. Did Scott Pruitt's
recent climate denial cross a red line and violate the scientific
integrity rules of the Environmental Protection Agency? That's a
question now being reviewed…
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05042017/environmental-protection-agency-scott-pruitt-climate-change-denialist-fossil-fuels


Global Warming By 2250 Could Make Earth Warmest In Over 400
Million Years. President Donald Trump wants to reinvigorate the
domestic fossil fuel industry, which he says will create jobs,
and to defend the move, which is categorically catastrophic for
the planet, he has either denied human-induced climate change
outright or at best, been non-committal in acknowledging.
http://www.ibtimes.com/global-warming-2250-could-make-earth-warmest-over-400-million-years-2520993


Yes, 50 million years ago the earth was hotter. Here's why
climate change is still a major problem. We've got 99 problems
and CO2 is number one. If we do nothing to reduce our carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions, by the end of this century the Earth
will be as hot as it was 50 million years ago in the early
Eocene, according to a new study out today in the journal Nature
Communications. http://www.popsci.com/carbon-emissions-warming 

DROUGHT

Drought may be nearly over, but Californians are still saving
water. Californians are still conserving substantial amounts of
water even as Gov. Jerry Brown appears ready to rescind or relax
his drought declaration. The State Water Resources Board
announced Tuesday that urban Californians reduced water usage by
25.1 percent in February, compared with the state’s baseline year
of 2013. The February conservation results were substantially
better than a year ago…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article142626989.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/water-and-drought/article142641494.html#storylink=cpy


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

How Hydraulic Hybrids Save Tons of Fuel and Emissions Where It’s
Needed Most. It’s a weekly cacophony of sounds that many are
familiar with — the loud hiss of air brakes followed by a
mechanical mayhem, and then the roar of a big, thirsty diesel
engine. Beginning in the early morning hours across America, five
days a week, an army of big-dog refuse trucks set out to pick up
our trash.
http://www.hybridcars.com/how-hydraulic-hybrids-save-tons-of-fuel-and-emissions-where-its-needed-most/


FUELS

California appellate court hears oral arguments in Poet LCFS
case. The 5th District Court of Appeals heard oral arguments
March 23 in the case of Poet vs. California Air Resources Board.
The attorneys for Poet argued that ARB acted in bad faith by not
completely addressing the California Environmental Quality Act
violations as directed by the court and are seeking a suspension
of the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) to 2013 levels…
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/2512684/ 

VEHICLES

Trump Cutting EPA Emissions Test Lab And Wants Automakers To Pay
For It. The White House is proposing a budget cut that would take
away the Environmental Protection Agency’s emissions testing lab.
A Trump administration budget document was discovered and posted
online by The Washington Post showing the president wants to
eliminate $48 million that goes to EPA vehicle and fuel testing
and certification.
http://www.hybridcars.com/trump-cutting-epa-emissions-test-lab-and-wants-automakers-to-pay-for-it/

http://www.autonews.com/article/20170404/OEM/170409924/white-house-seeks-to-slash-epa-funds-for-vehicle-emissions-testing

http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/04/05/stories/1060052632 

Mulroe bill seeks to ease impact of closing of emissions test
stations. After an emissions testing station in his district
closed in November, state Sen. John Mulroe said he heard from
constituents about the burden of traveling a greater distance and
then having to wait for their vehicle to pass. "The goal of the
emissions testing is to reduce air pollution from vehicles,"
Mulroe said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/norridge/news/ct-nhh-emissions-testing-bill-tl-0406-20170405-story.html


Plug-in electric car sales for Mar: Leaf beats Bolt EV, plug-in
hybrids beat electrics (updated). The Chevrolet Volt plug-in
hybrid again took the crown among plug-in electric cars whose
makers report monthly sales. A total of 2,132 Volts were sold in
March, bringing its three-month sales to 5,563 units, higher than
any other car with a plug over the same period.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1109695_plug-in-electric-car-sales-for-mar-leaf-beats-bolt-ev-plug-in-hybrids-beat-electrics


Here’s the gorgeous electric car Porsche is making to take on
Tesla. Porsche is doubling down on its electric car efforts and
plans to roll out its first fully electric vehicle, dubbed the
Mission E, by 2020. The German automaker also plans to sell
different variants of the electric vehicles with varying power
outputs, according to an Autocar report published in March.
http://www.businessinsider.com/porsche-mission-e-all-electric-concept-car-2017-3


GREEN ENERGY

U.K. Seeks to Abandon Green Goal That May Sour Brexit. Officials
in the Treasury and the business department are looking for a way
to abandon the national goal of getting 15 percent renewable
energy by 2020, which is almost double the current level,
according to a person with knowledge of the matter who asked not
to be identified because the discussions are private.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-05/u-k-said-to-seek-end-for-clean-energy-goal-that-may-sour-brexit


Rural landowners could be in for windfall as Alberta shifts to
green energy. Alberta farmers who historically have profited from
having oil and gas wells on their land have a new opportunity
blowing in the wind, though experts advise landowners seek legal
counsel before signing contracts. The province’s planned move
toward 30 per cent renewable electricity by 2030 has made Alberta
the most attractive…
http://calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/rural-landowners-could-be-in-for-windfall-as-alberta-shifts-to-green-energy
 

Exelon sells $400M stake in wind, solar generation portfolio.
Exelon Corp., the nation's largest utility owner, has agreed to
sell nearly half an interest in a 1,300-megawatt renewable
generation portfolio to John Hancock Life Insurance Co. for $400
million. The sale, announced late Monday in a Securities and
Exchange Commission filing, will give John Hancock a 49 percent
stake in ExGen Renewables…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/04/05/stories/1060052598 

MISCELLANEOUS

Some GOP lawmakers push back against EPA cuts. As President
Donald Trump introduces a series of budget cuts and regulatory
rollbacks that would cripple the Environmental Protection Agency,
he faces one unpredictable obstacle: resistance from fellow
Republicans. A small but vocal number of GOP lawmakers have
rallied in support of popular programs in their districts…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article142802164.html#storylink=cpy


OPINIONS

To Curb Global Warming, Science Fiction May Become Fact. Remember
“Snowpiercer”? In the delirious sci-fi thriller by the Korean
director Bong Joon-ho, an attempt to engineer the climate and
stop global warming goes horribly wrong. The planet freezes. Only
the passengers on a train endlessly circumnavigating the globe
survive. Those in first class eat sushi and quaff wine.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/business/economy/geoengineering-climate-change.html

California gas-tax hike for roads? Oh, heck no. We’ve grown
accustomed to hearing Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic lawmakers
brag about California’s booming economy and their cutting-edge
leadership. So, if both of those claims are true, an obvious
question arises: Why must Californians, especially the estimated
15.6 million living below or just slightly above the poverty
line, dig deeper into their pockets to fix the state’s
notoriously deteriorating roads?
http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/editorials/article142640384.html#storylink=cpy


California stormwater ‘fee’ bill should be flushed down the drain
Senate Bill 231, set for a legislative hearing today, is the
second attempt by Sen. Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, to pass a
bill that redefines “sewer” to include stormwater. It’s more than
a matter of definition. It’s an attempt to evade the requirements
of Proposition 218, which prevents local governments from calling
taxes “fees” to get…
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bill-748486-nuys-attempt.html


Platt: Cap-and-trade off to a good start, but the trouble still
lies ahead. So far, so good. Ontario’s first cap-and-trade
auction is in the books, and it went essentially as planned.
Businesses snapped up the emissions allowances on offer, the
price was low but not too low, and the government now has $472
million to spend on various climate change mitigation programs.
http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/platt-cap-and-trade-off-to-a-good-start-but-the-trouble-still-lies-ahead


BLOGS

California Air Resources Board Ratchets Up Emissions Regulations.
Continuing a years-long push, the California Air Resources Board
cracked down further on emissions, sharpening the debate over the
scope of its plans. “The new rules, green-lighted [March 23] …
seek to curb methane emissions at oil and gas production plants
by up to 45 percent over the next nine years,” the San Francisco
Chronicle reported.
http://www.publicceo.com/2017/04/california-air-resources-board-ratchets-up-emissions-regulations/


First Ontario cap and trade auction will lower emissions, save
money. Ontario's first cap and trade auction is a crucial step on
the road to climate protection and cleaner air, the David Suzuki
Foundation said. "We've long supported the principle of polluter
pays," said Foundation climate change policy analyst Gideon
Forman. "Cap and trade embodies that principle so we're very
gratified to see its implementation."
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/media/news/2017/04/first-ontario-cap-and-trade-auction-will-lower-emissions-save-money/




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