What's New List Serve Post Display

CARB Newsclips for April 7, 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

Today the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the
California Air Resources Board hosted a press conference at the
Goodwill distribution facility in San Francisco regarding the
latest California Climate Investments project.
http://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/files/communications-and-outreach/publications/news-releases/2017/2017_030_goodwill_electric_truck_project_040717-pdf.pdf?la=en


The California Air Resources 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/        

California 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
 
 
CAP AND TRADE COUR OF APPEALS DECISION

Appeals court upholds California's anti-greenhouse gas program. A
state appeals court on Thursday ruled California's high profile
market system for reducing greenhouse gas emissions does not
amount to an illegal tax, a decision that could lift a pall over
the so-called cap-and-trade program's marketplace for buying and
selling pollution allowances. The California Chamber of Commerce
and others had filed a pair of lawsuits challenging the
anti-pollution program, which requires large producers of
greenhouse gases to either lower their emissions or purchase
pollution rights from the state or others..
http://in.reuters.com/article/us-usa-california-carbon-idINKBN1782ZG
https://www.bna.com/californias-capandtrade-auctions-n57982086366/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/court-backs-california-fees-for-polluters-who-exceed-limits/2017/04/06/c7389664-1b29-11e7-8598-9a99da559f9e_story.html?utm_term=.8ff352289235

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-california-cap-trade-decision-20170406-story.html

http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2017/apr/06/state-appeals-court-upholds-cap-and-trade-program-/

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/California-court-upholds-cap-and-trade-11056429.php
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article143164634.html

http://www.fresnobee.com/latest-news/article143164634.html 
https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2017/04/06/appeals-court-upholds-californias-cap-trade-plan/
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2017/04/07/california-transportation-programs-win-in.html

https://yubanet.com/california/court-upholds-californias-landmark-cap-and-trade-program/
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170406/california-appeals-court-panel-upholds-california-carbon-fee
 
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/court-upholds-californias-cap-and-trade-program/

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07042017/california-cap-and-trade-climate-change-global-warming-ab-32-jerry-brown

http://dailycaller.com/2017/04/07/california-court-rules-cap-and-trade-is-not-a-tax/

http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/california-court-of-appeal-upholds-cap-82171/

https://www.courthousenews.com/court-upholds-calif-cap-trade-emissions-scheme/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-court-upholds-cap-and-trade-ruling-clears_us_58e7b56ee4b0acd784ca5794
http://www.natlawreview.com/article/california-court-appeal-upholds-cap-and-trade-program
http://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/110048-state-appeals-court-affirms-californias-cap-and-trade-program
 http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060052786   

AIR POLLUTION

Texas House Votes to Cut $20 Million from Air Quality Budget to
Fund Anti-Abortion Program. After more than 15 hours of debate,
the Texas House passed its two-year, $218.2 billion state budget
early Friday morning. One of the biggest winners? Anti-abortion
activists. Two House Republicans, Rep. Mike Schofield and Rep.
Matt Krause, successfully moved $20 million in two years’ worth…
http://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2017/04/07/texas-house-votes-to-cut-20-million-from-air-quality-budget-to-fund-anti-abortion-program


CARB approves air quality plan. The California Air Resources
Board (CARB) unanimously approved on March 23 an air quality plan
that includes rules on refineries and other polluters, setting
deadlines for warehouses and ports to clean up before tougher
rules are approved. Prior to the vote, CARB listened to concerns
from residents, some of whom called for tougher rules.
http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/carb-approves-air-quality-plan/article_528b7c92-1aec-11e7-911e-733f348e9e09.html


State officials inspect I.V. air quality, say it needs
improvement
Comite Civico del Valle Director Luis Olmedo said Imperial Valley
residents are under attack by particles invisible to the naked
eye.“It seems that we are constant assault of these particulates
that are being generated through industrial sources,
anthropogenic sources, in other words, human movement, industrial
operations,”  Olmedo said.
 http://www.kyma.com/news/state-officials-inspect-iv-air-quality-say-it-needs-improvement/440291944
 
 
CLIMATE CHANGE 

Global warming means dangerously rocky rides for fliers. Fasten
your seatbelts – even tighter. White-knuckle turbulence powerful
enough to seriously injure unbuckled passengers in airplanes
could become much more common because of global warming, a new
study found. “Anthropogenic climate change is expected to
strengthen the vertical wind shears at aircraft cruising
altitudes…
http://nypost.com/2017/04/06/global-warming-means-dangerously-rocky-rides-for-fliers/

The U.S. is abdicating its role as the world’s climate leader.
Can China take its place? As recently as 2009, China believed
that climate action was a Western conspiracy. The U.S. tried to
convince Beijing to reduce its emissions of heat-trapping
greenhouse gases, and China refused. The U.S., its leaders
thought, was simply devising new ways to suppress growth in the
developing world.
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-climate-20170405-story.html


Climate Change Could Mean Way More Turbulence. Turbulence could
increase dramatically thanks to more CO2 in the air. A new study
from University of Reading indicates that climate change could
dramatically increase the levels of turbulence experienced by
airplanes. The researchers found that light turbulence would
increase by 59 percent, moderate turbulence would go up by 94
percent…
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a25987/climate-change-turbulence/


Money to burn: As the wealthy get wealthier, carbon emissions
grow in US states. Across the U.S., state-level carbon emissions
are higher in states where income is more highly concentrated
among the wealthiest residents, according to a new study by two
Boston College researchers. On a global level, the connection
between national wealth and carbon emissions has been well
documented.
https://yubanet.com/usa/money-to-burn-as-the-wealthy-get-wealthier-carbon-emissions-grow-in-us-states/


Global warming speeds diversity threats to native fish. Global
warming is intensifying the hybridization of native and
non-native trout in the northern Rocky Mountains, according to a
new study from the U.S. Geological Survey and other scientists.
The trend is a serious threat to the biodiversity of Rocky
Mountain aquatic ecosystems, says the study published in the
journal Global Change Biology.
https://summitcountyvoice.com/2017/04/07/global-warming-speeds-diversity-threats-to-native-fish/


VOLKSWAGEN

Automaker to 'challenge Tesla' on EV infrastructure. Volkswagen
AG will "very soon" start building thousands of electric vehicle
charging stations to correct the environmental harm of its
polluting diesel cars, a top employee said yesterday. The
automaker must invest at least $2 billion in electric vehicle
charging…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060052785/search?keyword=california


GREEN ENERGY

Court ruling leaves Macquarie as preferred bidder for Green
Investment Bank.  Australian investment bank Macquarie looked set
to acquire Britain's Green Investment Bank (GIB) after a court
rejected the claim of a rival bidder on Friday. The British
government set up GIB, which backs green projects with public
funds, in 2012 as a commercial venture to spur private sector
investment in green projects.
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N1HF5H2 

NRG, a Power Company Leaning Green, Faces Activist Challenge.
Over the years, NRG, a leading independent power producer whose
fleet once depended heavily on coal, has made big bets on
low-carbon energy technologies and publicized its embrace of
sustainability as essential to its future. It pursued developing
renewable energy for customers large and small…
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/business/dealbook/nrg-elliott-management-climate.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0


Oakland school monitors solar power, energy use. Students,
parents and faculty at Hillcrest School celebrated their
environmental activism and the arrival of a new  data kiosk that
will monitor the campus’ energy consumption and highlight the
contributions of a small array of solar panels stationed in front
of the K-8 school. Years in the planning, the small kiosk…
http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/04/07/oakland-school-monitors-solar-power-energy-use/


Duke Energy may seek legislative action on controversial solar
development proposals. Duke Energy is likely to take its proposal
to establish a competitive bidding system for N.C. solar
development and other renewable energy issues to the N.C. General
Assembly for action this year. But solar developers and their
supporters fear that Duke will use the legislative route as an
end-run around the… 
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2017/04/07/duke-energy-may-seek-legislative-action-on.html


ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Small California towns are facing off against oil companies — and
winning. Last fall, as presidential candidate Donald Trump
promised America more oil and coal production, a small refinery
town in Northern California stood up against its biggest employer
and taxpayer. Valero, the Texas-based petroleum giant, had sought
routine approval for a huge crude-by-rail project. The city
council of Benicia, however, decisively rejected Valero’s
proposal.
http://grist.org/article/small-california-towns-are-facing-off-against-oil-companies-and-winning/


OPINIONS

The changing world of climate change. With its rollback of
climate rules, the Trump administration taps the brakes on the
unsettled ‘settled science’. The climate of climate science is
experiencing a world of change. For decades, climate science has
been rolling along conforming to the mantra that man is
manufacturing a planet in peril. Apparently to some, living
comfortably in the modern world is sending us…
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/6/climate-change-doubters-have-champion-in-donald-tr/


Is this the end of U.S. participation in the Paris climate deal?
Not necessarily, says Obama's former envoy. Under President
Obama, the United States was seen as a leader on climate change,
forging alliances with China and other big polluters that were
pivotal to an agreement reached in Paris two years ago that aims
to avert the most dangerous effects of global warming.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-trump-climate-change-20170405-story.html


Scott Pruitt undermines the EPA with anti-scientific ignorance.
Donald Trump’s foreign policy and legislative agenda may be a
confused mess due to amateurism, impulsiveness and understaffing,
but his administration’s attack on the environment is operating
with the focus and zeal of the Spanish Inquisition. Led by EPA
Administrator Scott Pruitt, the Trump team is moving quickly to
return national environmental policy…
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-pruitt-undermines-20170406-story.html


BLOGS

Church Leaders Are Begging Their State’s Senator To Give Up
Global Warming Denial. “We see no conflict between our religious
faith and the findings of science.” Four Christian church leaders
in Montana are urging their state’s Republican senator to quit
rejecting the widely accepted science behind man-made global
warming. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/christians-climate-change_us_58e7a018e4b00de14102b496


California court of appeal redefines taxes to evade Prop 13.
Today the California Court of Appeal issued this disappointing
ruling in Morning Star Packing Co. v. California Air Resources
Board. Our clients are challenging the state’s greenhouse gas
emissions allowance auction under Proposition 13, which requires
a supermajority vote for new taxes.
http://blog.pacificlegal.org/california-court-appeal-redefines-taxes-evade-prop-13/




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