What's New List Serve Post Display

CARB Newsclips for May 4, 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

Staff from the California Department of Transportation, the
California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission,
and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
invite you to participate in workshops to discuss implementation
of the California Sustainable Freight Action Plan (Action Plan).

The workshops will be held at the locations and on the dates
noted below.  The agencies will follow the same format and show
the same presentation at each of the workshop locations.    

OAKLAND:          May 9, 2017 

LOS ANGELES:  May 30, 2017

SAN DIEGO:        May 31, 2017 

For more information on the California Sustainable Freight Action
Plan including upcoming workshops, please visit the webpage at
http://www.casustainablefreight.org/     
_________________________

David Cocker, PhD
University of California, Riverside. 

Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., PDT (WEBCAST) Sierra Hearing
Room, 2nd Floor, CalEPA Building
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California

Low vapor pressure-volatile organic compounds (LVP-VOCs) are a
set of VOCs currently exempted for VOC content based on a
combination of boiling point, vapor pressure, and/or elution time
from a GC-column. This work explores evaporation rates and
secondary pollutant formation from a series of individual
LVP-VOCs associated with consumer products, select generic
consumer products that include these LVP-VOCs, and several
hydrocarbon solvents. For more go to the announcement at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/seminars/cocker/cocker.htm      

May 8, 2017: Public Workshop to discuss ARB's Carbon Capture and
Sequestration (CCS) Program.

At this workshop, ARB staff will present an overview of
activities taken by the CCS program in 2016, and an initial
concept of a Quantification Methodology (QM) and Permanence
Protocol for CCS.
https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ccs/meetings/meetings.htm           

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
      


AIR POLLUTION

Sandstorm blankets huge area of China in dusty pollution. A
sandstorm blown by gusting winds enveloped a huge area of central
and northern China on Thursday in thick pollution hazardous to
people venturing outdoors. The Beijing Meteorological Observatory
advised people to minimize time spent outdoors and forecast that
the murky conditions would linger into Friday morning.
https://www.apnews.com/01cf539e0fa64c33ae03fef9e2e1d164/Sandstorm-blankets-huge-area-of-China-in-dusty-pollution


Lakeview Collins sawmill hit with DEQ fine. Collins Pine Co.’s
sawmill operation in Lakeview was issued a $7,200 fine for
exceeding air pollution restrictions, according to a release by
the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The penalty
was issued for exceeding grain loading particulate matter
emission limits from one of its two boilers at the facility’s
wood products mill, located just north of Lakeview.
http://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/lakeview-collins-sawmill-hit-with-deq-fine/article_c8bedd94-2c24-5f9f-a8ce-004d76faf39c.html


The cost of air conditioning: Major emissions spike. When summer
temperatures climb, so do power plant releases of sulfur dioxide
and other pollutants. With air conditioning being one obvious
connection, a new study seeks to quantify the impact on a
state-by-state basis, finding that the price of indoor cooling is
hundreds of tons of added emissions each day.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/05/04/stories/1060054071 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Cuomo joins governors urging Trump to uphold climate deal.
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has joined 11 other governors
prodding President Donald Trump to participate in international
efforts to combat climate change. The governors sent a joint
letter to Trump on Tuesday urging him to uphold the United
States’ greenhouse gas reduction goals outlined in the 2015 Paris
Climate Agreement.
https://www.apnews.com/0f5b0b10cd71402b9d8b0b86016242b7/Cuomo-joins-governors-urging-Trump-to-uphold-climate-deal


Can state run on sun and wind alone? California weighs aggressive
climate change measures. Faced with a presidential administration
that’s dialing back climate change policies, California is
getting even more aggressive on battling greenhouse gases.
Electric utilities in California already are working to generate
half of their power through solar and other renewable energy
sources by 2030, one of the most aggressive timetables in the
nation.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article148503269.html#storylink=cpy


Could making climate change a 'pro-life' issue bring
conservatives on board? The message is targeted at evangelicals
and other conservatives, but many Americans do not see climate
change as a moral issue, at least not yet. The terms "pro-life"
and "pro-environment" are not normally linked, but a growing
number of Christian leaders insist they should be.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2017/0502/Could-making-climate-change-a-pro-life-issue-bring-conservatives-on-board


Another study disputes uncertainty over global warming 'pause'. 
A growing body of evidence has diminished a favorite talking
point of Washington politicians who reject mainstream climate
science. For conservatives who oppose environmental regulations,
the appearance of a "pause" in global warming between 1998 and
2012 is evidence that the understanding of climate science is
limited and…
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/05/04/stories/1060054027


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

BYD showcases battery-electric trucks, buses at ACT Expo. BYD is
showcasing the latest advancements in battery-electric buses,
trucks and materials handling equipment this week at the 2017 ACT
Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center. “BYD continues to lead
the industry with its advanced battery technologies that make
electric buses, trucks and materials handling equipment cost
competitive with other alternative fuel vehicle options today…
http://fleetowner.com/equipment/byd-showcases-battery-electric-trucks-buses-act-expo


Proterra Initiates America’s First Autonomous Bus Test Project in
Nevada. Electric bus maker Proterra wants people to feel
comfortable about traveling by autonomous buses and its test
program in Nevada is to be a first step. The company is working
with transportation agencies and the University of Nevada-Reno’s
Living Lab Coalition to launch a three-phase R&D pilot project
for “safer mobility solutions” …
http://www.hybridcars.com/proterra-initiates-americas-first-autonomous-bus-program-nevada/

FUELS

Reliance Becomes First Customer for Its Own Coal-Bed Methane.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Ltd. has
become the first buyer of coal-bed methane produced from its own
block in central India after agreeing to pay the highest price
for the fuel, according to the company’s website. The company bid
$4.23 per million British thermal units…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-04/reliance-becomes-first-customer-for-its-own-coal-bed-methane


Methane Rule Repeal Hits Snag in Senate Over Ethanol. A top oil
industry priority on Capitol Hill may fall victim to an unrelated
dispute over ethanol. At stake is an Interior Department rule
forcing energy companies to curb emissions of methane escaping
from wells and pipelines on public land. Senate Republican
leaders say they are close to getting the 51 votes they need to
overturn that Obama-era regulation…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-02/methane-rule-repeal-said-to-hit-snag-in-senate-over-ethanol

Inside The Debate Over Repealing Curbs On Methane Leaks. A
deadline is fast approaching for Republican lawmakers who want to
undo an Obama-era regulation that aims to limit the emissions of
methane — a powerful greenhouse gas — from energy production
sites on public lands. The oil and gas industry is lobbying
lawmakers to permanently repeal the rule, as it has other recent
environmental regulations…
http://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526729339/inside-the-debate-over-repealing-curbs-on-methane-leaks


Pruitt considering Senate-sought ethanol waiver. PATH FORWARD ON
ETHANOL, METHANE? EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt may have opened
a path for Senate Republicans to appease a small bloc of their
caucus seeking a year-round waiver to sell 15 percent ethanol
fuel and thereby boost the chamber’s odds of repealing of an
Obama-era methane regulation, Pro’s Eric Wolff reports.
http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-energy/2017/05/pruitt-considering-senate-sought-ethanol-waiver-220130


Ethanol fight complicates push to repeal Obama drilling rule.  A
handful of GOP senators have said they might hold up legislation
to repeal an Obama administration oil and natural gas drilling
rule to secure a vote on an ethanol policy change. The group, led
by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and John Thune (R-N.D.), have
long pushed legislation to overturn federal policy that
effectively prevents sales of gasoline with 15 percent ethanol —
known as E15…
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/331757-ethanol-fight-complicates-push-to-repeal-obama-drilling-rule

Biofuels firm indicted in fraudulent fuel credit scheme: Justice
Department. A Pennsylvania biofuels firm and its co-owners have
been indicted on conspiracy charges in a scheme that generated
$10 million in renewable fuel credits from the Environmental
Protection Agency, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-crime-biofuels-keystone-idUSKBN18023X


Bioenergy increases emissions in Europe. The way the EU Emission
Trading (ETS) has been set up, means that replacement of coal or
gas with biomass will lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions,
writes Rauli Partanen, freelance author and analyst. And in
combination with the renewable energy targets all EU member
states have, this is exactly what our policies encourage us to
do.
http://www.theenergycollective.com/raulipartanen/2403678/bioenergy-increases-emissions-europe


Boating leaders ask Trump to change ethanol policy. Boating and
fishing industry leaders sent a letter to President Donald Trump
Wednesday asking the administration to reexamine the Renewable
Fuel Standard that dictates how much of the nation's fuel supply
must be from alternative energy sources.
http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2017/05/boating_leaders_ask_trump_to_c.html


VEHICLES

California has invested $559M in cap-and-trade funds in ZEVs;
state represents more than 40% of US ZEV sales. The California
Air Resources Board (ARB) announced that California Climate
Investments in zero-emission vehicles have reached $599 million
since 2013, putting hundreds of thousands of ultra-clean cars,
and entire fleets of zero-emission trucks and buses on California
roads and highways. ARB made the announcement at the annual
Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/05/20170504-cci.html

2017 Could Prove to Be a Turning Point for Plug-In Hybrids. Until
recently, if you wanted to ditch your gas guzzler and go
electric, there were few choices. You could take the high road
and opt for a $70,000 luxury vehicle, like the Tesla Model S, or
take the low road and choose a more modest commuter, like the
$31,000 Nissan Leaf. But this year, all that appears to be
changing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/automobiles/wheels/plug-in-electric-hybrid-automobiles.html?_r=1
Which carmakers show CA 2025 zero-emission vehicle rules are
already within reach? The sales growth of electric cars has made
strides in recent years, and California's Zero-Emission Vehicle
mandate has more than a little to do with that. The program
adopted by the state of California more than 20 years ago, and
much modified since then, requires that carmakers sell a certain
number of zero-emission models in California and 10 states that
have adopted its emission rules. What's less well known is that
certain automakers have already surpassed the expectations,
according to David Reichmuth, senior engineer in the Union of
Concerned Scientists' Clean Vehicles Program.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110266_which-carmakers-show-ca-2025-zero-emission-vehicle-rules-are-already-within-reach
Tesla 1Q loss widens on higher spending ahead of Model 3.
Electric car maker Tesla’s first-quarter loss widened 17 percent
to $330 million as it ramped up spending ahead of the launch of
its Model 3 sedan and its growing solar energy business. The loss
equaled $2.04 per share, compared to a loss of $2.13 a year ago.
Excluding one-time items, Tesla reported a loss of $1.33 per
share…
https://www.apnews.com/7efff91cbe6a4f27b80b2bb4167809ac/Tesla-1Q-loss-widens-on-higher-spending-ahead-of-Model-3


China Bets $1.2 Billion on E-Cars in Volkswagen's Germany.
China’s Beijing WKW Automotive Parts Co. is betting on the future
of electric mobility in Germany with a billion-euro factory
nearby plants owned by Volkswagen AG and BMW AG. Beijing WKW will
invest as much as 1.13 billion euros ($1.24 billion) on an
electric car factory in the eastern state of Saxony that will
create over 1,000 new jobs…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-04/china-bets-1-2-billion-on-electric-cars-in-volkswagen-s-germany


Zero-emission vehicles are big business in California. The
California Air Resources Board says the state’s “climate
investments” in zero-emission vehicles have reached $599 million
since 2013, putting hundreds of thousands of ultra-clean cars,
and entire fleets of zero-emission trucks and buses on California
roads and highways. “Investing in zero-emission cars, trucks and
buses is a smart…
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=32566
http://electriccarsreport.com/2017/05/infographic-california-invested-559m-zero-emission-vehicles-since-2013/
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/05/20170504-cci.html  
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060054045/feed 

Energy use for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles: higher than
electrics, even hybrids (analysis). It's now clear that the
zero-emission vehicles of the future will be powered by electric
motors. The electricity to power those motors, however, will come
from one of two competing technologies: high-capacity batteries
or hydrogen fuel cells. The debate over which technology is
superior, which has the lowest wells-to-wheels carbon footprint…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110239_energy-use-for-hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicles-higher-than-electrics-even-hybrids-analysis

Which carmakers show CA 2025 zero-emission vehicle rules are
already within reach? The sales growth of electric cars has made
strides in recent years, and California's Zero-Emission Vehicle
mandate has more than a little to do with that. The program
adopted by the state of California more than 20 years ago, and
much modified since then, requires that carmakers sell a certain
number of zero-emission models…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110266_which-carmakers-show-ca-2025-zero-emission-vehicle-rules-are-already-within-reach

Plug-in electric car sales for Apr: Bolt EV back over 1,000
(updated). WIth four-figure sales for both its all-electric
Chevrolet Bolt EV and the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, GM probably
led April's plug-in electric car sales. The "probably" comes
because Tesla refuses to release its deliveries broken down
either by month or by country, meaning there's no data to
compare.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110224_plug-in-electric-car-sales-for-apr-bolt-ev-back-over-1000


VOLKSWAGEN

VW Squeezes Costs to Brace for Cash Drain From Diesel Damages.
Volkswagen AG’s push to squeeze costs from its struggling
namesake car brand provided a critical lift to earnings as the
world’s biggest automaker braces for an unprecedented cash drain
from the diesel-cheating crisis. First-quarter operating profit
widened to 7.8 percent of revenue from 6.8 percent a year
earlier…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-03/volkswagen-profitability-surges-on-turnaround-following-scandal


VW looks to natural gas as it pivots away from diesel. Natural
gas VW could help keep fleet emissions low, but no word yet on
timing. In the wake of the ongoing Volkswagen diesel scandal, VW
is exploring options outside diesel that could help it lower
emissions and improve fleet fuel economy. One potential avenue is
cars that run on natural gas, and VW has been talking with…
http://autoweek.com/article/green-cars/vw-looks-natural-gas-lower-fleet-emissions-it-pivots-diesel#ixzz4g7hsAbAm


GREEN ENERGY

Italy's Building Energy Completes Its Wind Project in Iowa.
Building Energy SpA, an Italian renewable-energy company,
completed a 30-megawatt wind farm in Iowa, its first in the
state. The project in Story, Boone, Hardin and Poweshiek counties
can power about 11,000 households, Milan-based Building Energy
said in a statement Thursday.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-04/italy-s-building-energy-completes-its-wind-project-in-iowa


President Trump taps solar-funding critic to run renewable energy
office. The Trump administration has named a fervent critic of
government support for wind and solar projects to oversee federal
renewable energy programs. The Department of Energy confirmed
Wednesday that Dan Simmons will lead its Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/trump-taps-solar-funding-critic-run-renewable-energy-office-article-1.3135553

http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-renewable-energy-critic-to-oversee-wind-and-solar-programs-2017-5


President Trump Could Save First Solar. A new legal petition
could provide pricing relief for U.S. solar companies. Shares of
First Solar, Inc. (ticker: FSLR) surged more than 12 percent on
Wednesday following a big first-quarter earnings beat and
guidance raise. However, the long-term outlook for U.S. solar
stocks could hinge on…
http://money.usnews.com/investing/articles/2017-05-04/president-trump-could-save-first-solar-inc-fslr


Pitting Wind and Solar Against Nuclear Power. With US electricity
demand stalled, expanding wind and solar power is increasing the
economic pressure on equally low-emission nuclear power. New
state incentives for nuclear plants are facing resistance from
the beneficiaries of renewable energy subsidies, as both battle
for market share.
It’s an old adage that a growth market…
http://www.theenergycollective.com/geoffrey-styles/2403683/pitting-wind-solar-nuclear-power


US Wind Industry To Install 59 Gigawatts Over Next Decade,
Forecasts MAKE Consulting. MAKE Consulting has published its
latest forecast for the North American wind industry, predicting
that the United States will install approximately 59 gigawatts of
new wind capacity between 2017 and 2026, driven by a “precarious
boom and bust” cycle.
https://cleantechnica.com/2017/05/04/us-wind-industry-install-59-gw-next-decade-make/


MISCELLANEOUS

California Agency Endorses LA 2024 Clean Air Policies. Los
Angeles’ bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and
its commitment to  stage the “greenest Games in history” has been
endorsed by California’s clean air agency, the California Air
Resources Board (CARB), which last month issued a letter to bid
chair Casey Wasserman lauding the project’s approach to
environmental protection.
https://gamesbids.com/eng/featured/california-agency-endorses-la-2024-clean-air-policies/


OPINIONS

Trump: Crazy Like a Fox, or Just Crazy? Has the first 100 days of
the presidency made Donald Trump nuts? I don’t ask that question
as a doctor. I don’t do medical diagnoses. I ask it as a
newspaper reader. You read all of Trump’s 100-day interviews and
they are just bizarre. Out of nowhere Trump tells us he would be
“honored” to negotiate directly with the leader of North Korea,
after weeks of threatening war. Out of nowhere he says he would
consider a gasoline tax…
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/opinion/trump-crazy-like-a-fox-or-just-crazy.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fthomas-l-friedman&action=click&contentCollection=opinion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection&_r=1
    

Yay, the drought is over. Now let's save our dying urban trees.
When Gov. Jerry Brown pronounced an end to the drought emergency
last month — but not to the possibility of another drought — it
would have been just like him to quote another eminent
Californian, the naturalist John Muir, who said that “we all
travel the Milky Way together, trees and men.”
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-ol-patt-morrison-igor-lacan-drought-trees-20170503-htmlstory.html


Will we be passive or confront coming climate changes? | Letters.
I have read with interest a number of letters to the editor
describing climate change as just another natural adjustment by
Mother Nature, comparable to ice ages and warming periods of the
distant past. This passive acceptance of what's to come leaves
out a few important differences.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/letters/fl-letter-climate-change-acceptance-20170504-story.html


EPA committed to regulating mercury 17 years ago. Now it’s having
second thoughts. Jack Lienke is a senior attorney at the
Institute for Policy Integrity and a coauthor, with Richard L.
Revesz, of Struggling for Air: Power Plants and the “War on
Coal.” Have you read Bleak House by Charles Dickens? Me neither —
it’s very long — but I did watch the miniseries plants.
http://grist.org/opinion/epa-committed-to-regulating-mercury-17-years-ago-now-its-having-second-thoughts/


Struggling to make California affordable. The issue of
affordability is hitting critical mass in regions throughout the
state.  However, Sacramento seems completely disconnected from
this reality.  In fact, Sacramento has the entire state on the
fast lane towards making California even more unaffordable.
http://capitolweekly.net/struggling-make-california-affordable/
BLOGS

At ACT Expo, Automakers Bullish on Landscape for Advanced Fuel
Vehicles. Everything from smart cities to connected heavy-duty
trucks to autonomous vehicles (AVs) to electrification to energy
policy were hot topics at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT)
Expo in Long Beach this year. There’s clearly growing momentum in
the alternative vehicle space that has vast potential to chip
away at petroleum’s hold over transportation.
http://energyfuse.org/act-expo-speakers-attendees-bullish-solutions-fighting-petroleums-monopoly-transportation-sector/
 

The case for President Trump to uphold the Paris climate
agreement. In February, in his joint address to Congress,
President Trump promised to work with both parties to promote
clean air and clean water. The president’s actions, however, do
not reflect the words he delivered to us that day. Among his
first actions: appointing an Environmental Protection Agency
administrator who made his name trying to block that very agency
from keeping our water clean.
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/331841-the-case-for-president-trump-to-uphold-the-paris