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newsclips -- Newsclips for October 24-26, 2009.

Posted: 26 Oct 2009 12:02:44
California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 24-26,
2009. 


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.

Fisker Automotive May Reopen Idled GM Plant. The Irvine
carmaker, which received a U.S. loan, reportedly will make
plug-in hybrids at a factory in Delaware, Vice President Joe
Biden's home state. The White House is expected to announce this
week that an Irvine automaker will be setting up shop in a
recently idled General Motors plant in Vice President Joe Biden's
home state of Delaware. A source in the vice president's office
said Sunday that Biden would be making an announcement at the
closed plant on Tuesday but would not provide further details.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fisker26-2009oct26,0,7917351,print.story

U.S. Needs More Health Preparedness For Climate Change.
Washington - Climate change will mean new health problems for the
United States, but public health officials play only a limited
role in decisions about how to cope with the changing
environment, a report said on Monday. A study by the
Washington-based health advocacy group Trust for America's Health
predicted that warming temperatures will mean more infectious
diseases while changes in rainfall are likely to bring new
disease and safety challenges whether from floods, storms,
droughts or wildfires. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE59P32S20091026

Only Five States Have Plans to Address the Health Impact of
Climate Change, New Report Finds. Washington- Trust for America's
Health (TFAH) released a new report today that finds only five
states have published a strategic climate change plan that
includes a public health response. This includes planning for
health challenges and emergencies expected to develop from
natural disasters, pollution, and infectious diseases as
temperatures and sea levels rise. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS155440+26-Oct-2009+PRN20091026

Opinion: Trading In 'Cap And Trade' Focusing on specific
industries rather than capping overall emissions work better for
modernizing nations, although it may result in higher greenhouse
gas levels in developed countries. The international climate
negotiations that have been grinding on for years may have
crossed a Rubicon of sorts. That's because a new model of
engagement for some nations is receiving wide attention. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-flannery26-2009oct26,0,4683246,print.story

Global Events Mark Magic Number On Climate Change. Activists
held events around the world Saturday to mark the number they say
the world needs to reach to prevent disastrous climate change:
350. The number represents 350 parts per million of carbon
dioxide emissions in the atmosphere that some scientists say is
the safe upper limit. The atmosphere currently reaches about 390
parts per million, according to research by NASA climate
scientist James Hanse cited by 350.org. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-naw-climate-action26-2009oct26,0,1291322,print.story
http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_13634831#

ICF International Wins More Than $5M in Federal Government
Awards in Climate Change and Sustainability Support. Wins Reflect
Increasing Federal Commitment to Sustainable and Climate Friendly
Practices. FAIRFAX, Va.-ICF Incorporated, LLC, a subsidiary of
ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI), announced today that it has won
five new contracts totaling over $5 million to support a variety
of U.S. federal agencies with climate change and sustainability
efforts. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS97283+26-Oct-2009+BW20091026

UN Leader Hopes US Will Act Soon On Global Warming. Seattle -
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the United
States has to lead if the world hopes to deal with global
warming. Ban is making a two-day visit to Seattle as part of a
trip to improve the American public's relations with the UN. He
will receive an honorary degree from the University of Washington
on Monday, after meeting earlier in the day with Bill and Melinda
Gates to discuss ways to reduce maternal death rates around the
world. In an interview Sunday with The Seattle Times, Ban said
he's hopeful the U.S. Senate will soon adopt legislation to limit
carbon emissions. Posted.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h91wb9SK28bdLP0d99R5_jl_u9fAD9BIS2980
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_13643762#

Internal Affairs: Barbara Boxer is no Ted Kennedy. As chairwoman
of the main Senate committee taking up global warming
legislation, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., looks to be on the,
ahem, hot seat in the coming weeks and months. And she's trying,
probably wisely, to lower expectations for herself, given the
long odds the measure faces of clearing the Senate's hurdle of 60
votes needed to stop a filibuster. What might have been less wise
for Boxer was comparing her plight on climate change to that of
the legendary late Sen. Ted Kennedy, who tried but failed over
several decades to pass universal health care legislation.
Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_13630074

Study: Warmed NW Forests May Yield Less Timber. Grants Pass,
Ore. — A new study suggests warming temperatures predicted over
the next century could boost tree growth on Northwest forests,
but less so at lower elevations where most of the timber is and
temperatures are already warm. Researchers from Oregon State
University and the U.S. Forest Service calculated an increase in
forest growth rates in Oregon and Washington of between 2 percent
and 12 percent by the end of the century, when climate models
predict temperatures to be between 0.9 degrees and 6.7 degrees
higher than they are now. Posted.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g37LAQxruSQDxgxeFvJvmV_L9c0gD9BIRBP00
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13639204#

White House Confronts the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The group
has long been a powerful player in Washington. But the Obama
White House is critical of the group's positions and seeks to
develop its own pipeline to the business world. The Obama White
House, stepping in where other Democrats feared to tread, has
launched a potentially risky fight with the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce -- attempting to bypass the nation's most powerful
business organization and develop independent ties to corporate
America. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-chamber25-2009oct25,0,3957713,print.story

Obama Says Winner Of Clean-Energy Race Will Lead Global Economy.
Speaking at MIT, the president addresses the twin challenges of
combating climate change and trying to keep the U.S. competitive
in the race to develop and sell new energy systems. Over the next
three years, Americans will be required to replace nearly all
their traditional light bulbs with cooler, more energy-efficient
bulbs under a 2007 bill signed by President Bush. But almost all
of the 100 production lines needed to churn out new bulbs are
expected to be built overseas. Similar scenarios are likely to
play out for wind turbines, solar cells and other parts of the
emerging global market for clean energy. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-energy24-2009oct24,0,5382149,print.story

Voluntary Wood Fire Rules Approved For Chico. Chico — Voluntary
restrictions on fireplace and wood stove use in the Chico area
will be in effect this winter, as a result of action this morning
by the Butte County Air Quality Management District. The district
reinstated the "Check Before You Light" program that asks
Chicoans to check an air pollution forecast before starting a
wood fire in their home. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13619479?nclick_check=1#

Nuclear Energy Becomes Pivotal In Climate Debate.
Washington—Nuclear energy, once vilified by environmentalists and
facing a dim future, has become a pivotal bargaining chip as
Senate Democrats hunt for Republican votes to pass climate
legislation. The industry's long-standing campaign to rebrand
itself as green is gaining footing as part of the effort to
curtail greenhouse gases. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_13638860#

Arcata Forest Signs On To New Carbon Program. Arcata has
committed just over 20 percent of its community forest to grow
trees and store carbon, part of a contract with the Pacific Gas
and Electric Co. meant to reduce greenhouse gases. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13638659#

Thompson Introduces Energy Legislation. North Coast Congressman
Mike Thompson recently introduced legislation he hopes will
reduce the nation's energy consumption. Thompson's bill, House
Resolution 3918, would provide a 30 percent tax credit for the
purchase of thermal energy storage systems for homes and
businesses. The energy storage technology allows consumers to
purchase electricity during off-peak hours and save it to use
during peak usage periods, which would reduce consumers'
electricity bills and greatly enhance the reliability of
alternative energy sources, including solar and wind power.
Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13642700#

Western States Stress Energy Cooperation. Jackson, Wyo.—State
lawmakers from around the West are gathering in the northern
Wyoming resort town of Jackson over the next few days to figure
out how to get better coordinated on energy issues. Many are also
interested in showing a united front as Congress considers bills
that could put a damper on the nation's longterm appetite for
coal. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13640882#

Boxer's Climate Proposal Mirrors House on Allocations, EPA Cost
Projections. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) kept lawmakers and
lobbyists up late Friday night to release a 923-page climate
change and energy bill with new details on how to distribute
emission allocations that largely follows the lead of the
House-passed climate bill. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/10/26/26climatewire-boxers-climate-proposal-mirrors-house-on-all-78469.html?scp=2&sq=carbon%20emission&st=cse


The Plots Thicken in Senate Climate Deliberations. Now the real
Senate bargaining begins on a climate bill. Late Friday night
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) released a complete draft of the
global warming bill prepared by her Environment and Public Works
Committee, with details on how emission allowances would be
distributed around the economy in a mandatory cap on greenhouse
gases. The latest version sets the stage for Boxer to move the
measure through the committee quickly. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/10/26/26climatewire-the-plots-thicken-in-senate-climate-delibera-82154.html?scp=1&sq=carbon%20emission&st=cse


Nuclear Energy Becomes Pivotal In Climate Debate. Nuclear
energy, once vilified by environmentalists and facing a dim
future, has become a pivotal bargaining chip as Senate Democrats
hunt for Republican votes to pass climate legislation. The
industry's long-standing campaign to rebrand itself as green is
gaining footing as part of the effort to curtail greenhouse
gases. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/business/story/906746.html

Senate Global Warming Bill Is Seeking to Cushion the Impact on
Industry. The Senate bill aimed at reducing global warming
pollution will initially grant billions of dollars of free
emissions permits to utilities and industry but will require the
bulk of the money be returned to consumers and taxpayers,
according to newly released details. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/us/politics/25climate.html 

A Habit to Break. A year ago, New York State joined nine other
Eastern states from Maryland to Maine in an innovative program to
control greenhouse gases by charging power plants a fee to emit
carbon dioxide. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/opinion/26mon4.html 

Global Warming Is Hoax That Hurts Country. More than 31,000
scientists and researchers have signed a petition stating that
there is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of
greenhouse gases is causing global warming. The founder of the
Weather Channel, John Coleman, has referred to global warming as
the "greatest scam in history." Posted.
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20091026/OPINION03/910260328/1014/OPINION/Global+warming+is+hoax+that+hurts+country


Global Demonstrations Push for Reduced Carbon Levels. Activists
around the globe are staging thousands of demonstrations Saturday
aimed at prodding policy-makers to cut carbon concentrations to
below their current levels, at a time when many U.S. officials
and experts are trying to dampen expectations for international
climate talks that culminate in Copenhagen in December. Posted.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091024/NEWS/910249995 

Viewpoints: Carbon-Cap Machinery Needlessly Complex. Now that
Sens. Barbara Boxer and John Kerry have introduced their climate
change bill, the real debate about the best policy to address
global warming can get started. But the more I look at
legislation for a cap-and-trade program, the more it looks like a
Rube Goldberg device – one of those amusing contraptions that
employ all manner of moving parts in a complicated, convoluted
process that performs a simple task. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/325/v-print/story/2277935.html

Letters To The Editor. Climate's About Us, Not 'Me'. Re
"Forecast is dire – or is it?" (Page A1, Oct. 19): The "study" by
the academic economist, funded by business interests, warning of
financial concerns from following the mandates of Assembly Bill
32, is a prime example of how short-sighted people who oppose
measures to alleviate the negative affects of man-made climate
change seem to be. This important issue is not about fiscal costs
today, economic survival or "me." It is about the survival of the
human race (at least life as we know it) and "we." Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/326/v-print/story/2275542.html

Winterizing Your Carbon Footprint. Winter’s approach poses an
environmental challenge for North Coast residents who will flick
on lights sooner and crank up thermostats, using more energy and
generating more greenhouse gases. Posted.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091023/LIFESTYLE05/910229965


Zero-Emissions Ultracapacitors Recharge in Minutes. When the bus
driver started the new electric engine, it was so quiet he turned
the key twice to make sure it was running. "It was really quiet.
That was one of the first things I noticed," said Arvil Gonzalez,
an American University graduate student who took a test ride in
the ultracapacitor minibus when it arrived last week for a campus
demonstration. "It felt more like being pulled in a wagon than
riding in a bus."  Posted.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/26/zero-emissions-vehicles-recharge-in-minutes/


Solar Act Aims To Lower Ag Costs, Pollution. An amendment
included in the Solar Technology Roadmap Act passed in the House
of Representatives yesterday could reduce agricultural costs and
reduce air pollution in the Valley. Posted.
http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/index.php/energy/2743-solar-act-aims-to-lower-ag-costs-pollution


Disclosure Forms Don't Tell Full Story. Coal's big lobbying
group this August sent workers to 264 cities to attend state
fairs, visit Kiwanis meetings and set up tables at college
campuses, all part of a campaign aimed at powering advocacy for
the fuel. That activity in eight states led to media coverage, a
plus for the group, the American Coalition for Clean Coal
Electricity, or ACCCE. "Likely members of Congress would have
seen those stories and read those stories and seen there was
support for coal," said Lisa Camooso Miller, an ACCCE
spokeswoman. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2009/10/26/1/

Senate Bill's Farming, Wildlife Provisions Disappoint
Conservation Coalition. Despite pressure from conservation and
agriculture groups, Senate Democrats made few changes to natural
resource and farming provisions in the climate and energy bill
they unveiled Friday. The bill from Environment and Public Works
Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) includes the same percentage
of emission allocations for domestic wildlife and natural
resource protection as the House version, far less than
environmental groups had hoped. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/10/26/2

U.S. Emission Proposals Favor European Refiners – Study.
Congressional proposals for capping U.S. greenhouse gas emissions
would hurt domestic refiners and could create price advantages
for imported gasoline, according to a new study by an industry
consulting firm. Wood Mackenzie Ltd.'s report examines the
House-passed climate bill -- which now has a similar Senate
counterpart -- and the third phase of the European Union's
emission trading system, which begins in 2013. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/10/26/6

BLOGS

eMeg Pushes Environment Issues Into the Gov Race. We’re not sure
what possessed Meg Whitman to call for the suspension of AB 32 –
California’s landmark greenhouse gases reduction law – although
clearly some highly-paid, airhead adviser assured her that it
would help her among conservative voters in the Republican
primary for governor. Posted.
http://www.calbuzz.com/2009/10/emeg-pushes-environment-issues-into-govs-race/

Climate Change Initiatives Still Face Major Hurdles. In a speech
at MIT Friday, President Obama praised the efforts of
Congressional leaders to move forward climate change legislation,
ahead of hearings this week in the Senate Environment and Public
Works Committee on the Kerry/Boxer cap and trade bill. Posted.
http://www.examiner.com/x-19285-Chicago-Economic-Policy-Examiner~y2009m10d25-Climate-change-initiatives-still-face-major-hurdles#

Global Warming Poll Finds Puzzling Trend. A recent climate
change poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the
Press has spawned collective head-scratching in the media,
including with yours truly. The poll found that fewer Americans
believe Earth is warming, regardless of cause, compared to a
similar poll conducted in April 2008. In the latest poll, 57
percent of respondents said there is solid evidence that Earth's
average temperature has warmed over the past few decades, a sharp
decline from the 71 percent in the 2008 poll. Posted.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2009/10/climate_change_poll_puzzles_ex.html

Just the Mailman. Every scientific theory either rises to the
level of consensus or else it is abandoned. Every single one.
Consensus implicates a consilience of evidence and a
preponderance of evidence for the best explanation. Consensus is
how science works, and it is the difference between truth as we
know it and poorly supported speculation we don't. The difference
between science and its denial. Posted.
http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2009/10/just-the-mailma.html


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