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newsclips -- Newsclips for February 18-22, 2010.

Posted: 22 Feb 2010 12:26:01
California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 18-22,
2010. 
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.

AB32 Crunch Time. Will California Continue To Lead The Fight
Against Global Warming? California is not well. It’s not exactly
a failed state, but it’s far from the optimistic Golden State
that once was—one that did impressive things, like building
highways and aqueducts and universities that were the envy of the
world. Here in his last year in office, the state’s governor has
lost a bit of his luster, too. Arnold Schwarzenegger is unlikely
to be remembered as a political reformer or an adept fiscal
manager. Posted.
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1372846

Calif. Fines For Emission Violations. The California Air
Resources Board has penalized three state trucking companies a
total of $43,000 for diesel truck violations. On Feb. 17, CARB
announced it had fined Golden State Lumber $20,000 for failing to
inspect trucks for compliance with state smoke emissions
standards during 2007 and 2008. Posted.
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=84676
http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Feb10/021510/021810-05.htm

California’s Carbon Killers. California’s global-warming law
contains dozens of programs, but most of the hard work will be
done by a handful of major carbon-killing programs. Remember, the
magic number is 174 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. That’s
how much state regulators want to cut California’s greenhouse-gas
emissions over the next 10 years. Posted.
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1372848

Obama Mounts A Last-Ditch Attempt To Pass A 'Hybrid' Climate And
Energy Bill. The White House is mounting a last-ditch effort to
piece together an energy and climate change bill that has enough
incentives for nuclear power, natural gas and the coal industry
to muster the votes needed to pass it this year. As Democrats
enter a turbulent and high-stakes political season, President
Obama is striving for consensus on a path forward that can
deliver substantial greenhouse gas emissions reductions and
satisfy concerns in the Senate about energy security. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/22/1

Reprieve On New Diesel Rules. But Contractors’ Group  Says It Is
Too Little For  Recession-Hit Industry. California – The
California Air Resources Board said it plans to tentatively delay
enforcement of diesel emissions standards on large fleets of
off-road construction equipment that were supposed to start
curtailing emissions in March. Board Executive Officer James
Goldstene on Feb. 11 said the board “will take no enforcement
action regarding compliance” with the regulation’s emission
standards or requirements before authorization to do so is
granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Posted.
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/18613/reprieve-on-new-diesel-rules/print/

Rockefeller And Coal-State Dems Challenge EPA Climate Move. A
leading Senate Democrat wants to halt U.S. EPA's efforts to curb
greenhouse gas emissions until Congress acts independently on the
issue. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) plans to introduce
legislation suspending EPA's efforts to regulate greenhouse gases
"to allow sufficient time for congressional consideration of the
nation's larger energy policy and economic needs," according to a
Friday release from his office. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/22/2

Schwarzenegger, Calderon propose relaxing environmental laws for
development. Dozens of large developments across the state could
be exempt from environmental regulations if a proposal intended
to create jobs gets legislative approval during the upcoming
budget debate. The initiative, backed by Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Assemblyman Charles Calderon, D-Industry,
would exempt annually 25 projects from legal challenges under the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Posted.
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_14439856?source=rss

People's Faith In All Science Weakened By 'Climategate'. San
Diego -- Recent controversies over e-mails stolen from a British
climate research unit and mistakes by the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change have shaken the public's faith in all science,
top researchers said this week. "There really is evidence that
the corrosion that's taking place in public attitudes toward
climate results has spread over to all science," said Ralph
Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/22/3

Trucks To See First GHG Limits In June – EPA. Heavy-duty trucks
and buses are next up on U.S. EPA's list of greenhouse gas
emissions sources to control, according to the agency's new
regulation tracking site. EPA intends to propose the first
greenhouse gas emissions standards for trucks in June, several
months after finalizing regulations for passenger vehicles and
light-duty trucks in March, the site says. Truck manufacturers
and environmental groups have been anticipating a proposal from
EPA for the last several months. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/22/7

Creative Borrowing Spurs Commercial Retrofits. On the heels of
San Francisco’s announcement last week that it plans to spend
$150 million greening up homes, comes a new report that studies a
slew of other innovative ways to finance energy efficiency
improvements for all types of buildings. It’s no big surprise
that the key to ramping up the energy efficiency industry and
fostering technological advances is no-money-down financing so
building owners can avoid the capital costs of retrofits.  And
that’s exactly what the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) is
working toward. Posted.
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-02-19-creative-borrowing-spurs-commercial-retrofits/

Editorial: Climate Change. Yvo de Boer’s resignation on Thursday
after nearly four tumultuous years as chief steward of the United
Nations’ climate change negotiations has deepened a sense of
pessimism about whether the world can ever get its act together
on global warming. Mr. de Boer was plainly exhausted by endless
bickering among nations and frustrated by the failure of
December’s talks in Copenhagen to deliver the prize he had worked
so hard for: a legally binding treaty committing nations to
mandatory reductions in greenhouse gases. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/opinion/22mon1.html?ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print

Foundation For California Community Colleges Announces Program
To Benefit Air Quality. The Foundation for California Community
Colleges announced it has received up to $20 million in grant
funding to launch a statewide program that will aim to improve
California’s air quality. The program – called the Vehicle
Repair, Retirement and Replacement for Motorists program or
"VRRRM" – will bring clean air and fuel efficiency benefits to
California consumers by repairing, retiring or replacing 17,000
polluting cars in California and removing more than 850 tons of
pollutants from California’s airways over the next three years.
Posted. http://lakeconews.com/content/view/12657/930/ 

Thomas Elias: Opposition to State Bill on Greenhouse Gas
Misguided. Whether Congress approves the greenhouse-gas reduction
agreements reached in Copenhagen last year, California will have
a cap-and-trade system in place — unless voters put an initiative
to the contrary on the November ballot and pass it. Sponsors of
this proposition call it the "California Jobs Initiative,"
contending jobs will be lost in efforts to fight global warming
by demanding lower industrial emissions of greenhouse gases like
carbon dioxide and methane. Posted.
http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100222/OPINION02/2220302/1014/OPINION/Thomas+Elias++Opposition+to+state+bill+on+greenhouse+gas+misguided


EPA Budget Hearings to Serve as Battleground for Climate
Policies. U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will defend the
White House's request to increase funds for climate regulations
when she testifies before House and Senate panels this week.
Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/22/22greenwire-epa-budget-hearings-to-serve-as-battleground-f-11853.html


Whose Snow Job On Climate Change? In his Feb. 14 Outlook article
on global warming, "Record snows on a warming planet," Bill
McKibben suggested that the recent snow barrage in Washington
could be related to global warming. This is plausible, as are
most theories in climate science. But we should all be thankful
that this statistically insignificant event has cooled the
appetite for "legislative progress" on legislation to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/20/AR2010022002941.html


George Will: Global Warming Faithful Starting To Sweat.
Washington Science, many scientists say, has been restored to her
rightful throne because progressives have regained power.
Progressives, say progressives, emulate the cool detachment of
scientific discourse. So, hear now the calm, collected voice of a
scientist lavishly honored by progressives, Rajendra Pachauri. He
is chairman of the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, which shared the 2007 version of the increasingly weird
Nobel Peace Prize. Posted.
http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/warming-235317-global-climate.html

S.F. Clean-Energy Plan Could Fuel Higher Rates. San Francisco
voters have rejected a dozen public-power proposals over the
years, but that isn't stopping city officials from jumping into
the "clean energy" business. The question is, at what cost? Mayor
Gavin Newsom and the Board of Supervisors are steaming ahead with
a clean-power plan that, according to the city's own estimates,
could drive up rates for residential customers as much as 24
percent. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/22/BA2R1C4EIO.DTL&type=printable

New Energy Technologies Are Coming That Will Shrink Our Use Of
Fossil Fuels And Cut Emissions Of Greenhouse Gases. Just don't
expect them anytime soon. Why the delay? After all, the computer
revolution has shown how rapidly new innovations can be imagined,
developed, brought to market and have an impact. But new energy
technologies don't work that way—they can take years to gain just
a toehold in the market, and 20 to 30 years to push aside
existing products or techniques. That's partly because of the
sheer size of the energy market. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703382904575059312029996750.html

Biotech Firm Launches New Fuel Enzyme. A Danish biotechnology
company on Tuesday launched a new enzyme which it said will make
it possible to turn agricultural waste into biofuel at a
competitive price. The breakthrough will allow the biofuel
industry to produce cellulosic ethanol for less than two US
dollars per gallon (around 37 euro cents per litre), Novozymes
said in a statement. This cost would put the fuel on a par with
petrol and conventional ethanol, the company said. Novozymes said
the new enzyme, known as Cellic CTec2, breaks down cellulose in
agricultural waste into sugars that can be fermented into
ethanol, and could convert corn cobs and stalks, wheat straw and
woodchips into fuel. Posted.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/biotech-firm-launches-new-fuel-enzyme-1906087.html

The Boom Box (Video): An Energy Plant Box To Power Your Home.
Two of these blocks can power an American home, while one will
suffice for a European home. A stack of 64 can power a small
business. What is this magical box and where can you get one?
It's the Bloom Box, essentially a power plant in a box, and it
claims to be the latest breakthrough in clean energy technology.
You can't get one yet, but K.R. Sridhar, founder of Bloom Energy,
says there will be one in every American home in five to 10
years. Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/22/the-bloom-box-video-a-pow_n_471349.html

What A Green-Collar Economy Means To Workers. Ian Kim directs
the Green Collar Jobs Campaign for the Ella Baker Center for
Human Rights in Oakland. It's a job title that didn't even exist
a decade ago, but now the issue, long championed by the center,
is front and center in the national economy - and Oakland, too.
Last week, the city announced that it, the Ella Baker center and
other cities and groups had won $40 million in federal stimulus
grants for energy efficiency - and to help train under-skilled
workers in that industry. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/21/BAK31C4DPK.DTL&type=printable

Saving The Amazon May Be The Most Cost-Effective Way To Cut
Greenhouse Gas Emissions. If the U.S. adopts a cap-and-trade
program, companies facing carbon controls could meet part of
their obligations by preserving Earth's largest tropical forest.
An hour outside Manaus, the Amazon's biggest city, the blackened
remains of a virgin forest smolder. Chain saws whine. And Jonas
Mendes tosses logs, one after another, into his kiln. "I know
it's wrong to cut down the trees," said Mendes, 48, sweat
streaming down his neck and torso. Posted.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/21/business/la-fi-cover-amazon21-2010feb21

Clean Energy Is Mired In Politics. Uncertainty over proposals in
Congress has firms holding off on investments. At a time when the
U.S. economy is desperate for jobs and investment in future
growth, a slew of clean-energy projects are on hold largely
because of political stalemate in Washington. With President
Obama's energy and climate proposals bottled up in Congress,
business leaders say they cannot tell what direction government
policy will take on a variety of issues, including new energy
taxes, tougher emissions standards for factories and vehicles,
and guaranteed markets for start-up wind and solar power plants.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-energy-invest22-2010feb22,0,1993754.story

Former Calpers Officials Benefit From Fund's Clean-Tech
Investments. When the former chief executive for CalPERS, Fred
Buenrostro, moved the giant pension fund into the clean energy
and technology sector three years ago, two of the businessmen who
ultimately benefited were friends. Al Villalobos, a former
CalPERS board member who was so close to Buenrostro that he
hosted his wedding, will pocket $432,800 in sales commissions for
helping Enlink Geoenergy secure investment money from one of a
half-dozen smaller clean energy technology funds backed by
CalPERS. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/02/22/v-print/2554369/former-calpers-officials-benefit.html

California Science Panel Objects To Use Of Methyl Iodide. Fresno
– A scientific panel has raised serious concerns about the use of
methyl iodide on California farmland, saying the highly potent
chemical poses significant health risks to workers and the
general population. The report from the state-appointed group of
experts comes as a blow to farmers and the makers of the fumigant
– the Tokyo-based Arysta LifeScience Corp. – who have fought for
more than a year to get the chemical approved in California.
Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/02/22/v-print/2554372/california-science-panel-objects.html

BLOGS

Urban Parks: A Global Warming Downer? Green is good — right? Not
necessarily when it comes to lawns, according to a new study by
University of California Irvine researchers. For the first time,
scientists compared the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by
ornamental turfgrass to the amount emitted in the irrigation,
fertilizing and mowing of the same plots. Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/02/lawns-turfgrass-soil-carbon-storage.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

States Bite Back Against Emissions Regulations, Even California.
When automakers and the Obama White House announced agreement on
a single national standard for emissions and fuel economy last
May, the entire auto industry heaved a huge sigh of relief. The
issue was settled, at least until 2016. Yesterday, however, the
state of Texas filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals to suspend
the EPA's 2012 tailpipe-emissions regulations, arguing that they
threaten the Texas oil and gas industries and would "devastate
our state's strong economy." Posted.
http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1042686_states-bite-back-against-emissions-regulations-even-california

Venture Capitalists: Move to Repeal California Climate Law
Endangers a Job Creator. Perceptions of whether California’s
Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32, is going to save or destroy
the California economy depends on who’s doing the talking.
Opponents, like Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman,
say the measure is too expensive and will destroy jobs in
California. In fact, she has made suspending the greenhouse gas
reduction law a cornerstone of her campaign. She also suggests
that California’s Environmental Quality Act, a model for
environmental protection laws in other states, needs drastic
reform. Posted.
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100222/venture-capitalists-move-repeal-california-climate-law-endangers-job-creator

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