What's New List Serve Post Display
Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
newsclips -- Newsclips for November 17, 2010.
Posted: 17 Nov 2010 12:49:23
California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 17, 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. AIR POLLUTION Capitol Alert: Anti-Smog Campaign Has Paid Off, Report Says. California's four-decade-long crackdown on smog-causing automotive emissions has paid off in sharp reductions in air pollution, a new report by the Environment California Research and Policy Center concludes. Since 1980, the Los Angeles-based center says, peak smog levels have dropped by 70 percent in the Los Angeles area, 50 per cent in the San Diego area and in the Sacramento Valley, 40 percent in the San Francisco Bay Area, and 33 percent in the San Joaquin Valley. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/11/16/2161906/capitol-alert-anti-smog-campaign.html#ixzz15YgGyeit Report: Vehicle Air Pollution Down 85% Since 1975. Air pollution from cars and trucks in Los Angeles and across California has dropped more than 85 percent since 1975 due to clean-air policies, according to a report issued today. "Clean Cars in California: Four Decades of Progress in the Unfinished Battle to Clean Up Our Air" by Environment California Research & Policy Center documents how emissions policies have helped reduce smog in Los Angeles, San Diego and elsewhere. Since 1980, peak smog levels have dropped by 70 percent in the Los Angeles area and 50 percent in the San Diego area, according to the study. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_16629216 Alviso Receives Clean Bill Of Health From EPA. A quarter century after declaring the entire community of Alviso a Superfund site because of asbestos contamination, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is finally giving the sleepy neighborhood on San Jose's northern edges a clean bill of health. The conclusion, which follows extensive air and soil testing by crews clad in white safety suits, represents a key step in removing Alviso from the list of America's most notorious toxic waste sites, erasing what some residents see as an unfair blemish to its reputation. "The word 'Superfund' is derogatory. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_16630592?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Texas Coal-Plant Emissions Fouling Neighboring States -- Sierra Club. Coal plants in Texas contribute to bad air quality in neighboring states for dozens of days each year, according to a report by the Sierra Club. The report says Texas is responsible for 64 days with harmful levels of smog in Oklahoma, 20 days in Arkansas, and 16 in Louisiana. There are 30 coal-fired power plants either proposed or in operation in Texas. The Oklahoma attorney general had expressed concern in May over air pollution in his state from Texas plants in a letter to U.S. EPA. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/17/11 CLIMATE CHANGE Clean-Tech Advocates Hail Schwarzenegger's Legacy. When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, there were 30 clean-tech companies in the Sacramento region. Today, there are more than 100 such companies in the area employing thousands of workers. With weeks remaining in Schwarzenegger's administration, the fledgling green economy in Sacramento and the rest of California owes a debt to Schwarzenegger's stewardship of the state's climate-change law and his administration's policies, clean-tech advocates say. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/17/v-print/3191160/governor-leaves-legacy-of-energy.html Report: India Faces Major Climate Changes By 2030. New Delhi -- A new report says India could be 2 degrees Celsius (3.8 F) warmer than 1970s levels within 20 years - a change that would disrupt rain cycles and wreak havoc on the country's agriculture and freshwater supplies, experts said Wednesday. More flooding, more drought and a spreading of malaria would occur, as the disease migrates northward into Kashmir and the Himalayas, according to the report by 220 Indian scientists and 120 research institutions. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/17/v-print/3191497/report-india-faces-major-climate.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_16635169 Prominent Investors Call For Action On Warming. Washington -- A group of international investors responsible for more than $15 trillion in assets called Tuesday for the world's nations, particularly the United States, to move decisively to combat climate change or face economic disruptions worse than the global recession of the last two years. The statement, signed by 259 asset managers and asset owners whose holdings account for one-quarter of global capitalization, was aimed at world leaders who will meet in two weeks in Cancun, Mexico, for a United Nations conference on climate change. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/16/v-print/3190753/prominent-investors-call-for-action.html International Investors Issue Global Warming Warning. A group responsible for more than $15 trillion in assets calls on nations to combat climate change or face severe economic disruptions. A group of international investors responsible for more than $15 trillion in assets called Tuesday for the world's nations, particularly the United States, to move decisively to combat climate change or face economic disruptions worse than the global recession of the last two years. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-climate-financiers-20101117,0,569310,print.story Schwarzenegger Helps Launch Climate Nonprofit. Davis, Calif. -- Nearly two dozen local government leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas have started their own coalition to harness private investment in their fight against global warming. The nonprofit organization, called R20, was launched Tuesday at the conclusion of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's third and final climate summit in California. Schwarzenegger says local governments are taking action because "we can't afford to wait for national and international movement." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/16/v-print/3190789/schwarzenegger-helps-launch-climate.html http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-climate-summit-california,0,6037694,print.story Schwarzenegger, Regional Leaders Unite to Fight Climate Change. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and about 100 regional leaders from around the world formed an alliance aimed at fighting climate change and shifting to a global green economy. The group, called R20, includes Schwarzenegger, a Republican, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, a Democrat, and local officials from countries including Mexico, Canada, South Korea and Japan, according to an e-mailed release from Schwarzenegger's office yesterday. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/17/bloomberg1376-LC05MY1A74E901-6D5KEDVM9UFA05LD18UF8VJJF7.DTL&type=printable Schwarzenegger Launches New Climate-Change Group. The international organization of states and provinces intends to move ahead on the issue despite the failure to achieve a global climate pact in Copenhagen last year. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday launched an international organization to tackle climate change with leaders from regional governments in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and the United States. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-climate-schwarzenegger-20101117,0,2352602,print.story U.A.E., Australia, U.S. Are Worst CO2 Polluters, Maplecroft Says. The United Arab Emirates, Australia and the U.S. are the worst carbon polluters, where businesses are most in danger of facing pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the U.K. risk analysts Maplecroft said. The U.A.E. dropped 15 places from the previous year to take over from Australia as the worst-performing nation, Bath, U.K.- based Maplecroft said today in an e-mailed statement. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/17/bloomberg1376-LBZGYM1A1I4G01-39F7BOHDC9COAUE9OM21BDG711.DTL&type=printable EPA Tells States Coastal Waters Acidic From Carbon Dioxide Should Be Listed As 'Impaired'. Seattle - States with coastal water that is becoming more acidic because of carbon dioxide should list them as impaired under the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Agency said. The federal agency's memo Monday to states recognizes carbon dioxide as not only an air pollutant but a water pollutant, and notes the serious impacts that ocean acidification can have on aquatic life. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-epa-acid-oceans,0,1593978,print.story Governor Signs Climate Change Memorandum with Brazil, Mexico. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Governor Arnobio Marques de Almeida, Jr. from Brazil and Governor Juan Jose Sabines Guerrero from Mexico Tuesday. The memorandum's intent was to combat climate change and protect tropical forests. The memorandum is focused on reducing greenhouse gas emission from deforestation and land degradation (known as REDD) through improved forest management practices. Posted. http://www.news10.net/news/green/story.aspx?storyid=106478&catid=62 Barclays, NRG Energy Reach First Cap-and-Trade Deal Under California Law. NRG Energy Inc., the largest U.S. independent power producer, and Barclays Plc have completed the first deal for carbon-dioxide permits under California’s planned cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases. Under terms of the trade, to be announced today, permits or carbon allowances will be delivered in December 2012, said Kedin Kilgore, head of U.S. emissions trading for London-based Barclays. The state’s cap-and-trade program begins in 2012 for utilities and manufacturers and in 2015 for cars and trucks. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-11-17/nrg-energy-barclays-make-first-california-cap-and-trade-deal.html UC Berkeley Study Finds Dire Warnings On Global Warming May. Dire messages about global warming could backfire and actually increase skepticism about climate change among the general public, according to a new study by a University of California at Berkeley social psychologist. The study, which will be published in the January issue of the journal Psychological Science, says warnings about the potentially devastating consequences of global warming "threaten people's fundamental tendency to see the world as safe, stable and fair." Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_16632504?nclick_check=1 Tahoe Will Lose Much Of Its Snow In Coming Decades, UC Davis Study Says. Davis -- Children learning to ski at Lake Tahoe this winter will find far less opportunity to enjoy their new sport at middle age. In their 40s, they may also see a lake that has switched from crystal blue to murky green. These are among the findings in the most comprehensive study to date of climate change effects at Lake Tahoe. It was released Monday by a group of researchers from University of California-Davis and the U.S. Geological Survey. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_16633893 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/17/17climatewire-new-report-predicts-severe-climate-impacts-o-75307.html Court Consolidates 2 Challenges To Emission Regulations. A federal appeals court considering various challenges to U.S. EPA's greenhouse gas regulations said yesterday it would consolidate cases involving two of the four regulations under attack. In doing so, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia acceded to a request from EPA that two of the four regulations under scrutiny should be dealt with together. But the court held off from deciding whether the same three-judge panel would consider all the cases, which the industry groups challenging the regulations would prefer. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/17/7 DIESEL EMISSIONS Diesel, Cleaner, Is Set to Make a Comeback. WHEN Kenneth Ray Earley, a sophomore at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, went looking to replace the gas-guzzling, 1998 Chevy Silverado he’d inherited from his family, fuel efficiency, he said, was top of mind. He looked at Honda’s Civic and Fit models, as well as a Chevy Cobalt and the Toyota Prius hybrid. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/business/energy-environment/17DIESEL.html?src=busln GREEN ENERGY U.K.'s 'Untouched' Market Relies Too Much on Gas, Huhne Says. Britain's electricity market, "left untouched" by government regulations, would rely too much on gas and neglect other fuels needed to limit emissions and price volatility, the minister in charge of energy said today. The U.K. government said it will set out steps later this year, such as guaranteeing electricity capacity, establishing a minimum cost of emitting carbon-dioxide and obliging energy suppliers to source low-carbon power such as wind and nuclear, to help attract investment. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/17/bloomberg1376-LC0XV90D9L3501-2G8C63SVQDLGB4LRE5R4LAUQT1.DTL&type=printable 18 Finalists Compete In The Cleantech Open Business Competition. Since its founding five years ago, the Cleantech Open has become cleantech's most influential business competition. EcoFactor, a Redwood City startup that makes "smart" thermostats, won the Grand Prize in 2009 and went on to raise $5.9 million in venture capital. This year, 300 teams from five regions across the country entered the competition with hopes of winning the $250,000 Grand Prize. The field was narrowed to 81 semifinalists, then 18 finalists, including six from California. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_16629233 Treasure Island Undergoes Major Clean-Up. Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay was for years a military base, but city officials hope to turn it into an emerging new neighborhood. Before that happens, a major clean-up must take place. A gleaming, green neighborhood with stunning views of the city and the bay -- that is what city planners hope the future Treasure Island will look like. The plan for the more than 400-acre island also includes 8,000 homes, a business district, farms and open space. Posted. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=7792989 VEHICLES Electric Cars Are Charging Into The Marketplace. With the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf available by year's end, shoppers will for the first time be faced with choices that include whether they want a gas-powered car. Stalled for nearly a century, electric cars are about to move into the fast lane when the first of a new generation of vehicles reaches dealer showrooms next month. Every major automaker plans some sort of electric or plug-in hybrid offering over the next several years, a wave of competing technologies reminiscent of the beginning of the automobile age. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-autos-electric-cars-20101117,0,7912784,print.story Volt Enters Production, Earns 'Car Of The Year' Honors. The first completed Chevrolet Volt was finished Nov. 9 at General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck plant. Teri Quigley, plant manager at Detroit-Hamtramck, said GM started building the Volts earlier this month, but declined to say how many were finished. Besides the first, which went to a Chevrolet dealer outside of Los Angeles, another for a dealer in Austin has been confirmed as completed. The automaker has not shipped any cars from the plant, but they are expected to reach customers in early December. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/17/14 Pacific Coast Leaders Ink Pacts On High-Speed Rail, Electric Cars. Davis, Calif. -- Pacific Coast leaders on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border signed agreements yesterday aimed at fostering cooperation on transportation infrastructure. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D), British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and a representative of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) agreed to work together on developing a high-speed rail system and a charging network for electric vehicles. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/17/25 MISCELLANEOUS Brown Likely To Retain Most Of Schwarzenegger's Administration. As the gov.-elect's transition effort got underway Tuesday, aides said he isn't looking to restaff every department in the state. Budget director and Air Resources Board chair are named as likely carryovers. Throughout his campaign for governor, Jerry Brown suggested that the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had fallen short, going so far as to ridicule Schwarzenegger in campaign advertisements and repeatedly assert that the movie star was in over his head in Sacramento. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1117-brown-20101117,0,7060626,print.story EPA to Caltrans: Clean Up Your Act! The federal environmental regulator slapped the state transit agency over polluted runoff into storm drains. Caltrans has to stop letting nasty chemicals from local maintenance yards and construction sites leak into rivers and streams, the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The order comes after the EPA snooped around Caltrans facilities and road construction sites in Northern California and found that the state agency in charge of roads, bridges and the like isn’t following regulations on storm-water runoff. Posted. http://www.baycitizen.org/environment/story/epa-caltrans-clean-your-act/print/ OPINION Dan Walters: California Bets Big On Green Future. When California's economy plunged into recession a few years ago, most economists believed it would be a relatively short-lived downturn. That was then; this is now. The consensus now is that while the state's economy may have hit bottom and begun to rebound ever so slightly, it will be several years, at least, before payrolls return to pre-recession levels. California lost a mind-boggling 1.4 million jobs as recession bit, driving its unemployment rate above 12 percent, one of the nation's highest. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/17/v-print/3190994/dan-walters-california-bets-big.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/11/17/1432535/dan-walters-california-bets-big.html#ixzz15Yu8hJcO How to Live With Climate Change. One of the scarier predictions about global warming is the suggestion that melting glaciers and ice caps could cause sea levels to rise as much as 15 to 20 feet over the next century. Set aside the fact that the best research we have - from the United Nations climate panel - says that global sea levels are not likely to rise more than about 20 inches by 2100. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/16/AR2010111606123.html Editorial: Arnold Still Hot For Global Warming. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, oblivious to the adverse effects of his efforts to date, held another pep rally this week for the crusade against the presumed threat of global warming. The "Governors' Global Climate Summit 3" at UC Davis attracted 1,500 attendees from about "80 states, provinces and countries" to pump life back into an anti-global warming campaign that's steadily lost momentum following a series of scientific, economic and political setbacks. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/global-276254-warming-climate.html BLOGS Arnold's Climate Summit: A Final Hot-Air Fest? It was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's third and final "Climate Summit," but the annual gabfest went out with more of a whimper than a bang. For three years, the governor has used his star power to attract other "sub-national" leaders of international provinces and states to California, each time ending his conferences with a flurry of "memorandums of agreement" to cooperate to combat climate change. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/schwarzenegger-climate-summit-r20.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 California Cars 99% Cleaner Than In 1960s, But Smog Levels Still High, Study Says. Automotive emissions standards in California have resulted in cars that are 99% cleaner than they were 50 years ago, according to a new report. Vehicle-related air pollution in the state is down 85% since 1975. Peak smog levels are down. But the Golden State still houses the top 10 most polluted counties in the country, Environment California Research & Policy Center said Tuesday in a new study. State officials should update emissions regulations, according to the report. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/11/california-cars-99-cleaner-than-in-1960s-but-smog-levels-still-high-study-says.html Exploring California's Proposed Climate Change Rules and the Defeat of Prop 23. Today marks the final day of Gov. Schwarzenegger's Global Climate Summit at UC Davis. (Watch it live here.) Gretchen Weber reports on KQED's Climate Watch blog: ...more than 80 regional and local governments have come together for two days to try to figure out ways to reduce emissions and put the brakes on climate change. The idea is that since last year’s UN climate summit in Copenhagen failed to produce a binding… Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2010/11/16/exploring-californias-proposed-climate-change-rules-and-the-defeat-of-prop-32/ Cap-and-Trade Exchange Calls It Quits. The only national carbon cap-and-trade exchange in the United States is shutting down because of Congressional inaction on limiting emissions, company officials say. The Chicago Climate Exchange is a voluntary but legally binding greenhouse gas emissions allowance trading system modeled after a federal cap-and-trade program from the 1980s that successfully curbed emissions tied to acid rain. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/climate-futures-exchange-calls-it-quits/?partner=rss&emc=rss