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California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 26, 2011. 


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.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Interest in Carbon Market Growing Amid Shortcomings, UNFCCC Says.
Interest is increasing in the United Nation’s Clean Development
Mechanism, the world’s second-largest carbon market, an official
from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change said. “I see
the interest in CDM growing," David Abbass, the public
information officer for the UNFCCC, said in an interview in
Johannesburg today. "It’s evident in our pipeline. Even in a time
of relative uncertainty, we still see the requests for validation
rising,” He was countering a statement yesterday by Robert Kelly,
the regional technical adviser for North Africa at the UN
Development Program, that the CDM is “barely making a dent” on
the amount of greenhouse gases released in to the atmosphere.
Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-01-26/interest-in-carbon-market-growing-amid-shortcomings-unfccc-says.html

Politics Marks Obama, GOP Battle Over Regulations. “With a
sympathetic ear to corporate America, Republicans are talking
about fighting existing and proposed regulations that Obama and
congressional Democrats prize, including limits on greenhouse gas
emissions and rules to enforce last year's financial and health
care overhauls.” Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/01/26/2247924/politics-marks-obama-gop-battle.html#storylink=misearch

DIESEL EMISSIONS

CARB Counts Emissions Reductions. A broad range of projects
targeting freight transport, funded by state bond money and
administered by the California Air Resources Board and air
districts, has slashed emissions along trade corridors and near
ports, cutting pollution from trucks, trains and ships, CARB
announced Jan. 24. More than 5,300 diesel trucks are being
cleaned up, 19 locomotives operating in the Central Valley and
Southern California are being upgraded, and clean electrical
power will be available this spring for ships docking at the Port
of Oakland costing $250 million as part of implementation of
CARB’s Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program. Posted.
http://www.truckersnews.com/carb-counts-emissions-reductions/print/

FUELS

U.K. Energy Policy Risks Prompting Renewed `Dash for Gas,'
Lawmakers Say. Changes to U.K. energy policy may lead to a
renewed “dash for gas” as utilities choose cheap gas-fired plants
over renewable projects, Parliament’s Energy and Climate Change
Select Committee said in a report today. Government policy needs
to “put the cleanest form of energy at the top of the agenda,”
Committee Chairman Tim Yeo said in a statement. If the type of
capacity is not part of the decision-making process, companies
will choose the “cheap and easy” option, the committee said in
the report. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-01-26/u-k-energy-policy-risks-prompting-renewed-dash-for-gas-lawmakers-say.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110125-717922.html

Xtra Lease Targets Fuel Efficiency with Newest Trailers. Xtra
Lease has ordered 6,000 new fuel-efficient trailers equipped with
aerodynamic side skirts and low rolling resistance tires,
providing fleets access to new equipment and opportunities to
lower their fuel costs. A leading provider of trailer rentals and
leases, Xtra Lease will add both features on new trailers,
53-foot and longer, due to arrive at company rental locations
throughout the U.S. between February and August. Not only will
the new trailers provide added fuel efficiencies, they'll comply
with California's Greenhouse Gas regulation and are safe to enter
and operate in that state without penalty. Posted.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=72800

GREEN ENERGY

Obama Wants Billions More Put In 'Clean Energy'. Washington -
President Obama on Tuesday charted a plan for investing billions
more dollars in "clean energy" programs and renewed his call for
an end to tax breaks for oil companies. In his State of the Union
address, Obama prodded lawmakers to subsidize research on
cleaner-burning alternative energy sources at the expense of
traditional fossil fuels as a way to boost U.S. competitiveness,
wean the country off foreign oil imports and aid the nation's
economic recovery. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/26/MNC91HECVV.DTL&type=printable

Obama, Announcing Clean Energy Standard, Looks for Compromise.
“President Obama's pursuit of a clean energy standard reflects
the heightened political challenges facing his administration and
makes it more apparent that his campaign promises to cap carbon
emissions will be unfulfilled before he runs for re-election.” 
Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/01/26/26climatewire-obama-announcing-clean-energy-standard-looks-27848.html?scp=10&sq=green%20energy&st=cse

Obama Places Energy Investments at Center of Economic Argument.
“In a State of the Union address that focused like a laser beam
on the U.S. economy, President Obama last night called on
Congress to slash federal spending but invest more in developing
cleaner sources of energy.”  Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/01/26/26climatewire-obama-places-energy-investments-at-center-of-75076.html?scp=4&sq=green%20vehicles&st=cse


Green-Energy Future Looks Black as Recession Bites: Davos Diary.
The future is black, not green. Get used to oil trading at $100 a
barrel. Drilling disasters are good because they focus the oil
industry’s attention on safety. Oh, and our insatiable thirst for
yet more energy sources threatens to deplete the world’s food and
water supplies. That’s the bleak message from the World Economic
Forum’s opening discussion on global energy at its annual meeting
in Davos, Switzerland. Fatih Birol, the chief economist of the
International Energy Agency, led a panel that delivered a somber
outlook for renewable energy. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-01-26/green-energy-future-looks-black-as-recession-bites-davos-diary.html

Study: 100 Percent Renewable Energy Possible By 2030. A study in
the wonky journal Energy Policy makes the case that the whole
world could be using exclusively renewable energy within 20
years. The plan doesn't even include nuclear power, natural gas
or biofuels, which sometimes spur deforestation. The analysis, by
UC Davis research scientist Mark Delucchi and Stanford engineer
Mark Jacobson, contradicts industry claims that renewable energy
is a pipe dream and that we must continue using costly and
unhealthy energy sources such as fossil fuels and nuclear power.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=81690#ixzz1CABpnrZv

Local Democrats Cheer Obama For Focus On Economy And Clean
Energy. Santa Cruz - Applause erupted at the Santa Cruz County
Democrat Party headquarters during President Obama's State of the
Union speech when he touched on sustainable energy, ending
government subsidies to large oil corporations and improving
education for children. The Democrat headquarters on Front Street
was packed with more than 50 Obama supporters who watched the
speech on a big screen television, paying close attention to
every word and proposal Tuesday night. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_17198299?nclick_check=1

After Jobs-Focused Speech, Obama Tours Wisconsin Factories.“He
reiterated the goals he set in Tuesday night's speech of having
80 percent of America's electricity come from clean-energy
sources by 2035 and putting 1 million electric vehicles on the
nation's roads by 2015.”  Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/26/AR2011012602087.html
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/26/after-address-nation-obama-heads-wisconsin/

Obama's SOTU Nod Unleashes Lobbying On Clean-Power Goal. The
lobbying, negotiating and deal making now begins on clean energy
legislation. With President Obama in his State of the Union
describing the framework for a "clean energy" measure,
environmental, business and other groups this morning began to
determine how they move forward. Those who favor the concepts
Obama laid out called the speech an important jump start for
action. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/01/26/1

Senators Laud 'Clean Energy' Push. President Obama’s call for
Congress to pass a mandate that includes both traditional
renewable energy sources like wind and solar as well as GOP
favorites nuclear and “clean coal” may be the driver needed to
bang through the most aggressive and politically feasible means
of reducing greenhouse gas emissions on Capitol Hill this
Congress. Obama set a new goal in his speech Tuesday night,
calling for 80 percent of U.S. electricity to stem from “clean
energy” sources by 2035. Posted.
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=695C75D7-BA05-4FF7-B5A3-C261E5A12949
 
VEHICLES

Nissan Plant Keeps Japan Jobs, Sends Green Message. “The Oppama
plant in the Tokyo suburb of Yokosuka is a showcase for Nissan
Motor Co.'s ambitions to be a leader in green auto technology.
And the plant, shown to reporters Tuesday, is good publicity for
the company amid recent moves by Japanese automakers including
Nissan to send production and jobs overseas.”  Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2011/01/24/1526668/nissan-shows-busy-leaf-electric.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/25/AR2011012500431.html


MISCELLANEOUS

Home Heating Deaths Continue Despite Outreach Programs. Home
heating tips and warnings. * Never use a grill, barbecue or
gas-powered generator indoors. * Keep portable space heaters at
least three feet away from anything flammable, and do not plug
them into an overloaded extension cord. Also, make sure air flows
easily through the unit, and that its wiring is not damaged. *
Check to see that your appliance pilot lights burn with a stable
blue flame; yellow or unsteady flames can indicate a problem. *
Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home. Posted.
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x654319042/Home-heating-deaths-continue-despite-outreach-assistance-programs

Green Medical Clinic Greets Public.“The floors of the new
Vineyard Center for Family Health are made of linseed oil, yeast
and bark. The counters are made from crushed root beer bottles,
and the carpets in the physicians’ offices are recycled.  The
environmentally friendly center, which has been open since
November, held an open house Tuesday for community members to
tour the Oxnard site.”  Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/25/green-medical-clinic-greets-public/

OPINION

Air District Faces Challenges.“Since 1980, air pollution from
businesses has been reduced by more than 80%. Given where we are
in our journey toward cleaner air, each of us must have the
courage to look in the mirror and do our part as we craft
reasonable remedies to protect public health. Enormous challenges
remain, and we cannot achieve our clean air goals on the back of
businesses alone.  Scientific polls show that air quality is a
high priority for Valley residents and that they are willing to
do their part to reduce air pollution. Most residents respond
positively to calls to refrain from using wood-burning fireplaces
and to reduce driving.”  Posted
http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/01/24/2245423/seyed-sadredin-air-district-faces.html#storylink=misearch

EDITORIAL: What Brown Can’t Do For You. California Governor Is
Over The Moon For Renewable-Energy Jobs. After a 28-year absence,
Jerry Brown has returned to the California governor’s mansion
with a mission to make America’s most broke state less broke and
more green. He might as well try singing “California Dreamin’ ”
to the tune of “The Impossible Dream.” Since being sworn in Jan.
3, Mr. Brown has declared a fiscal emergency and pressured the
state legislature to close a $25.4 billion budget gap. His plan
to balance the once Golden State’s ledger contains a 50-50
combination of spending cuts and tax hikes. Posted.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/25/what-brown-cant-do-for-you/

The Focus Turns To The 2020s. I made the point in my last post
that many developing countries could be hard pressed to meet
their 2020 emission reduction goals simply because the clock was
now running against them. The reality is that from a major
infrastructure point of view, the 2010’s are largely a done deal,
at least in terms of new hardware. If projects are not already in
the pipeline or at the very least represent an expansion of an
existing, relatively mature business area, then they will not
materially impact the emissions over this coming decade.
http://theenergycollective.com/davidhone/50251/focus-turns-2020s

BLOGS

California, U.S. Agree on Emissions-Standards Announcement Date.
The Environmental Protection Agency, the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and the California Air Resources Board —
the three agencies with primary responsibility for setting the
next round of standards on fuel economy and greenhouse gas
emissions for cars and light-duty trucks — have agreed to
announce their proposals for 2017-25 model-year vehicles by Sept.
1, 2011, according to an E.P.A. press release issued on Monday.
Posted.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/california-federal-agencies-agree-on-emissions-standards-announcement-date/

Q.-and-A.: Imperiled Birds on a Warming Planet. A few days ago I
wrote about the risk of massive extinctions from impending
climate change over the next century, especially among animals
that live high on mountains or in the tropics. They will have
difficulty moving themselves to cooler climates, either because
they cannot move further up in altitude or because the distance
from the tropics to a cooler habitat is simply farther than they
can travel. Posted.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/q-and-a-imperiled-birds-on-a-warming-planet/?pagemode=print

The Future of Algae Fuels Is … When? “Certainly a number of
investors continue to bet on the promise of squeezing oil from
algae in amounts substantial enough to put a dent in the use of
petroleum-based fuels. And dozens of companies and academic labs
are busy chasing that dream.”  Posted.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/the-future-of-algae-fuels-is-when/?scp=2&sq=Fuels&st=cse


Stricter Air Policies. The Federal Clean Air Act celebrates its
40th anniversary this year. Although many areas still suffer from
high amounts of emissions the air is generally cleaner than it
used to be. Although areas may have cleaner air quality than they
did in the past Pittsburgh is the one city in Pennsylvania that
is always linked to poor air quality. As far as air quality is
concerned, The American Lung Association consistently ranks
Pittsburgh as being one of the worst cities for air quality in
the country. When we look at Pittsburgh’s air quality many
factors come into play. Posted.
http://www.examiner.com/environmental-policy-in-pittsburgh/stricter-air-policies

CA Doubled Pace of Renewables Last Year. California Regulators
say the state's utilities about doubled the growth of new
renewable energy sources last year. The California Public
Utilities Commission says developers added 653 megawatts of
capacity in 2010, nearly twice the pace of 2009. For all that,
utilities did not quite make the state-imposed requirement that
they get 20% of their electrical generation from renewables by
last year. Posted.
http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2011/01/25/ca-doubled-pace-of-renewables-last-year/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Creeping Along Toward New Fuel Standards. This week, California
and federal regulators gave themselves a fall deadline in their
collaboration to create national fuel economy and greenhouse gas
standards for model year 2017-2025 cars and light trucks.  The
agencies say they will propose the new standards by September 1,
2011. The September deadline is something of a setback for
California, which had planned to release state standards in
March. Posted.
http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2011/01/25/creeping-along-toward-new-fuel-standards/