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newsclips -- Newsclips for March 22, 2011
Posted: 22 Mar 2011 13:21:41
California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 22, 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. AIR POLLUTION EU Climate Chief: Don't Jump To Conclusions On Nuclear. The European Union isn't running away from nuclear energy, climate change commissioner Connie Hedegaard said Tuesday. "There are 143 nuclear plants in Europe and we aren't going to shut down anything soon," she said, in response to a question about the consequences of the Japan crisis. "We shouldn't jump to a lot of conclusions." The European Union's 27 members have agreed to reduce carbon emissions 20% from 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110322-707773.html Out-Of-State Air Pollution Battle Led By New York And N. Carolina Could Help Clean Chesapeake. Baltimore — A court battle by New York and North Carolina over out-of-state air pollution could help clean the Chesapeake Bay. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced Monday that he has asked the federal Environmental Protection Agency to promptly implement rules on how much air pollution can cross state lines. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/out-of-state-air-pollution-battle-led-by-new-york-and-n-carolina-could-help-clean-chesapeake/2011/03/21/ABFB477_story.html Controlling PM. Today’s emission control devices are capable of keeping particulate matter emissions at reasonable levels and in line with regulations, but the best option may vary with each project. Biomass power plant project opponents commonly claim that particulate matter (PM) emissions cause lung ailments and other health detriments and use that information to block the building of new facilities in their communities. What the developers of these plants, and authorities who permit them know, however, is that there are strict PM and other emissions limitations in place, and a number of options to help achieve these limits. Posted. http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/5380/controlling-pm/ CLIMATE CHANGE LAWSUIT Judge Halts California Emissions Plan. San Francisco (Reuters) —California did not adequately consider alternatives to its plan to create a cap-and-trade market for carbon emissions, a judge ruled on Monday, a setback for the most aggressive effort by a state to combat climate change. The state’s regulator on climate change matters, the Air Resources Board, will need to consider other possibilities to meet state environmental law, said Judge Ernest Goldsmith of San Francisco Superior Court. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/science/earth/22emissions.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print Judge Places California's Global Warming Program On Hold. A San Francisco superior court judge has put California's sweeping plan to curb greenhouse gas pollution on hold, saying the state did not adequately evaluate alternatives to its cap-and-trade program. In a 35-page decision, Judge Ernest H. Goldsmith said the Air Resources Board had failed to consider public comments on the proposed measures before adopting the plan, which affects a broad swath of the state's economy. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-climate-law-blocked-m,0,7401316,print.story Calif. Cap-And-Trade Plan Suffers Legal Setback. California's attempt to implement its landmark global warming law with a market-oriented "cap-and-trade" system of pollution credits hit a snag Monday with a judge's ruling that the state had not looked hard enough at alternatives. The ruling by Judge Ernest Goldsmith of San Francisco Superior Court does not prohibit the state Air Resources Board from adopting cap and trade or explicitly require that officials delay its scheduled implementation next year. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/22/MNUF1IGAAT.DTL&type=printable California's Global Warming Law Takes A Hit. In a setback that could stall the rollout of California's landmark climate change law, a court in San Francisco has ruled that the state must spend more time studying alternatives to the measure's key feature -- a cap-and-trade program on greenhouse gas emissions -- before it goes into effect Jan. 1. San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith blocked the California Air Resources Board from moving forward with its rules under the law, known as AB 32, until it completes a more thorough environmental analysis. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_17669148?nclick_check=1 California Judge Orders Delay of Carbon-Market Rules to Study Alternatives. A California judge ordered state environmental officials to stop work on carbon cap-and-trade regulations until alternative approaches, such as a carbon tax, are fully studied. The California Air Resources Board violated state law when it approved a December 2008 plan that laid the groundwork for the trading program, Judge Ernest Goldsmith said in a March 18 ruling obtained today. The plan failed to analyze alternatives that might be better than a cap-and-trade program, he said. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-03-21/california-judge-orders-delay-of-carbon-market-rules-to-study-alternatives.html UPDATE 2-California Cap-And-Trade Plan Faces Setback. San Francisco/Washington - California did not adequately consider alternatives to its plan to create a cap-and-trade market for carbon emissions, a judge ruled on Monday, throwing a wrench into the most aggressive U.S. effort to combat climate change. The state's regulator on climate change matters, the Air Resources Board (ARB), will need to consider other possibilities to meet state environmental law, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith wrote in an opinion. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USN219838420110321 Legal Setback For California's Climate Change Law. California did not properly look at complete alternatives to its cap-and-trade plan for carbon emissions, a judge ruled Monday. Reuters reported that San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith ruled that the state's Air Resources Board needs to consider other possibilities to satisfy the state's environmental law. Quoting the judge's ruling, Reuters said Goldsmith said the board "seeks to create a 'fait accompli' by premature establishment of a cap-and-trade program before alternatives can be exposed to public comment and properly evaluated. ..." Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2011/03/22/legal-setback-for-climate-change-law.html Setback For Calif. Climate Change Law. California did not properly look at complete alternatives to its cap-and-trade plan for carbon emissions, a judge ruled. Reuters reported that San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith ruled that the state's Air Resources Board needs to consider other possibilities to satisfy the state's environmental law. Quoting the judge's ruling, Reuters said Goldsmith said the board "seeks to create a 'fait accompli' by premature establishment of a cap-and-trade program before alternatives can be exposed to public comment and properly evaluated. ..." Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/morning_call/2011/03/setback-for-calif-climate-change-law.html?s=print Judge Blocks State's Global Warming Law, Putting 2012 Start Date In Doubt. San Francisco -- A California Superior Court judge has suspended implementation of the state's climate change law on the grounds that a state agency failed to conduct a proper environmental analysis or consider alternatives to a cap-and-trade system for carbon. The ruling from San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith amounts to a serious setback for the state and officials at the California Air Resources Board, which is in the process of putting the final touches on its scoping plan to enact the law starting in less than a year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/03/22/2 Argus: California Judge Suspends Climate Law Programs. A California state judge has ordered the state's air regulators to stop implementing policies adopted to meet the requirements of the state's climate law, including the greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, low carbon fuel standard (LCFS), renewable electricity standard (RES) and a host of other regulations. The decision casts more uncertainty on the state's greenhouse gas (GHG) trading program, which is set to begin in January 2012. Concerns over the case, Association of Irritated Residents et al. v. Air Resources Board (ARB), had already nearly erased speculative interest in GHG offset credits or forward trades of state-issued allowances for the program. Posted. This article is by subscription only. Court Deals Setback For California Cap And Trade. San Francisco -(Dow Jones)- A California court has ordered state regulators to revise their environmental review for the state's cap and trade plan and other greenhouse-gas reduction programs, dealing a setback to the state's plan to combat climate change. In a decision issued Friday, Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith said the state Air Resources Board, which is tasked with lowering air pollution, hadn't conducted an adequate environmental review before it approved a plan to establish the cap and trade program. Posted. http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stockmarketnewsstoryprint.aspx?storyid=201103212027dowjonesdjonline000402 CLIMATE CHANGE Poor Countries Pledge To Help Curb Climate Change. Amsterdam—Mongolia says it will erect solar power plants in the frigid Gobi desert. The Central African Republic says it will expand its forests to cover a quarter of its territory. Mexico promises to slash carbon emissions by 30 percent by the end of the decade. Costa Rica and the Maldives aim to become carbon neutral and even chaotic Afghanistan is promising to take action on climate change. Posted. http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_17665779 General Plan Gets Thorough Exam. As Yuba County moves closer to finalizing its General Plan update, the process has gone from being emotional to technical. At a lengthy board of supervisors hearing on the plan Monday night, supervisors used a mighty fine tooth comb to tweak language within the update, which will be revised again before final adoption. "No page was left unturned, so to speak," said Kevin Mallen, the county's director of development and community services, at the beginning of his presentation of revisions to date. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/plan-105050-board-county.html Carbon Capture And Storage: Carbon Dioxide Pressure Dissipates In Underground Reservoirs. The debate surrounding carbon capture and storage intensifies as scientists from the Earth Sciences Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) examine the capacity for storing carbon dioxide underground, in a study published today in the new journal Greenhouse Gases: Science & Technology. The study debates some of the conclusions drawn in an earlier study by Ehlig-Economides and Economides1; countering their claims that carbon dioxide cannot feasibly be stored underground. Posted. http://www.physorg.com/print220012063.html GREEN ENERGY East Contra Costa Welcomes Power Plants In Their Backyard. While much of the Bay Area has fiercely opposed new power plants proposed in their backyards, communities in eastern Contra Costa have welcomed them with open arms. Over the past 15 years, regulators have approved three power plants that are now operating in the area. Three more planned for East County are working their way through the regulatory pipeline. Local leaders say the newer natural gas-fired plants will run cleaner and more efficiently than older plants, generating permanent jobs and much-needed property tax revenue. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_17656302?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Marines Going Green To Save Lives On Battlefield. Camp Pendleton, Calif. -- The Marine Corps is going green to save lives rather than to save the planet. In a renewable energy strategy revealed to troops Monday, the service said it plans to equip thousands of Marines in Afghanistan with solar-powered gadgets over the next year in an effort to decrease the need to make risky runs for fuel through enemy territory. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2011/03/21/1609397/marines-going-green-to-save-lives.html http://www.nctimes.com/news/national/article_22ad6863-1264-5182-b014-5bc751eb5fde.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/03/21/2318973/marines-going-green-to-save-lives.html#storylink=misearch http://www.washingtonpost.com/marines-going-green-to-save-lives-on-battlefield-avert-attacks-on-fuel-convoys-in-afghanistan/2011/03/21/ABmYww7_story.html http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110321/WIRE/110329935 http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/21/marines-use-solar-devices-to-save-lives/ Clovis Oks $3.4m Public Solar Project. A solar project for Clovis police and fire headquarters and two fire stations could get under way next month after City Council members Monday night approved a financing plan. The city expects to spend about $3.4 million but will save about 47% in electricity costs -- or about $128,205 annually -- for the three buildings. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/03/21/2319552/clovis-oks-34m-solar-project.html Natural Gas Now Viewed as Safer Bet. Natural gas may be having its day, as its rival energy sources come under a cloud. The serious problems at the nuclear power plant in Japan have raised new doubts about the safety of nuclear energy. New exploration has yet to resume in the Gulf of Mexico after last year’s blowout of a BP oil well. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/business/global/22gas.html?scp=5&sq=green%20energy&st=cse Green Jobs Take Root In Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn. -- Twenty years ago, Ty Koelker moved from Maryland to Kentucky to work in the South's burgeoning automotive industry. Working mostly for supplier companies, the manufacturing engineer eventually worked his way up to plant manager at a fabrication and stamping facility near Nashville. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2011/03/22/1610379/green-jobs-take-root-in-tennessee.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/03/22/2319744/green-jobs-take-root-in-tennessee.html#storylink=misearch RCAC's West Sac Offices Add Solar. The Rural Community Assistance Corp. has installed a $384,000 solar-power system at its West Sacramento offices. The RCAC, which provides loans for rural and disadvantaged communities in 13 western states, said its rooftop solar photovoltaic system will provide more than 60 percent of its energy needs over 25 years while sharply reducing its carbon dioxide footprint. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2011/03/22/1610552/rcacs-west-sac-offices-add-solar.html The Wood Stove Excels at Reducing Fossil Fuels—But Can it Get Clean Enough? Wood and pellet stoves are the only residential renewable energy system at scale in America today. According to the U.S. EPA, there are more than 10 million stoves in the U.S. compared to only about 300,000 residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. But one of the largest benefits of the wood and pellet stove is ignored: A $2,500 wood or pellet stove can reduce as much fossil fuel usage in the winter months as a $25,000 solar PV system does in a year. Posted. http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/5364/the-wood-stove-excels-at-reducing-fossil-fuelsundefinedbut-can-it-get-clean-enough/ Decentralized Renewable Energy Is Goal Of Bay Area Coalition. The Local Clean Energy Alliance, a Bay Area coalition focused on climate protection and green job creation, has released Community Power. Decentralized Renewable Energy in California, a comprehensive 64 page report (PDF) by Al Weinrub which advocates using small-scale, locally-based, decentralized renewable energy in California. They view this as the best way to meet the state-mandated goal of one-third renewable energy by 2020, as well as providing new jobs. Posted. http://caivn.org/article/2011/03/22/decentralized-renewable-energy-goal-bay-area-coalition VEHICLES Google Trials Plug-Free Electric Vehicle Charging; Invests in “Carbon Negative” Biofuels. Google is trialing the Plugless Power electric vehicle charging station at its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters. The search company will host the first public release of the charging station developed and manufactured by Evatran LLC. The station is based on inductive technology, and charges electric vehicles and extended-range hybrids without the need for a cord or plug. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/03/22/google-trials-plug-free-electric-vehicle-charging-invests-in-carbon-negative-biofuels/ MISCELLANEOUS Do you look good in green? Agency seeks next 'Eco-Girl'. For women who want to make a difference -- and look good doing it -- Project Greenbees is looking for you. Eco-friendly company Greenbees, in conjunction with Optimal Wellness Center, will host a model casting Sunday looking for the next "Eco-Girl." Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/entertainment/local/x529879438/Do-you-look-good-in-green-Agency-seeks-next-Eco-Girl Rising Sun Saves Energy, Trains Teens. As a community that takes its “greenness” very seriously, Ross Valley residents should be embracing a program that trains teens to help the entire community conserve energy. Posted. http://sananselmofairfax.patch.com/articles/rising-sun-saves-energy-trains-teens OPINION Nuclear Energy Isn't Needed. Twelve days are not nearly enough to comprehend the magnitude of the catastrophes that hit Japan starting March 11. From the children who lost parents in the crush of the earthquake, to those whose loved ones are still missing after the tsunami, to the scores of workers risking their health by heroically attempting to stabilize the Fukushima nuclear complex — there is no end to the tragic stories. Yet in addition to the grief and empathy I feel for the Japanese people, I am beginning to develop another emotion, and that is anger. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/opinion/23iht-ednaidoo23.html?pagewanted=print California vs the EPA: One-Size-Fits-None. An impending battle between state lawmakers in California and the U.S. Congress over the state’s tough vehicle emission standards illustrates the absurdity of one-size-fits all policies emanating from D.C. Over the past 40 years, the fed granted California waivers under the Clean Air Act, allowing the state to impose tougher emission standards than those mandated for the rest of the nation – kind of a state right by federal fiat. A Republican backed House bill would strip the EPA’s authority to grant the waiver. Posted. http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2011/03/22/california-vs-the-epa-one-size-fits-none/ BLOGS Greening the Team: Will Fans Follow Suit? With the current political climate in Washington tending toward the anti-environmental (especially among Republicans in the House of Representatives), some campaigners are seeking new ways to rally public support. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/greening-the-team-will-fans-follow-suit/ Bee Maven Wins Big Environmental Prize. May Berenbaum, a brilliant entomologist and voice of reason amid all the heat over troubles with bee colonies in recent years, has won the $200,000 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. It’s well deserved. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/bee-maven-wins-big-environmental-prize Hot Air Slowly Escaping From Global Warming Issue. Americans’ concern about global warming has dropped a dramatic 15 points in the last three years, according to Gallup’s most recent annual Environment poll. Eighty percent of Americans now say they understand the issue “very well” or “fairly well,” but only 51 percent “worry a great deal or fair amount” about it -- down from 66 percent just three years ago. That 15 percent represents a substantial drop in public support for what was supposedly “settled science” and not open to further debate. Posted. http://washingtonexaminer.com/print/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/03/hot-air-slowly-escaping-global-warming-issue Another Wrench in AB 32. Air board will appeal ruling on implementation of AB 32. Environmental justice advocates will tell you they never intended to shut down the state's whole climate law, when they filed suit against it. But a broadly-worded court decision could put some or all implementation of AB 32 on hold. Waste gases are burned off at the ConocoPhillips refinery in Rodeo. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2011/03/21/another-wrench-in-ab-32/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader California Cap-and-Trade Put On Hold -- At Least for Now. Back in 2006, during flusher times, the California legislature passed and then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act. That Act requires the state by 2020 to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels. Last year, California residents voted down a referendum which would have delayed implementation of the Act until unemployment rate in the Bear Republic state had fallen below 5.5 percent. Posted. http://reason.com/blog/2011/03/22/california-cap-and-trade-put-o EDF’s Take on Friday’s Ruling in California’s Cap-and-trade Lawsuit. •The court’s decision confirms that CARB has the legal authority to implement AB 32 Scoping Plan measures, including cap-and-trade, which is the cornerstone of the program and key to reducing pollution. •EDF is confident that any further actions by the Petitioners and the State will be consistent with their goal of keeping AB 32 moving forward and achieving its goals. Posted. http://www.favstocks.com/edf%E2%80%99s-take-on-fridays-ruling-in-california%E2%80%99s-cap-and-trade-lawsuit/2138035/ Green Energy Subsidies Fade As Austerity Kicks In. Many have lauded various nations for subsidizing alternative energy production as part of a concerted world-wide effort to wean humans of destructive carbon-based energy. But they forget that governments, especially when pressed by finances or fear, can change their minds rapidly. For example, much of the world is currently seeing a pull-back of government support for alternative energy, largely because governments are struggling with financial problems and are instituting austerity programs. Posted. http://blogs.forbes.com/terrywaghorn/2011/03/22/green-energy-subsidies-fade-as-austerity-kicks-in/ Human Health V. Economic Health. Twenty years after amendments to the Clean Air Act authorized the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate additional toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants, the agency is finally flexing its muscle. New rules proposed this month would cut mercury emissions along with other dangerous metals like arsenic, chromium and nickel and particulate matter from oil- and coal-fired power plants. The EPA cites tremendous health benefits -- …Posted. http://www.hcn.org/hcn/blogs/goat/human-health-v.-economic-health