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California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 27, 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

L.A., Bakersfield Remain Among U.S.'S Most Polluted Cities,
Report Says.American Lung Assn. says smog and soot levels dropped
significantly in Southern California over the last decade, but
the L.A. area remains the worst region in the nation for ozone
pollution. Smog and soot levels have dropped significantly in
Southern California over the last decade, but the Los Angeles
region still has the highest levels of ozone nationwide,
violating federal health standards an average of 137 days a year.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-california-air-20110427,0,4423301,print.story

Lung Group Rates Ozone Here As 5th Worst In U.S. In its annual
"State of the Air" report released today, the American Lung
Association ranks Sacramento as the fifth-worst metropolitan area
in the country for ozone pollution during the 2007-09 period. The
area is tied for 11th worst for short-term particle pollution
during the same three-year span. Bonnie Holmes-Gen, senior policy
director of the American Lung Association in California, noted
the local region is improving due to efforts to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions from cars and wood burned in fireplaces. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/04/27/v-print/3581570/lung-group-rates-ozone-here-as.html
http://www.modbee.com/2011/04/27/1662356/lung-group-rates-ozone-here-as.html

Air Quality: Several Bay Area Counties Fail Survey. Periodic
spikes in ozone levels and the choke-inducing fine particle
pollution from diesel engines and smokestacks earned several Bay
Area jurisdictions poor marks in air quality, according to a
nationwide report card released today. A county-by-county
analysis by the American Lung Association in California gave
failing marks to Santa Clara, Solano and Contra Costa counties.
But the Bay Area lapses pale in comparison with the persistent,
noxious air in places like Los Angeles, Visalia and Bakersfield,
which earned the association's title for worst air in the nation.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/27/BADE1J7SUK.DTL&type=printable

Area Gets F For Air Pollution. Long Beach - Despite decades of
progress, air in the Long Beach-Los Angeles area remains among
the nation's most polluted and potentially dangerous, according
to a new report. The region received an F for the number of days
where smog-producing ozone reaches unhealthy levels, averaging 91
days, according to a detailed study by the American Lung
Association released Tuesday. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_17936596?nclick_check=1

U.S. Metro Areas With Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner. Most U.S. cities
with the dirtiest air are getting cleaner, but about half of
Americans still live in areas where it's often difficult to
breathe, the American Lung Association reports today. The group's
12th annual "State of the Air" report comes amid congressional
efforts to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from using
the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. "We're
very pleased to report great progress," American Lung Association
President Charles Connor said in announcing the findings, based
on the most recently available EPA data. Yet he cautioned, "Air
pollution remains a very real health threat." Posted.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2011-04-27-city-smog-epa-dirty-air_n.htm?csp=34news

Inland Empire's Air Some Of Worst In Nation. Riverside County
residents continue to breathe some of the most polluted air in
the nation, a report released today shows. Riverside County
received an “F” for its air quality in the nationwide American
Lung Association “State of the Air” report —a grade it's received
every year since the report began in 1999. The county ranked
fourth in the nation for the most polluted by particulates, such
as dust and factory smoke, in a 24-hour period. Posted.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110427/NEWS07/104270308/Inland-Empire-s-air-some-worst-nation?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

REGION: Lung Association Gives Region 'F' On Air Quality. 
Despite recent improvements in air quality, the American Lung
Association has flunked San Diego and Riverside counties on air
pollution standards in its annual State of the Air report.  The
association gave both counties an F.  Posted. 
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_6dfb9efe-04c0-5591-ad66-0003151c951f.html

QUARRY: Hearing Fuels Cheers And Jeers.  Six years of debate and
emotion over a proposed open-pit mine just south of Temecula
fueled applause, cheers, boos and sarcastic laughter that annoyed
Riverside County planning commissioners during seven hours of
testimony in a public hearing Wednesday that drew more than 1,000
people.  Posted. 
http://www.pe.com/localnews/temecula/stories/PE_News_Local_D_quarry27.2c2131061.html

Bakersfield Again No. 1 For Particle Pollution.  Bakersfield has
in recent years seen some of the lowest levels of smog-producing
ozone ever measured in the southern San Joaquin Valley, along
with significant improvements in particle pollution.  But that
progress didn't save Bakersfield from being ranked the most
polluted city in the nation by the American Lung Association's
12th annual "State of the Air" report released today.  Posted. 
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x16510738/Bakersfield-again-No-1-for-particle-pollution

Grants Aim To Reduce Air Pollution In Placer County. Auburn,
Calif., -- The Placer County Air Pollution Control District
recently announced that it is awarding $1 million in 2011 Clean
Air Grant funds to 15 projects that will reduce air pollution in
Placer County. “The Clean Air Grant program directly supports our
primary goal of improving Placer County’s air quality,” said Tom
Christofk, Placer County Air Pollution Control Officer. “It’s
important that we support proactive approaches to reduce harmful
emissions in the County. Posted.
http://www.rocklintoday.com/news/templates/community_news.asp?articleid=9884&zoneid=4

CLIMATE CHANGE

Do Americans Care About Climate Change Anymore? Talk of global
warming has given way to green jobs and energy security. Earth
Day, for some, is a yearly excuse to throw on a tie-dyed T-shirt,
spend some time in the sun, and get some grass between the toes.
In years past, it had also marked an opportunity for liberal
policymakers and environmentalists to band together to warn about
the effects of climate change. But today, climate change has
taken a back seat to talk of clean technologies and energy
security. Posted.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/04/27/do-americans-care-about-climate-change-anymore_print.html

All Roads Lead To Home. Housing and transportation—the yin and
yang of county planning. When the state Legislature passed two
bills aimed at improving the environment, it seemed a laudable
goal but a bit abstract for many. Well, the abstract is becoming
reality as Marin and the rest of the state look at how those
goals influence long-range planning. The first key piece of
legislation, AB 32, became law in 2006. It mandates a reduction
of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020—a 30 percent
decrease. Posted.
http://pacificsun.com/news/story_print.php?story_id=3043

VEHICLES

Green Claims Of Diesel Cars Disputed. London (Reuters) - Modern
diesel cars may not be as clean as previously thought, say some
experts as regulators try to roll out industry standards to
satisfy "green" consumers. Filter technologies have cleaned up
diesel cars traditionally viewed as far more polluting than
gasoline rivals, but their soot emissions are now underestimated,
say some analysts. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/uk-autos-emissions-idUSLNE73Q02H20110427

Hybrid, Battery Car Demand Limited by Cost, Utility, J.D. Power
Study Says. Demand for hybrid and rechargeable cars may stay
below 10 percent of U.S. sales through at least 2016, even as
fuel prices rise, because of consumer concerns about their
expense and utility, J.D. Power & Associates said. Hybrids’
higher cost compared with gasoline-powered autos and the limited
driving range per charge of all-electric and plug-in cars limits
their appeal, J.D. Power said in its U.S. Green Automotive Study
released today. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-04-27/hybrid-battery-car-demand-limited-by-cost-utility-study-says.html

Queen Of The Road: COMMUTER: I Am Thinking Of Converting My 2005
Prius To A Plug-In Electric. Will I be able to get a white
sticker to drive solo in the carpool lane on Jan. 1? Darryl in
Martinez. QUEEN: Darryl, the Queen is so glad you wrote in about
this. Owners of hybrids such as the Prius soon will be getting
notifications from the DMV that their carpool privileges expire
on July 1. Hence, your question is most timely. How can
conscientious, gasoline-conserving drivers continue to enjoy
driving in the carpool lane with only one passenger? Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/columns/ci_17926589

Mitsubishi I To Debut In Hawaii First, Then West Coast States.
Mitsubishi's entry into the electric car market will begin in
Hawaii, California, Oregon and Washington by the end of the year.
The car is set to roll out nationwide in 2012, the company
revealed last week. Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc., plans
to market its Mitsubishi i on the low end of the EV market, with
a sticker price of $27,990 for its base model. That cost could be
lowered further still by state rebates and a federal tax credit
of $7,500. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/04/27/5

GREEN ENERGY

Santa Clara Solar Startup Miasolé Announces Consulting Deal With
Intel. MiaSolé, a Santa Clara solar startup that makes thin-film
photovoltaic solar panels, announced Tuesday a unique consulting
agreement with chip manufacturing powerhouse Intel (INTC) to help
it ramp up production. Under the yearlong contract, a dozen
employees from Intel's Technical Manufacturing Services will work
at MiaSolé, providing everything from employee training and
strategic consulting to operational knowledge. Under the
contract, Intel gets paid only as MiaSolé achieves a set of
agreed-upon manufacturing milestones. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_17933557?nclick_check=1

MOJAVE DESERT: Solar Project Would Disturb Thousands Of
Tortoises. More than 3,000 desert tortoises would be disturbed by
a solar project in northeast San Bernardino County and as many as
700 young ones would be killed during three years of building,
says a federal assessment issued Tuesday.  The document, made
public by the U.S. Bureau of Land of Management, was released
about a week after federal officials ordered developer
BrightSource Energy Co. to halt construction activity on
two-thirds of the project area near Primm, Nev. Biologists hired
by the company …Posted.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_tortoises27.22ec228.html

CSUSB To Offer 'Green Technology' Summer Courses.  Cal State San
Bernardino's College of Education and College of Extended
Learning will jointly offer a new course this summer,
"Exploration into Green Technology."  The introductory course
takes a look at some of the most popular green technology
available today. "Exploration into Green Technology" will meet
for five Wednesday evenings from June 29-July 27 from 6-9:50 p.m.
at Cal State San Bernardino.  Posted. 
http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_N_ngreen27.22ee605.html

Government Works To Push Down Price Of Solar.  Santa Barbara —
Much like the moonshot 50 years ago, the government is turning to
the heavens to inspire a generation of scientists and innovators
to help America reach its next big challenge.  Only this time,
it's the sun, not the moon, that is the object of desire. And
instead of space travel, the focus is finding better ways to
power the earth through the energy from the sun.  Posted. 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/apr/26/government-works-to-push-down-price-of-solar/

Livermore Lab Launches Research On 'Wakes' Every time a wind
turbine spins and generates power, it also generates "wakes," or
invisible ripples caused by air hitting the blade. At the
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, researchers are set to
kick off a study on these wakes, with the aim to improve wind
turbine efficiency. Jeff Mirocha, an atmospheric scientist at
Livermore, said he hopes the research will lead to wind turbines
"that will last longer and be more robust." Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/04/27/7

Experts Call Marine Power Promising, Lacking Funding. In the past
seven to eight years, several European nations spent a combined
$500 to $600 million on marine hydrokinetic energy, the use of
ocean waves, currents and heat to generate electricity. The
United Kingdom alone invested $370 million. In contrast, the
United States has invested just $150 million in the past 10 years
in the technology, said Sean O'Neill, president of the Ocean
Renewable Energy Coalition, a national trade association
representing the emerging marine and hydrokinetic energy
industry. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/04/27/8

OPINION

Energy Deja Vu: Obama Must Break With Failed U.S. Policies.
Despite soaring rhetoric and some promising proposals, President
Obama is repeating the same mistakes that have doomed U.S. energy
policy to failure for 40 years. Until Obama and Congress finally
put a true price on the fossil fuels America consumes, the U.S.
will continue its addiction to foreign oil and domestic coal.
Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/26/idUS125741760020110426

Greenhouse Gases: Too Hot For The Courts. A lawsuit filed by six
states over greenhouse gases seems headed for defeat, but the EPA
can still act. Despite the rants of some conservative politicians
and fringe scientists, it's a fact that greenhouse gases produced
by human activity contribute to global warming. Last week the
Supreme Court considered one way that such emissions might be
controlled: through a huge and unwieldy lawsuit brought by
California and five other states against five power companies and
the Tennessee Valley Authority. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-warming-20110427,0,698112,print.story

BLOGS

The Many Shapes of Climate Knowledge. After I gave a talk at
Pennsylvania State University not long ago, a professor there
asked if I could share the slide I use to describe one source of
confusion and disputes when people are yelling about “global
warming” or “climate change.” Here’s an improved version of the
slide, which I hope helps reveal that the issue can’t be
meaningfully discussed without getting into some more specifics:
The Many Shapes of Climate Knowledge. Confusion and division over
“global warming” often grows out of the meaninglessness of the
phrase on its own. Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/the-many-shapes-of-climate-knowledge/?pagemode=print

When Refrigerators Warm the Planet. The kitchen refrigerator is
an obvious contributor to global warming because it usually sucks
in electricity that was made by burning fossil fuels. But it
turns out that the refrigerator does harm to the environment
before it is even plugged in because the insulating foam in its
innards is made with a gas that is more than 1,000 times worse,
molecule for molecule, than carbon dioxide. General Electric GE’s
first HFC-free model. Now, however, manufacturers are seizing on
a single change can reduce both warming mechanisms at once.
Posted.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/when-refrigerators-warm-the-planet/?pagemode=print

U.S. Department Of Ed Unveils 'Green Ribbon Schools' Competition.
 The U.S. Department of Education announced today the creation of
the Green Ribbon Schools program to recognize schools that are
creating healthy and sustainable learning environments and
teaching environmental literacy. The new awards program will be
run by the Education Department with the support of the White
House Council on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.  Posted. 
http://www.bakersfield.com/blogs/thegrade/x592175859/U-S-Department-of-Ed-unveils-green-ribbon-schools-competition
 
A Second Life for the Electric Car Battery.  As I wrote in a
recent Times article on electric car batteries, scientists are
expecting big breakthroughs in battery technology over the next
five years that will increase the range of electric cars while
reducing their cost. But even with these advances, researchers
acknowledge that any rechargeable battery will gradually lose its
capacity to store energy after repeated cycles of charging and
discharging.  Posted. 
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/a-second-life-for-the-electric-car-battery/?gwh=100EBD7B5EEB85B92BBF042FCB3C2175

J.D. Power: Fuel-Pump Savings, Not Environmental Benefits, Inform
Most Alternative-Powertrain Purchases.  For most car shoppers, a
green vehicle’s ability to save an owner money at the pump is a
greater motivator for purchase than its lower environmental
impact. That is one of the primary findings of the inaugural 2011
U.S. Green Automotive Study by J. D. Power and Associates,
released Wednesday.  Posted. 
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/j-d-power-fuel-pump-savings-not-environmental-benefits-inform-most-alternative-powertrain-purchases/?scp=1&sq=green%20vehicles&st=cse&gwh=DF1B97C4AE3A615F4A623B91A71CB20C

Speed Bump for Big SoCal Solar Project. It had been a good month
for BrightSource Energy, the Oakland-based company that's
building the massive Ivanpah solar farm in the Mojave Desert.
Google announced it would invest $168 million in the project. The
Department of Energy announced $1.6 billion loan guarantee. And
on Friday, the company announced it plans to go public with a
$250 million initial public offering. Posted.
http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2011/04/26/speed-bump-for-big-socal-solar-project/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

What Are CO2e And Global Warming Potential (GWP)? This question
and answer is part of the Guardian's ultimate climate change FAQ.
CO2e, or carbon dioxide equivalent, is a standard unit for
measuring carbon footprints. The idea is to express the impact of
each different greenhouse gas in terms of the amount of CO2 that
would create the same amount of warming. That way, a carbon
footprint consisting of lots of different greenhouse gases can be
expressed as a single number. Posted.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/27/co2e-global-warming-potential/print