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California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 17, 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

Power Plant Union Asks Congress to Delay EPA's Air Pollution
Rules. A labor union that is usually a stalwart supporter of the
Obama administration is asking Congress to delay U.S. EPA's new
rules on toxic air pollution from coal-fired power plants, saying
jobs will be lost if utilities don't get more time. The
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers said today that
it is backing American Electric Power Co. Inc. (AEP) as it
lobbies Congress to give utilities an extra five or six years to
clean up or shut down their oldest coal plants. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/05/16/16greenwire-power-plant-union-asks-congress-to-delay-epas-87699.html?pagewanted=print

EPA Delays Rule On Industrial Emissions. The regulation to limit
pollutants at power plants is suspended after protests from
industry. It is the Obama administration's latest concession on
the environment. The Obama administration has decided to delay a
rule that would cut emissions from power plants at major
industrial facilities, the most recent in a series of decisions
since the midterm election to postpone controversial
environmental regulations and steer a more business-friendly
course. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-epa-emissions-20110517,0,5430431,print.story

Clean Air Groups To Sue EPA Over Smog Enforcement. Advocates for
clean air in the Valley today filed a notice of intent to sue the
federal Environmental Protection Agency, alleging its failure to
enforce 30-year-old pollution standards required by the Clean Air
Act. In the letter filed on behalf of Medical Advocates for
Healthy Air and the Sierra Club, Oakland-based Earthjustice
threatens to sue the agency if it doesn't act on the San Joaquin
Valley's failure to attain the one-hour ozone standard within 60
days. Posted.
http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/article_6bd970ce-800f-11e0-be7e-001cc4c002e0.html

White House Starts Review Of EPA Rules For Coal Plants. U.S. EPA
has finished drafting final rules that would require coal-fired
power plants in Eastern states to install new pollution controls
if their emissions cross state lines and make air more unsafe to
breathe in other parts of the country. White House records show
that the agency sent a draft of the final regulations, also known
as the Clean Air Transport Rule, to the Office of Management and
Budget yesterday. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/05/17/3

Groups Plan To Sue EPA Over Ozone In LA, San Joaquin Valley.
California environmentalists said yesterday they plan to sue U.S.
EPA over years of perpetually high ozone levels in Los Angeles
and the San Joaquin Valley. Advocacy groups accuse EPA of failing
to comply with the Clean Air Act over hourly measurements of
ozone. The one-hour standard is intended to prevent spikes in
pollution that can cause asthma attacks and other breathing
problems. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/05/17/18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Execution Officer. The CEO of Alcatel-Lucent has put
cutting emissions at the heart of strategy. Soon after becoming
chief executive of Alcatel-Lucent in 2008, Ben Verwaayen
announced the company would cut its carbon footprint 50% by 2020.
Some might argue carbon emissions were the least of the telecom
equipment maker's problems at the time. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703789104576272532218665822.html
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/05/17/8

Siemens U.S. Chief Concerned By Inattention to Climate Change.
The head of Munich-based Siemens AG (SI)’s U.S. unit said he is
unhappy that federal energy policymakers in Washington are no
longer focusing on climate change. Eric Spiegel, chief executive
officer of Siemens Corp., said a national strategy is needed to
reduce clean-energy technology costs and find solutions for
environmental risks associated with greenhouse gases. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-16/siemens-u-s-chief-concerned-by-inattention-to-climate-change.html

Australia To Set Expected Carbon Tax Price By July.  Canberra,
Australia (AP) - A planned tax on carbon gas emitting industries
in Australia would be far below a recommended price that might
have forced polluters to switch to greener technology, the
government said Tuesday.  The still-undetermined starting tax,
expected to be announced in July, would be "well south" of 40
Australian dollars (US$42) a metric ton (AU$44 a U.S. ton),
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said.  Posted.  
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/australia-says-carbon-tax-price-will-be-set-by-july-will-be-well-below-consultant-forecast/2011/05/17/AFjigT5G_story.html
 http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/may/17/australia-will-set-its-carbon-tax-price-by-july/

Britain Set to Announce Ambitious Environmental Steps. Brussels —
Britain is poised to announce some of the world’s most ambitious
goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions — a striking example
of a government committing to big environmental initiatives while
also pursuing austerity measures. Chris Huhne, the secretary of
state for energy and climate change, is expected to release a
statement on Tuesday that the British government will set in law
a goal to cut its greenhouse gas emissions about 50 percent by
2025. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/business/global/17carbon.html?_r=2&pagewanted=print
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hHeVFaETbvJA7QYeFbvOIaY6Kp-w?docId=9f2948a9eaa645b4b06dde93e74fb9e1
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/05/16/bloomberg1376-LLA7PT0D9L3501-0D5VIQ59AFBT0LJ6R1IHTLBLEF.DTL&type=printable

One Senate Republican, a Climate Believer, Considers Repealing
Oil Subsidies. Rochelle, Ill. -- The flat fields here stop
reluctantly at old screen doors of farmhouses dotting a
countryside that changes mostly when corn covers or bares it. But
something else is rising from these plains where trees are
sparse: hundreds of wind turbines. 
Illinois is among the fastest-growing states for wind power,
rivaling competitors with steadier breezes because of its access
to transmission lines and a major market in Chicago. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/05/17/17climatewire-one-senate-republican-a-climate-believer-con-84371.html?pagewanted=print

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Port Of Hueneme Tentatively Awarded $4.5 Million For Electricity
System. The Port of Hueneme has been tentatively awarded $4.5
million in state funds to help pay for a $9 million shore-side
electricity system. The system is being developed to comply with
new regulations requiring that ships anchored at California ports
turn off their engines to limit emissions. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/may/16/port-of-hueneme-awarded-45-million-for-system/?print=1

VEHICLES

Poll: Americans Worry About Gas Prices, Oil Dependence. The vast
majority of Americans are concerned about gas prices (85%) and
U.S. reliance on Middle East oil (87%), and three out of four say
it's important to increase vehicle fuel economy, a poll Monday
reveals. "Pain at the pump, along with the country's oil import
dependence, has produced a growing consensus that the federal
government should substantially increase fuel economy standards,"
said Mark Cooper…Posted.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/05/poll-americans-gas-prices-oil/1

Yellow Hybrid Stickers For Carpool Lanes Set To Expire. The
California sticker program that has allowed solo drivers access
to diamond lanes as a way to spur sales is ending July 1 — this
time for good. Life in the fast lane is coming to an end for
hybrid drivers. After a six-year run, the yellow stickers that
allow owners of about 85,000 older hybrid vehicles to drive solo
in carpool lanes are expiring July 1 — this time for good.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hybrid-stickers-20110517,0,372758,print.story

Investors Urge US To Adopt California’s ‘Clean Cars’ Policies.
The US government could significantly propel investments in the
clean energy and energy efficiency sector by following
California’s lead in adopting stronger fuel economy and emissions
standards through 2025, investment experts said. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of
Transportation last year set the first national greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions standards, known as the 'clean cars' rules.
Posted. http://www.environmental-finance.com/news/view/1713

Bill Ford: Company's Fleet Will Be 25% Electrified By 2020. 
Detroit -- About 25 percent of Ford Motor Co.'s fleet will be
electrified by 2020, Chairman Bill Ford wrote in an article for
Fortune magazine, published online today.  With global oil prices
rising and more congestion on the roads, Ford wrote that it is
critical for the automakers to build smarter and cleaner-running
cars that people will want to drive.  Posted. 
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110517/OEM02/110519921/1186

GREEN ENERGY

Sen. Bingaman: Outlook Bleak for Passing 'Clean Energy' Standard,
Repealing Oil Subsidies.  The chairman of the Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee is casting doubt on prospects for
President Obama's proposed "clean energy" standard that would
require utilities to source a certain percentage of their
electricity from renewable sources by 2035.  Posted. 
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/05/16/16greenwire-sen-bingaman-outlook-bleak-for-passing-clean-e-38941.html

MISCELLANEOUS

New Sprouts Store Gets EPA Honor For Refrigeration Technology. 
The new Sprouts Farmers Market opening Wednesday in Westlake
Village is the first grocery store in California to receive the
Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for green
refrigeration technology.  The new store, in the Westlake Plaza
and Center on Westlake Boulevard, is the only grocery outlet west
of the Mississippi to get the EPA's GreenChill platinum-level
store certification award.  Posted. 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/may/16/new-sprouts-store-gets-epa-honor-for-technology/

OPINION

Inhofe's View: All Pain, No Gain. Not too long ago, President
Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress proudly announced
that America would lead the fight against global warming by
passing a cap-and-trade bill. But despite overwhelming majorities
in both houses of Congress in 2009, Democrats barely found the
votes to get the proposal through the House, and Senate Democrats
never even brought it up for a vote. Posted.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2011-05-16-Inhofe-says-cap-and-trade-all-pain-no-gain_n.htm

Global Warming. To the Editor: Re “The River Untamable” (Week in
Review, May 8): 
What will it take to convince people that the world’s climate is
changing and that we are causing it to change? Will it be this
latest flooding of the Mississippi River, brought about by record
April rainfall in the Ohio River Valley and very high levels in
other states, killing at least 18 people, flooding millions of
acres of farmland, and causing untold misery and economic
hardship? Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/opinion/l17warming.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

What Is Really Causing Renewable Project Failures in California?
It is clear that the development of renewable and clean energy
projects in California and the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions has been successful, but has also been impeded by a
variety of causes.  With the required percentage of renewable
resources being increased to 33% in the future, a survey of the
landscape identifies many potential sources … Posted.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/05/17/what-is-really-causing-renewable-project-failures-in-california/

BLOGS

Climate Panel Announces Reforms.  The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, rocked by controversy in recent years, has
adopted a series of reforms of its management and governance to
increase transparency and improve the quality of its hugely
influential climate change reports, the group says.  The changes
will include a stronger review process for future climate
assessments and fuller inclusion of alternate scientific views
and acknowledgment of scientific uncertainty and controversy. 
Posted. 
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/climate-panel-announces-reforms/

New Tool, and Tune, for Tracking Fracking.  In the final session
of an environmental-science communication course that I co-taught
at Pace University this spring, Thad Cook, a graduate student,
gave a thorough overview of the issues raised by extracting
natural gas from shale using hydraulic fracturing, the method now
widely called fracking. He mentioned a useful new source of
information, FracFocus.org.  Posted. 
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/new-tool-and-tune-for-tracking-fracking/

Electric Motorcycles Pick Up Speed. Electric motorcycles are
closing the speed gap on internal combustion bikes. Brammo won
the kickoff to this year's TTXGP North American Championship
series Sunday, clocking the fastest-ever lap speed at Infineon
Raceway for an electric motorcycle with its Empulse RR -- and
showing the quick evolution of a sport that didn't even exist
until 2009. Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/05/brammo-ttxgp.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

Climate Science-Defying Paper Yanked for Plagiarism. The
so-called “hockey stick” plot of recent climate, in which recent
temperatures appear as a sudden and anomalous rise after a
thousand years of relative stability, has become a bit of an icon
for climate change. Even though it’s rather secondary to the
concerns about rising greenhouse gas levels — CO2 would be a
concern even if we were limited to the 150 years of instrument
records — Posted.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/05/climate-change-critic-retraction/

Carbon Budget: Could This Be The Greenest Government Ever?
Actions speak louder than words - what is the coalition's
environmental record so far? It seems a deal has finally been
brokered on the UK's long-term climate change targets, with an
announcement expected this afternoon from the energy and climate
change secretary committing the UK to a 50% cut in greenhouse
gases – compared with 1990 levels – by 2025. Posted.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/may/17/carbon-budget-greenest-government

Report: CARB Says U.S. Is Leaning Towards Non-Chademo
Quick-Charge Standard.  Craig Childers, a zero-emissions
specialist at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), said it
appears that the U.S. is leaning towards the adoption of a
non-CHAdeMO quick-charge standard for plug-in vehicles, according
to All Cars Electric. Though Childers admits that this is not a
"done deal," he claims that "automotive companies are lobbying
for only one opening for powering the car to allow for cleaner
design."  Posted. 
http://green.autoblog.com/2011/05/16/report-carb-says-u-s-is-leaning-towards-non-chademo-quick-char/