What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB News Clips for July 26, 2012

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

Judge blocks air permit for Texas coal-fired plant. A state judge
has struck down a state air permit for a planned coal-fired power
plant on the Texas coast. State District Judge Stephen
Yelenosky's ruling came Wednesday in Austin. He says state
regulators didn't require backers of the Las Brisas Energy Center
to show it would meet standards intended to ease air pollution. A
spokesman for the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality says
the agency believes the permit is sufficiently protective. He
says the agency is considering its next move. Posted. 
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57480622/judge-blocks-air-permit-for-texas-coal-fired-plant/
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_21158292/judge-blocks-air-permit-las-brisas-plant?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_21158292/judge-blocks-air-permit-las-brisas-plant?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/25/4660848/judge-blocks-air-permit-for-las.html

Environmentalists to sue Colstrip over pollution. 
Environmentalists filed notice Wednesday that they plan to sue
the six companies that co-own eastern Montana's Colstrip power
plant over alleged pollution violations.  The Sierra Club and
Montana Environmental Information Center say the plant's owners
failed to upgrade pollution control equipment as required under
the Clean Air Act for older power generation facilities that
undergo significant changes.  Posted. 
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-07-26/environmentalists-to-sue-colstrip-over-pollution

http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Environmentalists-to-sue-Colstrip-over-pollution-3734683.php

CLIMATE CHANGE

Could extreme weather be causing climate change? New study aims
to find if peat bogs release greenhouse gas when it rains.  The
causes of climate change are still the subject of heated debate -
but a new study aims to find out if the weather itself may be
making the problem worse.  Peat soils which are farmed - and thus
exposed to the atmosphere - release greenhouse gases.  Extreme
weather can change the amount of greenhouse gases being released
from peat soils - and understanding this could lead to a way to
control the effect.  Monitoring the effects of weather on
peatlands could provide an effective way to fight climate change.
 A team of researchers from the Department of Geography and
Centre for Landscape and Climate Research at the University of
Leicester set up a new monitoring station in June to measure
greenhouse gas emissions from drained and cultivated peatlands in
the East Anglian Fens.  Posted. 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2179305/Could-extreme-weather-causing-climate-change-New-study-aims-peat-bogs-releasing-greenhouse-gas-rain.html


George Osborne's gas push has shattered the climate change
consensus.  When the history of climate change in the UK is
written, probably from a bunker somewhere in Northern
Scandinavia, the last few months will be noted as the moment when
the country's admirable political consensus on the need to tackle
climate threats and build a green economy finally shattered.  The
UK does not have the world's most vibrant green economy - how can
it when the government has managed to engineer the second serious
recession in three years - but it does have several advantages
that has made the country a highly attractive proposition for
green businesses and investors.  Posted. 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/26/george-osborne-gas-climate-change?newsfeed=true


Dead cattle, devastation in wake of Western fires. Cecil and
Delores Kolka thought they escaped the worst of the Ash Creek
Fire when the 390-square-mile blaze spared their home and several
pastures as it ripped through the couple's Montana cattle ranch.
But when the family went to round up their livestock they
encountered carnage - the charred and bloated bodies of an
estimated 400 cows and calves killed as the fire torched a series
of narrow, thickly forested draws on the nearby Custer National
Forest. Some surviving animals were burned so badly that their
hides were peeling. Posted. 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jul/26/dead-cattle-devastation-in-wake-of-western-fires/
http://www.nctimes.com/news/national/dead-cattle-devastation-in-wake-of-western-fires/article_d470cd8e-f1cf-5f2a-a52a-57605315d744.html

America supports helping farmers adapt to climate change because
obviously.  For some completely inexplicable reason, the public
is quite supportive of government programs that would help
farmers adapt to climate change. It is almost like people
enjoying eating food/not starving to death/having agriculture!
From Phys.org: Regardless of what those surveyed believe causes
climate change, more than 65 percent of them support government
assistance for farmers, said Scott Loveridge, MSU professor of
agricultural, food and resource economics. …Posted. 
http://grist.org/news/america-supports-helping-farmers-adapt-to-climate-change-because-obviously/

Australian voters oppose carbon tax. The majority of Australian
voters do not support a carbon tax, saying it would be bad for
the overall economy as well as individual households, according
to a "Climate of the Nation" poll. Sixty-seven percent of those
surveyed said the government should take a leading role in
mitigating climate change, but respondents said proposed plans
would be ineffective. Only 28 percent thought the Labor Party's
carbon pricing system would be able to reduce emissions by at
least 5 percent by 2020. Forty percent thought it would be
unsuccessful, and 32 percent didn't know. Posted. 
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2012/07/26/8 SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Vancouver Testing Diesel Pollution From Trucks.  A three-month,
$130, 000 study to measure diesel pollution from heavy-duty
vehicles on Vancouver’s roads and highways began in July,
according to the Delta Optimist.  Testing will be done during
Summer 2012, using technology involving remote sensing tests so
that trucks and buses do not have to stop or slow down when
passing the test site.  Infrared and ultraviolet beams from a
testing trailer on one side of a road will be directed at the
height of a heavy-duty truck's engine exhaust pipe. The beams go
through the exhaust of passing trucks to a "detector," allowing
for analysis of the vehicle's emissions, the regional district
explained.  Posted. 
http://www.todaystrucking.com/vancouver-testing-diesel-pollution-from-trucks


Proposed emissions testing won't include most diesels.  Despite
reportedly being a major contributor to air pollution, most
diesel vehicles will not be tested in Cache County’s planned
emissions inspection program, according to County Executive Lynn
Lemon.  He noted Wednesday that diesels without on-board
diagnostic (OBD) technology will be exempt from testing in
accordance with the federal Clean Air Act.  Grant Koford, the
Bear River Health Department’s environmental health division
director, said Wednesday that 2008 and newer diesel vehicles are
equipped with OBD technology, but those older than 2008 “may not
have it.” He noted there is no tailpipe test for diesels.  Lemon
said that not being able to test most diesels is frustrating. 
Posted. 
http://news.hjnews.com/news/article_dee4c794-d6bc-11e1-a72d-001a4bcf887a.html


VEHICLES

UK Electric Vehicle charger network must be open source.  It's
not a term particularly well embedded in our collective
vernacular just yet, but "EV Chargers" does of course refer to
'Electric Vehicle Chargers', the units we need to keep the next
generation of environmentally sustainable cars on our roads.  But
could EV Chargers go open source?  Eco-transport website
Hybridcars.com reports this week on Charge Your Car Limited, a
project originating in the North East that is part of the
Department for Transport's Plugged in Places project funded by
One North East, OLEV, public and private partners.  Posted. 
http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/open-source-insider/2012/07/uk-electric-vehicle-charger-network-must-be-open-source.html


Industry says there will be enough lithium - but will there be
enough graphite?  While EV uptake might be not as fast as
forecast last year, investments into battery plants are still
high. GS Yuasa invests $300 (~ €245) million to expand their
battery production facilities, LG Chem invests the same amount in
a li-ion battery plant in the US to supply the Chevy Volt, Russia
had announced to put $420 (~ €342) miilion into completing the
world's largest li-ion battery plant.....  But if only 5% of cars
worldwide were to become electric, current graphite production
would need to double, says Greg Bowes, CEO of Northern Graphite
(see exclusive interview tomorrow), who has a graphite mine
development project in Bissett Creek, Ontario, Canada.  Posted. 
http://cars21.com/news/view/4806 

GREEN ENERGY

China solar makers decry trade spat, urge dialogue.  Chinese
solar panel makers are urging Beijing to seek talks with the
European Union over a dispute they say threatens to escalate into
a trade war.  Four big solar panel manufacturers issued a joint
statement Thursday appealing for both sides to resolve the
disagreement over allegations they receive illegal subsidies and
dump their products in the European market.  "The Chinese
government should immediately seek high-level dialogue with the
EU to find a way to improve the situation," said the statement by
Yingli Green Energy Holdings Co., Suntech Power Holdings Co.,
Trina Solar Ltd. and Canadian Solar Inc.  Posted. 
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h-ITW6eToLgyG4HFHiOhgRlTrvxw?docId=4e87d3be3c1e40678a4490ce82a9c888


AP Newsbreak:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/china-solar-panel-makers-say-dispute-with-eu-risks-trade-war-urge-beijing-to-pursue-talks/2012/07/26/gJQAZoLlAX_story.html

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/07/26/2923072/china-solar-makers-decry-trade.html#storylink=misearch

http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/China-solar-makers-decry-trade-spat-urge-dialogue-3736587.php

http://www.nctimes.com/business/china-solar-makers-decry-trade-spat-urge-dialogue/article_bdccdbc4-878c-5a7a-86de-99acd63a45c3.html
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jul/26/china-solar-makers-decry-trade-spat-urge/

Westerly to consider solar energy park.  Westerly zoning
officials are taking up a proposal from a company that wants to
build a solar energy park as part of the town's green energy
initiative.  The Westerly Sun reports (http://bit.ly/M9H3Yj ) a
hearing on the proposal from Middletown-based rTerra has been
scheduled for Aug. 1.  The company, already designated as the
town's solar energy partner, wants to build a 1 megawatt solar
array with 3,500 photovoltaic panels on White Rock Road, next to
the town's Water Department building.  Posted. 
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Westerly-to-consider-solar-energy-park-3736971.php


Desert Solar May Pose Threat to Desert Biofuels.  Development in
the desert can cause serious dust pollution, and utility-scale
solar is no exception to that rule. Any disturbance to the
desert's delicate soils can loose tons of dust into the air. (If
you've driven past Ford Dry Lake on I-10 on a windy day recently,
you've seen an example of this, as heavy dust off the Genesis
Solar Energy Project routinely slows transcontinental traffic
between Blythe and Indio.)  That dust can do more than decrease
visibility, and breathability for that matter. It can also
seriously affect desert plant life, including some desert plants
that are being farmed as a renewable energy source themselves.
And according to jojoba farmer Donna Charpied, dust blowing off
the Desert Sunlight construction site adjacent to her farm in the
Chuckwalla Valley has seriously damaged this year's crop of
potential fuel oil.  Posted. 
http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/biomass/biofuels/desert-solar-may-pose-threat-to-desert-biofuels.html


How Green Power Can Benefit Both Small Retailers and the
Environment.  You've bought compact fluorescent light bulbs for
your store, offer reusable shopping bags and stock your shelves
with eco-friendly products. What else can you do to show your
commitment to the environment?  Consider switching to green
power. While the upfront costs of green energy can be
substantial, the investment can pay off in lower energy costs
down the road.  The first step is to decide on the type of
alternative energy program. There are a variety of ways you can
reduce your store's use of traditional energy sources, such as
coal and gas, or compensate for some of the carbon emissions they
generate. The most clear-cut approach is to install power
generators, such as solar panels or a wind turbine, at your
store. You also could buy energy from a utility that commits to
obtaining some or all of your power from green sources.  Posted. 
http://news.terra.com/how-green-power-can-benefit-both-small-retailers-and-the-environment,f1019a94753c8310VgnVCM10000098cceb0aRCRD.html


Eagle Mountain mine 'green' power project stymied. It's a tale of
two obsessions and blind bureaucracy. Developer Steve Lowe wants
to turn the long-idle Eagle Mountain iron mine — located near
Desert Center about 50 miles east of Indio — into a massive,
pumped storage plant that would help integrate wind and solar
power into the grid. The yawning pits at Eagle Mountain — closed
since the 1980s — would become reservoirs, connected by
underground tunnels that would in turn be connected to an
underground power turbine. Posted. 
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012207260310

MISCELLANEOUS

California Air Resources Board Awards CleanFlame Firelogs As A
Climate Leader.  The California Air Resources Board proudly
recognized CleanFlame with a prestigious award as a Climate
Leader with helping to improve air quality. The
CoolCalifornia.org Small Business Awards honored CleanFlame as a
business that made notable, voluntary achievements toward
reducing their climate impact. This firelog manufacturer invested
in new technologies to enhance water and energy conservation.
Also recognizing the company's efforts were Senator Doug LaMalfa
and Assemblyman Dan Logue.  Unlike other artificial firelog
brands, CleanFlame Logs and Firestarters are clean enough to cook
over, toxin free, safer for our families and better for our
environment. CleanFlame products represent a new era in
sustainability coupled with a much healthier alternative. Posted.
 http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2012/07/26/california-air-resources-board-awards-cleanflame-firelogs-climate-leader

OPINIONS

Editorial: Transparency is needed for cap-and-trade.
Californians, understandably, have considerable angst about
establishing a cap-and-trade program as a response to state law
requiring a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels
by 2020.  The Legislative Analyst's Office has called the
program, an offshoot of the passage of AB 32, "one of the most
wide-ranging and complex regulatory efforts in the history of the
state." That's why public oversight is essential as the state
attempts to build a regional market. No one wants a repeat of
California's experience with energy deregulation, which set the
stage for the electricity crisis of 2000-01. Posted. 
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/26/4661167/transparency-is-needed-for-cap.html

BLOGS

A Climate and Energy Stalemate. On the day he clinched the
Democratic nomination for president in 2008, Barack Obama
declared that future generations would look back and say, “This
was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our
planet began to heal.” He made addressing climate change,
domestically and as part of a concerted international effort, a
central tenet of his campaign platform and a top priority of his
first year in office.Then the president backed off, hamstrung by
an economic crisis and implacable opposition from Republicans,
who were cheered on and financed by their ideological allies and
fossil fuel companies. Posted. 
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/a-climate-and-energy-stalemate/

A Squabble Over Moving Oil and Sharing Royalties. After
opposition from many Nebraskans, environmentalists and others in
the United States stalled approval of the Keystone XL pipeline,
Canada turned to Plan B, a collection of other pipeline routes
that could move crude from Canadian oil sands to refineries along
the American gulf coast. But now, internal politics may
jeopardize a different pipeline proposal — one that is central to
the Canadian aim of cultivating Asian countries, particularly
China, as oil sands customers.Because Alberta is landlocked, its
oil must cross into neighboring British Columbia by pipeline to
be loaded onto ships bound for China. Posted. 
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/a-squabble-over-moving-oil-and-sharing-royalties/

In New Jersey, Brewing an Alternative to Petroleum. Walking into
the research facility of Primus Green Energy is not unlike
wandering onto the set of “Dr. Who.” Everywhere you look, there
is plumbing, usually covered in multiple layers of shiny aluminum
foil. The foil is hot, it’s festooned with hundreds of wires and
it reeks of solvents.Arthur C. Clarke, the writer of science
fiction, once said that any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic. Posted. 
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/in-new-jersey-brewing-an-alternative-to-petroleum/

O.C. company buys UK electric-car tech firm.  Green Automotive
Co. in Newport Beach said it has acquired Liberty Electric Cars
Ltd.  in Oxford, England, which designs and sells electric
vehicle technology.  Liberty’s intellectual property covers drive
trains for electrical vehicles including trucks, buses, 4X4s and
sport utility vehicles.  Green Automotive converts, imports and
distributes electric vehicles and converted piston engines
worldwide. It is currently assessing all-electric and alternate
fuel vehicles including buses for possible introduction into the
United States.  Posted. 
http://jan.ocregister.com/2012/07/25/o-c-company-buys-uk-electric-car-tech-firm/80416/


What is green energy?  In the past three decades, research and
development in green energy has exploded, yielding hundreds of
promising new technologies that can reduce our dependence on
coal, oil, and natural gas. But what is green energy, and what
makes it a better option than fossil fuels?  Green energy comes
from natural sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, plants,
algae and geothermal heat. These energy resources are renewable,
meaning they're naturally replenished. In contrast, fossil fuels
are a finite resource that take millions of years to develop and
will continue to diminish with use. 
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/what-is-green-energy


DOE funds 13 biofuel projects with $41 million. The U.S.
Department of Energy has got its fingers in a lot of
alternative-energy pies, from hydrogen vehicles to plug-ins.
Today, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
the DOE has announced that it will reach a little deeper into 13
biofuel and feedstock improvement projects with a $41 million
investment. We hope there are gloves involved in the "manure to
ethanol" project. The details of the projects can be found in the
press release below, but there are five that will "diversify the
nation's energy portfolio and replace the need for gasoline and
diesel in vehicles" and eight that use "biomass genomics to
improve promising biofuel feedstocks and drive more efficient,
cost-effective energy production." Posted. 
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/07/26/doe-funds-13-biofuel-projects-with-41-million/