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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 2, 2012.

Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:38:55
ARB Newsclips for October 2, 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

Metro Phoenix enters winter air-pollution season. The winter
air-pollution season began Monday for metropolitan Phoenix.
Environmental regulators say they will issue no-burn-day
advisories when particulate pollution levels are expected to
reach unhealthy levels. Such advisories mean people and
businesses must refrain from burning wood in fireplaces,
woodstoves or outdoor fire pits. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Metro-Phoenix-enters-winter-air-pollution-season-3911154.php#ixzz289jkU2TF


Valley walkers brave heat, foul air to promote asthma awareness. 
Walkers facing unexpected October heat and warnings about air
quality made their way from Turlock to Modesto to raise awareness
about asthma in the valley.  The Central Valley Asthma Walk,
which started in Fresno on Thursday, is sponsored by the
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West union. The group is winding
its way up the valley and will finish Thursday in Sacramento. 
Walkers had to deal with high temperatures as the mercury rose
across the valley, peaking at 95 in Modesto. Posted. 
http://www.modbee.com/2012/10/01/2396395/heat-could-threaten-record-high.html
  BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Air board to launch discount program.  In another step to
alleviate air pollution, a regional air quality agency is
launching an incentive program to get hundreds of homeowners
spread across three counties to convert their wood-burning stoves
and fireplaces to their cleaner counterparts.  Income-qualified
residents in Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties get the
first chance at the program, which is being funded by the
Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District. Posted. 
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_21675070/air-board-launch-discount-program
 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CORONA: Battery company to pay EPA settlement. A lead acid
battery manufacturer in Corona has reached a settlement to pay a
federal agency for air violations. U.S. Battery Manufacturing
Company has agreed to pay the Environmental Protection Agency
more than $167,000 and install additional air filters to capture
lead particles to satisfy federal Clean Air Act violations, a
press release from the federal agency said. Posted.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/corona/corona-headlines-index/20121001-corona-battery-company-to-pay-epa-settlement.ece
 

CLIMATE CHANGE

California on track to link CO2 scheme with Quebec in 2013.
California is on track to link its forthcoming emissions trading
scheme to Quebec's in 2013, pushing the state one step closer to
its goal of connecting to a wider carbon market, the state's
chief air regulator said on Monday. Mary Nichols, chairperson of
the California Air Resources Board (ARB), said that California
Governor Jerry Brown will sign off on rules that would enable
linkages for the state's CO2 market after review by the attorney
general.The governor must within 45 days find that the other
jurisdiction has adopted a greenhouse gas reduction program that
is equivalent or stricter than California's program and that any
linking failure will not impose significant liability on the
state. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-california-quebec-idUSBRE89108E20121002


Changing Calif. climate a threat to crops. Farmers have always
been gamblers, long accustomed to betting on the probabilities of
the weather. But for the Napa Valley, where temperatures have
been ideal for the wine industry, shifts in the Earth's climate
could be a game-changer. "They're used to rolling the dice every
year," said Stuart Weiss, a conservation biologist and chief
scientist at the Creekside Center for Earth Observation in Menlo
Park, which assists growers and municipalities dealing with the
disruptions caused by the changing climate. "Now, though, climate
change is stacking the dice." Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Changing-Calif-climate-a-threat-to-crops-3901021.php#ixzz289vt2l8l


California governor signs cap-and-trade revenue bills. California
Governor Jerry Brown has signed two bills related to the use of
revenue raised through the sale of carbon allowances, although
details of how the money will be spent won't be determined until
next year. The bills are the first to address the estimated $660
million and $3 billion in revenue that will be generated during
the first year of California's carbon cap-and-trade scheme, which
begins in January. The first bill creates a new account for the
revenue to be deposited into, and directs the Department of
Finance and the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to develop
an investment plan for the funds. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-california-carbon-idUSBRE89108C20121002

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/02/4872539/new-california-laws-set-up-framework.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.modbee.com/2012/10/02/2397243/new-california-laws-set-up-framework.html#storylink=misearch
 

U.N. climate chief urges greater ambition in Doha. The U.N.
climate chief said Monday that countries have not backed off what
they had agreed in climate talks in Durban last year but said
current actions and pledges are not enough to avert a dangerous
rise in global temperatures. Speaking at the Carbon Forum North
America in Washington, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana
Figueres said although both developing and developed countries
are making "good progress in the right direction" toward a legal
agreement, current global efforts are insufficient. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-un-climate-idUSBRE89108M20121002


Energy rift on the campaign trail. No matter who wins the 2012
election, the next president will take office as the United
States faces vast new opportunities in energy production and
profound challenges to environmental protection. After decades of
growing dependence on imported oil, the U.S. is moving to energy
self-sufficiency, thanks to greater domestic supplies of oil and
natural gas and reduced demand. Coal, which once fired most
American power plants, is being edged out by natural gas,
renewable energy and stricter efforts to cut pollution - a trend
that has touched off bitter political fights. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/02/4873559/energy-rift-on-the-campaign-trail.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy


Drought? Maybe, maybe not; but heat's been undeniable. When
Californians suffer under oppressive heat, as they have for
weeks, another concern is sure to follow: drought. Long-term
weather outlooks for the Golden State do not provide much
reassurance. While the stubborn heat gripping the state is
expected to ease starting Wednesday, there is zero rain in the
forecast. Indeed, drought conditions have worsened across
California compared with one year ago, and are expected to get
more severe through December. Posted. 
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/02/4872831/drought-maybe-maybe-not-but-heats.html#storylink=cpy


VEHICLES

GM sales rise 1.5 pct. on strong car performance. General Motors
says its U.S. sales rose 1.5 percent last month as a big jump in
car sales was offset by falling truck sales. The company says new
models boosted car sales by 29 percent. But sales of the
Chevrolet Silverado, GM's top-selling vehicle, fell almost 17
percent from a year ago. Still, GM says last month was its best
September since 2008. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AUTO_SALES_GENERAL_MOTORS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-chrysler-sales-idUSBRE8910IY20121002
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-autos-september-auto-sales-20121001,0,1390056.story


Fisker looking to form alliances to share costs. Electric car
maker Fisker Automotive is talking with other car companies about
sharing parts and technology. The company, based in Anaheim,
Calif., is also preparing for a public offering of stock that
would help it raise money for new vehicles, Fisker's new CEO Tony
Posawatz said Monday during a speech to the Automotive Press
Association. Posawatz didn't say when an offering might happen,
but he said the company is watching the stock performance of
electric carmaker Tesla Motors, which had an IPO in 2010. Posted.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/oct/01/fisker-looking-to-form-alliances-to-share-costs/

Concept: modular EV-hybrid features battery and engine swapping. 
A Romanian team—Dan Scarlat (automotive journalist), Marian
Cilibeanu (designer) and Cristian Ionescu (engineer)—are
proposing the SCI hyMod modular concept car. For clean daily
operation, hyMod is exclusively a battery-electric car. For
longer-range interurban travels, it can transform into a hybrid
car with the assistance of a special change center (“hyMod
STATION”).  Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/10/scihymod-20121001.html  


IBM and ESB to pioneer IT system for smarter electric vehicle
charging across Ireland.  IBM and ESB are set to work together to
deploy a smarter, more integrated charging IT system for electric
vehicles in Ireland. With 1,000 such public charging points now
installed around the country, drivers will also be able to access
all charging stations using an ID card.  ESB Networks, which is
currently rolling out the public charge points around Ireland,
will be using IBM's 'Intelligent Electric Vehicle Enablement
Platform' to operate and manage these charge points. Apparently,
Ireland will be the first country globally to implement such an
integrated platform.  Posted. 
http://www.siliconrepublic.com/clean-tech/item/29457-ibm-and-esb-to-pioneer-it/
 

Toyota begins testing optimized urban transport system.  Toyota
Motor Corporation (TMC), in cooperation with the Toyota City
municipal government, transportation companies and others, began
testing of an optimized urban transportation system called
“Ha:mo” (“harmonious mobility”). The system will select optimal
means of transport for users based on the operational status of
public transport systems and traffic conditions.  Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/10/hamo-20121001.html   

Smaller EV manufacturers and charging solutions at Paris Motor
Show.  The 2012 Paris Motor show, taking place until 14 October
2012, is not only the scene of many EV Premieres, including
PHEVs, BEVs and FCEVs, but also an opportunity for smaller
manufacturers and infrastructure suppliers to make their way in a
very competitive automotive market. In this article, we look at
some of these companies and how they approach the EV market. 
Posted.  http://cars21.com/news/view/4966 

GREEN ENERGY

Energy engineers to meet this week. Smart ways to manage energy
and the technological advances that enable them will be discussed
Thursday in Westlake Village. The Buenaventura chapter of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers will host its
2012 Energy Efficiency Symposium at the Westlake Village Inn from
3-8 p.m. with local exhibitors and guest speakers. The
association, which has about 800 members in Ventura County, is
dedicated to advancing technological innovation and held its
first Energy Efficiency Symposium last year. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/oct/01/energy-engineers-to-meet-this-week/
 

Survey says: Keep San Onofre shut. Public opposition to
restarting the troubled San Onofre nuclear plant well outweighs
support, according to an independent poll commissioned by an
international environmental organization. The telephone survey of
registered voters in areas served by San Onofre operator Southern
California Edison found 50 percent of respondents supported
keeping the plant shut for good, while replacing its power with
renewable energy and conservation. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/oct/02/survey-says-keep-san-onofre-shut/


MISCELLANEOUS

FTC issues revised green marketing guidelines. Expect to see
fewer products pitched as "environmentally friendly" if the
government has its way. Hoping to limit the number of deceptive
claims, the Federal Trade Commission on Monday released an
updated version of its green marketing guidelines that hold
companies to truthful standards in marketing their products. The
revision to the Green Guides is the first since 1998, when
phrases like "carbon offset" and "renewable energy" were not
widely used. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/oct/01/ftc-issues-revised-green-marketing-guidelines/
 

Energy rift on the campaign trail. No matter who wins the 2012
election, the next president will take office as the United
States faces vast new opportunities in energy production and
profound challenges to environmental protection. After decades of
growing dependence on imported oil, the U.S. is moving to energy
self-sufficiency, thanks to greater domestic supplies of oil and
natural gas and reduced demand. Coal, which once fired most
American power plants, is being edged out by natural gas,
renewable energy and stricter efforts to cut pollution - a trend
that has touched off bitter political fights. Posted. 
http://www.modbee.com/2012/10/02/2397575/energy-rift-on-the-campaign-trail.html#storylink=misearch
 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Three climate and energy debate questions for Mitt Romney and
Barack Obama.  In the 2008 presidential debates, moderators Tom
Brokaw (second debate) and Bob Schieffer (third debate) asked
presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain about climate
change and reducing American dependence on oil. Both candidates
vigorously supported reductions in carbon pollution, though the
means to that end differed.  Since that election, the scientific
evidence that climate change is real and human-caused has only
grown. Posted. 
http://grist.org/climate-energy/three-climate-and-energy-debate-questions-for-mitt-romney-and-barack-obama/


CA Air Resources Board hearing in Redding. It’s time for CARB to
meet rural America THIS THURSDAY! October 4, 2012 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Shasta County Administration Center, 1450 Court Street.  Redding,
California 96001(this is where the Shasta County Board of
Supervisors meets) Ladies and Gentlemen, These are the unelected
bureaucrats inventing CA Cap & Trade regulations that you’ll be
paying for next month.  Posted. http://pienpolitics.com/?p=12187


OPINIONS

Don't let industry weaken regulations. After years of wrangling,
state legislators have stitched together an agreement to protect
consumers from dangerous chemicals in the products they buy.
Under a state law passed in 2008, regulations were supposed to be
beefed up by January 2011. Now, despite bipartisan support from
lawmakers, the pact is in danger of unraveling at the hands of
the powerful chemical industry, which is lobbying every state
official it can corner. To dilute this legal protection would be
a disservice to California consumers. That law required the state
to make a list of "chemicals of concern," identify possible
alternatives and regulate the substances to reduce or eliminate
public exposure to them. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/editorials/article/Don-t-let-industry-weaken-regulations-3907474.php#ixzz28AEE3XI5


California’s cap-and-trade auction: Are we ready? That could be a
$3 billion dollar question for the first year of the
cap-and-trade auction. The answer is a resounding “NO”. If the
California Air Resources Board (CARB) starts the cap-and-trade
auction scheme without fixing a critical flaw in the regulation,
there will be serious damage to California’s economy and we will
lose our leadership role on climate change. The AB 32
Implementation Group (AB 32 IG) represents the interests of
companies who will be subject to cap-and-trade regulation.
Posted.
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=10weg8bpqemhajx 
 
 Safer Consumer Products Regulation Reflects Consumer Concern.
Editor’s Note: This article is in response to Assembly Member
Jeff Miller’s piece published on August 30th, “State’s Green
Chemistry Rules Could Have Californians Seeing Red”  When
California’s “Green Chemistry” law passed with bipartisan support
in 2008, industry, health advocacy groups and consumer
organizations applauded its broad vision of a systematic approach
to reducing toxic chemicals in consumer products. In the ensuing
four years, those parties engaged in a vigorous discussion over
the specifics of implementing the law.  Posted.
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2012/10/safer-consumer-products-regulation-reflects-consumer-concern/


BLOGS

How organized crime groups are destroying the rain forests.  The
phrase “organized crime” typically conjures up images of drug
trafficking or stolen-car rings. But it turns out that the
illegal logging trade is just as lucrative — and far more
destructive. Between 50 to 90 percent of forestry in tropical
areas is now controlled by criminal groups, according to a new
report (pdf) from the United Nations and Interpol.  Across the
globe, deforestation is a major contributor to climate change,
responsible for one-fifth of humanity’s emissions. Farming and
logging both play big roles. Posted. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/02/report-most-tropical-deforestation-now-caused-by-the-mafia/
 

Out With the New, In With the Newer. Light-emitting diodes are
tiny electronic devices that emit far more light per unit of
electricity than incandescent lamps or even compact fluorescents.
But in the move to replace energy-gobbling incandescents, LEDs
face a steeper climb in the marketplace than compact fluorescents
do because they are more expensive. Posted. 
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/out-with-the-new-in-with-the-newer/?ref=earth


The Supposed Decline of Green Energy.  Here's a surprising new
fact about energy in the United States: the percentage of our
electricity coming from the greenest sources -- that is, the
non-hydroelectric renewables such as solar, wind, geothermal and
biomass -- has doubled in just four years to nearly 6 percent.
(Thanks to climate uberblogger Joe Romm for uncovering this data
from the Energy Information Agency).  This significant win for
clean energy has gone mostly unnoticed in the press. Posted. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-winston/the-supposed-decline-of-g_b_1928982.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business
 

A Decade of Progress at Southern California Ports.  This month
marks the 10th anniversary of a landmark legal victory against
the Port of Los Angeles. In 2002, two environmental groups teamed
up with San Pedro and Wilmington residents and forever changed
how the Port of Los Angeles conducts business by successfully
halting one of the Port’s largest expansion projects.  NRDC’s
lawsuit, which included the Coalition for Clean Air and two San
Pedro homeowners groups, challenged the City and Port of Los
Angeles’ decision to expand the China Shipping container terminal
under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Posted. 
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mlinperrella/a_decade_of_progress_at_southe.html


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