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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 15, 2012.
Posted: 15 Nov 2012 12:31:43
ARB Newsclips for November 15, 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. CAP AND TRADE California takes big step in limiting greenhouse gases. California is set to unveil a new weapon in its fight against global climate change on Wednesday when it holds its first sale of carbon emissions permits - a landmark experiment that it hopes will serve as a model for other U.S. states and the federal government. The state's carbon auction is a key step in the initiation of its "cap-and-trade" program, a policy where the state sets a limit, or cap, on the amount of heat-trapping gases released by manufacturers, oil refineries, electric utilities and other large emitting businesses. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/15/us-california-carbon-auction-idUSBRE8AD0F220121115 California holds cap-and-trade auction of greenhouse gas credits. The sale, a market-based approach to curbing global warming, takes place despite a last-minute lawsuit filed by the state Chamber of Commerce. California environmental officials moved ahead with a first-ever auction of greenhouse gas pollution credits despite a last-minute lawsuit filed by the state Chamber of Commerce to invalidate the sale. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pollution-credits-calif-20121115,0,5041759.story California kicks off its cap-and-trade auction. California's ambitious program to curtail greenhouse gases launched Wednesday with a conspicuous lack of fanfare. The state auctioned up to 62 million emissions allowances, each one good for spewing a ton of carbon, officially kicking off California's much-anticipated cap-and-trade market. But the California Air Resources Board, the agency overseeing the auction, won't divulge any of the auction results until Monday. Stanley Young, an agency spokesman, said the computerized sale lasted the scheduled three hours. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/15/v-print/4987325/california-kicks-off-its-cap-and.html Calif. unlikely to spur federal emissions cap soon. California's new system for limiting industrial greenhouse gas emissions by putting a price on carbon is not likely to spur a similar federal program anytime soon, but it might influence other states to follow suit, energy policy experts said. The state's Air Resources Board on Wednesday began auctioning permits called "allowances" for greenhouse gas emissions, launching the world's second-largest marketplace for carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Calif-unlikely-to-spur-federal-emissions-cap-soon-4039149.php#ixzz2CJL6dhmI http://www.nctimes.com/business/calif-unlikely-to-spur-federal-emissions-cap-soon/article_bde223e8-32ad-5c44-b20c-68e5b082bddc.html Pollution 'allowances' could send prices up, S.J. businesses worry. There was no one banging a gavel on the courthouse steps, but an auction marking California's adventurous foray into carbon cap and trade attracted much attention Wednesday from San Joaquin County businesses worried about new costs. Cap and trade puts a ceiling on the carbon emissions causing climate change. With that ceiling in place, businesses must choose to either reduce their emissions, or to buy and sell "allowances" made available by the state. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121115/A_NEWS/211150326&cid=sitesearch Arguments from both sides about emissions program. California launched its "cap-and-trade" system on Wednesday by holding its first auction for pollution permits - a process that will put a price on carbon emissions. The program works by placing a limit, or cap, on emissions from individual polluters such as power plants, refineries and food processors. Businesses are required to cut emissions to cap levels, or buy allowances from other companies for each ton over the cap that is discharged annually. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/nov/15/arguments-from-both-sides-about-emissions/ California holds first-ever auction of greenhouse gas pollution credits. After six years of planning, California moved forward Wednesday with the nation's first auction of greenhouse gas pollution credits. The bidding and buying began at 10 a.m. and closed at 1 p.m. There was no jam-packed auction house or frenetic trading floor: Bids were placed quietly and electronically, from computers around the country. Results of the auction…Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_21995962/california-holds-first-ever-auction-greenhouse-gas-pollution Climate Change: Cap-and-Trade Is Coming to California. California is set to unveil a new weapon in its fight against global climate change on Wednesday when it holds its first sale of carbon emissions permits — a landmark experiment that it hopes will serve as a model for other states and the federal government. The state's carbon auction is a key step in the initiation of its "cap-and-trade'' program, a policy where the state sets a limit, or cap, on the amount of heat-trapping gases released by manufacturers, oil refineries, electric utilities and other large emitting businesses. Posted. http://www.cnbc.com/id/49819676 Calif., Wash., Ore. and British Columbia profess support for carbon pricing policies. As California begins its auctioning of greenhouse gas allowances under its economywide cap-and-trade program, three other West Coast jurisdictions are professing support for carbon pricing. The leaders of British Columbia, California, Oregon and Washington issued a statement yesterday praising California and British Columbia's carbon regulations and other climate policies, including renewable energy…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2012/11/15/4 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY AIR POLLUTION Wildomar Families Believe Homes Are Making Them Sick. The state says it may open an investigation into claims by residents of a local housing development that their homes are making them sick. On Wednesday, the state Department of Toxic Substances Controls told residents that they may reconsider their earlier decision not to test the homes for possible chemical contamination. Posted. http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-wildomar-toxic-homes,0,1245569.story Port of Hueneme power system now expected to cost $11 million. The estimated cost of the Port of Hueneme's shore-side power system has risen by more than $2 million, according to the company in charge of the project. A state mandate requires ports to build land-based power systems to reduce pollution. The systems are being developed to comply with new regulations requiring that ships anchored at ports turn off their engines to limit emissions. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/nov/14/port-of-hueneme-considers-tariff-hike/ At long last, battle over Bush ozone standard heads to court. After a lengthy delay, a federal appeals court tomorrow will tackle the legality of U.S. EPA regulations setting standards for ozone pollution that were issued by the George W. Bush administration four years ago. The case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Mississippi v. EPA, was put on hold in early 2009 after President Obama took office. EPA then considered whether to revise the Bush standard for ozone, which is one of the main components of smog. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2012/11/15/4 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE Obama sees second-term focus on climate change. President Barack Obama said he plans to work with Congress in his second term to curb human-aggravated climate change, but not at the expense of the U.S. economy. "I am a firm believer that climate change is real, that it is impacted by human behavior, and carbon emissions," Obama said at a televised news conference on Wednesday. "And as a consequence, I think we've got an obligation to future generations to do something about it." Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/14/us-usa-obama-climate-idUSBRE8AD1IU20121114 Carbon output from Canada oil sands higher than thought-study. As President Barack Obama faces a decision on whether to approve the Alberta-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline, a study said Canadian oil sands release more planet-warming gases compared to other crudes than originally thought. Oil sands refined in the United States released 9 percent more greenhouse gases last year than the average of other crudes processed in the country, according to the study released Wednesday by IHS CERA, an energy research group. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/14/oilsands-emissions-idUSL1E8MEG3U20121114 EU climate head wants Obama to pull his weight. The European Union's climate commissioner says she hopes that President Barack Obama's renewed attention to global warming after the election will translate into greater U.S. involvement in U.N. climate talks. Connie Hedegaard told The Associated Press during a visit to Stockholm on Thursday that many Europeans were disappointed that climate change didn't get more attention during Obama's first term. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/EU-climate-head-wants-Obama-to-pull-his-weight-4040286.php#ixzz2CJMhNt9C http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_22002081/eu-climate-head-wants-obama-pull-his-weight?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com E.U. proposes auction delays, tougher targets to boost CO2 price. The European Union wants to delay the auctioning of nearly 1 billion carbon permits starting next year and set tighter climate goals in a bid to boost the price of CO2 on its Emissions Trading System, Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said yesterday. "Our carbon market is delivering emissions reductions, but because of oversupply, the ETS is not driving energy efficiency and green technologies strongly enough," Hedegaard said. "This is bad for Europe's innovation and competitiveness." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2012/11/15/10 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY FUELS The new boom: Shale gas fueling an American industrial revival. The shale gas revolution is firing up an old-fashioned American industrial revival, breathing life into businesses such as petrochemicals and glass, steel and toys. Consider the rising fortunes of Ascension Parish, La. Methanex Corp., which closed its last U.S. chemical plant in 1999, is spending more than half a billion dollars to dismantle a methanol plant in Chile and move it to the parish. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/the-new-boom-shale-gas-fueling-an-american-industrial-revival/2012/11/14/73e5bb8e-fcf9-11e1-b153-218509a954e1_story.html Gas Crisis Abates, With Rations, Special Deliveries and Refinery’s Return. In addition to 1970s-era rationing, a series of critical developments behind the scenes — like emergency deliveries to gas stations and the impending return of a major refinery — have worked to ease a fuel shortage that had threatened to disrupt travel during Thanksgiving week. Lines at gas stations have largely disappeared in New York City and on Long Island, where rationing was put in place late last week…Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/nyregion/gas-shortage-eases-with-rations-special-deliveries-and-refinerys-return.html?ref=earth California gas price spikes not tied to refinery outages, group says. West Coast gasoline price spikes in May and October were widely blamed on refinery outages, but new research to be released at a California hearing today shows that refiners continued to produce gasoline in periods when the public was told the contrary. The information, shared exclusively with McClatchy Newspapers, comes from Oregon-based McCullough Research, which combed through thousands of pages of environmental documents to conclude that refineries were in fact operating during supposed outages and maintenance shutdowns. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/15/4987115/gas-price-spikes-not-tied-to-refinery.html Bay Area drivers 1st with algae biofuel. Drivers in the San Francisco Bay Area have become the first motorists in the nation to fill up their gas tanks with an algae-based biofuel. The fuel, known as Biodiesel B20, went on sale Tuesday at gas stations in Berkeley, Oakland, Redwood City and San Jose as part of a month-long pilot program, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Biodiesel B20 is made from 20 percent algae and 80 percent petroleum, and can be used by any vehicle that runs on diesel. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20121114/WIRE/121119780 APNewsBreak: BP gets record fine in Gulf oil spill. Oil giant BP has agreed to pay the largest criminal penalty in U.S. history, totaling billions of dollars, for the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a person familiar with the deal said Thursday. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about the deal, also said two BP employees face manslaughter charges over the death of 11 people in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that triggered the massive spill. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/nov/15/apnewsbreak-bp-gets-record-fine-in-gulf-oil-spill/ Oil industry group pushes Obama to OK pipeline. The fight over a proposed pipeline to transport crude oil from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries is picking up again as groups urge President Barack Obama to either approve or reject the pipeline. The American Petroleum Institute held a conference call with reporters Thursday to emphasize the virtues of the Keystone XL pipeline that TransCanada wants to build. API is the oil and gas industry's main lobbying group, and spokesman Marty Durbin says Obama should approve the pipeline as soon as possible to boost the economy. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_22002568/oil-industry-group-pushes-obama-ok-pipeline US crude oil supplies grew by 1.5 million barrels. The nation's crude oil supplies increased last week, the government said Thursday. Crude supplies grew by 1.1 million barrels, or 0.3 percent, to 375.9 million barrels, which is 11.6 percent above year-ago levels, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report. Analysts expected an increase of 1.5 million barrels for the week ended Nov. 9, according to Platts…Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_22002259/us-crude-oil-supplies-grew-by-1-5 Calif. refineries continued operating during outages – report. Gasoline price spikes earlier this year in the West were blamed on refinery outages, but new research shows refiners were still producing fuel at those times. McCullough Research will present its findings at a hearing today before California's Senate Select Committee on Bay Area Transportation. Researchers looked at thousands of documents and concluded that refineries were operating during supposed outages and maintenance shutdowns. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2012/11/15/19 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY VEHICLES GM to exit one of its venture capital unit's investments soon. General Motors Co (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) will soon exit one of its venture capital unit's investments, either through an initial public offering or the acquisition of that company by another, the U.S. automaker's chief technology officer said. GM started its venture capital unit more than two years ago with a $200 million budget to invest in start-up companies with promising auto-related technologies. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/15/us-gm-ventures-idUSBRE8AE0E820121115 Toyota Recalls 2.77 Million Vehicles on Steering, Pump Flaws. Toyota Motor Corp., Asia’s largest automaker, said it will recall 2.77 million vehicles worldwide after detecting faults in the steering and water-pump systems of some of its gasoline and hybrid vehicles. The Prius hybrid and Corolla compact sedans are among the 14 models subject to inspection and repair, Naoto Fuse, a spokesman for the Toyota City, Japan-based company, said by phone today. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/Toyota-Recalls-2-77-Million-Vehicles-on-Steering-4037293.php#ixzz2CJIvtcLv HIGH SPEED RAIL High-speed rail jobs may give priority to down-on-luck workers. Job-creation advocates in Fresno said they moved a step closer Wednesday to ensuring that local workers who need a job can compete for one building California's high-speed rail system. Their hopes were boosted during the California High-Speed Rail Authority meeting in Sacramento, where bullet-train planners also took their first step to reducing their system's footprint on agriculture -- approving a $20 million effort to compensate for farmland lost to the railroad right of way. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/11/14/3066612/high-speed-rail-jobs-plan-may.html GREEN ENERGY Google invests $75 million in Iowa wind farm. Google is investing $75 million in an Iowa wind farm as part of its effort to encourage development of cleaner energy sources. The deal announced Thursday gives Google Inc. a stake in the Ropey Wind Farm in Greene County, Iowa. RPM Access LLC is the primary owner. The wind farm is located about 130 miles northeast of Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is home to one the eight data centers that power Google's Internet search engine and other services. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Google-invests-75-million-in-Iowa-wind-farm-4040340.php#ixzz2CJLgw1q6 http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/11/15/3067193/google-invests-75-million-in-iowa.html#storylink=misearch Greenbuild hot climate for sustainability. If you're in need of a 700-gallon rainwater harvesting tank, ultra-low-flow toilets or porous driveway pavers, then Moscone Center is the place this week. The occasion is Greenbuild, a conference organized by the United States Green Building Council and being held for the first time in San Francisco. With 35,000 people expected to attend and more than 1,000 companies exhibiting what they claim are eco-friendly product…Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/Greenbuild-hot-climate-for-sustainabilty-4038162.php#ixzz2CJMS4LYN JPMorgan punished for California power-trade violation. In a stunning move, a Wall Street investment bank was suspended from trading electricity for profit in California on Wednesday for submitting false information to federal investigators. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s energy-trading division was suspended from California's wholesale market for six months starting April 1. The suspension was imposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The decision could cost JPMorgan millions of dollars. It was a move almost without precedent. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/15/4987327/jpmorgan-punished-for-california.html TEMECULA: City sparking energy program to fund retrofits. The city of Temecula is forming a "green" TEAM. The acronym stands for the Temecula Energy Efficiency and Asset Management fund. That fund will be fed by rebates from Southern California Edison and the cost savings that result from making the city's buildings more energy efficient, said Patrick Richardson, director of development services. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/temecula/temecula-city-sparking-energy-program-to-fund-retrofits/article_af0c78df-bab9-5dd6-9216-614e703a7542.html Nuclear power crucial to California’s energy future. California’s discussion about the merits of nuclear energy is an important one as consumers consider the state’s energy future. With Southern California Edison’s (SCE) San Onofre reactors offline, many are asking questions about the contribution of nuclear energy to California’s energy future and the stability of our electric grid. California relies on nuclear energy for one-fifth of the state’s electricity. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/perspective/nuclear-power-crucial-to-california-s-energy-future/article_7c2a8599-fc02-535d-aeff-251773760aeb.html MISCELLANEOUS 2 groups develop global standards for long-term carbon storage. Two groups are releasing the first multinational standards today for geological storage of captured carbon dioxide in deep underground rock formations. The new voluntary standards, put together over the past three years with a technical team of companies and organizations ranging from Chevron to Princeton University, aim to put a hodgepodge of rules in one place, as well as offer new recommendations. They focus solely on saline aquifers for storage of the greenhouse gas …Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2012/11/15/5 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY OPINIONS Filling Up on Your Dime. GASOLINE prices have been falling in recent months, and the International Energy Agency just reported that the United States will overtake Saudi Arabia to be the world’s leading oil producer in about five years. But it’s too early to celebrate. The next time you fill up your tank, you should know that the person next to you might be paying much less than you for gasoline. By reporting their personal automobile use as a business expense, millions of drivers are essentially getting taxpayer subsidies for their gasoline. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/opinion/filling-the-gas-tank-on-taxpayers-dime.html?_r=0 Christopher Horner: New carbon tax would be folly. Recently, a leaked agenda laid bare a strategy session among a virtual Who's Who of left-leaning big-government activist groups, hosted by a generally conservative policy group, the American Enterprise Institute. By the agenda's title, this fifth in a series was part of a "Lame Duck Initiative" to strategize enactment of a "carbon" tax, or federal energy tax on oil, coal and gas, in the post-election session of Congress that began this week. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/tax-377765-carbon-new.html BLOGS The whole truth about Superstorm Sandy and climate change. When it comes to climate change and its effect on Superstorm Sandy, it seems many of the loudest voices fall into two camps: 1) the all-in camp: climate change is making the weather more extreme, and Sandy is the poster child for that. We can and should blame climate change for the storm’s terrible toll and it’s a sign of things to come. 2) the no effect camp: climate change played no role in Superstorm Sandy and there’s no cause for concern about the future. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/the-whole-truth-about-superstorm-sandy-and-climate-change/2012/11/15/d3b7ceea-29e4-11e2-bab2-eda299503684_blog.html The Do-It-Yourself Approach to Tracking Gas Drilling. Given that government resources for environmental regulation (and just about everything else) will be constrained for a long time to come, I’ve been enthusiastic about efforts by the public to take a D.I.Y. (do it yourself) role in tracking pollution or resource issues, whether on the ground or online. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/the-d-i-y-do-it-yourself-approach-to-tracking-frackin/?ref=earth An Afterlife for the Electric Car. Advocates of electric cars and renewable energy have talked for years about repackaging the battery packs built for cars as home energy storage devices once they can no longer hold enough charge to run a vehicle. On Wednesday, ABB and General Motors announced that they are trying out just that idea with the battery packs of five Chevy Volts. When it is new, the Volt battery pack holds 16 kilowatt-hours. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/an-afterlife-for-the-electric-car/?smid=tw-nytimesgreen&seid=auto Five Reasons You Should Care about California’s Cap-and-Trade Carbon Market. California will attempt to launch an honest-to-goodness carbon market on Wednesday, officially kicking off the state’s cap and trade program. It’s part of the landmark global warming bill, AB 32, signed back in 2006 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. This won’t be first cap-and-trade program in the world -- Europe’s been trading carbon allowances for a half-dozen years or so -- but it’s the first time it’s being tried on such a large scale in the U.S…Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/11/14/five-reasons-you-should-care-about-california%E2%80%99s-cap-and-trade-carbon-market/