What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for July 10, 2013. 

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

China to Report Air Pollution Data in 116 More Cities. China
widened its air-quality monitoring rules, asking more cities to
report data as the nation seeks to combat high levels of
pollution. A State Council notice told 116 more of its cities to
disclose air quality monitoring data, including readings for
pollutants such as PM2.5 and ozone, adding to 74 cities that
already do so. PM2.5 refers to fine air particles that pose risks
for lung and heart diseases. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-07-10/china-to-report-air-pollution-data-in-116-more-cities.html


China Seen Widening Car-Purchase Limits to Fight Pollution.
China, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, plans to widen
the number of cities curbing auto purchases to fight pollution
and congestion, threatening vehicle sales, the government-backed
car association said. Eight cities -- Chengdu, Chongqing,
Hangzhou, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin and Wuhan --
will probably introduce measures limiting auto purchases…Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-10/china-to-widen-car-purchase-curbs-to-fight-pollution-group-says.html


EPA likely tweaked emission standards in new power plant rule.
There's a growing belief that U.S. EPA's second proposal for
curbing carbon dioxide from future power plants has changed
emission limits. Those who are closely tracking the rule now say
coal and natural gas might be treated separately under the
proposal EPA sent to the White House for review last week.
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059984169/print
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

NMFS denies ribbon seal endangered species listing. The federal
government has rejected an endangered species listing for a seal
species that relies on sea ice for molting and reproducing. The
National Marine Fisheries Service announced Tuesday that it has
rejected listing ribbon seals as a threatened or endangered
species despite evidence that its habitat is impacted by climate
change. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RIBBON_SEALS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/07/09/3380801/nmfs-denies-ribbon-seal-endangered.html


Small birds may be able to cope with climate change, study says.
Despite the potential havoc wreaked by climate change, it’s not
all doom and gloom for our planet. A new study projects that
certain types of short-lived, small birds will easily withstand
global warming throughout this century, even under worst-case
carbon emissions scenarios. Most studies predicting species’
fates due to global warming rely…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-birds-climate-change-20130709,0,259777.story


Wildfires may have bigger role in global warming, study says.
Wildfires such as the Yarnell Hill blaze in Arizona may be
warming Earth’s atmosphere far more than previously thought,
according to a study by Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Researchers at the Department of Energy facility normally chase
fires throughout the western U.S., to measure their atmospheric
effects. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-wildfires-climate-20130709,0,2934189.story


Steep drop in coastal fish found in California power plant
records. Fish populations in Southern California have dropped 78%
over the last 40 years, according to a new study. Scientists
consulted an unlikely source, sifting through records of fish
caught up in the cooling systems of five coastal power plants
from northern San Diego County to Ventura County. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-fish-decline-southern-california-20130709,0,866454.story

Tree plantings anticipate climate change. A team of researchers
will be planting thousands of red oak trees in northern Minnesota
over the next two years in an experiment designed to help the
north woods adapt to future climate change. Researchers fear that
as winters become warmer the boreal forest could decline, and
they are predicting that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness could look more like southern Minnesota or Iowa by the
end of the century. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Tree-plantings-anticipate-climate-change-4654482.php


Energy Producers Are off the Hook. A recent report issued by
Organizational Studies suggests that global warming isn’t really
an issue. Fewer than half of the geoscientists and engineers who
participated in a survey maintain that global warming is a
man-made phenomenon. What’s more is that the lion’s share of
survey participants blame the earth’s warming on natural causes,
suggesting that global warming isn’t posing a serious threat.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Energy-Producers-Are-off-the-Hook-4656692.php


Baucus sends Obama letter over climate change. U.S. Sen. Max
Baucus is asking President Barack Obama to consider Montana as
the administration develops its policy to deal with climate
change. The president has said rules are needed to curb
greenhouse gases. Baucus sent a letter to Obama on Tuesday asking
him to reach out to individual states and avoid a
one-size-fits-all solution. He outlined 15 priorities for
Montana. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Baucus-sends-Obama-letter-over-climate-change-4655357.php


Climate change's heat intensifies drought in the USA. (VIDEO) In
this browning patch of land in central Texas, C.J. Teare could be
fined for using fresh water to keep her decades-old oak trees
alive so she relies on soapy water left over from washing
clothes. "I've never seen it like this before," says Teare, a
grandmother who has lived in her modest Lakeside Beach ranch for
20 years. Her community has been under emergency water
restrictions since January 2012, when it became the first to run
dry during Texas' ongoing three-year drought. It stays afloat
with six daily truckloads of water. Posted.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/09/climate-change-drought-texas/2451409/


FUELS

Tradition and temptation as Amish debate fracking. In parts of
Ohio and Pennsylvania where horse-drawn buggies clip-clop at the
pace of a bygone era, Amish communities are debating a new
temptation - the large cash royalties that can come with the boom
in oil and gas drilling. In some ways, Amish attitudes toward
hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, are as different from the
outside world as their clothes and traditions. Posted. 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/jul/09/tradition-and-temptation-as-amish-debate/#ixzz2YeuE3532
 

VEHICLES

Electric vehicle sales grow in Sonoma County.  Once the bailiwick
of tinkerers and hobbyists, electric vehicles are popping up all
over Sonoma County as green-minded and tech-savvy drivers warm up
to plug-in cars. The market for EVs has expanded dramatically
since December 2010, when the Nissan dealership in Petaluma
became the first car dealer in the nation to sell the Leaf, the
world's first mass market all-electric car. Posted.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130709/BUSINESS/130709555/0/SEARCH
 
 
More details on BMW’s i3; electric and connected. With the launch
of the production BMW i3 battery-electric vehicle (also available
with a range extender) looming, the BMW Group provided more
details about the first series-produced model from its new i
brand, offering customers electric mobility in a premium small
car package. Posted.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/07/bmwi3-20130710.html 

GREEN ENERGY

RIVERSIDE COUNTY: No more mines in solar energy development
zones. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has issued a 20-year
ban on new mining on nearly 304,000 acres in six Western states
to promote solar energy development. In an effort to avoid
potential conflicts with energy development, the agency will not
accept new mining claims in 17 areas identified for solar
development in California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico
and Utah. Posted.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/local-news-headlines/20130709-riverside-county-no-more-mines-in-solar-energy-development-zones.ece


Marin Clean Energy details greenhouse gas reduction estimates.
Marin Clean Energy's most optimistic forecast for cutting
greenhouse gases assumes that - as it successfully draws
customers from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. - the utility will be
forced to reduce use of costly generators that burn natural gas.
Its business strategy is to capture 80 percent of PG&E's
customers in the first phase of the initiative, and it expects 20
percent of those customers will be willing to pay extra for 100
percent renewable energy. Posted.
http://www.marinij.com/ci_15024523  

Coca-Cola announces environmental goals for 2020. The Coca-Cola
Co. increased its sustainability targets yesterday, raising the
bar for water efficiency, greenhouse gas savings and the use of
renewable plastics for its bottles. With the help of the World
Wildlife Fund, the company successfully met its goal of cutting
water use by 20 percent by 2012, said Jeff Seabright, Coca-Cola's
vice president of environment and water resources. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059984112/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Bay Area Air Quality Management District convenes panel to
discuss ways to improve pollution monitoring. New approaches to
monitoring air pollution from oil refineries and chemical plants
will be discussed by a panel of experts Thursday during an
all-day free forum. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District
invites the public to attend the forum from 9:30 a.m. to noon and
from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Thursday at the air board meeting room, 939
Ellis St. Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/ci_23629612/oil-refinery-pollution-monitoring-discussed-at-thursday-forum


Bike-share program coming to San Diego. A new bike-sharing
program that will make at least 1,800 bicycles available for
self-service use citywide will launch early next year in San
Diego at no cost to taxpayers. The City Council unanimously
approved a 10-year partnership with private firm DecoBike to
install between 180 and 220 bike-sharing stations throughout the
city, a capital investment of about $7.2 million paid entirely by
the company. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/09/bike-sharing-program-coming-san-diego/all/?print


Truckers' blown tires are roadway hazards. It seems like you can
barely drive a mile without seeing them: the shredded remnants of
truck tires on the highway. They can be a hazard, especially to
motorcyclists. And with temperatures peaking, tire debris from
18-wheelers – called "gators" in the trucking industry – are
becoming a more common sight on Sacramento's freeways. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/10/5556194/truckers-blown-tires-are-roadway.html#storylink=cpy


OPINIONS

Climate Change: How Has the Market Responded? John Vechey of
PopCap Games recently joined The Motley Fool for a climate change
summit. His first panel guests were Dr. Rachel Cleetus and Dr.
Joe Casola. Dr. Cleetus is a climate economist with the Union of
Concerned Scientists, where she advocates for effective global
warming policies at the state, regional, federal, and
international levels. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Climate-Change-How-Has-the-Market-Responded-4656668.php

BLOGS

The Global-Warming Debate: Matt Ridley Responds. A post on
slate.com criticized Matt Ridley’s Mind & Matter column, “Science
Is About Evidence, Not Consensus,” in the Saturday-Sunday Review
section of the Wall Street Journal. Below, Mr. Ridley responds:
Sadly, Phil Plait’s understanding of the literature in this area
is very superficial and out of date. Posted.
http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2013/07/09/the-global-warming-debate-matt-ridley-responds/


You can’t deny global warming after seeing this graph. Nine of
the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998. But
forget individual years. That data is noisy. A single year can
see its temperatures rocket for reasons having little to do with
climate change. Look, instead, at decades. There, the data is a
little clearer, as the idiosyncrasies of any one year are
balanced by its nine compatriots. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/07/09/you-cant-deny-global-warming-after-seeing-this-graph/?print=1

Bad news: The world’s energy supply isn’t getting any cleaner.
We’ve seen plenty of charts over the past few years showing that
wind and solar power are growing at astronomical rates — not just
in the United States, but around the world. That seems like an
encouraging sign for efforts to tackle global warming. But here’s
a sobering counterpoint. Roger Pielke, Jr., an environmental
studies professor at the University of Colorado, has charted data
on the share of carbon-free energy…Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/07/10/bad-news-fossil-fuels-are-more-than-keeping-up-with-clean-energy/


EPA nominee Gina McCarthy to miss Mexico jaunt. Gina McCarthy,
President Obama’s pick to head the EPA, has a new reason to be
irritated about having her nomination held up in the Senate: it’s
causing her to miss out on what sounds like a fantastic
conference in scenic Los Cabos, Mexico. It will be acting
director Bob Perciasepe, instead, who participates this week in
the meeting with leaders from Canada and Mexico to talk about
environmental issues. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/post/epa-nominee-gina-mccarthy-to-miss-mexico-jaunt/2013/07/09/7d702dca-e8b6-11e2-a301-ea5a8116d211_blog.html


Fiddling While the World Warms. While a student at the University
of Minnesota was creating a cello composition around the last 130
years of global temperature change, a couple of researchers at
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory were producing a similar
composition, for digital violin and with a much longer score —
charting more than 600 years of climate variations and recent
warming. Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/fiddling-while-the-world-warms/?ref=earth
 

Global Warming? No, Satellites Show Carbon Dioxide Is Causing
'Global Greening'. Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are
bolstering plant life throughout the world, environmental
scientists report in a newly published peer-reviewed study. The
findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters, are gleaned
from satellite measurements of global plant life, and contradict
assertions by activists that global warming is causing deserts to
expand, along with devastating droughts. Posted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2013/07/10/global-warming-no-satellites-show-carbon-dioxide-is-causing-global-greening/


Why Republicans want to tax students and not polluters. A basic
economic principle is government ought to tax what we want to
discourage, and not tax what we want to encourage. For example,
if we want less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, we should tax
carbon polluters. On the other hand, if we want more students
from lower-income families to be able to afford college, we
shouldn’t put a tax on student loans. Posted.
http://blogs.berkeley.edu/2013/07/10/why-republicans-want-to-tax-students-and-not-polluters/