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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 18, 2013.
Posted: 18 Sep 2013 14:32:51
ARB Newsclips for September 18, 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. LOW CARBON FUEL U.S. appeals court knocks back California fuel rule challenge. A federal appeals court on Wednesday lifted an injunction on a California program that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels, in a boost for the state's pioneering efforts to combat global climate change. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the central argument that California was violating a constitutional rule against impeding interstate commerce with its low-carbon fuel standard, which regulates fuels based on the carbon produced in their production, transportation and use. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/18/california-emissions-idUSL2N0HE1LR20130918 CAP AND TRADE State clears way for use of ‘offsets’ in carbon restrictions. Starting in a couple of weeks, the hundreds of companies subject to California’s strict curbs on greenhouse-gas emissions will have a new way to meet the regulations. They’ll be able to buy “offset” credits generated by dairy farms and others who have managed to reduce their own carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/17/5744949/state-clears-way-for-use-of-offsets.html#storylink=cpy http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/09/18/california-to-issue-first-carbon-offset-credits/ Calif. issues first offsets for cap-and-trade compliance. Businesses looking to comply with California's landmark cap-and-trade program for carbon dioxide now have carbon offsets as a compliance option with the state's approval of about 600,000 tons of offset credits from emissions reductions around the country. A project in Arkansas is among the first to convert its offsets to sellable credits in California's system. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059987414/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY AIR POLLUTION Blowing dust and sand could affect air quality. The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District and County Public Health Department say blowing dust and sand in the Oceano Dunes/Nipomo Mesa area is causing the air quality to deteriorate. They say forecasted high winds will lead to blowing sand and dust through 7:00 pm on Tuesday. Infants and children and adults with existing or respiratory or heart conditions could experience adverse health effects due to the poor air quality. Posted. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/53036655/ns/local_news-san_luis_obispo_ca/ Experts explore Clean Air Act in anticipation of rules on existing power plants. U.S. EPA's highly anticipated standards for new power plants, to be released this week, will probably shed some insight on how the agency will address a much larger source of carbon emissions -- existing power plants. The rules for existing plants promise to curb emissions, but for environmentalists, the standards for new plants, expected Friday, will be a benchmark. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059987416/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE Obama Energy Officials Defend Climate Plan to Republicans. Obama administration officials defended efforts to curb greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change as they faced questions from Republican Lawmakers about the costs of those policies. Cutting energy demand, improving the resilience of the electric grid and improving the efficiency of appliances can both save money and help the environment…Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-18/obama-energy-officials-defend-climate-plan-to-republicans.html http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/sep/18/obamas-climate-plans-to-get-airing-in-congress/ http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059987460/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY DIESEL EMISSIONS California Air Resource Board cracks down on big rigs. For the past few months, Monte Eberhardt had been hearing from other big rig drivers that he may have to retrofit his cattle-hauling truck to meet new emission standards. “I looked it up about the filter and I have until the end of January,” said Eberhardt, 40, of Wheatland. But the owner of Eberhardt Livestock found that he was wrong Tuesday, when he was pulled over just north of Sacramento for a state Air Resources Board truck inspection. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/18/5745478/california-air-resource-board.html#storylink=cpy http://univisionsacramento.univision.com/videos/video/2013-09-17/operativo-en-la-interestatal-99 http://www.kcra.com/page/search/htv-sac/news/local-news/semi-trucks-get-inspected-for-pollution/-/11797380/21989634/-/qd8pr4z/-/index.html http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/18/2926864/california-air-resource-board.html BY SUBSCRIPTION State emission rules a costly burden for farmers. Jenming Gee, owner of Gee Agri Transport in Yuba City, said he'll spend at least $350,000 this year alone on new vehicles and retrofitting old ones. Chris Torres said his company, F&L Trucking in Princeton, has taken half a million dollars in losses in the past 10 years staying in compliance. And they might be the lucky ones — certainly, they're the most prepared. "Not everybody can afford to buy new or retrofit," Gee said. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/gee-127683-burden-spend.html#ixzz2fGRFSBen http://www.chicoer.com/breakingnews/ci_24122046/state-emission-rules-costly-burden-farmers FUELS What Happens When the U.S. Isn’t the Biggest Gas Guzzler? Americans burn through 1.2 gallons of gasoline per person each day. There’s no other country that comes close. Even Canadians, themselves gas hogs, use almost a third less. That’s why the chart above should scare the fuel out of everyone. Brazil, Russia, India and China -- four rising economies known collectively as the BRIC countries -- surpassed the U.S. in liquid-fuel consumption in 2011 and haven’t looked back…Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-17/what-happens-when-the-u-s-isn-t-the-biggest-gas-guzzler-.html Mississippi Coal Plant Overruns Show Risks of Carbon Rule. Coal’s future is being built in rural Mississippi, and so far this is what it looks like: a $1 billion cost overrun, a stew of legal battles, a revolt by ratepayers and a credit downgrade for the local utility. With all those challenges, Southern Co. (SO)’s $4.7 billion project in Kemper County may still be coal’s best hope to survive President Barack Obama’s limits on greenhouse-gas emissions. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-09-18/mississippi-coal-plant-overuns-show-risks-of-carbon-rules.html Coal's future darkens around the world. The future of coal is getting darker. Economic forces, pollution concerns and competition from cleaner fuels are slowly nudging nations around the globe away from the fuel that made the industrial revolution possible. The U.S. will burn 943 million tons of coal this year, only about as much as it did in 1993. Now it's on the verge of adopting pollution rules that may all but prohibit the construction of new coal plants. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/18/5747058/coals-future-darkens-around-the.html#storylink=cpy http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765638072/Coals-future-darkens-around-the-world.html Obama officials: Rule won't kill coal-fired power. President Barack Obama's top energy and environmental officials said Wednesday there is a future for coal, despite a pending regulation aimed at limiting global warming pollution from new power plants that Republicans and the coal industry say will doom the fuel source. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, questioned at a House hearing, both said coal-fired power would continue. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Obama-officials-Rule-won-t-kill-coal-fired-power-4823422.php http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=223611685 Study of hydraulic fracturing in state puts off suit. The Obama administration has tentatively settled an environmental lawsuit over oil and gas drilling in Monterey and Fresno counties with an agreement to conduct a statewide study of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and its possible effects on water and wildlife. The tentative settlement was announced Monday in a federal court filing in San Jose. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Study-of-hydraulic-fracturing-in-state-puts-off-4822735.php VEHICLES China Renews Electric Vehicle Subsidies Excluding Hybrids. China, under pressure to reduce air pollution, renewed a subsidy program for alternative-energy vehicles such as electric cars. One notable exception: hybrids. The central government will provide as much as 60,000 yuan ($9,800) toward the purchase of an all-electric passenger vehicle and as much as 500,000 yuan for an electric bus, according to a joint statement by the National Development and Reform Commission and finance, science and industry ministries. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-17/china-renews-electric-vehicle-subsidies-without-adding-hybrids.html A Green Car Named Desire. Electric car subsidies for the rich are now a drain on California's budget. California's green regulations often drive national policies, so it's worth pointing out how its programs to cut vehicle emissions have become a gravy train for the 1%. You'll enjoy this if you live in the other 49 states. To meet the state's goal of cutting its greenhouse emissions to 80% below 1990 levels, effectively all new cars sold in California by 2040 will have to be electric or plug-in hybrids. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323981304579079321154539590.html Tesla Motors eyes self-driving cars. How they could save energy. Tesla Motors has made a name for itself rethinking what powers our cars. Now they're taking on who – or rather, what – drives them. The luxury electric carmaker has joined the race to build a car that drives itself. Autonomous transport promises greater convenience and safety than the human-operated vehicles of today. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2013/0918/Tesla-Motors-eyes-self-driving-cars.-How-they-could-save-energy If they made a car that could capture its CO2, would you buy one? Technology to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from car engines may not be far away, but universal consumer acceptance of this technology may take a while to develop. According to a study released this month from researchers at the University of Michigan, consumer willingness to adopt vehicles with carbon capture and storage (CCS) capabilities may be inextricably tied to their opinions on the relationship between CO2 emissions from human activity and climate change. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059987395/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY GREEN ENERGY German Power Premium Most Since ’98 Tests Voters: Energy Markets. Germany’s drive to increase renewable energy sources has created the biggest discrepancy between consumer and producer power prices in 15 years, turning the cost of electricity into a political battleground before the Sept. 22 national election. Because of taxes and charges that subsidize the country’s 550 billion-euro ($734 billion) plan to expand solar and wind power, residential bills are more than twice the amount that utilities pay to deliver the electricity…Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-09-18/german-power-premium-most-since-98-tests-voters-energy-markets.html Ranking reveals top U.S. cities on energy efficiency. While Congress dithers on energy efficiency, cities are moving ahead with energy-saving steps such as bike-sharing, tougher building codes, electric vehicle charging stations and cool roofs, says a study out Tuesday that ranks 34 major U.S. cities. Boston takes first place for its efforts to reduce energy use, followed by Portland, Ore., New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Austin…Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/17/ranking-shows-top-cities-energy-efficiency-boston-san-francisco-new-york-seattle-austin/2826505/ MISCELLANEOUS US Sen. Markey delivers first Senate speech. U.S. Sen. Edward Markey has delivered his first speech in the chamber since winning a special election, promising to push for legislation on clean energy, gun control and Internet privacy among other things. The Massachusetts Democrat on Wednesday also called for an end to partisan gridlock and a reversal of automatic federal budget cuts, known as the sequester. In his maiden Senate speech, called climate change "irrefutable" and said he would file a bill setting a goal of 25 percent renewable energy in the U.S. by 2025. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/US-Sen-Markey-delivers-first-Senate-speech-4823462.php OPINIONS Will the U.S. Squander Its Energy Bounty? Almost every aspect of the U.S. energy landscape is changing drastically -- except government policy. Consider: The global price of oil has soared to more than $100 today from $30 a barrel in 2004. As a result, the U.S.’s annual bill for oil imports has risen to $365 billion, even though domestic oil production has jumped in the past two years to 7.5 million barrels a day from 5.5 million barrels. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-09-18/will-the-u-s-squander-its-energy-bounty-.html The American Myth of Cheap Oil and Gas. In recent years, U.S. business and political leaders have giddily talked of a “Saudi America” gurgling with domestic oil and gas. It’s true that the U.S. now has access to abundant supplies of cheap domestic gas capable of transforming the U.S. economy. Too bad these same leaders are about to give away a vast chunk of North America’s hydrocarbon production -- and all the strategic advantages that go with it. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-17/the-american-myth-of-cheap-oil-and-gas.html COLUMN-China's pollution steps need bite, will cost money: Clyde Russell. China's new plans to cut coal use and tackle pollution have a sense of deja vu about them, being the latest in a series of measures aimed at improving air quality in the world's second-largest economy. But the key question, as always with environmental moves in China, is will they be enforced this time or whether once again regulation will be soft and easily side-stepped by provincial and local governments, or polluting companies. Posted. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/09/18/column-russell-china-pollution-idUKL3N0HE07C20130918 Turbos & Diesels: Like 'Em Or Loathe 'Em, They're Becoming The Norm By most accounts, the conventional gasoline engine's days are numbered. Long before electric cars become commonplace, automakers expect to wean themselves off gas-powered powerplants, replacing them with fuel-efficient alternatives. On Monday, Ford's Joe Bakaj told Detroit News that the time is coming when most Ford vehicles will come with either a diesel or an EcoBoost engine…Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/cars/turbos-and-diesels-like-em-or-loathe-em-theyre-becoming-the-norm/2013/09/18/7b053b72-2077-11e3-9ad0-96244100e647_print.html Big Coal Takes On an Obama Nominee. The coal industry and its allies are angry about President Obama’s energy policies, and they have decided to take it out on his nominee to lead the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas and oil. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/opinion/big-coal-takes-on-an-obama-nominee.html Planes need a California emissions standard. For decades now, "California emissions" has been industry shorthand for low-polluting cars and trucks. Beginning next week, the world will meet to discuss the serious risks of global-warming pollution from airplanes. They should follow California's lead, too. At the meeting in Montreal, the International Civil Aviation Organization will attempt to adopt a market-based plan next week to help the world's airlines cut their emissions. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Planes-need-a-California-emissions-standard-4822839.php BLOGS Wheelies: The Revenge Edition. California emissions testing has stalled the debut of Mazda’s diesel engine in the United States, according to a report in Forbes. The company has expressed hope that the delay is only temporary, as the Golden State is expected to be a crucial market for fuel efficient diesel-powered Mazdas. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/wheelies-the-revenge-edition/?_r=0 Offset Market Alive and Well in California. Congratulations to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as they announced plans to issue the first CARB Offset Credits or ARBOCs. These 600,000 metric tons of offsets helps the state move closer towards our emissions reductions goals. Compliance entities, such as utility and oil and gas companies, can use these offsets to meet up to 8% of their compliance obligation. Posted. http://blogs.edf.org/californiadream/2013/09/17/offset-market-alive-and-well-in-california/#sthash.JraADask.dpuf