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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 28, 2014.

Posted: 28 Jan 2014 12:44:09
ARB Newsclips for January 28, 2014. 

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

Chevron, Southwest Gas Fined $1M for Not Reporting GHG Emissions.
Chevron and Southwest Gas have been fined about $1 million for
violating California’s mandatory greenhouse gas emissions
reporting rule in 2011. This is the second time the California
Air Resources Board (ARB) has issued fines for late or inaccurate
reporting under the regulation, which mandates utilities and
industrial facilities emitting more than 10,000 metric tons of
carbon dioxide annually report their GHG emissions. Posted.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2014/01/28/chevron-southwest-gas-fined-1m-for-not-reporting-ghg-emissions/

http://www.examiner.com/article/more-environmental-trouble-for-chevron-as-arb-fines-it-for-ghg-violations

http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059993552/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

AIR POLLUTION

Republicans, Democrats unite in bid to save California beach
bonfires. It may be January, but Southern California beach-goers
could be forgiven for breaking out the marshmallows early, as
lawmakers moved to protect a classic rite of summer - the seaside
bonfire. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/28/us-usa-california-bonfires-idUSBREA0R06N20140128

http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-assembly-bills-advance-20140127,0,7817264.story#axzz2rirA5dsA

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jan/27/assembly-oks-bill-to-allow-calif-beach-bonfires/
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_25003580/assembly-oks-bill-allow-calif-beach-bonfires
 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/jan/27/beach-bonfires-in-southern-california-are-still/
 

Imperial County Board of Supervisors to hear presentation on air
pollutions issues, State Implementation Plan.  General air
pollution updates as well as future plans for a particulate
matter 2.5 State Implementation Plan will be presented to the
Imperial County Board of Supervisors at its regular meeting
today.  Air Pollution Control Officer Brad Poiriez will speak on
behalf of the district as he explains what the State
Implementation Plan is and why the Federal Environmental
Protection Agency requires it.  Posted. 
http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/local/imperial-county-board-of-supervisors-to-hear-presentation-on-air/article_ad0bcc02-87e3-11e3-8be7-001a4bcf6878.html
 

Study Suggests Air Pollution in the Santa Monica Mountains Is
Harming Native Plants, Increasing Fire Risk.  Initial results
from experiments conducted in the Santa Monica Mountains by a
botanist at the University of California, Riverside and her
colleagues indicate that high levels of nitrogen may adversely
impact native plants and, by extension, increase the risk of
wildfire.  Posted.  http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/20098  

Pro-EPA group argues carbon should be regulated like all other
pollutants. The Institute for Policy Integrity, based at New York
University, filed a friend-of-the-court, or amicus, brief this
morning, saying EPA's treatment of carbon dioxide as a pollutant
does not violate the Clean Air Act. The group asserted that U.S.
EPA was right to give carbon dioxide equal weight to other
pollutants in the agency's first greenhouse gas
regulations…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059993555/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

EPA advisory panel schedules discussion of ozone standard. U.S.
EPA is set to move forward with its oft-delayed plans to revise
its limits on ozone pollution, scheduling a meeting of a
scientific review board this spring to discuss the standards. In
a notice set to be published in the Federal Register, EPA said
that its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee will meet from
March 27-29 in Raleigh, N.C., to review revisions to the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059993573/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

Obama Urged to Act Alone on Climate If Congress Unwilling to Pass
Legislation. As President Barack Obama prepares to give his Jan.
28 State of the Union address, advocates of greenhouse gas
reductions are urging the president to turn up pressure on
Congress to pass climate legislation while demonstrating his
willingness to act alone in the face of congressional inaction.
Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-01-28/obama-urged-to-act-alone-on-climate-if-congress-unwilling-to-pass-legislation.html


FEMA: Caught Between Climate Change and Congress. Thanks to
climate change, extreme weather disasters have hammered the
United States with increasing frequency in recent years—from
drought and wildfires to coastal storms and flooding. It is
perhaps surprising, then, that the U.S. agency in charge of
preparing for and responding to these disasters, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)…Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-01-27/fema-caught-between-climate-change-and-congress-.html


UofL's greenhouse gas emissions down 27 percent. The University
of Louisville says its greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by
more than 27 percent in seven years. The school says its annual
carbon emissions dropped by 68,000 metric tons during the period.
It says that amount is equal to taking 14,167 cars off the road.
The numbers are in a report UofL submitted to a national
organization working on climate change issues. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/UofL-s-greenhouse-gas-emissions-down-27-percent-5181030.php


Who Has Dirtier Air: China or India? On an average day, the view
out the window of a New Delhi apartment is even smoggier than out
the window of a Beijing high-rise, as the New York Times recently
reported. (The 7.5 million cars on New Delhi’s roads, up from
800,000 in the early 1970s, certainly hasn’t helped air quality.)
But on a country-to-country basis, China still ranks dead last
globally in terms of average exposure to PM 2.5—fine particulate
air pollution that poses a severe threat to human health…Posted.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-28/smog-in-new-delhi-is-worse-than-in-beijing


Polar bears can expand diet to survive climate change. New
research has found that, despite popular belief, Arctic polar
bears may actually adapt well to climate change by altering their
diet. Evidence suggests polar bears have turned to other food
sources due to a lack of seals, their preferred prey. Scientists
tracked the bears' eating habits while they hunted and published
their findings last year in various ecology journals. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059993522/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CALIFORNIA DROUGHT

Cachuma Lake, a crystalline mountain resource, is disappearing.
The Central Coast lake, one of the area's most popular outdoor
playgrounds, has become an emblem of California's crushing
drought. When Jeff Bozarth retired after 20 years as a police
officer and signed up as a park ranger here last spring, he knew
what to expect and relished every bit of it. Hidden in the folds
of the Central Coast mountains…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-cachuma-drought-20140128,0,2738862,print.story


California’s drought means some ranchers can’t afford to feed
their cattle. In January, business at the 101 Livestock Market’s
cattle auction on California’s Central Coast is usually slow. The
busy season is normally in June or July, when ranchers have had
time to fatten their animals for weeks on spring grasses. This
year, however, business is bustling, with packed pens of moaning
cattle and cowboys standing on tip-toe to get a glance at their
potential prizes. Posted.
http://www.dailynews.com/article/20140127/NEWS/140129535 

As California drought continues, feds could seize water. Farmers
from California’s San Joaquin Valley set aside precious water
last year, like money in a bank. But now someone else might claim
the investment. With the state extremely dry, the farmers fear
federal officials could effectively seize for other purposes the
water set aside primarily in San Luis Reservoir on the valley’s
west side. Posted.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/01/27/215912/as-california-drought-continues.html#storylink=cpy


FUELS

U.S. Ethanol Exporters Search for a Port. U.S. ethanol makers are
banking on export markets as they grapple with Obama
administration plans to cut U.S. consumption requirements, but
the industry is hampered by a distribution structure built almost
exclusively around the domestic market. Archer Daniels Midland
Co. , Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. and other ethanol
producers are trying to boost sales to Brazil, Mexico…Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304856504579336871048197710#printMode
BY SUBSCRIPTION

Calif. environmental efforts headline 'Eye on Biodiesel' awards.
Few states have as significant of an impact on environmental
regulations as the state of California. As the industry honors
champions and those who have made significant impacts on the
biodiesel industry during the National Biodiesel Conference &
Expo in San Diego it is fitting that multiple award winners
reside within the Golden State. Posted.
http://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/9521/calif-environmental-efforts-headline-eye-on-biodiesel-awards

VEHICLES

Strong U.S. and China business fuels big gain in Ford profit.
Continued strong business in North America and growth in sales in
China powered Ford Motor Co. to a big gain in fourth-quarter
profit. Ford said Tuesday that its profit for the three months
ended Dec. 31 jumped 90% to $3 billion from the $1.6 billion of
the same period a year earlier. That represented its 18th
consecutive quarterly profit. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-ford-fourth-quarter-profit-20140128,0,6397311,print.story


California Energy Commission to award up to $10.8M in incentives
for new natural gas vehicles.  The California Energy Commission
is soliciting (PON-13-610) applications for a total of $10.8
million in funding for natural gas vehicle incentives to reduce
the purchase price of new on-road natural gas vehicles. The
incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis and
at varying levels depending on the gross vehicle weight.  Posted.
 http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/01/20140128-cec.html  

Tesla owner completes first coast-to-coast trip in electric
vehicle via supercharging network.  Traveling across the country
by electric vehicle is now possible for owners of the Tesla Model
S performance sedan.  Even better, it costs nothing.  Using the
all-electric vehicle maker’s exclusive supercharging network,
John Gleeney made the trip with his adult daughter, Jill Glenney,
from New York to Los Angeles in less than a week, utilizing 28
supercharging stations, according to Silicon Beat.  Posted. 
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/chi-tesla-first-coast-to-coast-electric-vehicle,0,6037507.story


Smart ForTwo EV tops list of greenest vehicles. With more and
more hybrid and electric vehicles coming to market, earning the
title of most eco-friendly car is becoming more competitive than
ever. This year, the Smart For Two Electric Drive tops the list
of greenest vehicles ranked by the American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The zippy two-seater not only
has a combined U.S. EPA fuel economy rating of 107 mpg…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059993536/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

GREEN ENERGY

Solar industry employment up 20% in 2013.  The number of jobs
tied to the U.S. solar energy sector increased by nearly 20
percent in 2013, according to an annual survey by the Solar
Foundation released Monday. The foundation, a nonprofit
educational and statistical arm of the industry, found an
estimated 142,628 solar workers in the U.S. economy -- defined as
those who spend 50 percent or more of their time supporting
solar-related activities -- as of November 2013. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jan/27/solar-jobs-accelerate/


MISCELLANEOUS

Hazardous waste hauler fined $243,000 for abandoning drums of
toxics. A man accused of illegally storing more than 200 drums of
hazardous waste at a San Joaquin County truck stop has been fined
$243,000 and barred for life from transporting such toxic
materials, state regulators said Monday. In a civil complaint
filed last year, the Department of Toxic Substances Control
accused Jose G. Sosa of abandoning 228 drums filled with spent
aerosol cans…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-hauler-fined-toxic-20140127,0,2143315,print.story


Much of old Irvine air base is removed from list of hazardous
sites. More than 1,900 acres of the retired Marine Corps Air
Station El Toro in Irvine have been cleaned up, the EPA
announces. More than 1,900 acres of the retired Marine Corps Air
Station El Toro in Irvine have been cleaned up and removed from
the list of the nation's most hazardous sites after more than two
decades…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-0128-el-toro-20140128,0,1767123,print.story


OPINIONS

Dire signs from a warming world. Another insane cold wave — not
the infamous “polar vortex” but its evil twin — is bringing
sub-zero and single-digit temperatures to much of the nation. And
global warming may be even more extreme, and potentially more
catastrophic, than climate scientists had feared. This is, of
course, no contradiction. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-global-warmings-impact-cant-be-ignored/2014/01/27/b5917594-8792-11e3-a5bd-844629433ba3_story.html


A climate change of heart by the European Union? If the EU shies
away from its commitment to fighting global warming, similar
efforts around the world are likely to suffer. Confronted by
rising energy costs and international competition, the European
Union's executive body has recommended relaxing rules on
renewable energy with a plan that doesn't hold specific nations
responsible for specific targets. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-change-eu-european-union-20140128,0,5391003,print.story


Dan Walters: Gov. Brown increasingly desperate to save bullet
train. Desperate times, it’s been said, call for desperate
measures. The oft-quoted phrase originated with ancient Greek
physician Hippocrates, who declared, “For extreme diseases,
extreme methods of cure, as to restriction, are most suitable…”
Gov. Jerry Brown, without uttering the words…Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/01/28/6106244/dan-walters-gov-brown-increasingly.html#mi_rss=Dan%20Walters#storylink=cpy


Guest Viewpoint: Global warming is serious threat to U.S. A
soon-to-be-published report (March 2014) by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change warns that the food supply is at serious
risk as global warming continues. In 2009, Robert Engelman of
Worldwatch Institute, an environmental research group stated “In
order to prevent collapse, human civilization would have to stop
increasing emissions within a decade, regardless of the economy
or population.” Posted.
http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20140128/VIEWPOINTS02/301280054/Guest-Viewpoint-Global-warming-serious-threat-U-S-


Letter: Climate change deniers grasp at straws. In his Jan. 13
Guest Viewpoint, Mike Morrongiello writes: “Rejoice — humanity is
safe from global warming!” He asserts a research paper by climate
scientists Judith Curry and Marcia Watt signals an end to the
global warming “hoax.” In reality, their conclusion includes the
line: “This research does not support or refute global warming
but seeks to explain the natural component of climate
variability.” Posted.
http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20140128/VIEWPOINTS03/301280059/Letter-Climate-change-deniers-grasp-straws


BLOGS

Coca-Cola Climate Change Cavalry... May Be Too Late. "We've
gotten the 'easy' part of the warming over with--the part where
we have been poking sleeping giants, just not yet hard enough or
long enough to awaken them." California is parched, Antarctic
glaciers are now in 'irreversible decline', tennis players are
having Snoopy hallucinations and fainting in the new normal of
the "it's always been hot, but not this freakin' hot" Australian
Open. Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/davidgoldstein/cocacola-climate-change-c_b_4666482.html?view=print&comm_ref=false


How EV savings rise as temperature falls. The Polar Vortex has
created a bit of a mathematical optical illusion when comparing
the effect of cold weather on gas-powered cars and electric
vehicles. Cold weather reduces EV range by a greater percentage
than it reduces gasoline fuel economy, but because EVs cost so
much less to "fuel," the savings for EV drivers actually increase
as the temperature drops. Got all that? Here's the math. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/01/27/ev-savings-rise-as-temperature-falls/


California’s LCFS: credit prices, court cases and controversy in
the “other” Washington.  The California Air Resources Board last
week released its third quarter 2013 summary, and there were
several key developments in there. First off, the ratio of
credits to deficits generated was strongly in favor of credits,
one of the biggest gaps ever. In the quarter, just over 1 million
metric tons of credits were generated, while the deficits totaled
642,000 mt. Posted. 
http://blogs.platts.com/2014/01/28/lcfs-jan14/ 

Real Solutions for Meeting California's Water Needs. If Speaker
Boehner were in search of real solutions to California’s
ever-worsening drought, he may have noticed something startlingly
green during his visit to the state last week.  He spent part of
that trip, as the Sacramento Bee put it, “doing a little
rainmaking for the National Republican Congressional Committee
amidst the lush, irrigated golf courses of Palm Springs.” 
Posted. 
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kpoole/real_solutions_for_meeting_cal.html



California is in a drought emergency.
Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.

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