What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for March 10, 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

Swiss Seek Precision as Nations Shape Carbon Market.  Nations
setting up carbon markets must standardize their
emission-reduction benchmarks to ensure international efforts to
limit global warming stay on track, according to Switzerland’s
climate envoy. At least 30 of 200 countries meeting at talks this
week in Bonn are developing carbon trading systems to help meet
emissions targets under a worldwide treaty to start in 2020.
Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-10/switzerland-seeks-precision-as-30-nations-shape-carbon-markets.html


Auction change has early success in boosting European CO2 price.
European carbon prices have more than doubled since April last
year and are expected to double again after permit auctions are
cut this month, analysts say. Carbon has risen to more than €7
($9.70) per metric ton this month after trading as low as €2.60
last April. The price rebounded after the European Parliament
approved in December a plan to temporarily withhold 900 million
CO2 pollution allowances from auctions beginning this
month…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059995801/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

AIR POLLUTION

Four New Ozone-Depleting Gases Found in Atmosphere. Gases Are of
Type Banned or Being Phased Out. Traces of four previously
undetected man-made gases have been discovered in the atmosphere,
where they are endangering Earth's protective ozone layer, a team
of scientists from six countries reported Sunday. 
Researchers led by atmospheric chemist Johannes Laube at the
U.K.'s University of East Anglia identified small amounts of
three industrial chlorofluorocarbons and one related
hydrochlorofluorocarbon gas in the air. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304020104579429220381691800


Pollution burden higher for state's Latinos and blacks, report
finds.  Latinos and African Americans make up a
disproportionately high percentage of the population of
California ZIP Codes most burdened by pollution, according to a
report released Friday by state environmental officials. Latinos
account for nearly two-thirds of residents in the top 10% most
polluted ZIP Codes despite making up only 38% of the state’s
population, the analysis by the California Environmental
Protection Agency shows. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-latinos-blacks-pollution-burden-california-20140307,0,5581423.story#ixzz2vaFnEY3G


Wood smoke plan could make new stoves too costly. In the poorest
state in New England, where residents already struggle to heat
their homes, officials are worried a federal proposal to reduce
wood smoke pollution will make new stoves too expensive and
prevent Mainers from buying cleaner technology. Posted. 
http://www.modbee.com/2014/03/09/3230302/wood-smoke-plan-could-make-new.html#storylink=cpy


China to tighten rules against pollution.  China will tighten
environmental legislation and force polluters to pay compensation
following renewed blasts of toxic air, the country's top
legislator said Sunday. Zhang Dejiang said in a report to the
ceremonial legislature's annual session that businesses were
responsible for the environmental damage they caused and must be
held to account. Posted. 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/mar/08/china-to-tighten-rules-against-pollution/#ixzz2vZlstzrR
 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Democrats plan all-night 'talkathon' on climate change. Just
don't call it a filibuster. A majority of Senate Democrats on
Monday will launch an overnight "talkathon" until approximately
9:00 a.m. Tuesday to draw attention to climate change. The
overnight effort, organized by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, is
part of the recently launched Senate Climate Action Task Force
headed by Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Sheldon
Whitehouse of Rhode Island. In a statement, Boxer said Democrats
want to "wake up Congress" to the dangers of climate change.
Posted.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/09/senate-democrats-talkathon-climate-change/6172647/
 

Workshop on Climate Action Plan scheduled.  The city's draft of a
Climate Action Plan will be the subject of a community meeting
and workshop from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday in the south hall of the
Stockton Civic Memorial Auditorium. The goal of the proposed
Climate Action Plan is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 10
percent below 2005 levels by 2020, as required by Assembly Bill
32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the California Air
Resources Board Scoping Plan and a 2008 settlement agreement
among Stockton…Posted.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140308/A_NEWS/403080316


Advantages Of A Global Strategy For Carbon Emissions Reduction.
Carbon emissions reduction is among the top objectives for
corporate environmental management programs. Not only is the
environmental impact of greenhouse gases familiar and visible to
the public, it carries a high potential for future regulation. In
addition, lowering carbon emissions often goes hand-in-hand with
energy cost-cutting, which can provide a critical business
advantage. Posted.
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/10/advantages-global-strategy-carbon-emissions-reduction/#TpggUJgiiMVY6zwE.99


Conserving water, cutting greenhouse gases may conflict in
drought-parched Southwest.  Actions to limit climate change and
calls for water conservation are on a potential collision course,
some water researchers believe. Making low-carbon electricity
from sources like concentrated solar, geothermal and coal with
carbon capture and sequestration consumes more water than fossil
fuel-generated power, experts said. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059995823/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Climate sensitivity to change underestimated in last IPCC report
– study. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change may have lowballed its estimates of climate
sensitivity, according to a new study in the journal Nature
Climate Change. Climate sensitivity describes the relationship
between the Earth's temperature and radiative forcing, or the
accumulation of solar energy in its atmosphere, lands and oceans.
Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059995827/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Kerry directs State Dept. to make climate change a top priority.
Secretary of State John Kerry doubled down Friday on comments
that climate change is "the world's most fearsome weapon of mass
destruction" and instructed the agency's nearly 50,000 employees
globally to make the issue a "top tier" diplomatic priority. In a
policy directive -- Kerry's first since taking the helm of the
State Department last year -- he told all bureaus to put climate
change at the center of their daily work and set establishing a
new global climate deal in 2015 as a top priority. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059995826/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Climate change may cause spongy algae called 'rock snot' to
proliferate – study. Thick, wooly carpets of "rock snot" algae
proliferating across eastern Canada may be driven by climate
change, according to a new study. Previously, many water managers
in the region had believed that the algae blooms of the diatom
Didymosphenia geminata -- which resemble blobs of wet toilet
paper or shag rugs…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059995824/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

DROUGHT

Water fight pits farmer against farmer. Forget farmers vs.
fishermen — or south state vs. north state. California's current
water war is being waged most intensely by farmers against fellow
farmers. San Joaquin Valley growers' demand for water conflicts
with the needs of delta agriculture.  Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-cap-drought-20140310,0,5765786.column


Where local drought money goes. North County avocado farmers
irrigating their groves with all recycled water. Residents of the
southeast San Diego working-class neighborhood of Encanto
enjoying a revitalized Chollas Creek, a respite in a sea of
concrete. And dozens of homeowners cashing rebate checks in
return for tearing out thirsty lawns. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/09/where-local-drought-money-goes/


HOAs get real about water shortage. When residents at Regency
Villas in University City got a peek of the condo complex’s
drought-resistant landscaping during a clubhouse reception last
week, it was a watershed moment, said community association
manager Pamela Walker. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/09/environment-homeowner-association-water-shortage/


California's drought-prone pattern forcing farmers to adapt.
Shawn Coburn farms land that holds senior water rights to the
giant Central Valley Project, rights that usually assure him
water. Not this year. He already has decided to let his
pomegranates die, abandon alfalfa and cut his tomato crop by
half. He may not plant any row crops if the state water board
follows through on its intention to slash deliveries to "protect
human health and safety" from the effects of drought. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/California-s-drought-prone-pattern-forcing-5300681.php


El Nino watch issued; could portend rain for dry California. The
odds are increasing that El Niño, the powerful climate phenomenon
that alters precipitation patterns across the globe, will develop
in the Pacific Ocean this year, U.S. government forecasters say.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate
Prediction Center activated its alert system on Thursday to issue
an El Niño watch. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-el-nino-watch-alert-california-rain-20140306,0,2778584.story


Conserving water, cutting greenhouse gases may conflict in
drought-parched. Southwest. Actions to limit climate change and
calls for water conservation are on a potential collision course,
some water researchers believe. Making low-carbon electricity
from sources like concentrated solar, geothermal and coal with
carbon capture and sequestration consumes more water than fossil
fuel-generated power, experts said. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/03/10/stories/1059995823
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Nichols: After 'we listened,' CARB unveils Truck and Bus tweaks.
Five months after taking heat from much of the industry and being
sued by OOIDA and others, the California Air Resources Board
unveiled multiple changes to enforcement and deadlines tied to
its Truck and Bus Rule Thursday. “The trucking community spoke
and we listened,” CARB Chairman Mary Nichols said according to a
CARB news release. “The good news is that we will not have to
sacrifice the state’s air quality goals to assist fleet owners.
Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=26660 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

New All-Electric School Bus Saves California District $10,000+
Per Year. We don’t have to wait any longer for all-electric
school bus transport in the US. The Kings Canyon Unified School
District in California’s San Joaquin Valley is paving the way for
districts across the nation to provide students with
zero-emissions transport. The district has four of these electric
school buses on the way from Trans Tech Bus, featuring an
innovative standard powertrain from Motiv Power Systems. Posted.
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/05/new-electric-school-bus-saves-california-district-10000-per-year/#LG2IWlTZjTgkV3dE.99

http://www.kmph.com/category/170789/video-landing-page?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=9916366#.Ux3e3LdenYc.gmail


FUELS

Gas prices may jump from California emissions law.  California’s
greenhouse gas reduction law already has shaken up the state’s
industrial sector, costing it more than $1.5 billion in pollution
permit fees.  It’s now poised to hit the pocketbooks of everyday
Californians.  Posted. 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_CARBON_TAX?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
 

Other related articles:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/gas-prices-may-jump-from-california-emissions-law/2014/03/09/6588fb38-a7a1-11e3-8a7b-c1c684e2671f_story.html
 
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/03/09/3812649/gas-prices-may-jump-from-california.html
 

Diesel Futures Slide as Supplies to Increase With Winter’s End.
Diesel futures fell on speculation supplies will increase as
warmer weather reduces demand for heating fuel. Futures tumbled
as much as 1.6 percent and the premium to gasoline narrowed to
the smallest since July. Supplies of distillates, including
diesel and heating oil, jumped to a five-week high in the seven
days ended Feb. 28, according to U.S. Energy Information
Administration data. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-10/diesel-futures-slide-as-supplies-to-increase-with-winter-s-end.html


Developers for biofuel beets plant turn to growers. Backers of a
proposed project in North Dakota that would turn a variety of
sugar beets into ethanol have preached patience for the last five
years. Now they're looking for a commitment from farmers to
sweeten the deal. A North Dakota State University agriculture
economics professor who's helping developers with the project is
touring the state to talk with farmers about their interest in
first growing the so-called energy or industrial beets and then
in investing in a plant. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Developers-for-biofuel-beets-plant-turn-to-growers-5301544.php


California ARB staff posts concept paper on re-adoption and
modification of LCFS; possible more stringent post-2020 targets. 
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff has posted a Low
Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Re-Adoption Concept Paper, which will
be discussed during the LCFS workshop on 11 March 2014. The LCFS
regulation mandates a 10% reduction in the carbon intensity (CI)
of transportation fuels used in California by 2020.  Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/03/20140310-lcfs.html 

US ethanol exports soar in January to highest since December
2011. US ethanol exports in January totaled 326 million liters
(86 million gallons), the highest monthly volume since December
2011, according to US Census Bureau data released late Friday.
Exports are up 36% month on month and up 33% from January 2013.
The volume is also a new record for January. The data includes
all ethanol types except for beverage use. Posted.
http://www.platts.com/latest-news/agriculture/montreal/us-ethanol-exports-soar-in-january-to-highest-21312326


VEHICLES

State mission: connecting electric vehicles to the grid. The
governor’s office is leading a summit on zero-emission vehicles
today at the CalEPA headquarters in Sacramento, including
brainstorming sessions on how to get 1.5 million zero-emission
vehicles on California roads by 2025. The invitation-only event
includes participants with regulatory, energy and vehicle
expertise working together to figure out how electric vehicles
can work with the state’s existing electrical grid. Posted.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2014/03/07/state-mission-connecting-electric.html


Richmond event to feature alternative fuel vehicles.  A one-stop
event to see, ride and drive alternative fuel vehicles is coming
to the Craneway Pavilion, 1414 Harbor Way South, this week.  The
AltCar Expo is a regional version of shows that have been held in
Southern California and Dallas showcasing vehicles -- including
electric, hybrid electric, natural gas and hydrogen cars --
touted as less harmful to the environment than their traditional
gasoline counterparts.  Posted. 
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_25304061/richmond-event-feature-alternative-fuel-vehicles?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com


GREEN ENERGY

Google Reaps Tax Breaks in $1.4 Billion Clean Energy Bet.  On a
Northern California farm where silage for animal feed once grew,
Google Inc. (GOOG) is generating power from more than 100,000
solar panels to heat nearby homes - - and double down on an area
of energy many investors shun. The Galt solar farm, 20 miles
south of Sacramento, is one of 15 alternative-energy projects
that Google has funded since 2010 as part of a more than $1.4
billion investment in clean power production. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-10/google-reaps-tax-breaks-in-1-4-billion-clean-energy-bet.html


India's view of climate change shifts toward adaptation, clean
energy. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz arrives in India today for
high-level meetings that many hope will help ease recent
diplomatic tensions between the two countries, including a spat
over renewable energy. The U.S.-India Energy Dialogue was
originally scheduled for January but was upended by bitter
feelings in India over the strip search and arrest of a diplomat
in New York who was charged with visa fraud. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/03/10/stories/1059995803
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Burn scheduled for Hetch Hetchy area.  Yosemite National Park is
planning a “prescribed burn” in the Hetch Hetchy area, near the
O’Shaughnessy Dam, according to a National Park Service news
release.  The burn will take place sometime in mid- to late March
on 57 acres. The fire will last about one to two days, officials
said, but the process will continue for a few more days after
that.  Posted. 
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/03/07/3810257/burn-scheduled-for-hetch-hetchy.html
 

BPA-free plastics could be just as harmful – study. Some
bisphenol A-free plastic cups may contain other chemicals that
have similar properties to BPA. New research from the Oakland,
Calif.-based Center for Environmental Health has found that the
replacement chemicals also may disrupt the body's naturally
produced hormones. That means exposure to them may have the same
risk of cancer, diabetes, reproductive problems, early
development and obesity that some studies have linked to BPA.
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059995841/print
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

OPINIONS

Global Warming? Not Always.  CALIFORNIA is now in the midst of
the third year of one of its worst droughts on record. As our
planet gradually warms from our rampant burning of fossil fuels,
it’s only natural to wonder what role climate change has played
in California’s troubles. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/opinion/sunday/global-warming-not-always.html?_r=0


Mercury News editorial: Steinberg's carbon tax proposal going
nowhere, but raises important discussion. The reasoning behind
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg's proposal last month
to make a major change to California's cap-and-trade system
remains puzzling. Steinberg is no environmental squish. Why would
he try to undermine the state's painstakingly constructed market
for carbon emission permits? The reason probably doesn't matter
because the idea is going nowhere. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_25296462/mercury-news-editorial-steinbergs-carbon-tax-proposal-going


No amount of wishful thinking can stop global warming. RSS
processes and analyses data from microwave sensors on orbiting
satellites to track changes in the atmosphere from the surface to
the edge of space. Their work complements other data sources,
with a special strength in remote places not so well covered by
surface weather stations. As RSS points out, the troposphere (the
lower atmosphere…Posted.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/no-amount-of-wishful-thinking-can-stop-global-warming/story-fnj4f64i-1226850766406


BLOGS

Here’s Video of China’s New Pollution-Fighting Drone. The killer
new weapon in China’s so-far ineffectual “war on smog“ is the
same one the U.S. has relied on in its similarly problematic war
on terror: the drone. Earlier this month, state media reported
that China is testing a new domestically produced unmanned aerial
vehicle with a glide parachute, also known as a parafoil drone,
to help clear the country’s notoriously smoky skies. Now thanks
to CNC, the television arm of China’s official Xinhua news
agency, we have footage of the little pollution fighting machine:
Posted.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/03/10/heres-video-of-chinas-new-pollution-fighting-drone/


Pollution Is Causing Lung Cancer in China. Or Is it? Can air
pollution cause lung cancer? That’s the question many in China
are asking as they snap up face masks to avoid breathing
hazardous particles in the country’s often pewter-colored,
polluted skies. The answer—like the air—isn’t so clear. Health
experts like Wang Ning, deputy director of the Beijing Office for
Cancer Prevention and Control, say they’ve seen a rise in a
certain kind of cancer known as adenocarcinoma—which is
characterized by duct formations and the production of mucus that
is tied to pollution…Posted.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/03/10/does-air-pollution-cause-cancer/


The Red Faces of the Solar Skeptics.  If the faces of renewable
energy critics are not red yet, they soon will be. For years,
these critics — of solar photovoltaics in particular — have
called renewable energy a boutique fantasy. A recent Wall Street
Journal blog post continues the trend, asserting that solar
subsidies take money from the poor to benefit the rich. But
solar-generated electricity is turning into a powerful
environmental and economic success story. Posted.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/the-red-faces-of-the-solar-skeptics/?_php=true&_type=blogs&module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Business%20Day&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body&action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry500%23%2Ffuels%2F24hours%2F&_r=0
 

Rolls-Royce planning plug-in hybrid.  Rolls-Royce is not the
first marque you'd think of when it comes to environmentally
friendly transportation. Its cars are big – often the size of
SUVs – and pack ginormous twelve-cylinder engines displacing over
six and a half liters. Those upright Parthenon grilles can't be
very aerodynamic, either. But the way the wind is blowing these
days, Goodwood will have to get with the program sooner or later.
Posted.
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/10/rolls-royce-plug-in-hybrid-report/
 

First all-electric school bus in US starts service in California.
 Over two years after its introduction, the first all-electric
school bus in the US has gone into service. Produced by the
partnership between Trans Tech and Motiv, the SST-e school bus
can carry up to 25 students, has a range of 80 or 100 miles
(depending on options) and can save a school district over
$10,000 a year in running costs. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/03/09/first-all-electric-school-bus-in-us-starts-service-in-california/


Moral Pollution. When asked to define pollution, I usual reply
"excess," advocating that not all things are polluting in or of
themselves, but become so in excessive quantities - thus natural
sugar is a body health requirement, but too much sugar
contributes to unhealthy outcomes that accelerate disease and
death. Too much chocolate, too much untreated waste, too much
pesticide, too many emissions, too much acid in the air and sea,
too much money…Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-neill/moral-pollution_b_4935796.html


Climate Change Poses Major Threat To Energy Infrastructure,
Agency Warns. Oil refineries and drilling platforms in the U.S.
are vulnerable to sea level rise and greater storm surge. Fuel
pipelines, barges, railways and storage tanks are vulnerable to
melting permafrost and severe weather. Warming seas and water
shortages put nuclear and other electric power plants at risk.
Power lines can be blown away by hurricanes and other extreme
weather. Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/10/climate-change-energy-infrastructure_n_4934759.html




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