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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 29, 2014.
Posted: 29 Apr 2014 14:17:58
ARB Newsclips for April 29, 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 'Climate credits' appear on April PG&E bills. If your April PG&E bill seems lower than usual, it's not a mistake. Millions of California households will see a credit averaging $35 on their April electricity bill thanks to the state's groundbreaking efforts to address climate change through several efforts, including the landmark cap-and-trade program. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_25654584/climate-credits-appear-april-pg-e-bills?source=rss Air Resources Board approves amendments strengthening California ’s cap-and-trade regulation, adds new offset protocol. Mine methane capture is newest carbon reduction opportunity. The California Air Resources Board today approved amendments to the state's greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program. The Board also voted to adopt a new protocol that would generate compliance-grade carbon offsets for mine methane. These amendments will be effective July 1, 2014. Posted. http://www.nationaljournal.com/library/144768 AIR POLLUTION Court revives EPA rule on cross-state pollution. The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed the Obama administration an important victory in its effort to reduce power plant pollution that contributes to unhealthy air in neighboring states. In a 6-2 decision, the court upheld a rule adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2011 to limit emissions from plants in more than two-dozen Midwestern and Southern states. Posted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_DOWNWIND_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-29/obama-power-plant-pollution-rule-upheld-by-u-s-supreme-court.html http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/04/29/usa-court-environment-idINL2N0JS14220140429 http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/court-revives-epa-rule-on-cross-state-pollution/2014/04/29/8ae3e260-cfa8-11e3-a714-be7e7f142085_story.html http://washingtonexaminer.com/supreme-court-upholds-major-epa-air-pollution-rule/article/2547842 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/30/us/politics/supreme-court-backs-epa-coal-pollution-rules.html?_r=0 http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/29/6362902/court-revives-epa-rule-on-cross.html##storylink=cpy http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/apr/29/court-revives-epa-rule-on-cross-state-pollution/ http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-04-29/obama-power-plant-pollution-rule-upheld-by-u-dot-s-dot-supreme-court http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/29/supreme-court-air-pollution-states/5657571/ http://time.com/80993/supreme-court-epa-power-plant-emissions/ http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/supreme-court-epa-air-pollution-106140.html http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/epa-is-on-a-legal-winning-streak-20140429 http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059998620/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Inslee signs executive order setting in motion carbon pollution process. Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed an executive order that sets into motion a process to reduce carbon pollution in Washington State. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the state, and the time to act is now, Inslee said at a news conference at Shoreline Community College. "We're doing this because the law requires it," he said. Posted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WA_INSLEE_CLIMATE_CHANGE_WAOL-?SITE=ILROR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Smoke coiling from Jamaica dump concerns residents. A growing chorus of Jamaicans said Monday they are exasperated with the government's failure to stop noxious, sooty smoke from billowing out of a sprawling waste dump that has been burning for a week and a half. People in communities around the capital say they are concerned about the health effects of breathing in acrid smoke and microscopic pollutants put in the air…Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/28/6361211/smoke-coiling-from-jamaica-dump.html##storylink=cpy http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Smoke-coiling-from-Jamaica-dump-concerns-residents-5436232.php EPA to finalize wood-heater rule under settlement with states, enviros. U.S. EPA has settled a lawsuit filed by seven states and environmental groups on wood-heater emissions with an agreement that the agency will release overdue regulations next year that would make some of those products 80 percent more efficient. In a consent decree at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059998638/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE New greenhouse gas metric reflects impacts of multiple gases over time. Carbon dioxide rules the pantheon of human-produced greenhouse gases, but its companions in the atmosphere -- nitrous oxide, methane and fluorinated gases -- play major roles in the climate, as well. However, the gases come from diverse sources, linger in the sky for varying amounts of time and trap heat differently. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059998612/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Agency insiders, Obama's staff huddle amid energy, climate push. U.S. EPA acting air Chief Janet McCabe probably knows her way around the White House pretty well by now. She has been a regular in meetings with some of President Obama's top staffers this year, attending at least seven at the White House in January alone, according to records released last week. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059998634/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY DROUGHT Valley farmers face deadline, possible fine on groundwater. State water quality enforcers are telling farmers it's time to join a groundwater protection program that has been in the making for many years -- sign up by May 19 or face fines. Many farmers already are in the program, but for those who miss the deadline, the state may remind them with a notice of violation. Those who continue to delay could eventually be fined up to $1,000 a day. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/04/28/3899785/farmers-face-deadline-possible.html Between Farmers And Frackers, Calif. Water Caught In Tussle. California's extreme drought has drawn battle lines over who gets water and who doesn't. As KQED's Lauren Sommer reports, fracking and farming are vying for freshwater in California's Central Valley. Posted. http://www.npr.org/2014/04/28/307766319/between-farmers-and-frackers-calif-water-caught-in-tussle Reaction Split on Gov. Brown's Newest Drought Proclamation. California Governor Jerry Brown raised the stakes in the state's response to the ongoing drought Friday, and reaction to the move from environmentalists is decidedly mixed. The new declaration increases the state's exemptions from environmental law for water managers and others contending with the drought. The proclamation, which builds on Brown's initial drought declaration in January…Posted. http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/rewild/agencies/reaction-split-on-stronger-drought-proclamation.html FUELS Economists back increased US oil and gas exports. Whether to allow more exports of U.S. oil and natural gas has become a matter of political debate in Washington. But to economists, the answer is clear: The nation would benefit. The vast majority of economists surveyed this month by The Associated Press say lifting restrictions on exports of oil and natural gas would help the economy even if it meant higher fuel prices for consumers. Posted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AP_ECONOMY_SURVEY_ENERGY_EXPORTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Average Sacramento-area gas price hits $4.10 a gallon. Sacramento-area gas prices continue to rise, but energy analysts say they think the weeks-long trend will slow down soon. The retail price of gasoline in the area rose 6.1 cents to an average of $4.10 per gallon over the past week…Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/28/6360812/average-sacramento-area-gas-price.html#mi_rss=Business#storylink=cpy Busy Protesting, Keystone XL Opponents Missed This Massive Environmental Shift. Oil from Canada's oil sands is dirtier than most other oil varieties produced around the globe. That's one of the big reasons why environmentalists don't want to see more of it being produced. It's also one of the big reasons why there is such a big protest over Transcanada's Keystone XL Pipeline. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Busy-Protesting-Keystone-XL-Opponents-Missed-5433496.php San Diego County Gasoline Price Rises To Highest Amount Since February 2013. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose Monday to its highest amount since Feb. 27, 2013, increasing four-tenths of a cent to $4.292. The average price has risen four consecutive days and is 1.5 cents higher than a week ago…Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/apr/28/san-diego-county-gasoline-price-rises-highest-amou/ Methane leaks from natural gas distribution continue to fall -- industry group. The American Gas Association has released a report highlighting the declines in leaks from natural gas distribution systems, according to the latest U.S. EPA greenhouse gas inventory. Methane is a greenhouse gas with 34 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, which is why emissions of methane from the natural gas system are worrisome from a climate perspective. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059998607/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Efficiency bill may face roadblocks beyond Keystone XL. Senate Democrats may face tough votes on energy issues beyond the Keystone XL pipeline -- potentially including the Obama administration's broader climate changes policies -- if they want to move a long-stalled bipartisan energy efficiency bill, its lead Republican sponsor said today. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059998651/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY 'Excruciatingly slow' EPA approvals hurting startup companies. NexSteppe, a startup seed company headquartered in San Francisco, is hoping to capitalize on the federal renewable fuel standard. The company has developed two varieties of sorghum, a type of annual grass, engineered specifically for bioenergy. NexSteppe believes fuels made from the crops could help refiners comply with their annual biofuel mandates under the RFS. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059998631/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY VEHICLES US Rep. pushes for larger electric car tax credit. Vermont U.S. Rep. Peter Welch said Monday he wants to make it easier to buy electric cars by increasing the size of the federal tax credit for the vehicles and making those credits available at car dealerships. The Democrat said increasing the size of the tax credit to $10,000 and making it easier to take advantage of would make the vehicles more affordable for middle-income people. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/28/6358795/us-rep-peter-welch-to-tout-electric.html##storylink=cpy Success puts pressure on clean-car rebates. The state rebate for low- or zero-emission vehicles has been extended into the summer months, after funding for the popular payout became nearly exhausted, the California Air Resources Board has announced. The rebates offset the price of a new vehicle by as much as $2,500, encouraging consumers to buy into new technologies that can reduce smog and the emission of heat-trapping gases linked to climate change. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/apr/29/clean-car-rebates-reconsidered/ BYD Motors delivers its first two California-built electric buses to Antelope Valley Transit. Electric bus manufacturer BYD Motors revealed its first pair of vehicles manufactured in California on Monday during an event that may be significant for both the production of zero-emissions vehicles and U.S.-China trade relations. “It’s a small beginning. A few buses. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20140428/byd-motors-delivers-its-first-two-california-built-electric-buses-to-antelope-valley-transit HIGH-SPEED RAIL Rail backers now downplaying mandate. Supporters of California’s plan to build a high-speed rail line that had promised to take riders from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than three hours have long championed the voter-backed initiative (Proposition 1A) that authorized its initial construction as a reflection of the public’s desire to build such a system. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/apr/28/high-speed-rail-california/ GREEN ENERGY EU Putting Renewable Power to the Market Test: Will the U.S. Follow? Power markets in Europe have been in bizarro world. Renewable subsidies have actually led to more coal use and key industrial markets like steel have been faltering because of disproportionately high energy prices. The European Commission is looking to do something about that, which will be a big test for renewable energy and could set the stage for the United Stated going down the same path. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/EU-Putting-Renewable-Power-to-the-Market-Test-5435680.php Decision delayed on "bird friendly" wind turbine experiment for Altamont Pass. An experimental project designed to test whether a new type of wind turbine will prove less lethal to Altamont Pass birds will have to clear a few more hurdles before gaining approval of Alameda County. The three-member East County Board of Zoning Adjustments on Thursday delayed voting on permits for the 40-turbine Sand Hill Wind project…Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_25637653/decision-delayed-bird-friendly-wind-turbine-experiment-altamont?source=rss OPINIONS What Does Today Owe Tomorrow? If you had driven north on Highway 101 toward San Francisco a few summers ago, you might have noticed a banner hanging from a freeway bridge. “What have future generations done for us?” it asked. The question not only answers itself, but implies a follow-up question, as was presumably the intention of the anonymous provocateur who posted it. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/29/science/what-does-today-owe-tomorrow.html?_r=0 Sarah Rose and Andrew Grinberg: Mounting evidence of fracking risks bring call for a time-out. California lawmakers are considering a new proposal, Sens. Holly Mitchell and Mark Leno's SB 1132, to impose a moratorium on fracking, acidizing, and other unconventional oil and gas drilling techniques in California. The reason for the bill is simple: Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_25653699/sarah-rose-and-andrew-grinberg-mounting-evidence-fracking BLOGS What if Climate Change Were a Foreign Enemy? Part I What if climate change were a foreign enemy that had declared it would destroy civilization as we know it and we had only five to fifteen years to defeat it? Would our president be taking his political cues from opinion polls geared to the next electoral cycle? Would our legislators be whining about deficits and debt or overweening government regulation, or seeking to stall any legislation? Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheila-d-collins/what-if-climate-change-we_b_5206495.html?view=print&comm_ref=false Invest In the Future - Not in Fossil Fuels. Americans are worried about pollution – oil trains running through their towns, fracking in their neighborhoods, coal dust in their air. They’re worried about what the future will look like for their children if carbon pollution continues unchecked. Wall Street is worried about it too. Under pressure from a growing movement of people who want their money out of fossil fuels…Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/fbeinecke/invest_in_the_future_-_not_in.html Climate-Resilient Solar Hot Water Systems at Rockaways Firehouses Save NYC Money, Cut Carbon. Solar hot water heating is the redheaded stepchild of the renewable energy world. Most people have no idea what it is. Or, they confuse it with its attention-grabbing cousin, solar photovoltaics, the solar panels we all know about that convert light into electricity and glint on a rapidly increasing number of American roofs. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kkennedy/climate-resilient_solar_hot_wa.html Geely shows Emgrand Cross PHEV concept with 31-mile range. Still officially a concept, Geely showed off the Emgrand Cross Concept PHEV (plug-in hybrid) at the Beijing Auto Show recently. Those in the know say that the car looks production-ready, but Geely isn't talking about this show car's future. So, it's no surprise that official details for the Emgrand Cross PHEV are scarce, but reports say it will be able to hit 62 miles per hour in ten seconds and a top speed of 118 miles per hour. Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2014/04/28/geely-shows-emgrand-cross-phev-concept-with-31-mile-range/ Toyota's Texas Move: Prius Maker Lands In Highest-Carbon State (Updated). Toyota announced yesterday that it would relocate the headquarters of its U.S. arm from Torrance, California, to Plano, Texas. Left unaddressed in the announcement was the fact that the Japanese carmaker, known for its green image and its pioneering Prius hybrid range of 50-mpg cars, is moving from a state that has aggressively cut auto emissions…Posted.http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1091769_toyotas-texas-move-prius-maker-lands-in-highest-carbon-state California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.