What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for May 13, 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

Washington State Inching Closer To A Price on Carbon? Washington
Governor Jay Inslee is known to be a man of action: climate
action, that is. As a member of the US Congress, he was one of
the major backers of a comprehensive climate bill that barely
passed the House of Representatives in 2009. Now, as state
governor, he may be one step closer to achieving something that
he wasn’t able to at the federal level: putting a price on
carbon. Posted.
http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=10346§ion=news_articles&eod=1


AIR POLLUTION

EPA Defeats Bid for Tighter Coal Mine Air Pollution Rules.  The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defeated a challenge from a
group seeking to force regulation of air pollution produced by
coal mines, a fourth court victory this year for the agency’s
discretion to set air-quality standards. In a unanimous decision,
the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington ruled the EPA had broad
latitude to determine the timing and priorities of its regulatory
agenda. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-13/epa-defeats-bid-for-tighter-coal-mine-air-pollution-rules.html

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-air-toxics-limits-20140416,0,1999439.story#axzz2z48soUUc


$2M project will monitor Imperial County air quality. A new $2
million project will monitor air quality over the next four years
in Imperial County, an area bordering the Coachella Valley and
Salton Sea that for years has faced some of the highest asthma
hospitalization rates in the state and exceeded standards for
air-quality measures.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2014/05/12/air-quality-monitoring-imperial-county/9022751/


CLIMATE CHANGE

NASA spots worrisome Antarctic ice sheet melt. The huge West
Antarctic ice sheet is starting a glacially slow collapse in an
unstoppable way, two new studies show. Alarmed scientists say
that means even more sea level rise than they figured. Posted. 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_ANTARCTIC_MELT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
 

OTHER RELATED STORIES

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/12/6398294/nasa-spots-worrisome-antarctic.html
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/2014/05/12/70c26750-da00-11e3-b745-87d39690c5c0_story.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/science/earth/collapse-of-parts-of-west-antarctica-ice-sheet-has-begun-scientists-say.html

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/05/12/nasa-spots-worrisome-antarctic-ice-sheet-melt/20884431/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D475471

http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20140512/nasa-spots-worrisome-antarctic-ice-sheet-melt
     
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/2014/05/12/70c26750-da00-11e3-b745-87d39690c5c0_story.html


Amid Pipeline and Climate Debate, Energy-Efficiency Bill Is
Derailed.  A bipartisan bill to encourage energy efficiency in
buildings died in the Senate on Monday, derailed by the
contentious debate over the Keystone XL pipeline and President
Obama’s plans to issue new climate change regulations. The bill’s
end came as the Senate voted 55 to 36 on a procedural motion,
falling five votes short of the 60 required to bring the bill to
a final vote. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/us/politics/bill-to-encourage-energy-efficiency-fails-in-senate.html?action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults&mabReward=relbias%3Aw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry934%23%2Fclimate%2Bchange%2F24hours%2F&_r=0
 

$1 Trillion in Fossil Fuel Projects Threatened From Climate
Action. A new report from the Carbon Tracker Initiative (CTI)
finds that there is $1 trillion worth of fossil fuel projects
expected over the next decade that could be thrown into doubt if
governments begin to take action to curb greenhouse gas
emissions. The concept known as the "carbon bubble," largely put
forward by CTI, is based on the notion that in order for the
world to avoid the worst effects of climate change…Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/1-Trillion-in-Fossil-Fuel-Projects-Threatened-5471247.php


Did Alpha Natural Resources Inc Really Just Report a Profit? The
coal sector continues to be hammered with declining prices and
lower margins, causing some large miners to continuously report
losses. In the case of Alpha Natural Resources , the
metallurgical-focused miner is facing lower pricing for the prime
coal used to produce steel. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Did-Alpha-Natural-Resources-Inc-Really-Just-5471200.php


Southwest struggles to adapt to year-round fire season. Last week
was Wildfire Awareness Week in California, a time when
firefighters and forest managers travel up and down the state
talking about fire risk and public safety. Usually that would
mean wildfire conditions were just picking up, with higher
temperatures drying out fuels nurtured by winter rain and
snowpack. That's not the case this year, though. For much of the
Golden State, last year's fire season never really ended. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059999377 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

As another report urges action, how can U.S. overcome obstacles
to effective climate policy?  This week’s latest U.N. report on
climate change warns of the urgent need for global action in the
next five to 15 years, if countries want to ward off the worst
impacts of rising emissions.  Posted. 
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/how-can-u-s-overcome-obstacles-to-climate-policy/


DROUGHT

Leaders look at drought. Leaders of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Drought
Task Force visited Tulare Monday to speak with locals about their
needs and concerns regarding the drought. Posted.
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20140513/NEWS01/305130010/Leaders-look-drought


Tuolumne Community's Only Source Of Water May Go Dry By Summer's
End. People in Twain Harte in Tuolumne County are trying to cut
their water use by 50 percent. The town's only source of water
may go dry before the end of summer. Twain Harte is home to 1,600
people who depend on Lyons Reservoir for their water. Posted.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/05/12/tuolumne-communitys-only-source-of-water-may-go-dry-by-summers-end/


Some businesses strike gold in parched Calif. California's
drought is hitting industries in sharply different ways. While
some companies are planning layoffs, others are adding workers to
drill water wells and install irrigation systems. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2014/05/13/stories/1059999492 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Clean Diesel Technologies seeks to jump-start sales, turn first
profit. Some companies run from California's strict regulatory
standards on air pollution and emissions. Not Clean Diesel
Technologies Inc., where the executives can't imagine being
anywhere else. CDTi manufactures and distributes vehicle
emissions control systems to automakers and other customers.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-stock-spotlight-clean-diesel-20140512-story.html


CARB 2013 Heavy-Duty Diesel Fines Totaled Nearly $2.2 Million. 
The California Air Resources Board announced it settled 256 cases
last year involving air quality violations by heavy-duty diesel
truck and bus fleets that failed to comply with its various air
quality programs with fines totaling nearly $2.2 million.
Violations included failure to comply with the statewide truck
and bus program, verification/certification procedures for diesel
particulate filters…Posted.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2014/05/carb-2013-heavy-duty-diesel-fines-totaled-nearly-2-2-million.aspx
 
http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=27010#.U3JSY4UvAjw


FUELS

Pipeline, energy bill backers vow to keep up fight. Supporters of
a popular energy savings bill and the controversial Keystone XL
oil pipeline say they will keep trying to force Senate action on
the measures, even after they were defeated amid partisan
gridlock in the Senate. The energy legislation would tighten
efficiency guidelines for new federal buildings and provide tax
incentives to make homes and commercial buildings more efficient.
Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SENATE_KEYSTONE_PIPELINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Coal Pushback: Carbon Limits for New Power Plants Must Be
‘Grounded in Reality.' The Environmental Protection Agency's
proposed carbon dioxide emissions limits for new fossil
fuel-fired power plants should be reworked to be “grounded in
reality,” an industry group said May 12. The proposed rule,
formally issued in January, set separate standards for coal-fired
and natural gas-fired generating units. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-13/coal-pushback-carbon-limits-for-new-power-plants-must-be-grounded-in-reality-.html
 

Seeing Future in Fuel Cells, Toyota Ends Tesla Deal. Toyota said
on Monday that it would allow a battery-supply deal with Tesla
Motors to expire this year and would focus instead on building
cars running on hydrogen fuel cells, a next-generation technology
that rivals Tesla’s all-electric systems. Toyota Motor invested
$50 million in Tesla to acquire a 3 percent stake in the Silicon
Valley upstart in 2010, and signed a $100 million
joint-development deal…Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/business/energy-environment/seeing-future-in-fuel-cells-toyota-ends-tesla-deal.html?action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults&mabReward=relbias%3Aw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry934%23%2Ffuels%2F24hours%2F
 

VEHICLES

Nissan Banks on China Subsidies to Boost Electric Cars. Nissan
Motor Co., maker of the Leaf electric vehicle, said it is
targeting to win 20 percent of EV sales in China as the central
government steps up efforts to cut auto emissions and reduce air
pollution.
EV sales in China may rise to 100,000 to 400,000 vehicles a year
by 2017 to 2018, and Nissan expects to win about a fifth of the
market, according to Jun Seki, head of Nissan’s China business.
Posted. 
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-13/nissan-banks-on-china-subsidies-to-boost-electric-cars.html


California Plans For A Hydrogen Future.  The Governor’s Office of
Business and Economic Development for the State of California
(nicknamed “GO-Biz”) held an event at the Toyota USA Automobile
Museum yesterday. The topic was “Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric
Vehicles and Infrastructure in Your Neighborhood: A state and
local workshop.”  Posted. 
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonfogelson/2014/04/15/california-plans-for-a-hydrogen-future/


GREEN ENERGY

U.K. Government Says Onshore Wind to Compete With Solar for Aid. 
Onshore wind power will have to compete with solar power for
funding when a new system of renewable aid starts in October, the
U.K. government said today. The government said it will divide
technologies into “established” and “less established” groups,
with the first set competing for subsidies this year, according
to a statement published on the website of the Department of
Energy and Climate Change. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-13/u-k-government-says-onshore-wind-to-compete-with-solar-for-aid.html


Rate changes an opportunity for solar.  A plan to raise utility
bills on small users of home electricity in California could open
up a new market in rooftop solar energy systems, says a leading
provider of solar in the U.S. In a conference call with investors
last week, SolarCity CEO Lydon Rive discussed proposals by
California utilities to adopt a two-tiered billing system that
would charge small customers only slightly less per kilowatt hour
than large consumers. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/may/13/solarcity-sees-opportunity/
  

Caltech receives $15 million grant for sustainable energy. 
Timely considering all the talk of climate change, Caltech has
received a monetary gift to help further the school’s research in
human sustainability. Entrepreneurs and philanthropists Lynda and
Stewart Resnick last week donated $15 million to the Resnick
Sustainability Institute. Founded in 2009, the institute at
Caltech was established to propel clean-energy and sustainability
of sciences. Posted.
http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20140512/caltech-receives-15-million-grant-for-sustainable-energy
 

DOE issues draft loan solicitation for up to $4B for renewable
energy and energy efficiency projects; drop-in biofuels a key
area.  The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a draft loan
guarantee solicitation for renewable energy and energy efficiency
projects located in the US that avoid, reduce, or sequester
greenhouse gases.  Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/04/20140416-doe.html 

Four Ways The U.S. Military Can Adopt Clean Energy For National
Security.  At the U.S. Defense Department, the multiple national
security threats created by sea level rise and severe weather
command daily attention; climate change has been on its radar for
years.  The recently published Quadrennial Defense Report (QDR),
an assessment of U.S. defense readiness, addresses the growing
threat that climate change poses to military capabilities and
global operations. Posted. 
http://www.forbes.com/sites/edfenergyexchange/2014/04/16/four-ways-the-u-s-military-can-adopt-clean-energy-for-national-security/


MISCELLANEOUS

Plastic bag makers air TV ads opposing Padilla’s proposed. The
Capitol’s years-long debate over plastic grocery bags is heading
to a TV set near you, as a plastic industry association launches
an ad campaign Wednesday opposing the latest attempt to ban
disposable plastic check-out bags in California. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/12/6399639/plastic-bag-makers-air-tv-ads.html


OPINIONS

The Dubious Benefits of Further Ozone Reductions. The proposed
EPA standard is very close to levels that are found naturally in
some regions of the country. Over the past several decades the
U.S. has achieved remarkable success in reducing air pollution.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the country has
reduced six common air pollutants by 72% since 1970. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304178104579536120366671620?KEYWORDS=air+pollution&mg=reno64-wsj


The Toxic Brew in Our Yards. In much of the country, it’s time to
go outside, clean up the ravages of winter and start planting.
Many of us will be using chemicals like glyphosate, carbaryl,
malathion and 2,4-D. But they can end up in drinking water, and
in some cases these compounds or their breakdown products are
linked to an increased risk for cancer and hormonal disruption.
Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/opinion/sunday/the-toxic-brew-in-our-yards.html
 

Reduce your carbon footprint.  Carbon footprints are a big part
of our environment. Everything has a carbon footprint. This
generation is responsible for most things that are likely to
happen in future generations because of how high our carbon
footprint is. We can reduce our carbon footprints by doing many
things -- even really simple things such as turning the sink
water off when brushing our teeth. Posted. 
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/05/12/3923355/reduce-your-carbon-footprint.html#storylink=cpy
 

Michael Gerson: Challenging questions for warming world. 
Americans have something of a science problem. They swallow, for
example, about $28 billion worth of vitamins each year, even
though the Annals of Internal Medicine recently concluded that
“most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their
use is not justified, and they should be avoided.” Posted.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/columnists/2014/05/13/michael-gerson-climate-warming/9018555/


Water Fears All Wet. To be sure, California has a water shortage,
and a severe one. It has been calamitous for some Central Valley
farmers. But is it really a crisis? Posted.
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2014/05/water-fears-wet/ 

BLOGS

Why society is failing to stop global warming, in one 90-second
video.  When it comes to combating the heat-trapping
greenhouse-gas emissions that are warming the globe, the United
States has had something to cheer about lately. U.S. emissions of
greenhouse gases have fallen enough that the country is more than
halfway to meeting its 2020 greenhouse-gas emissions pledge.
Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/05/12/why-society-is-failing-to-stop-global-warming-in-one-90-second-video/


What Does Climate Change in California Look Like? [Infographic]
Be it torrential rains or severe droughts, huge wildfires or
rising sea-levels, every corner of the United States has been —
and will continue to be — impacted by the effects of
human-induced climate change. Posted.
http://blogs.kqed.org/lowdown/05/12/2014/california-climate-change


Lexus apologizes for anti-EV ad, Plug In America calls it
'outdated.'  Anyone who's spent any time learning about the
alternatives to the standard fossil fuel-burning internal
combustion engine knows that there are arguments to be made for
and against all of the main options. They also know that there is
barely any refueling infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell cars
in the US, aside form a handful of H2 stations in California and
one in South Carolina. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/05/12/lexus-apologizes-for-anti-ev-ad-plug-in-america/
 

Southern California gets one more hydrogen fueling station
[w/video].  This would really be news is if a publicly accessible
hydrogen refueling station was opening outside of Southern
California. But we'll have to wait a bit more for that. What we
have here is Cal State Los Angeles announcing that a new hydrogen
station is up and running as of Wednesday. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/05/12/southern-california-opens-hydrogen-fueling-station-video/


How CPUC's Robert Weisenmiller sees California's energy future. 
Before its retirement in 2012, the San Onofre Nuclear Generating
Station (SONGS) represented about 16 percent of the local
electricity generation supply covering an average of 1.4 million
homes serviced by Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas &
Electric and the city of Riverside in southern California.
Posted. 
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/04/16/how-cpucs-robert-weisenmiller-sees-californias-energy-future?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+greenbuzz+(GreenBiz)
 






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