What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for May 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.

AIR POLLUTION

The Sriracha war appears to be cooling down. The Irwindale City
Council voted Wednesday night to drop its declaration that the
hot sauce plant was a public nuisance. Sriracha maker Huy Fong
Foods and Irwindale have been feuding in the courts and in
headlines since Irwindale residents began to complain of a spicy
odor last year. Chief Executive David Tran has repeatedly asked
city officials to visit the factory, to no avail. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sriracha-war-cools-irwindale-says-factory-no-long-a-nuisance-20140528-story.html


Planes' exhaust could be harming communities up to 10 miles from
LAX.  High levels of potentially harmful exhaust particles from
jets using Los Angeles International Airport have been detected
in a broad swath of densely populated communities up to 10 miles
east of the runways, a new air quality study reported Thursday.
The research, believed to be the most comprehensive of its type,
found that takeoffs and landings at LAX are a major source of
ultrafine particles. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0529-lax-pollution-20140529-story.html


Report: Some diseases more prevalent near Logan. A new state
Public Health Department study has found elevated levels of some
respiratory diseases among residents who live near Logan
International Airport. The report released at a public meeting in
Winthrop on Wednesday night found that chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease was higher for adult residents who had lived
near the airport for three or more years. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6441624/report-some-diseases-more-prevalent.html#storylink=cpy


Lighter winds, lower temperatures expected in Merced area. Winds
and temperatures for the rest of the week should be more
favorable for those with respiratory problems. According to David
Spector, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in
Hanford, winds are expected to be “relatively light” for the next
few days. Blowing dust caused by Wednesday’s high-gust winds
prompted the region’s air pollution…Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/28/6440233/lighter-winds-lower-temperatures.html#storylink=cpy


Kern County farmers question just how 'clean' new coal plant
would be. Plans to build a $4 billion experimental "clean coal
plant" in the San Joaquin Valley has touched off fears here that
as it generates cleaner electricity, it would foul groundwater
and air in a region where airborne pollutants are among the
nation's worst. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/28/6437635/kern-county-farmers-question-just.html#storylink=cpy


ENVIRONMENT: Air quality takes a hit as summer approaches.  Smog
season is once again upon us.  Southern California this week has
weathered three consecutive days of unhealthful levels of ozone,
the corrosive gas that forms when emissions from cars, trucks,
factories and other polluters react with each other in the
sunlight.  Kevin Durkee, a senior meteorologist for the South
Coast Air Quality Management District, said air quality should
improve Thursday and Friday then return to unhealthful levels
during the weekend…Posted. 
http://www.pe.com/articles/ozone-695337-air-days.html 

GOP bill aimed at speeding up permitting clears House
subcommittee. A House subcommittee today advanced draft
legislation meant to ease air pollution permitting for new
manufacturing facilities. The draft bill, authored by Rep. Steve
Scalise (R-La.), passed the House Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Energy and Power in a 14-8 vote after the
approval of an amendment addressing concerns raised by U.S. EPA.
Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2014/05/29/stories/1060000377 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

CLIMATE CHANGE

Obama Seeks Climate Legacy as Coal-State Democrats Cringe.  When
President Barack Obama reviewed his aides’ ideas for tackling
climate change last year, he gave one simple directive: “Don’t
skinny it down.”They didn’t, and Obama now is set to release new
limits on greenhouse gas emissions by power plants as early as
next week. That comes atop the unveiling of a National Climate
Assessment in May and executive actions including promoting
renewable fuels and building better defenses against extreme
weather. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-29/obama-seeks-climate-legacy-as-coal-state-democrats-cringe.html


President Said to Be Planning to Use Executive Authority on
Carbon Rule.  President Obama will use his executive authority to
cut carbon emissions from the nation’s coal-fired power plants by
up to 20 percent, according to people familiar with his plans,
which will spur the creation of a state cap-and-trade program
forcing industry to pay for the carbon pollution it creates. Mr.
Obama will unveil his plans in a new regulation, written by the
Environmental Protection Agency, at the White House on Monday.
Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/us/politics/obama-to-offer-rules-to-sharply-curb-power-plants-carbon-emissions.html?action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults&mabReward=relbias%3Ar&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry465%23%2Fclimate%2Bchange%2F24hours%2F


Americans More Worried about ‘Warming’ Than ‘Climate Change’ Many
scientists have come to prefer the term “climate change” over
“global warming.” Climate change is a broader term that
encompasses not only the warming of the planet in recent years
but also the rise of severe storms, droughts and damaging wind
events. The choice of terms has important implications for
polling, because Americans give different answers to questions
depending on which is used. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/30/upshot/climate-change-or-global-warming-tough-choice-for-pollsters.html?rref=business/energy-environment&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Energy%20%26%20Environment&pgtype=article


Obama to unveil rule to cut greenhouse gas emissions.  President
Obama will unveil a rule Monday intended to confront climate
change by cutting carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, the
nation's greatest source of the heat-trapping gas. Obama plans to
bypass Congress and use his authority under the Clean Air Act to
achieve greenhouse gas reductions. Power generation accounts for
about 40% of such emissions. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-na-nn-climate-change-power-plant-20140528-story.html#page=1

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0530-climate-change-coal-20140529-story.html#page=1


U.S. Chamber says new EPA rule could cost economy $51 billion a
year. Signaling growing industry opposition to the Obama
administration’s forthcoming proposal to curb carbon emissions
from power plants, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned in a
report Wednesday that the climate-change rule could cost the
economy tens of billions of dollars in lost investment and
millions of jobs. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-fi-climate-change-impact-chamber-commerce-study-20140528-story.html


Obama to bypass Congress to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
President Barack Obama will unveil a rule Monday intended to
confront climate change by cutting carbon dioxide emissions from
power plants, the nation's greatest source of the heat-trapping
gas. Obama plans to bypass Congress and use his authority under
the Clean Air Act to achieve greenhouse gas reductions. Power
generation accounts for about 40 percent of such emissions.
Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6441129/obama-to-bypass-congress-to-cut.html#storylink=cpy


Geologist in the trenches of climate change. For the past three
decades, University of Miami geology professor Harold Wanless has
tracked the tides as they crept higher, watched oysters head for
drier ground and repeatedly warned that the ocean is swelling in
ways that could one day put coastal cities like Miami under
water. His predictions - punctuated with dire conclusions like
"this is going to test the very fibers of civilization" - often
drew skepticism or, worse, silence. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6440963/geologist-in-the-trenches-of-climate.html#storylink=cpy


New research helps explain why Antarctic sea ice grows as Arctic
melts. Large waves from storms may play a significant role with
the breakup of sea ice and may provide a partial explanation why
Arctic and Antarctic sea ice behave differently in a warming
world, a new study suggests. The research, released yesterday in
Nature reported that large waves in the Southern Ocean break sea
ice over larger areas than previously thought. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/05/29/stories/1060000350
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Cities key to fighting climate change – Bloomberg. Former
three-term New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday that
cities are key to combating climate change as they produce 75
percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and mayors hold executive
powers that would allow them to cut emissions. The former mayor
and businessman spoke at the opening of a three-day U.N. meeting
on making urban spaces more sustainable and environmentally
friendly. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060000332/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

DROUGHT

California's golf courses gird for long, dry summer. Gripping a
hose, Robert Hirsch, a maintenance worker at DeLaveaga Golf
Course in Santa Cruz, sprays a dry patch of grass, several feet
away from a lush green where a group of golfers practice chipping
with their 9-irons. "In another month, all of this will be
brown," Hirsch says as he splashes another withered spot. "We're
going to sacrifice some fairways." Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6440961/californias-golf-courses-gird.html#storylink=cpy


FUELS

For a Canadian Province, Gas Boom Presents a Conundrum. As
nations rush to ship vast new stores of natural gas across
oceans, the climate change implications of the fuel are coming
under increased scrutiny. Perhaps nowhere is the debate so
intense as in British Columbia, a province in western Canada
where there are plans to export large quantities of natural gas
to Asia. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/business/energy-environment/for-british-columbia-gas-boom-presents-a-conundrum.html?rref=business/energy-environment&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Energy%20%26%20Environment&pgtype=article


GOP candidates Kashkari, Donnelly want to tap Monterey Shale oil.
Republican gubernatorial candidates Neel Kashkari and Tim
Donnelly, who have both made fracking for oil the centerpieces of
their plans to create jobs, were in rare agreement Wednesday as
they brushed off a recent federal report that most of the oil in
a vast California deposit is not recoverable now. A report
released by the U.S. Energy Administration last week estimated
that 600 million barrels of oil could be extracted…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-pol-donnelly-kashkari-fracking-20140529-story.html

RFS proposal would reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- enviro
report. U.S. EPA's recent proposal to reduce this year's corn
ethanol blending mandate would result in lower greenhouse gas
emissions, an environmental group said in a report released
today. The proposal to reduce the corn ethanol requirement by 1.4
billion gallons compared to the level set by 2007 statute would
reduce emissions by the equivalent of taking 580,000 cars off the
road…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2014/05/29/stories/1060000375 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

States set ambitious target for zero-emission vehicle sales.
California and seven other states have unveiled a plan to put 3.3
million electric and fuel cell vehicles on the road by 2025 — a
goal that seems out of reach, based on current market trends.
Today, we're putting a foot on the pedal to get more clean cars
on the road. This is real action to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. - California Gov. Jerry Brown. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-zero-emissions-vehicles-20140529-story.html

http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2014/05/29/stories/1060000393 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

GREEN ENERGY

A Pushback on Green Power. As renewable energy production has
surged in recent years, opponents of government policies that
have helped spur its growth have pushed to roll back those
incentives and mandates in state after state. On Wednesday, they
claimed their first victory, when Ohio lawmakers voted to freeze
the phasing-in of power that utilities must buy from renewable
energy sources. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/business/energy-environment/a-pushback-on-green-power.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0


Look, Ma, no hands: Google to test 200 self-driving cars. General
Motors. Toyota. Google? One of the world's largest technology
companies is getting into the car business — and hoping to turn
drivers into passengers. The tech giant announced on its blog
Tuesday that it plans to test about 200 of its own two-seat
self-driving cars. "We've been working toward the goal of
vehicles that can shoulder the entire burden of driving," the
company wrote. "They will take you where you want to go at the
push of a button. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-google-car-20140529-story.html

White House touts energy policies as rules loom. Setting the
stage for upcoming restrictions on coal-fired power plants, the
Obama administration is making a concerted effort to cast its
energy policy as an economic success that is creating jobs,
securing the nation against international upheavals and shifting
energy use to cleaner sources. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6440773/white-house-touts-energy-policies.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.modbee.com/2014/05/29/3361916/white-house-touts-energy-policies.html#storylink=cpy


Solar industry hails second-best quarter on record. Solar
development in the United States continued its breakneck pace in
the first months of 2014, with 1,330 megawatts of new
photovoltaic (PV) capacity coming online between January and
March, new industry figures show. The quarterly growth is the
sector's second-largest ever, according to the Solar Energy
Industries Association and partner GTM Research, and it comes on
the heels of a record-breaking 2013. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/05/29/stories/1060000338
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Ripon police add electric motorcycles to force.  The Ripon Police
Department has joined other Northern San Joaquin Valley cities
that have started using electric motorcycles on patrol.  The
department purchased two Zero Motorcycles last week with grant
money from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
 Posted. 
http://www.modbee.com/2014/05/28/3361216/ripon-police-add-electric-motorcycles.html?sp=/99/1623/


California gets another H2 station. The College of Engineering,
Computer Science, and Technology at California State University,
Los Angeles, officially opened its Hydrogen Research and Fueling
Facility and the College Open House, operated using Hydrogenics
Technology. The facility is the largest university-operated
hydrogen plant of its kind in the US and Hydrogenics installed
one HySTAT-30 electrolyser that provides 65kg of Hydrogen every
day. Posted.
http://www.gasworld.com/news/regions/north-america/california-gets-another-h2-station/2003835.article


BLOGS

Cheap Climate Protection.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce just came
out with its preemptive strike against Obama administration
regulations on power plants. What the Chamber wanted to do was
show that the economic impact of the regulations would be
devastating. And I was eager to see how they had fudged the
numbers. But a funny thing happened on the way to the diatribe.
Posted.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/cheap-climate-protection/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Opinion&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body&action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults&mabReward=relbias%3Ar&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry465%23%2Femissions%2F24hours%2F


Eight States To Add To Plan for 3.3 Million Zero-Emission
Vehicles By 2025.  Eight states comprising 28 percent of the U.S.
passenger vehicle market are expected today to add more details
to their 2013 announced plan for 3.3 million zero emission
vehicles by 2025.  The governors of these states – California,
Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode
Island and Vermont – last year signed a memorandum of
understanding devoted to regulatory and incentives-backed boosts
to ZEVs.  Posted. 
http://www.hybridcars.com/eight-states-to-add-to-plan-for-3-3-million-zero-emission-vehicles-by-2025/




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