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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 31, 2014.

Posted: 01 Aug 2014 09:24:07
ARB Newsclips for July 31, 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

ARB to consider minor amendments to GHG regs.  The California Air
Resources Board (ARB) will consider minor changes to the state's
greenhouse gas regulations at a hearing on 18 September, the
agency said yesterday.  The board will consider amending the
mandatory GHG emissions reporting program, the cap-and-trade
program and offset protocols and the cost-of-implementation fee
for the state's climate law, AB 32.  Posted. 
http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=918681 

UPS ups emissions goals after hitting target three years early.
Logistics company commits to 20 per cent cut to transport
emissions by the end of the decade. UPS has strengthened its
climate commitments after the global logistics giant confirmed
this week it has delivered a host of green goals early, despite
increasing the size of its business. The company's "Committed to
More" sustainability report was published yesterday, revealing
that UPS cut absolute carbon emissions by 1.5 per cent in 2013,
even as global shipping volume increased 3.9 per cent. Posted.
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2357993/ups-ups-emissions-goals-after-delivering-target-three-years-early

http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060003848/print  BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Steyer takes on oil interests in 'donnybrook' over motor fuels in
cap and trade. Billionaire activist Tom Steyer is challenging oil
industry-led efforts to keep motor fuels out of California's
program to cut carbon emissions, ratcheting up an already heated
battle. Steyer accused oil companies yesterday of trying "to
avoid paying their fair share" as they push to stop expansion of
the cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas pollution. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060003876/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

AIR POLLUTION

EPA hears praise, criticism of new air rules. To retired coal
miner Stanley Sturgill, the Environmental Protection Agency's
proposed rules limiting pollution from power plants doesn't do
enough to protect the public's health. Sturgill, a retired coal
miner from Harlan County, Kentucky, who traveled to a public
hearing about the rules Tuesday in Denver, told the EPA that
coal-fired plants are crippling his health and that of the
public. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_CHANGE_EPA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/epa-hears-praise-criticism-of-new-air-rules/2014/07/30/09731680-17cc-11e4-88f7-96ed767bb747_story.html
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jul/30/epa-hears-praise-criticism-of-new-air-rules/
 

EPA Emissions Plan Draws Protest in Pittsburgh. Union Members
Gather in Opposition to Proposed Carbon-Emissions Rule. Several
thousand unionized coal miners, electrical workers and others
filled this city's downtown on Thursday to protest the Obama
administration's proposed rule to curb carbon emissions from the
nation's power plants, ahead of two days of hearings on the issue
in the city. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/epa-emissions-plan-draws-protest-in-pittsburgh-1406831465?mod=rss_US_News


EPA Hearing on Cuts in Carbon Emissions Draws Hundreds.  Hundreds
of people came before a regional hearing of the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in Denver this week, as the agency takes
public comments on rules that would cut carbon dioxide emissions
from coal-fired power plants. Many scientists believe power plant
emissions are the most significant contributors to climate
change. Posted.
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2014-07-31/energy-policy/epa-hearing-on-cuts-in-carbon-emissions-draws-hundreds/a40883-1#sthash.aAbIL5eX.dpuf


Religious Conservatives Embrace Pollution Fight.  The Rev. Lennox
Yearwood punched his fist in the air as he rhythmically boomed
into the microphone: “This is a moment for great leadership. This
is a moment for our country to stand up. This is our moment.” But
Mr. Yearwood’s audience was not a church. It was the
Environmental Protection Agency. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/31/us/religious-conservatives-embrace-proposed-epa-rules.html?_r=0
 

South L.A.'s Allenco fined $99,000 over toxic emissions. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday fined an oil
operation in a South Los Angeles neighborhood $99,000 for failing
to take steps to prevent release of toxic emissions. Allenco
Energy Inc., which owns the 2-acre site in the University Park
community near USC, was given 70 days to pay the penalty. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-0731-allenco-fine-20140731-story.html


Opponents, supporters to discuss clean air rules.  Hundreds of
people are expected to attend public hearings this week in a
handful of cities across the U.S. to tell federal regulators what
they think of proposed rules to cut pollution from power plants. 
The Environmental Protection Agency is holding the meetings in
Denver, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Washington on President Barack
Obama's plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by
2030, with 2005 levels as the starting point. The rules are
intended to curb global warming.  Posted. 
www.kswo.com/story/26140659/opponents-supporters-to-discuss-clean-air-rules


CLIMATE CHANGE

Senior House Dem pushes climate bill. Rep. Chris Van Hollen
(D-Md.) introduced climate change legislation Wednesday for a
second time that would put a cap on carbon emissions from
industry sources. The bill, titled the Healthy Climate and Family
Security Act of 2014, would put a cap on greenhouse gases from
the fossil-fuel industry while providing payments to the public.
Posted.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213825-senior-house-dem-pushes-climate-bill#ixzz394jy7yyM
 

USDA offers tips to farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Agriculture Department has released what they hope will be
the foundation for more and better tools for farmers to cut
greenhouse gas emissions from their operations. USDA published a
600-page report today, listing the most prevalent sources of
greenhouse gases and the steps farmers can take to reduce them.
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060003880/print
BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

DROUGHT

California breaks drought record as 58% of state hits driest
level. More than half of California is now under the most severe
level of drought for the first time since the federal government
began issuing regular drought reports in the late 1990s,
according to new data released Thursday. According to the U.S.
Drought Monitor report, in July roughly 58% of California was
considered to be experiencing an "exceptional" drought -- the
harshest on a five-level scale. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-drought-worsens-record-20140731-story.html


Water-use restrictions take effect in California; daily fines
possible. Tough new statewide regulations restricting outdoor
water use took effect Tuesday, the same day millions of gallons
of water gushed from a ruptured water main near the UCLA campus.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-new-california-water-use-restrictions-20140729-story.html

North American waterfowl are newest casualty of California’s
drought. Add another casualty to California’s prolonged and
punishing drought: Wildlife officials warned this week that dry
conditions in the state’s Central Valley could have a devastating
effect on North American waterfowl. The Central Valley is
recognized as the most important resting and wintering ground on
the Pacific Flyway, a global migratory path for millions of
ducks, geese and other birds. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/30/6593565/drought-contributing-to-waterfowl.html#storylink=cpy


Calif. drought crisis deepens. Drought conditions are continuing
to worsen across the state as mandatory water restrictions took
effect this week. According to the latest numbers from the U.S.
Drought Monitor, as of Tuesday 58.41 percent of the state is
currently in an exceptional drought status known as D-4, the
highest possible. That is up about 22 percent from just one week
ago. 81.89 percent of the state is in at least a D-3 status known
as extreme drought, which includes most of San Diego County.
Posted. http://www.10news.com/news/calif-drought-crisis-deepens 

FUELS

Richmond, Calif., OKs refinery upgrade.  A Bay Area city council
approved a $1 billion renovation of a controversial Chevron Corp.
refinery with a history of accidents that has divided the local
community. After nine years of trying, Chevron is one step closer
to upgrading its century-old Richmond, Calif., facility but still
needs a judge to lift a court order that stopped construction in
2009. The decision came after the United States' second-largest
oil company agreed to limit greenhouse gas emissions and spend
$90 million on local job training…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060003873/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

Panasonic, Tesla to build big US battery plant. American electric
car maker Tesla Motors Inc. is teaming up with Japanese
electronics company Panasonic Corp. to build a battery
manufacturing plant in the U.S. expected to create 6,500 jobs.
The companies announced the deal Thursday, but they did not say
where in the U.S. the so-called "gigafactory," or large-scale
plant, will be built. Financial terms weren't disclosed for the
$5 billion plant. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_PANASONIC_TESLA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Rules for marrying EVs with the electric power grid -- a work in
progress. Electric vehicles and the power grid are getting to
know each other better. Eight global automakers and 15 electric
utilities announced this week that they are working with the
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to develop and implement
a standardized grid integration platform for plug-in electric
vehicles (PEVs). The project is intended to enhance vehicle-grid
functionality so that PEV drivers can more easily participate in
utility programs…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060003846/print BY
SUBSCRIPITON ONLY

PSEG CEO wants EPA credit for slashing methane leaks, boosting
electric vehicles. Public Service Enterprise Group CEO Ralph Izzo
wants U.S. EPA to allow states to count promoting electric
vehicles and the replacement of leaky cast-iron natural gas
pipelines as ways to satisfy the agency's proposed Clean Power
Plan. "The feedback I'm being given is that those would not
qualify in a state implementation plan proposal…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060003849/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

GREEN ENERGY

How to invest in renewable energy.  You can now fit a wind or
solar farm into your portfolio, even if your portfolio isn't
exactly vast.  Energy companies are wrapping renewable energy
projects and other power-related assets that generate steady cash
into new companies they hope attract investors hunting for
dividends.  In an unfortunate victory for corporate speak, they
are called yieldcos. They're the electric power industry's answer
to real estate investment trusts…Posted. 
http://www.contracostatimes.com/News/ci_26243783/How-to-invest-in-renewable-energy


MISCELLANEOUS

Free vehicle emissions tests offered at Fresno Fairgrounds. San
Joaquin Valley residents can get free emissions testing for their
vehicles at the Tune In and Tune Up Car Clean-Up on Aug. 9 at the
Fresno Fairgrounds. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., vehicle owners can get
a car emissions test and diagnostic inspection. The first 525
vehicles that qualify after the emissions test will receive a
$500 voucher for repairs at participating STAR-certified smog
shops. No smog certificates will be issued at the event. posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/07/30/4047337/free-vehicle-emissions-tests-offered.html?sp=/99/406/#storylink=cpy


Air district program grants $7.2M for technology projects. Local
innovations are showing promise in alleviating the Central
Valley’s air problem since being bolstered with funding from the
Technology Advancement Program.  Launched by the San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District in 2010, the program relies
on locally generated funds and support from the Environmental
Protection Agency to reimburse projects or inventions that focus
on renewable energy…Posted. 
http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/energy-and-environment/13227-air-district-program-grants-7-2m-for-technology-projects


OPINIONS

What will climate change cost? Let's be honest about our
ignorance. Because President Obama’s plan for fighting climate
change — a moderate one, by the way — will involve some hits to
the fossil fuel industry, conservatives and climate skeptics have
jumped all over it, saying that it will destroy the economy. In
response, the administration released a report this week by the
president’s Council of Economic Advisers saying that climate
change could end up costing the United States $150 billion a
year. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-obama-climate-change-cost-20140729-story.html


U.S. can be a global winner by going lean on energy consumption.
There are endless metrics to gauge whether the United States is
ahead or behind other countries. Finland does education better
and cheaper. Russians and central Europeans beat Americans in
alcohol consumption. But it takes only five minutes for the
average American to earn enough money to buy a pint of beer --
far less time than in any other nation. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-energy-consumption-20140729-story.html


Insuring for Global Warming's Surprises. Postponing action on
climate change will make the problem more expensive to manage
later—if it can still be managed at all. So says a July 29 White
House report on fighting global warming. While the message is
true enough, changing attitudes about the problem is an exercise
in persuasion, and the supposedly hard numbers highlighted in the
report aren’t the best way to make the case. The document’s most
powerful argument doesn’t lend itself to number crunching.
Posted.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-31/insuring-against-global-warming-risks


Thoughts on Fresno code enforcement and the drought. Forget
Measure W. The single most interesting item on the Fresno City
Council’s July 31 agenda is (to use the new identifying code)
ID#14-183. The topic: Code Enforcement Free-For-All. I
exaggerate, but only a little. Here’s the context. Fresno’s got
the new 2035 general plan coming down the pike real soon. This
plan is the mother of all dream lists. It’s going to mandate much
higher residential densities. Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/07/30/4048254/thoughts-on-fresno-code-enforcement.html#storylink=cpy


Dan Liljenquist: The economic impact of high-ethanol blend fuels.
Earlier this month, I wrote about the efforts of the Fuel Freedom
Foundation to clear the regulatory hurdles so natural gas based
high-ethanol blend fuels can compete with gasoline at the pump.
With natural gas flowing from the ground in unprecedented
quantities, with new technologies that can convert natural gas
into pure ethanol and with over 70 million vehicles in the United
States…Posted.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865607800/The-economic-impact-of-high-ethanol-blend-fuels.html
 

OP-ED: EPA's carbon rules good for business. Some national
business organizations have hammered the Environmental Protection
Agency for proposing new rules on carbon pollution from existing
power plants, cutting carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030,
using 2005 levels as a baseline. What planet are they on? It's
ludicrous to pretend that climate change isn't happening, or that
it won't affect every industry. Posted.
http://www.yorkdispatch.com/opinion/ci_26250270/op-ed-epas-carbon-rules-good-business


Delaying Fuel Cost Piece of Greenhouse Gases Law Pits Blue Collar
vs. Progressive Elites.  One of the most high profile bills in
the legislative session that resumes next week just got pushed
into the center of the spotlight. AB 69, the measure to delay
applying cap-and-trade regulations to transportation fuels, drew
the attention of hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer who pledged
“to spend what it takes” to see that the greenhouse gases
reduction law is implemented according to schedule.  Posted. 
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2014/07/delaying-fuel-cost-piece-greenhouse-gases-law-pits-blue-collar-vs-progressive-elites/
  

BLOGS

Déjà vu. Clean and breathable air is a right, not a privilege. In
a country as innovative and compassionate as ours, it is entirely
unacceptable that the very young, the very old, and the very poor
suffer disproportionately from health hazards exacerbated by
climate change. This is why I founded NextGen Climate—to tackle
climate change head on and secure a cleaner, healthier future for
our children. Posted.
https://nextgenclimate.org/fair-shake/deja-vu/ 

Clean Power Plan Leads to Healthy Kids.  It shouldn't be
dangerous to breathe. But, for thousands of kids in Atlanta, just
going outside is like a fullback going into a game without a
helmet - unhealthy and unsafe. Millions of American kids live in
places where the air is so polluted that it’s not always safe to
practice sports, go for a hike, or visit the local park. In fact,
Atlanta has one of the worst asthma rates in the country, meaning
the dreams of too many kids are at risk of getting sidelined by
chronic health problems.  Posted. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ovie-mughelli/clean-power-plan-leads-to_b_5635254.html?utm_hp_ref=impact&ir=Impact
 
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/213832-through-epa-rule-children-can-breathe-cleaner-air
  

The U.S. cities with the worst climate change-related flooding. 
What’s the most pernicious climate-change threat facing the U.S.
in the years to come? It might not be lung-scorching air
pollution, less-nutritious crops, or super-fueled wildfires, but
rising sea levels repeatedly swamping coastal cities, according
to a new NOAA report.  The number of “nuisance flooding” days in
the U.S. has shot up markedly since the middle of last century,
by as much as 925 percent in Annapolis and 922 percent in
Baltimore.  Posted. 
http://grist.org/cities/the-u-s-cities-with-the-worst-climate-change-related-flooding/


This startup is using a ‘carbon honeycomb’ to capture carbon
emissions. Will a honeycomb-like material made of carbon be able
to break open the market for capturing carbon emissions from
power plants? A Canadian startup called Inventys is now working
on a demonstration project using this new technology and they
just lined up a series B round from Chevron, and others to move
the technology closer to market. CEO Andre Boulet tells us the
technology will be cheaper and less energy-intensive than
rivals’. Posted.
http://gigaom.com/2014/07/31/this-startup-is-using-a-carbon-honeycomb-to-capture-carbon-emissions/




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

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