What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for September 3, 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

Maine environmentalists rally for cap-and-trade.  Maine
environmental advocates will gather in Westbrook in support of
the multi-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The Natural
Resources Council of Maine and others say the agreement is slated
to hold its twenty-fifth auction of carbon credits. The council
and others will gather at a Hannaford grocery store in Westbrook
on Wednesday at 10 a.m. to celebrate the milestone. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Maine-environmentalists-rally-for-cap-and-trade-5729906.php


CLIMATE CHANGE

Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to Sacramento. He always said he’ll
be back, and soon he will. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will
be back in Sacramento next Monday, Sept. 8 to attend a symposium
on global climate negotiations, co-hosted by the USC
Schwarzengger Institute; the California Air Resources Board; and
the R20 Regions of Climate Action, a nonprofit that
Schwarzenegger and global leaders founded in 2010 in cooperation
with the United Nations. Posted.
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2014/09/02/arnold-schwarzenegger-returns-to-sacramento/


Study: Climate Change Means Less Sierra Nevada Runoff.  Climate
models show that temperatures in California’s Sierra Nevada are
expected to climb four degrees Celsius by 2100. Those
temperatures could lead to more tree and plant growth at higher
elevations, which would suck up more water like a sponge. The
result is a 26 percent drop in water that would normally flow
into rivers. Posted.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/09/02/study-climate-change-means-less-sierra-nevada-runoff/


Cape Cod without cod? Warming Gulf of Maine imperils lobster,
fish. Imagine Cape Cod without cod. Maine without lobster. The
region’s famous rocky beaches invisible, obscured by constant
high waters. It’s already starting to happen. The culprit is the
warming seas – and in particular the Gulf of Maine, whose waters
are heating up faster than 99 percent of the world’s oceans,
scientists say. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2014/09/03/3517926/cape-cod-without-cod-warming-gulf.html#storylink=cpy


New York Times Adds Climate Editor After Slashing Environmental
Coverage.  About 19 months after closing down its special team of
environmental reporters, the New York Times has named Adam Bryant
as editor overseeing climate change and environmental issues for
the paper's science coverage. Bryant announced the news on
Twitter on Tuesday, noting that he will scale back his other
responsibilities at the Times as part of the move. Posted.
http://mashable.com/2014/09/02/new-york-times-adds-climate-editor/


N.Y. attorney General warns of climate change risk.  New York
needs to do more to prepare for ongoing man-made climate change,
according to a report issued Tuesday by Attorney General Eric
Schneiderman. Speaking at Pace University in Westchester County,
the attorney general also pulled together scientific studies that
project extreme storms and rain will become more common in coming
years as a consequence of a warming global atmosphere. Post.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/N-Y-attorney-General-warns-of-climate-change-risk-5729556.php


DIESEL EMISSIONS

CARB fines county, beverage distributor for emissions violations.
 Just as private trucking companies have found, the California
Air Resources Board isn’t afraid to levy fines of several hundred
thousand dollars over emission rule violations. The air quality
agency proved this week that government bodies with diesel trucks
aren’t above the rules either. The Los Angeles County Department
of Public Works has been fined $256,375 for violating three
different emissions rules. Posted.
http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=27588#.VAcxqWPDsoA


Air District to fund replacement of waste transfer trucks.  The
San Joaquin Valley Air District has opened a new round of funding
that will be used to replace waste transfer trucks that operate
within the Central Valley. The district will grant up to $50,000
per eligible replacement truck. Applications will be issued to
solid waste transportation companies and owners or operators
hauling to landfill and waste facilities. According to district
officials, priority will be given to trucks that operate 100
percent in the Valley. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2014/09/02/3517161_air-district-to-fund-replacement.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy


DROUGHT

As California Warms, Greener Mountains Will Mean Less Water for
People.  This finding should be "of great interest to water
managers in California," says Roger C. Bales, a professor of
hydrology and environmental engineering at the University of
California, Merced, who co-authored the study published Monday in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study
foresees "a potential widespread reduction in water supply with
warming, with important implications for California's economy and
environment." Posted.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140901-climate-change-water-runoff-mountains-california-drought/


California drought: Why doesn't California build big dams any
more?  How much money drought-stricken California should spend to
build new dams was a big part of the debate over the bill that
Gov. Jerry Brown signed last month to put a $7.5 billion water
bond on the November ballot. Republicans and Central Valley
Democrats who pushed hardest for new reservoirs highlighted the
fact that California built many of the world's most ambitious dam
projects during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, but a large state- or
federally-funded reservoir hasn't been built in 35 years. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_26444134/california-drought-why-doesnt-california-build-big-dams


California's 100-year drought.  California is in the third year
of one of the state's worst droughts in the past century, one
that's led to fierce wildfires, water shortages and restrictions,
and potentially staggering agricultural losses. The dryness in
California is only part of a longer-term, 15-year drought across
most of the Western USA, one that bioclimatologist Park Williams
said is notable because "more area in the West has persistently
been in drought during the past 15 years than in any other
15-year period since the 1150s and 1160s" — that's more than 850
years ago. Posted.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/weather/2014/09/02/california-megadrought/14446195/


California drought sends hay prices soaring.  The cost of feeding
horses and cows in California is climbing as the drought sends
hay prices to historic highs, a newspaper reported. Less rain has
reduced the acres of oats, barley and wheat being planted, which
has fueled a sharp jump in hay prices, the Press-Democrat of
Santa Rosa reported on Tuesday. Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/03/4102046/californias-drought-sends-hay.html#storylink=cpy


FUELS

Limited water presents challenge for natural gas fracking.
Extracting natural gas for energy from shale rock deep
underground requires lots of water, but much of the world's shale
gas is in regions where water is already scarce, including part
of California, according to a study issued Tuesday. The amount of
recoverable natural gas from shale formations would increase
global reserves by nearly half, the report from the World
Resources Institute found. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-fracking-water-20140903-story.html


GREEN ENERGY

Tesla Motors picks Nevada for planned $5-billion battery factory
site. Tesla Motors has chosen Nevada as the site for its proposed
$5 billion "gigafactory" battery plant. The state's governor,
Brian Sandoval, will announce the deal Thursday afternoon at a
news conference in Nevada's capital, Carson City. Confirming the
details, first reported by CNBC, a Tesla representative said: "We
are in ongoing discussions ... and look forward to joining the
governor and members of the Legislature tomorrow." Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-nevada-gigafactory-20140903-story.html


Interest in Solar Water Heating Spreads Globally.  To produce
milk and cheese for the world, dairies need cows and grass. But
they also go through enormous amounts of hot water each day to
flush out milk lines and clean other equipment. And so farmers on
King Island, part of the Australian state of Tasmania, were
delighted when workers began installing solar arrays on their
dairies’ rooftops to capture the energy of the harsh Australian
sun and use it to heat water. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/04/business/energy-environment/interest-in-solar-water-heating-spreads-globally.html?src=twr


EPA OKs FutureGen plan for CO2 storage.  The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency on Tuesday said it has approved permits for the
FutureGen clean coal project to store carbon dioxide underground,
a key step in the longstanding plan to build the project.
FutureGen plans to store carbon dioxide, a greenhouse linked to
climate change, after capturing it from a power plant in western
Illinois. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/epa-oks-futuregen-plan-for-co2-storage_56216220


Utility, firm form partnership on energy projects. Vermont's
largest electric utility is teaming up with a national renewable
energy business to implement a series of state-of-the-art energy
saving projects, including a new local electrical system in the
Rutland area that will eventually be spread across the state.
While Green Mountain Power is Vermont's largest electric utility,
it is still small and nimble enough to implement new energy
saving ideas that could be proposed by NRG Energy, Green Mountain
President Mary Powell said Tuesday in Essex, where she announced
the partnership. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/utility-firm-form-partnership-on-energy-projects_33247070


Geothermal energy bill gets cold shoulder. Utility customers in
San Diego County won't have to buy more electricity from
geothermal power plants after all. California lawmakers abandoned
proposed legislation -- ending their session Saturday without a
vote -- that would have ordered the state's major investor-owned
utilities to buy more electricity from power plants that harness
underground heat from deep within the earth's crust. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/02/geothermal-energy-cold-shoulder/


Chula Vista adopts sustainability plan.   The Chula Vista City
Council recently adopted a plan to improve the local environment
and help reduce city costs. More than 30 green strategies were
identified in the plan and include transitioning to solar energy
design for new buildings, expanding alternative fuel vehicles at
municipal facilities and hosting environmental-focused trainings
for city employees. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/02/chula-vista-adopts-sustainability-plan/


Grease thieves cashing in on booming bio-diesel market.  Warm
weather, a plethora of restaurants and a penchant for recycling
everything are contributing to one of the oddest crime waves to
hit Southern California. Grease thieves are breaking into used
fry oil vats stored behind Southland restaurants and siphoning
away profits. Because of the warm temperatures, the oil remains
in a liquid state — making it relatively easy for the thieves to
transport the valuable commodity and recycle it resulting in a
cash haul of between $200 and $1,000, according to industry
sources. Posted.
http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20140902/grease-thieves-cashing-in-on-booming-bio-diesel-market


OPINIONS

The Climate Change Agenda Needs to Adapt to Reality.  The Obama
administration is instituting a variety of far-reaching policies
to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. Are any
of these capable of making a difference? Simple arithmetic
suggests not. Given this reality, we would be wise to consider
strategies that complement and may be more effective than
mitigation—namely, adaptation. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/edward-p-lazear-the-climate-change-agenda-needs-to-adapt-to-reality-1409700618


BLOGS 

Nissan Leaf sells 3,186 in best month ever as Chevy moves 2,511
Volts.  The end of summer seems to inspire people to go out and
buy a lot of plug-in vehicles. Last year, for example, the Chevy
Volt had its best month ever in August, with 3,351 sales. This
year, the Nissan Leaf is going up to the winner's podium, setting
its own best-ever record with 3,186 units sold. This beats the
Leaf's previous record of 3,117 set in May 2014 by 69 vehicles
and is up 31.7 percent from August 2013. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/09/03/nissan-leaf-sells-3186-best-month-ever-chevy-sells-2511-volts/


In the Parching West, It’s Beginning to Feel like 1159.  The
dryness in California is only part of a longer-term, 15-year
drought across most of the Western USA, one that bioclimatologist
Park Williams said is notable because “more area in the West has
persistently been in drought during the past 15 years than in any
other 15-year period since the 1150s and 1160s” — that’s more
than 850 years ago. Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/in-the-parching-west-its-beginning-to-feel-like-1159/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=earth&_r=0


Coal Renaissance Risks Tarnishing the EU’s Green-Energy
Credentials.  The European Union prides itself as the being the
world’s green crusader. It is fighting climate change with a set
of ambitious targets to reduce future carbon-dioxide emissions
and boost the use of renewable energy, such as solar and wind, by
setting an example to the rest of the world. But a revival of
coal as an energy source across Europe is leaving a dark spot on
the EU’s green credentials, according to a new report by several
environmental pressure groups. Posted.
http://blogs.wsj.com/brussels/2014/09/03/coal-renaissance-risks-tarnishing-the-eus-green-energy-credentials/





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