What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for November 4, 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

Power producers to face shortage in S. Korea carbon market-Point
Carbon. South Korea's emissions trading scheme, which launches on
Jan. 1 next year, is likely to see power producers face a
shortage of permits in the first three years even as the overall
market is oversupplied, forecasting firm Point Carbon said on
Tuesday. ...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/04/southkorea-carbontrading-idUSL4N0SU4A820141104?feedName=rbssEnergyNews&feedType=RSS


Oil Price Rout to Impact Alberta Carbon Emissions Policy. Oil’s
25 percent slide since June will play a role in Alberta’s new
climate and carbon regulations, Premier Jim Prentice said.  The
Canadian province will make a decision by the end of December on
whether to raise its levy of C$15 ($13.29) a metric ton for large
carbon emitters, while revisions on a broader range of climate
policies may come at the same time, Prentice said.
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NEBX2L6JIJUO01-1CBE00CL37UFLLR5UHFM2P4MNU

Sacramento neighborhoods could benefit from cap-and-trade
dollars. Several census tracts in the region, including parts of
downtown Sacramento, West Sacramento, Oak Park, North Highlands
and south Sacramento, are eligible for more than $200 million in
cap-and-trade dollars to address their economic disadvantages.
That means those areas could get new affordable housing projects,
transit upgrades and other improvements to help what the state
defines…
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2014/11/03/sacramento-neighborhoods-could-benefit-from-cap.html


Much of San Joaquin can apply for cap-and-trade funds. More than
287,000 residents of San Joaquin County face disproportionately
high environmental health risks, the state has concluded. That
finding will allow local communities to compete for hundreds of
millions of dollars in proceeds from California’s new
cap-and-trade climate change program — money that could then be
reinvested in the most vulnerable neighborhoods.
http://www.recordnet.com/article/20141103/NEWS/141109866/-1/A_NEWS06


Calif. designates regions to receive $83M in cap-and-trade cash.
California has identified the residents who are eligible to
receive proceeds intended for disadvantaged communities from its
cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases. The California EPA on
Friday released a map of the areas deemed most burdened by
environmental or socioeconomic issues.
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19447291851&p=19f&v=1&x=QeEx7JA-jPN3qeA3GHDezA


AIR POLLUTION

Smog-Heavy China Tops Clean-Tech Investment Rankings. ...China,
according to a new analysis (PDF) by Climatescope, a
collaborative research project whose partners include Bloomberg
New Energy Finance and the U.K. Department for International
Development.  China is, paradoxically, both the world's top
emitter of greenhouse gases and the largest investor in green
energy.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-11-03/smog-heavy-china-tops-clean-tech-investment-rankings


Enviros challenge Los Angeles smog plan. Environmental groups
Friday launched a legal challenge against U.S. EPA's approval of
a smog reduction plan for the Los Angeles region. The plan
crafted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District and
approved by EPA in September violates Clean Air Act requirements
for National Ambient Air Quality Standards, according to the
coalition of four environmental groups.
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19451556710&p=19f&v=1&x=33qcl1DOMaSlXKNTYq8Ijg


CLIMATE CHANGE

Brisbane airport bans corruption ad ahead of G20.  A day after
saying a billboard advertisement highlighting climate change was
too political for world leaders gathering in the Australian city
of Brisbane for a major economic summit, local airport
authorities said Tuesday that they had also rejected an ad
highlighting corruption problems.    Brisbane Airport...
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Brisbane-airport-bans-corruption-ad-ahead-of-G20-5867727.php


After 5 reports, future of UN climate body debated.  Presenting a
report on climate change, with from left, Minister of State for
Envionment of Peru Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon, Chairman of the IPCC Rajendra K. Pachauri and Secretary
of the IPCC Renata Christ, present a comprehensive report by...
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/11/03/4213930/after-5-reports-future-of-un-climate.html?sp=%2f99%2f406%2f557%2f


DOJ asks court to dismiss lawsuit against EPA climate rule. Obama
administration attorneys are calling a lawsuit against the
Environmental Protection Agency’s landmark climate rule
“premature” and says it should be dismissed. The Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit has no jurisdiction over
regulations that have not been finalized, so it cannot take the
case, lawyers told the court in a brief filed late Monday.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/222780-doj-asks-court-to-dismiss-epa-climate-rule-lawsuit


Lowering expectations for near-term U.S. - China joint climate
effort. Climate change will be high on the agenda when President
Obama meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next week for
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting and bilateral
talks. But the once-intense buzz of a major joint announcement...
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19447291183&p=19f&v=1&x=pKb9rH_qcknve_gLt03MVA


World's climate experts lay out 'severe,' 'irreversible'
alternatives to a global treaty cutting CO2 emissions. Pressure
for a new global treaty on climate change grew yesterday after
the completion of a landmark U.N. science report that warned of
"severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts" unless global
warming is tackled immediately.
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19447291162&p=19f&v=1&x=B86CEWP7auGKzQqkygstvQ


Ozone hole remains steady over Antarctica. The hole in the ozone
layer over Antarctica has remained steady for another year as it
reached its maximum area of roughly the size of North America in
mid-September, according to federal scientists.
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19447291838&p=19f&v=1&x=J79WUkjUFafdJoEiEAwzNA


DROUGHT

State to release per-capita water use numbers. Data to be
released Tuesday will show per-capita water use in communities
across California that are facing pressure, including the threat
of fines, to cut back during the third year of a drought.    The
state agency tasked with monitoring conservation efforts will
release per-person, per-day water use. The figures come as
government...
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/11/04/3330469/state-to-release-per-capita-water.html?sp=%2f99%2f177%2f348%2f%2f


Forecasters Say More Above Average Rainfall Needed To Help With
Drought.  Forecasters say chances of above-average rainfall in
November in northern California are about 30 percent. But the
odds for below average are the same. October was close to average
for precipitation in Northern California - about three-inches -
based on numbers from weather monitoring stations.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/11/03/forecasters-say-more-above-average-rainfall-needed-to-help-with-drought/


FUELS

Bay Area gas prices drop, for now. The holiday season is more
than a month away, but some Bay Area consumers are getting an
early present at the pump, with gas prices dipping to less than
$3 a gallon in some cities for the first time in four years.
Slumping gasoline demand, the conversion to cheaper winter-blend
gas and booming U.S. oil production have contributed to the price
drop, gas experts say.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_26861518/bay-area-gas-prices-drop-now


Fossil Fuel Caps Urged as Scientists Warn of Climate Woes. The
world can only consume a fraction of the known deposits of fossil
fuels if it's to avoid the most dangerous effects of climate
change, according to the biggest assessment of the issue.   
Burning reserves of oil, natural gas and coal already identified
by national governments and commodity companies would cause
widespread droughts, more-violent storms and melting...
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-11-03/fossil-fuel-caps-urged-as-scientists-warn-of-climate-woes


Lower gas prices boost US SUV sales in October. ...  GM, Toyota,
Chrysler, Nissan, Volkswagen and Honda all reported sales gains
last month. Of major automakers, only Ford and Hyundai saw
declines.  Industry sales rose 6 percent over last October,
according to Autodata. The national average price of gasoline
fell 33 cents to end October at $3 a gallon, according to AAA.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/business-headlines/ci_26858299/lower-gas-prices-boost-us-suv-sales-october


Mystery of Oil Field Fugitives Closer to Being Solved. ...are has
long been murky.    The oil field fugitives aren't people, of
course, but gases — methane, benzene, toluene, xylene and other
volatile organic compounds. Some of them cause cancer. Methane,
like carbon dioxide, is a greenhouse gas that meddles with the
climate, forcing a lot of warming in the atmosphere.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/mystery-of-oil-field-leaks-methane-18270


Finally, Germany Makes Progress on Coal ...5% in 2014, compared
to 2013, to the lowest level since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Coal consumption for the year is expected to be down more than
9%. Those declines are due mostly to the mild winter in
2013-2014, but clean energy is expanding as well: Renewable
energy use grew by 1.6% over the first 9 months of 2014, compared
to the previous year.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/pikeresearch/2014/11/03/finally-germany-makes-progress-on-coal/


VEHICLES

Hyundai, Kia Pay Fine, Lose Credits Over Mileage Claims. ...$350
million to settle claims that it overstated fuel economy on the
window stickers consumers see at dealer showrooms. The
Seoul-based affiliates, which share engines, model platforms and
a chairman, will pay a $100 million fine, forfeit $200 million in
greenhouse-gas emission credits and will be required to spend $50
million to set up independent tests to certify future mileage
claims…http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-11-03/hyundai-kia-pay-fine-lose-credits-over-mileage-claims


GREEN ENERGY

Plastic-bag makers want you to overturn California's bag ban	
...largest plastic-bag makers and the main provider of funds for
Daniels' American Progressive Bag Alliance.    Indeed, when he
isn't defending "progressive" bags, which are more friendly
sounding than plastic bags, Daniels is Hilex Poly's vice
president of sustainability and environmental policy.   
California's ban, Daniels told me, is not about the environment.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20141104-column.html

Tuskegee to host transportation, energy forum.  Tuskegee
University is gearing up for an event showcasing electric
vehicles, toys and renewable energy for local students and
teachers. University officials say hundreds of children and
educators are expected on campus Thursday for Tuskegee University
Electric Vehicle Transportation Day. School officials say the
event will also feature guest lectures from Alabama Power Co.,
the University of Central Florida and the Florida Solar Energy
Center. http://www.modbee.com/news/business/article3536130.html 

Energy Compromises With A Republican Senate. ...drilling in the
Atlantic is another relatively easy issue, since in some states
there is local political support, and the activity will take
years to gear up. Next, Republicans are likely to seek to reduce
the spending on renewables and electric vehicles. Electric
vehicle rebates are absorbing approximately $500 million a year
at current sales rates, which is almost completely wasted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaellynch/2014/11/03/energy-compromises-with-a-republican-senate/


OPINIONS

There's no drought of rebukes, lectures and guilt.	...that needs
replenishing, but that doesn't diminish the glee I felt when I
woke up in the middle of the night last weekend to the sound of
rain pounding my roof and soaking my parched yard.  I know it's
just a drop in the bucket — a near-empty bucket in our
drought-stricken state. But I wanted to celebrate: to run outside
as I had as a kid, when we'd greet the season's first snowfall
with heads back and mouths open, catching snowflakes on our
tongues.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1104-banks-rain-garden-20141104-column.html


Vote for Fossil Fuels ...replaced by promising green companies
like Solyndra—a “true engine of economic growth” that was
“leading the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future.”
An imminent “Peak Oil” disaster was viewed as a certainty.
Democrats ran successfully on a platform of cap and trade,
bolstered by the apocalyptic and unchallenged predictions of
movies and media like Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.    Things
have certainly changed.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexepstein/2014/11/04/vote-for-fossil-fuels/


BLOGS

Oil Industry DOUBLES Spending on Lobbyists in California. When
California’s secretary of state released the third-quarter
lobbying spending numbers late Friday, Big Oil yet again emerged
as a real “leader.” The oil industry almost doubled its spending
on lobbyists from the second to third quarters of 2014, paying
the equivalent of more than $3,000 per hour to advance the oil
industry’s agenda in Sacramento between July and the end of
September.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mborgeson/oil_industry_doubles_spending.html


The cost of traffic jams. FEW things unite cultures more than the
frustration of sitting in a line of stationary traffic, with no
discernible reason for the blockage and no end in sight. From
London to Los Angeles, Berlin to Bangalore, seething anger at
standstills is a common emotion felt by all drivers. The causes
of traffic jams are well understood (accidents; poor
infrastructure; peak hour traffic; and variable traffic speeds on
congested roads).
http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/11/economist-explains-1


Midterm Elections, the Senate, and Republican Science Denial. 
Today is the midterm election for the United States, where many
seats in the House and Senate will be determined. It seems pretty
obvious that the House will remain in control of the Republicans.
It seems likely the GOP will get a slight majority in the Senate
today as well. What does this mean? Well, in the short term and
for many issues, not a lot.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/11/04/republicans_and_the_midterms_global_warming_deniers_could_have_their_dreams.html


Bill imposing a carbon pollution fee to be introduced in U.S.
Senate.  Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat from Rhode Island,
is planning to introduce legislation next month that would impose
a fee on carbon pollution from industrial sources, according to
an article from The Hill. A carbon pollution fee requires
polluters to pay a fee for each ton of pollution they release.
The fee captures what is known as the external costs of carbon
emissions, or the social cost of carbon.
http://www.dwej.org/2014/11/bill-imposing-carbon-pollution-fee-introduced-u-s-senate/


'Remarkable Opportunity' for Global Economy in Upcoming Climate
Change Talks.  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres is the UN's top
climate change official. In this editorial, written exclusively
for Bloomberg BNA, Figueres describes some of the most pressing
near- and long-term challenges the world faces as the UN process
enters the home stretch for a universal 2015 global climate
agreement.
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19451875716&p=19f&v=1&x=gNxwF_KJ_ePdS01qxayzrQ


Fracking And Toxic Air. A new study, published this week in the
journal Environmental Health, identifies potentially hazardous
concentrations of air pollutants near some oil and gas operations
in five states. The research shines a light on what some
communities face as US oil and gas development accelerates.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/molly-rauch/fracking-and-toxic-air_b_6083488.html


Staring Down the California Drought: Looking at Solutions to Our
Water Crisis. The punishing California drought has become part of
our national consciousness, with the bad news seeming to grow
worse each week. Last year was the driest on record for much of
the state, and in January of this year, Gov. Jerry Brown declared
a drought...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/forest-trends/staring-down-the-californ_b_6079464.html?utm_hp_ref=climate-change


Mercedes Vision G-Code concept is one big solar panel. 
Mercedes-Benz is in the midst of overhauling its SUV and
crossover lineup in both makeup and name, with a new GLC model
slated to replace the GLK, a GLE to replace the GL and even a new
G-Class to cap it all off. But it's not just the production
utilities which Benz has been working on.
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/11/03/mercedes-vision-g-code-concept-beijing/?icid=autoblog%7ccheck-these-out


Toyota FCV rallies to the hydrogen cause as zero car. It's been
two decades since Toyota dominated the World Rally Championship
with its Celica Turbo 4WD. But this past weekend, Toyota hit the
rally stage in a very different vehicle. That, as you can see, is
the Japanese automaker's Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV), which is still
in its prototype phase. We're still at least half a year away
from seeing the FCV in production trim, but the model has...
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/11/03/toyota-fcv-rally-car-zero-official/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000618

Fuels	Emissions, combustion and performance with biodiesel as
pilot fuel in dual-fuel engine.  A team at Xi'an Jiaotong
University reports on the combustion and the emissions
(especially the ultrafine particle emissions) effects of using
biodiesel as the pilot fuel in a natural-gas dual-fuel engine, as
well as the effect of the pilot quantity on the performance, a
paper in the Journal of Automobile Engineering. One means of
using natural gas in transportation is for it to serve...
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/11/20141103-xian.html   

A Third Of This Dealer's Sales Are Chevy Volt Electric Cars:
How'd They Do It? ... plug-in electric car?  Bourgeois Chevrolet
of Rawdon, Quebec, achieved that remarkable level in its sales
this year of the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car. Now
the dealership has been honored for its accomplishment.  At
Canada's recent 2014 Electric Vehicle Conference, advocacy group
Plug'n Drive…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095208_a-third-of-this-dealers-sales-are-chevy-volt-electric-cars-howd-they-do-it

First 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf Delivery On Friday; Auction Proceeds
To Charity. ...Auctioned For Charity. Not only is it the first
e-Golf to be sold in the U.S., but it was auctioned off by VW to
the highest bidder.  And all sales proceeds went to benefit the
environmental advocacy group Global Green USA, which advocates
for solutions to climate change. 
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095267_first-2015-volkswagen-e-golf-delivery-on-friday-auction-proceeds-to-charity

Why Fossil Fuels Are Dirty Politics as Well as Dirty Energy
...just aggravating him to death about it, he just wouldn't drop
it. And then I knew they weren't friends anymore."  What did
Kelly agree to cover up for Hall: unresolved citations for
dropping rocks on nearby homes; mining outside of permitted
areas; water pollution; failing to obey regulations on blasting,
reclamation and maintaining slurry
ponds…http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-pope/why-fossil-fuels-are-dirt_b_6096224.html?utm_hp_ref=green

Living With A Smoker Can Be Like Breathing In Air In A Polluted
City. Living with a smoker can be like breathing the air in the
world's most polluted cities, according to a new study from
Scotland.  "The message is pretty simple really - smoking in your
home leads to really poor air quality and results in
concentrations of fine particles, that you
can't...	http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/03/smokers-homes-air-polluted-cities_n_6095360.html?ir=Health+News&utm_hp_ref=health-news

Climate change poses 'immediate risks' to national security, US
military says. Scientists warned climate change could lead to
"irreversible impacts" unless drastic action is taken on a global
scale. Changes could include rising oceans and more extreme
weather. And it's not just scientists or environmentalists
sounding the alarm these
days....	http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2014/11/03/40141/climate-change-poses-immediate-risks-to-national-s/

IPCC Scientists Emphasize Immorality Of Inaction By Focusing On
‘Irreversible Impacts’. What is the biggest change in the new
climate report by the world’s top scientists and governments
compared to the one they released back in 2007? It can be summed
up in one word: “Irreversible.” In the 2007 assessment of climate
science by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC)…http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/11/04/3587527/ipcc-irreversible-impacts/



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