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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 4, 2014.
Posted: 04 Dec 2014 14:27:07
ARB Newsclips for December 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 California, Quebec Carbon Auction Raises $407M. All 33.8 million carbon allowance sold out at California and Quebec’s first joint carbon auction, held Nov. 25, which raised about $407 million. The cap-and-trade auction sold all 23.1 million allowances to release carbon emissions this year, with companies paying 12.10 a ton for the 2014 carbon credits. California and Quebec also sold all 10.8 million allowances offered to release emissions in 2017. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2014/12/04/california-quebec-carbon-auction-raises-407m/#ixzz3Kxmlf7tw First joint Calif.-Quebec cap-and-trade auction sells out of carbon permits. The first joint auction linking California and Quebec's cap-and-trade markets sold out of permits for greenhouse gas emissions, the Golden State said yesterday. Bidders grabbed all of the 23.07 million available allowances that can be used to cover emissions from this year. Those went at a price of $12.10 per carbon ton, above the $11.34 per ton price floor. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/12/04/stories/1060009923 Valley legislators take aim at gas prices. State Senator Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) and Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) introduced a set of bills this week aimed at stopping the state's cap-and-trade regulation for fuel producers. Beginning Jan. 1, companies that either make or sell transportation fuel would have to comply with California's cap-and-trade program… http://mail.thebusinessjournal.com/news/government-and-politics/14992-valley-legislators-take-aim-at-gas-prices China's carbon trading markets hold promise, but need major revisions – study. Pilot carbon trading programs in seven Chinese provinces got off the ground with remarkable speed and are curbing billions of tons of CO2 annually, but they need to see dramatic improvements before the government can impose a national cap-and-trade system, a major new study finds. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/12/04/stories/1060009921 AIR POLLUTION San Joaquin Valley struggling with conforming to new EPA guidelines. The San Joaquin Valley may have quite possibly the worst levels of ozone in all of the U.S., being considerably worse than much of southern California, according to a report. The statistics speak for themselves, as posted by the California Air Resources Board website, with nearly 2,000 bad days since the end of the 20th century. http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/san-joaquin-valley-struggling-with-conforming-to-new-epa-guidelines/ EPA battles 3-front legal assault on chrome plating standards. U.S. EPA was forced to play a complicated defense today in federal court as environmental groups, two states and a trade association challenged its air standards for chrome plating facilities. The 2012 standards apply to about 1,300 facilities that dip products as large as airplane components and bumpers and as small as gardening tools in chromium baths, adding a coating that prevents corrosion. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060009857/feed CLIMATE CHANGE EPA Clean Power Plan to Cut Reliability, Cost Billions of Dollars, FERC’s Philip Moeller Says. A federal energy regulator issued a harsh critique of the Environmental Protection Agency's clean power plan, predicting it will threaten electric grid reliability and cost billions of dollars to implement. http://www.bna.com/epa-clean-power-n17179917922/ Lima Climate Talks Begin With Optimism, Fresh Challenges Facing World Leaders. The newest round of United Nations climate talks got under way Dec. 1 in the Peruvian capital with pleas for action from organizers, delegation heads and environmental groups and a promise from the president of the negotiations that it would produce a significant draft agreement. http://www.bna.com/lima-climate-talks-n17179917937/ 2014 set to be hottest year on record, U.N. climate agency reports. This year is on track to be the hottest on record, with rising sea surface temperatures linked to the spread of extreme weather events around the globe, the United Nations climate agency reported Wednesday. The global average air and sea temperatures for the first 10 months of 2014 were 1.03 degrees Fahrenheit over the 1961-1990… http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-world-climate-20141203-story.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/12/03/4266993/un-weather-agency-2014-on-track.html##storylink=cpy http://www.climatecentral.org/news/wmo-warns-lima-delegates-2014-may-be-hottest-year-18392#sthash.yWc6VY8F.dpuf Green groups urge climate fund to exclude fossils. Environmental groups are demanding tighter rules on climate finance for poor nations after an Associated Press investigation showed Japan bankrolled coal-fired power plants with money earmarked for fighting global warming. http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article4261426.html#storylink=cpy http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Green-groups-urge-climate-fund-to-exclude-fossils-5932945.php White House says 16 cities leading US on climate. The White House is singling out Boston, San Francisco, Seattle and 13 other cities for leading their peers in efforts to address climate change. The winners of the competition for cities will receive additional government resources to deal with global warming's impacts, including data tools and a dedicated coordinator to help cities access federal funding. http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/12/03/4267086/white-house-says-16-cities-leading.html##storylink=cpy CO2 Takes Just 10 Years to Reach Planet’s Peak Heat. In a study that could have important ramifications on estimating the impacts, costs and benefits of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, new research shows that CO2 brings peak heat within a decade of being emitted, with the effects then lingering 100 years or more into the future. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/co2-emissions-peak-heat-18394#sthash.XW7QW8yP.dpuf World Climate Talks In Lima Aim To Move Beyond Kyoto Treaty. Every year the United Nations invites environmental experts and diplomats from around the world to negotiate ways to slow global warming. This year's meeting runs this week and next in Lima, Peru. Some say these conferences are a warming planet's best hope. Some say they're a United Nations jamboree. Most agree that recent sessions have seen mixed success at best. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=368315203 DROUGHT It's official: California storm didn't cure the drought. Despite a “respectable” amount of rain this week across all of California, it wasn’t enough for federal agencies to improve the state’s drought picture, new data released Thursday show. In a report that likely surprises very few, the U.S. Drought Monitor said of the storm that hovered over California since Monday: “More than this is needed to offset the accumulated deficits.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-rain-drought-monitor-20141204-story.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/12/03/4266627_california-falls-short-of-water.html?sp=/99/170/&rh=1#storylink=cpy Latest California drought bill causes new dust-up. A new California water bill slated to hit the House floor next week would boost irrigation deliveries to farms south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, nudge along planning for new dams and capture more storm runoff for human use. It would not authorize dam construction, repeal an ambitious San Joaquin River restoration plan or last longer than the state’s current drought. http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/12/04/4268566/latest-california-drought-bill.html?sp=%2f99%2f406%2f557%2f#storylink=cpy House GOP Offers New California Drought Relief Bill. After the collapse of secret negotiations to send more water to Central Valley farmers, California’s Republican lawmakers have come up with a completely new water bill. It’s an early sign of the GOP’s rising power after last month’s election. The newest drought bill will bring more water to Central Valley farmers over the next 18 months. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/12/03/house-gop-offers-new-california-drought-relief-bill/ http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27276 DIESEL EMISSIONS Company rebuilds buses to run on zero-emission, clean technology. An old bus that was destined for the scrap yard will soon be hauling commuters to and from their destinations again. Complete Coach Works, a Riverside company that rebuilds and rehabilitates old buses, recently received a $12 million contract from the Indianapolis Transportation Agency to convert 21 diesel buses into non-emission electric vehicles. http://abc7.com/technology/company-rebuilds-buses-to-run-on-zero-emission-clean-technology/417882/ FUELS Average fuel economy for new cars in US in November unchanged from October. The average fuel economy (window-sticker value) of new vehicles sold in the US in November was 25.3 mpg (9.3 l/100 km)—unchanged from the value in October, according to the monthly report from Dr. Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/12/20141204-umtri.html DOE awarding up to $7M to two projects to develop advanced logistics for bioenergy feedstocks. The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award up to $7 million for two projects aimed at developing and demonstrating ways to reduce the cost of delivering bioenergy feedstocks to biorefineries. Examples of bioenergy feedstocks include corn stover, switchgrass, and woody biomass. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/12/20141204-doe.html Low Gas Prices Won't Affect Loyal Owners As 2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid Looms. In the auto industry, it's generally assumed that as gas prices drop, so do sales of green cars. Most consumers consider switching to more fuel-efficient, hybrid, or plug-in electric cars because of their anticipated lower fuel costs--but if gas is already inexpensive, the math doesn't look as good. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095746_low-gas-prices-wont-affect-loyal-owners-as-2016-toyota-prius-hybrid-looms Asian firms team up for Sacramento LNG project. Two publicly traded Australian companies and one privately held investment group with ties to Indonesia have announced plans to pursue a liquefied natural gas project on California's coastline. Controlling partner Australian Oil Co. (AOC) has formed a joint venture dubbed Cal LNG to pursue projects on the U.S. West Coast, with an initial focus on the Sacramento basin, the company said this week. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2014/12/04/stories/1060009904 VEHICLES Californians Now Buy A Plug-In Electric Car For Every 2 Hybrids. The difference between electric cars and "electrified" cars has tripped up numerous reporters, carmakers, and analysts over the years. Electric cars plug into the wall and power their wheels, partly or fully, with an electric motor running on energy from a battery pack. "Electrified cars," on the other hand, include not only electric cars but any vehicle that has an electric motor providing any torque in its powertrain--which is to say, hybrids as well. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095742_californians-now-buy-a-plug-in-electric-car-for-every-2-hybrids Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle Tax Credit Expires This Month: Will It Be Renewed? Financial and other incentives are widely viewed as a good way to kickstart the adoption of new green vehicles, largely to compensate for their higher prices against conventional gasoline cars. But just as Toyota is building up to next fall's launch of its 2016 Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle in the U.S. market… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095734_hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicle-tax-credit-expires-this-month-will-it-be-renewed GREEN ENERGY NextEra Energy to Buy Most of Hawaiian Electric for $2.6 Billion. Company Says Deal Will Bring Cleaner, Renewable Energy to Hawaii. NextEra Energy Inc. agreed to acquire most of Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. for about $2.6 billion, a deal it said would bring cleaner, renewable energy to Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric supplies power to about 450,000 customers, or 95% of Hawaii’s population… http://online.wsj.com/articles/nextera-energy-to-buy-most-of-hawaiian-electric-for-2-6-billion-1417646396 http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-12-04/nextera-buys-hawaii-s-biggest-utility-in-green-energy-test-case House Approves Tax Bill With One-Year Extension of Wind, Energy Incentives. The House voted Dec. 3 to pass tax legislation that would only extend the wind production tax credit and other energy incentives through the end of 2014, a move that clean energy advocates said would result in lost jobs and halt new projects. The $42 billion bill (H.R. 5771) also would retroactively extend other energy tax credits that expired at the end of 2013… http://www.bna.com/house-approves-tax-n17179917975/ Landmark wind turbine to be back in full operation. A northern Michigan wind turbine that repeatedly broke down after being in service for nearly two decades is expected to be back in full operation within a month. WPBN-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1wxeDxb ) Traverse City Light & Power signed over ownership and operations of the 160-foot turbine Wednesday to Heritage Sustainable Energy LLC. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4271628.html#storylink=cpy Next legislative session could be end for Kansas’ renewable energy standard. Republicans may have gained enough seats in the Kansas House to end the state’s renewable energy standard, and activists on both sides of the issue are preparing for a fight in the next legislative session. The policy, known as the renewable portfolio standard, requires utility companies to get 20 percent of their power… http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article4202126.html#storylink=cpy Solar power expected to triple by 2020, pushed by developing countries. A sustained push toward clean energy solutions in emerging economies of Asia, Central and South America, the Middle East and Africa will push solar photovoltaic capacity worldwide to nearly 414 gigawatts by 2020, a three-fold increase from current levels, according to new figures released by GlobalData. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/12/04/stories/1060009922 CO2 key to new, cheaper material for electric cars, wind turbines – study. Researchers have developed a way to use carbon emissions to produce a green, low-cost energy storage device that can provide a rapid charge or discharge of power important for electric vehicles and wind turbines. The presence of CO2 is key to a new process developed by Oregon State University to create nanoporous graphene that is strong…http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060009860/feed OPINIONS The Scientist Who Gave a Name to Global Warming. 1988 James Hansen, then director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, introduces the idea of “global warming” to the public at a Senate hearing in Washington. I had testified several times during the 1980s without much effect, the immediately preceding testimony being in late 1987. After that, I met with the staffer who had arranged it and expressed the opinion that “global warming” … http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-04/global-warming-james-hansen-on-introducing-it-to-the-public Our Voice: Make rooftop solar power easy to obtain. All options should be on the table to encourage rooftop solar in the Coachella Valley. When the Coachella Valley Association of Governments launched its Clean Energy CV Upgrade last year, it opted to go with the Ygrene Energy Fund, which is based in Santa Rosa. It opted not to go with the Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) program, which is based in San Diego. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/2014/12/02/make-rooftop-solar-easy/19806795/ Giving Climate Pact Legal Teeth Could Make It Toothless. As negotiators gather in Peru for a critical round of climate talks, U.S. delegates are straining to explain what they call a “counterintuitive” reality: For next year’s global climate agreement to be effective, commitments made under it must not be legally binding. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-pact-with-legal-teeth-could-be-toothless-18396#sthash.EfiAWW5y.dpuf ‘Nuff Said: CO2 Emissions Plan Moves to Next Step. The coal industry calls it a devastating volley in a “war on coal,” while the Obama administration considers it major progress in its fight against climate change. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan comes with a dry name, but it’s one of the most significant ways the federal government is trying to curtail carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. to combat global warming. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/co2-emissions-plan-moves-forward-18397#sthash.Ge9Htjvs.dpuf BLOGS On Smaller Farms, Including Organic Farms, Technology and Tradition Meet. I spent yesterday morning at a remarkable meeting of young farmers meshing tradition and technology to sustain healthy soils and produce bountiful crops in a changing economy and climate. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/on-smaller-farms-including-organic-farms-technology-and-tradition-meet/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Agriculture&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body Vive La Linkage: California and Quebec Working Together to Fight Climate Change. The holiday season is often considered a time to stop and take stock of the things that we are thankful for, and to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year. Today, California and Quebec have one more thing to celebrate: the successful completion of their first-ever joint cap-and-trade auction, which marks the last of many steps to fully harmonize the two carbon markets. http://blogs.edf.org/californiadream/2014/12/03/vive-la-linkage-california-and-quebec-working-together-to-fight-climate-change/ Dear U.N.: Coal plants don’t count as climate-friendly projects. One of the ways the U.N. hopes to help developing countries prepare for climate change is through a mechanism called the Green Climate Fund (GCF). In 2009, rich countries pledged to come up with $100 billion a year, by 2020, to help poorer parts of the world get ready to face a problem that they, by and large, didn’t cause. So far, rich nations have pledged about $10 billion. http://grist.org/news/dear-u-n-coal-plants-dont-count-as-climate-friendly-projects/ Tesla goes Down Under December 9th. Not too long after Tesla stepped in to scoop up some of the engineers left behind as Ford, GM and Toyota announced shuttering production Down Under, the California-based EV company will start selling its Model S in Australia. Beginning Tuesday, December 9, sales will begin in Sydney, bringing a California-style plug-in change to the country's automotive landscape. http://green.autoblog.com/2014/12/04/tesla-goes-down-under-december-9th/ DOE's EV Everywhere workplace charging program is working. One US Department of Energy plug-in vehicle charging-station program is geared to turn this country into ... Norway? Not literally, but the DOE's EV Everywhere Workplace Charging Challenge was launched early last year to get more companies to install on-site charging stations in order to increase plug-in vehicle adoption. http://green.autoblog.com/2014/12/04/doe-ev-everywhere-workplace-charging-program-working/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.