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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 12, 2014.

Posted: 12 Dec 2014 15:36:35
ARB Newsclips for December 12, 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

Poll: Half of Republicans back limits on carbon. When Republicans
take control of Congress next month, top on their agenda will be
undoing environmental regulations they claim will harm the
economy, chief among them President Barack Obama's plans to limit
heat-trapping carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AP_POLL_ENVIRONMENT_DISCONNECT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-12-12-04-01-00
http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Poll-Half-of-Republicans-back-limits-on-carbon-5952251.php
 

Pollution Plan Pits U.S. Against China at Divided Talks. Envoys
at the United Nations climate talks enter their final day in Lima
divided on how to put teeth into a deal that the biggest
polluters have turned into a package of mostly voluntary
measures. Developing countries led by China and India want to pin
down industrial nations on how they’ll meet a pledge for $100
billion a year in climate-related aid by 2020.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-12/pollution-plan-pits-u-s-against-china-at-divided-talks.html
 

Port of Oakland truck pollution drops 76 percent in black carbon.
Lung-damaging diesel air pollution at the Port of Oakland is down
dramatically since a state law forced truckers to use cleaner
burning engines starting in 2010, according to new data from a
team of UC Berkeley researchers. And the gains in clean air
likely are even greater because the law's emission limits became
more stringent at the beginning of the year…
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_27120295/port-oakland-truck-pollution-drops-76-percent-black


California Air Pollution Regulations Lead to Reduction in Air
Pollution. Ever wonder what’s in the black cloud that emits from
some semi-trucks that you pass on the freeway? Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) scientist Thomas Kirchstetter
knows very precisely what’s in there, having conducted detailed
measurements of thousands of heavy-duty trucks over months at a
time at two San Francisco Bay Area locations.
http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=21162 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Kerry feels heat on Keystone oil pipeline at U.N. climate talks.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday urged countries at
U.N. climate talks in Lima to move away from using fossil fuels
while demonstrators gathered outside the meeting urged him to
reject the Keystone oil pipeline. "Coal and oil may be cheap ways
to power an economy today... but I urge nations around the world:
Look further down the road," he said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/12/us-climatechange-lima-keystone-idUSKBN0JQ02520141212


U.S. says no China-style climate deal in works for India. The
United States on Wednesday played down prospects for a
wide-ranging deal with India to curb greenhouse gas emissions
next year along the lines of a plan agreed to with China last
month. President Barack Obama will visit India in January at the
invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/11/us-climatechange-lima-india-idUSKBN0JO2IK20141211?feedName=globalEnergyNews&feedType=RSS&virtualBrandChannel=14230

Cutting carbon a good business opportunity, private sector told.
Whatever the global climate agreement reached next year in Paris
looks like, the private sector will need to dramatically step up
efforts to cut global carbon emissions, negotiators and analysts
said at U.N. climate talks in Lima Thursday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/12/us-climatechange-talks-idUSKBN0JQ00B20141212


Kerry prods diplomats as climate talks appear to falter.
Secretary of State John F. Kerry gave a rhetorical shove to
diplomats struggling to negotiate an international climate treaty
Thursday, saying far greater urgency is needed in tackling a
problem that could soon affect everyone on the planet. Kerry
added his personal diplomacy to the talks in
Lima…http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/kerry-prods-diplomats-as-climate-talks-appear-to-falter/2014/12/11/75d66f50-8182-11e4-81fd-8c4814dfa9d7_story.html


Strange Climate Event: Warmth Toward U.S. When it comes to global
warming, the United States has long been viewed as one of the
world’s worst actors. American officials have been booed and
hissed during international climate talks, bestowed with mock
“Fossil of the Day” awards for resisting treaties, and widely
condemned for demanding that other nations cut their fossil fuel
emissions while refusing…
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/world/strange-climate-event-warmth-toward-the-us.html?_r=0


In global climate talks, some major polluters drag their feet.
Recent commitments by the world's major polluters to cut
emissions have added fresh momentum to international climate
talks, but foot-dragging persists among the next tier of
polluters, including India, Brazil, Canada and Australia. 
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-climate-spoilers-20141212-story.html#page=1

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article4437556.html


Would-Be Coders Are Studying India’s Glaciers to Learn About
Climate Change. The Himalayas include the world’s tallest
mountains, constitute its third-largest storehouse of ice, and
are the source of rivers that sustain about 800 million people
from China to Pakistan. The range is also among the least
observed icy watersheds on earth, which means no one knows how a
warming climate will change river flows…
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-11/students-study-india-s-glaciers-to-learn-about-climate-change


Climate Sticking Point: Who Cuts And By How Much? U.N. talks on
global warming are wrapping up in Peru, but a divide between rich
and poor countries and how to divvy up targets to reduce
greenhouse gases is a key sticking point that has remained
unresolved. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has acknowledged
that the issue is "hard fought and ... complex,"…
http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=370315032 

Lawyers gird for fight against EPA's Clean Power Plan based on
states' rights. One thing is certain: There will be no shortage
of legal arguments from states and businesses against U.S. EPA's
Clean Power Plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions from the power
sector. If the regulation eventually reaches the Supreme Court,
opponents will have to coalesce around a few choice arguments,
limited by word restrictions for legal briefs.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060010446/print 

Warming waters 'reshuffling' species along the West Coast. Fights
over salmon have raged for decades in the Pacific Northwest.
Overfishing in the late 19th century, the proliferation of dams
in Oregon and Washington in the 20th, and more recent ecological
shifts have set tribes, conservationists and the fishing industry
head to head over the diminishing resource.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060010462/print

DROUGHT

California Would Need Five More Super Storms to Quell Drought.  A
slow-moving storm causing flooding and power outages in northern
California would need to be replicated at least five more times
for meteorologists to declare an end to the state’s historic
drought. The wind and rain, dubbed #hellastorm on Twitter,
produced widespread flash flooding, closed schools and canceled
flights in the San Francisco Bay Area…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-11/california-would-need-five-more-deluges-to-ease-record-drought.html


Climate change won't dry up Southern California, study finds.
Overall rainfall amounts in the Los Angeles region will remain
the same in coming decades, according to a new study that
examined the effects of a warming climate on Southern California
precipitation. The third in a series of UCLA studies on the
impact of climate change on Los Angeles, the report is good news
for the city’s efforts to develop more local water supplies.
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-climate-change-precipitation-southern-california-20141211-story.html


Gardeners, nurseries struggle to adapt as drought cuts their
business. Wet weather kept Alberto Ortega from working most of
last week — and he couldn't have been more pleased. "This rain is
a blessing I was beginning to think I'd never see," the gardener
said. In four decades of tending people's yards, this year has
been Ortega's roughest:
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-gardeners-drought-20141211-story.html


California drought: Winter storms finally starting to boost
storage levels in key reservoirs. After three years of
relentlessly bad news about California's historic drought, the
drenching storm that barreled in Thursday from Hawaii finally
delivered the state some desperately needed good news. One storm
does not end a drought as severe as this one, meteorologists and
water managers emphasized again Thursday.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27120528/california-drought-winter-storms-finally-starting-boost-storage


California lawmakers look to 2015 for drought legislation.
California lawmakers’ failure to pass water legislation this
Congress raises questions about strategy, tactics and the ability
to learn from falling short. It also sets the stage for next year
when – wait for it – the whole anti-drought drama returns for an
encore.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/12/11/249794_california-lawmakers-look-to-2015.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy


California drought: Despite rain, dryness remains. Despite last
week's rains, California remains mired in a drought that one
recent study described as the most severe in 1,200 years. Last
week's storm brought heavy precipitation – up to six inches in
some spots – to large swaths of Northern California.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2014/12/11/california-us-drought-monitor-map-update/20259185/


Greenhouse gas solutions available to steer Canada toward 2020
emissions target. Canada pledged to reduce greenhouse gases 17%
below 2005 levels under Copenhagen Accord. Canada's carbon
pollution target for 2020 could have been nearly met if the
country had widely implemented some successful regional policies
starting six years ago, a report by the David Suzuki Foundation
suggests, adding that "serious headway" is still possible.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/greenhouse-gas-solutions-available-to-steer-canada-toward-2020-emissions-target-1.2866022


Storms could make dent in state drought as climate debate
continues. Major rainstorms this week along the California coast
could help ease the state's historic drought, but much more
precipitation is needed to declare an end to dry conditions,
experts say. A storm system that hit the coast Wednesday night
has dumped as much as 15 inches of rain in the northern part of
the state…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060010464/print

FUELS

The Relentless Production of Shale Oil Is Breaking OPEC’s Neck.
The world’s biggest oil companies faced ruin in the summer of
1931. Crude prices had plummeted. Wildcatters were selling oil
from the bonanza East Texas field for a nickel a barrel, cheaper
than a bowl of chili. On Aug. 17, Governor Ross Sterling declared
a state of insurrection in four counties and sent 1,100 National
Guard troops to shut down the fields and bring order to the
market.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-11/shale-oils-relentless-production-is-breaking-opecs-neck

Major Nebraska ruling on Keystone coming tomorrow? The Nebraska
Supreme Court could rule as soon as Friday on a legal challenge
to Keystone XL’s proposed route through the state, potentially
putting the issue back in the hands of President Barack Obama.
There are no guarantees that the top Nebraska court will rule
Friday on whether the state’s process to approve the route was
handled properly, and the decision could still slip well into
2015.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/nebraska-court-keystone-ruling-113500.html#ixzz3LhXOn7Kf


Despite RFS delay, industry has 'amazing potential' – Vilsack.
Biofuel exports, high ethanol blends at U.S. gas pumps and
military procurement are boosting the country's biofuel economy,
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today. Speaking at the
Farm Journal Forum in Washington, D.C., Vilsack defended
biofuels, calling for their promotion in global trade and framing
the recent downturn in gasoline prices as a potential boon for
plant-based fuels.
http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060010435/print 

VEHICLES

New fueling station on Calif.'s 'hydrogen highway' aims to serve
more fuel-cell cars. California officials yesterday opened the
newest stop in their network of hydrogen fueling stations and
another chapter in the state's long-running pursuit of
hydrogen-fueled vehicles. The hydrogen station in West
Sacramento, just across the Sacramento River from the state
Capitol, is aimed at enabling the public to buy hydrogen-fueled
cars…http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060010376/print 

GREEN ENERGY

DOE updates resource maps to reflect advances in turbine
technology. The Department of Energy has drawn new maps of the
country's wind power capacity to keep up with advances in turbine
technology. Updated maps released today show how taller wind
turbines with higher nacelles and longer blades can harness
significant amounts of wind power in areas where shorter turbines
would be still.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060010404/print 

States with most robust solar power programs are ones that did
their homework – study. States that have deployed net metering
and other policies that allow for the clear integration of
home-based solar systems to the electricity grid tend to have
much higher success in developing solar-based renewable energy
portfolios than those that don't, according to Energy Department
research released yesterday.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060010447/print .
OPINIONS

Op-Ed A Pacific Coast model for addressing climate change.  The
United Nations Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru, is
wrapping up Friday after 12 days of negotiations on global carbon
emissions. Yet, even as we work through the complexities of an
international agreement, it would be a mistake to miss the
extensive change that's already taking place here on North
America's Pacific Coast.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1212-brown-west-coast-climate-change-plan-20141212-story.html


Opinion: Once again, water plan stalemated. As the most severe
winter storm in at least a half-decade bore down on California on
Tuesday, 3,000 miles away in Washington, the House voted, largely
along party lines, for a California drought relief bill. It was
immediately declared dead on arrival in the Senate, and President
Barack Obama threatened to veto it.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article4435284.html#storylink=cpy


California must push ahead with electric vehicles despite low gas
prices: Guest commentary. You can almost hear the sighs of relief
across California and around the nation as gasoline prices
descend from their lofty levels. The national average for a
gallon of regular is down to $2.68. Here in California, it’s at
$2.98, down from $4.25 last spring. But what if we could
regularly be paying just a fraction of that while keeping
ourselves and the environment healthy?
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinion/20141211/california-must-push-ahead-with-electric-vehicles-despite-low-gas-prices-guest-commentary


EDITORIAL: A solar bailout for Ivanpah? When it was first
announced, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the
Mojave Desert sounded like a noble investment. So noble, the
market couldn’t take the risk of building the solar energy plant
without taxpayer assistance. In 2010, President Barack Obama
touted the “revolutionary” solar plant as a means to ensure
America’s “claim to continued leadership in the new global
economy.”
http://www.pe.com/articles/energy-756044-government-plant.html 

Editorial: Drought: Rain, rain don’t go away — yet Is it over?
We’re not talking about the storm that hit Northern California
and the Central Coast Thursday, inspiring apocalyptic media
coverage and leading to store shelves being stripped of
flashlight batteries and tarps. (Note to frightened residents:
Storms of Thursday’s intensity — and it didn’t exactly live up to
the hype in the Monterey Bay region — were once a regular
companion to living here.)
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/20141211/LOCAL1/141219918


BLOGS

Delegates in Lima Work on Defining ‘Differentiation' in 2015
Climate Pact. At the Lima climate talks Dec. 9, delegates at the
Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) negotiating track
grappled with determining how countries in various stages of
economic development will be divided and how their
responsibilities will differ in the global agreement set to be
finalized next year in Paris.
http://www.bna.com/delegates-lima-work-b17179918773/ 

Electric Cars: A Review Of 2014. Every year, approximately 88
million trucks, buses and passenger cars are produced worldwide.
While the vast majority of these vehicles are powered by an
internal combustion engine, the power source of choice for autos
for the past 100 years, there has been much speculation about the
role that electric vehicles might play over the next 100.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2014/12/12/electric-cars-a-review-of-2014/


Recharge Wrap-up: First EV to attempt Dakar Rally, Mazda makes
bioplastic parts. Toyota Uses Landfill Gas To Make Cars; Zap And
Jonway At Peru Auto Show; California Still Leads In EVs. Zap and
Jonway Auto brought their Urbee EV and their new Falcon A-380 SUV
to the Peru Motor Show in Lima. Jonway sells its SUV and minivan
in Lima through Dai-Ichi Motors, which displayed the cars at the
show.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/12/11/first-ev-attempt-dakar-rally-mazda-makes-bioplastic/


California makes first investments in $100M energy research &
development program; also biogas and H2. The California Energy
Commission approved its first $10 million to fund Electric
Program Investment Charge (EPIC) research and development (R&D)
projects during its monthly business meeting today. The
Commission also approved grants for the operation of a hydrogen
fueling station, biofuel production, geothermal exploration and
rooftop solar for schools.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/12/20141211-cec.html 



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

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