What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for February 27, 2015. 

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

Netherlands hands out 46 million free carbon allowances to
industry. The Netherlands has begun distributing this year's
quota of free carbon permits to industry, the Dutch Emissions
Authority (NEA) said on Thursday. The allocation of EU Allowances
(EUAs), will add supply to a market already awash with permits
and could put more pressure on carbon prices, which are now below
7.50 euros a ton.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/us-carbon-netherlands-idUSKBN0LU1OY20150226


EU court rules against Czech tax on carbon permits. A Czech tax
imposed in 2011 and 2012 on carbon emission allowances granted to
companies for free breached a European Union directive, the
European Union's Court of Justice ruled on Thursday. The ruling
was made at the request of a Czech court which is considering an
appeal of an electricity producer, Sko-Energo, against the tax…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/us-czech-carbon-idUSKBN0LU13020150226


AIR POLLUTION

The Window Screen That Cleans the Air. Using nanotechnology,
researchers have developed a low-cost filter that cleans the air
of pollution from tiny particles. It would be great if somebody
figured out how to filter small particles of pollution from the
air. The next best thing would be at least to keep them out of
people’s lungs. The first of those goals is a tall order.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-window-screen-that-cleans-the-air-1425056525?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION


No-burn order in effect for greater Los Angeles, Inland Empire.
Much of the Southland will be under a “no-burn” order today,
meaning indoor fireplace use and outdoor wood burning will be
prohibited due to pollution concerns. The South Coast Air Quality
Management District issued the order for all residences in the
South Coast Air Basin, including the greater Los Angeles area,
Orange County and the Inland Empire. 

POLLUTION: Tiniest particles appear to be riskiest.  A new study
by California scientists sheds more light on earlier work that
has linked fine-particle air pollution to deaths from heart
disease. This work, published in the journal Environmental Health
Perspectives, focused on the smallest of these particles, called
ultrafine particles. These specks are no bigger than a thousandth
of the width of a human hair.
http://www.pe.com/articles/particles-761191-disease-study.html 

EPA brief urges high court to uphold mercury, toxics standards.
U.S. EPA this week urged the Supreme Court to uphold its landmark
air standards for mercury and other pollutants, arguing that a
challenge from states and industry "defies common sense."
Twenty-one states and two industry groups -- the Utility Air
Regulatory Group and National Mining Association -- contend that
EPA should have considered the $9.6 billion price tag of its
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014192/print 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Hollande tours typhoon-hit Philippines ahead of climate deal.
French President Francois Hollande on Friday took his warning
about the need for funds for a landmark climate deal to a central
Philippine town that was devastated by a killer typhoon in 2013.
Speaking at a public school in Guiuan, where Typhoon Haiyan made
its first landfall before claiming more than 7,300 lives,
Hollande promised to "remember your faces" when France hosts the
climate conference in December.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PHILIPPINES_FRANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
 

OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-philippines-france-idUSKBN0LV11O20150227
 
http://www.nytimes.com/video/multimedia/100000003539628/france-philippines-call-for-agreement-on-climate-change.html


The big melt: Antarctica's retreating ice may re-shape Earth.
From the ground in this extreme northern part of Antarctica,
spectacularly white and blinding ice seems to extend forever.
What can't be seen is the battle raging underfoot to re-shape
Earth. Water is eating away at the Antarctic ice, melting it
where it hits the oceans. As the ice sheets slowly thaw, water
pours into the sea - 130 billion tons of ice (118 billion metric
tons) per year for the past decade…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AA_ANTARCTICA_GLACIAL_MELTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Climate Finance Tops $35 Billion a Year, U.S. Envoy Says.
Industrial nations are delivering more than a third of the $100
billion in annual aid they’ve pledged by 2020 for climate-related
projects in developing nations, a senior U.S. State Department
envoy said. About $35 billion to $40 billion a year now is
flowing from western governments in the form of direct aid and
loans from development banks, said Todd Stern, the lead U.S.
diplomat on climate matters.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-26/climate-finance-tops-35-billion-a-year-u-s-envoy-says
 

Most Americans see combating climate change as a moral duty. A
significant majority of Americans say combating climate change is
a moral issue that obligates them – and world leaders - to reduce
carbon emissions, a Reuters/IPSOS poll has found. The poll of
2,827 Americans was conducted in February to measure the impact
of moral language, including interventions by Pope Francis, on
the climate change debate.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-usa-climate-poll-idUSKBN0LV0CV20150227?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews


Cooler Pacific has slowed global warming, briefly – study. A
natural cooling of the Pacific Ocean has contributed to slow
global warming in the past decade but the pause is unlikely to
last much longer, U.S. scientists said on Thursday. The slowdown
in the rate of rising temperatures, from faster gains in the
1980s and 1990s, has puzzled scientists because heat-trapping
greenhouse gas emissions from factories…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/climatechange-warming-idUSL5N0VZ49P20150226


China's top climate negotiator removed from leadership list.
China's top climate change negotiator has been removed from the
nation's leadership list, appearing to confirm media reports he
has retired, but the move has left it unclear who will lead China
at crucial climate talks in Paris at the end of the year.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-china-climate-idUSKBN0LV06T20150227


Researchers think they’ve found a “gateway belief” that leads to
greater science acceptance. It’s probably the most famous study
ever conducted about how climate scientists, themselves, think
about the subject they examine. According to a gigantic 2013
literature review, 97.1 percent of published scientific studies
that took a position on the matter “endorsed the consensus
position that humans are causing global warming.” 
This “97 percent” figure has since gone everywhere — triggering
debates and discussions around the world.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/26/can-this-gateway-belief-get-people-to-accept-climate-change/


A cause for pause? Scientists offer reasons for global warming
'hiatus' It's been dubbed both a "pause" and a "faux pause," and
it's ignited debate among climate scientists and their critics.
After a period of rapid global warming throughout most of the
20th century, the pace of global temperature rise has slowed
greatly over the last 10 to 15 years. This unexpected slowdown
has raised questions about the accuracy of climate change
forecasts…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014163/print 

Democrats on climate 'witch hunt', conservatives say. Arizona
Rep. Raúl Grijalva is on a mission to expose climate skeptics.
Some say he's going too far.Now conservatives are the ones
complaining about being the victims in a politically motivated
“war on science.” In a turnabout from years of debate about
intrusion into scientific research…
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/climate-change-study-funding-raul-grijalva-115568.html#ixzz3Sy3GwuO0


DROUGHT

94 percent of Californians agree the drought is serious. Nearly
every Californian sees the drought as a big problem, and more
than ever say they favor mandatory rationing, according to a
survey released Thursday. A new Field Poll found 94 percent of
registered California voters consider the shortage serious, with
68 percent of those deeming it extremely serious. By contrast,
when the state had a similarly severe drought in 1977, just 51
percent saw the problem as extremely serious.
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150226/94-percent-of-californians-agree-the-drought-is-serious


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

U.S. electric bus company unveils 180-mile range option. Proterra
Inc., an American electric bus manufacturer, earlier this week
unveiled a reconfigurable battery system with a 180-mile range,
part of an effort to meet the "diverse needs of the North
American transit market," the company said. "Operating
successfully in cities across the country, the Proterra Catalyst
is the most energy-efficient transit bus on the market…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014163/print  

FUELS

Green groups divided on Hillary Clinton's oil interest ties.
Hillary Clinton's connections to oil and gas interests has
created a dilemma for some environmental groups, troubling
activists for whom she would be the natural candidate to support
for president. The presumptive Democratic presidential
candidate's environmental record has come under renewed
scrutiny…http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/us-usa-election-clinton-oil-idUSKBN0LU18O20150226


WRAPUP 3-Lower gasoline prices dampen U.S. consumer inflation.
U.S. consumer prices fell over the past year for the first time
since 2009 as gasoline prices continued to tumble, which could
allow a cautious Federal Reserve more room to hold off on raising
interest rates. Other data on Thursday showed a rebound in
business investment spending plans and a steadily firming labor
market…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/usa-economy-idUSL1N0W01N020150226
 

Exxon Mobil Settles $9 Billion New Jersey Environmental Case for
$250 Million.  A long-fought legal battle to recover $8.9 billion
in damages from Exxon Mobil Corporation for the contamination and
loss of use of more than 1,500 acres of wetlands, marshes,
meadows and waters in northern New Jersey has been quietly
settled by the state for around $250 million.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/nyregion/exxon-mobil-settles-with-new-jersey-over-environmental-damage.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1


Californians sharply divided over hiking state gas tax.
California voters think the government should spend more money to
help maintain crumbling roads, but they offer mixed views on how
to fund the upkeep, according to a new statewide Field Poll. More
than 70 percent think state and local officials should dedicate
additional resources to existing roadways.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/field-polls/article11314598.html#storylink=cpy

Why a Keystone, climate trade-off won’t happen: ‘There is almost
nothing big enough Canada could offer’. This week’s veto by
Barack Obama of a bill to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline
has sparked renewed interest in a climate change pact between
Canada and the United States.
http://business.financialpost.com/2015/02/26/why-a-keystone-climate-trade-off-wont-happen-there-is-almost-nothing-big-enough-canada-could-offer/?__lsa=a0db-17a2


BOE member calls for ending fuel tax swap. A member of the state
Board of Equalization who voted this week in favor of cutting the
state excise tax on gasoline says it’s time to stop the annual
juggling of tax rates on gas. That annual manipulation is called
the “fuel tax swap” in which the excise tax is cut or increased.
This year it’s being cut by six cents a gallon, effective July 1,
dropping it to 30 cents per gallon.
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27835 

Rising U.S. Oil Prices Await Cutbacks. Despite the bounce off the
floor of $42 per barrel lows in late January, no serious global
oil price increases will occur until American oil and natural gas
producers aggressively reverse their expansion plans for now, and
cutback production in the months ahead. Severe cutbacks in
drilling rigs already indicate steps in that direction.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/morrisbeschlosseconomics/2015/02/26/rising-us-oil-prices/24092199/


Biofuel industry attacks bipartisan bill ending corn ethanol
mandate. Biofuel industry leaders yesterday slammed a proposed
bill that would effectively eliminate an implicit corn ethanol
mandate in the renewable fuel standard. Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)
and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced the "Corn Ethanol
Mandate Elimination Act of 2015," with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)
as a co-sponsor.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014166/print 

Calif. enviros push for emergency order to stop fracking. A
coalition of environmental groups yesterday urged California Gov.
Jerry Brown (D) to use emergency powers to halt hydraulic
fracturing and acid well stimulation in the oil-rich state. The
petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace and
nearly 150 other groups comes amid a hodgepodge of other legal
and legislative actions by Californians hoping to restrict
fracking.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060014137/print 

Coast Guard finalizes marine fuel guidelines. The U.S. Coast
Guard this week issued lengthy "policy letters" to guide the safe
handling of liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel. The two
letters, finalized through Federal Register publication Tuesday
after a yearlong public comment and review process, provide
voluntary guidance to Coast Guard personnel on appropriate fuel
transfer and training measures…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060014135/print 

Alternative path opened as ice melts on popular Everest climb.
The "Ballroom of Death" on one of the world's most treacherous
mountains is closed for business this season. Every day, Mount
Everest's Khumbu Icefall path, on the west side of the Khumbu
Glacier, shifts several feet down the mountain, creating
splintering ice towers and deep fractures that render the path
too deadly. Global warming has accelerated the descent of the
glacier…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014132/print 

VEHICLES

Mazda bets on diesel-only car for Japan launch of key 2015 model.
Japan's Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) will sell only diesel-powered
cars in the domestic launch of its key model for 2015, gambling
it can convince the country's army of hybrid petrol-electric
drivers that the days of sooty, noisy diesels are long gone.
Masamichi Kogai, Chief Executive of Japan's fifth-biggest auto
maker, placed his diesel bet in Tokyo on Friday as he unveiled
the CX-3, a compact sport-utility vehicle (SUV).
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-mazda-diesel-idUSKBN0LV0ZD20150227


Britain to invest 43 mln stg in low-emission vehicles. Britain
said it would invest 43 million pounds ($67 million) to support
ultra-low-emission vehicles (ULEV), providing more car
charge-points in its towns and cities and helping fund research
into electric buses. Britain's auto industry has been growing
strongly and the value of British car exports has doubled in the
past 10 years.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/britain-autos-idUSL5N0W035620150226


GREEN ENERGY

India says clean energy a $160 bln opportunity over 5 years.
India's renewable energy industry is likely to generate business
opportunities worth $160 billion in the next five years, a
finance ministry report said on Friday, the day before a federal
budget that is set to boost clean energy funding. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi is banking on renewables to fight climate change
rather than committing to emission cuts like China.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/india-renewables-idUSL4N0W135X20150227


Eiffel Tower Turns Green With Windmills Ahead of Climate Confab.
Windmills on the Eiffel Tower? Yes. Two windmills on the Paris
landmark will next week start producing energy as the French
capital looks to use the iconic iron structure to promote its
environmental policies ahead of a climate summit it will host in
December. The blades of the windmills latched on the second floor
of the tower began their lazy turns on Thursday in a week-long
test period.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-27/eiffel-tower-turns-green-with-windmills-ahead-of-climate-confab


Energy Commission sending money for research to Central Valley.
The California Energy Commission has approved almost $16 million
in research grants to help develop the next generation of energy
efficient technologies for commercial and residential buildings,
$11 million for projects to convert feedstock and waste into
biofuels and about $900,000 for natural gas innovations.
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27838 

County governments criticize renewable energy plan. An embattled
plan to promote renewable energy development across the desert
has hit a new roadblock: county governments. Five of the seven
counties covered by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan
— including Riverside, Imperial and San Bernardino — expressed
serious concerns with the 10,000-page document before a public
comment deadline last week.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2015/02/26/county-governments-criticize-renewable-energy-plan/24092121/


EPA, industry assail development plan for vast swath of Calif.
Desert. The Bureau of Land Management has received at least
12,000 public comments on a sweeping renewable energy development
plan for millions of acres of Southern California desert,
including notable critiques from the renewable industry and U.S.
EPA. The public comment period ended this week for the
multi-volume…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014205/print 

MISCELLANEOUS

West Hills Lemoore to offer free emissions, diagnostic tests.
West Hills College Lemoore will offer free car emissions tests
and diagnostic inspections from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 7 for
Valley residents whose vehicles have failed the tests for more
than six months. Valley Clean Air Now and the San Joaquin Valley
Air Pollution Control District will offer the tests in Parking
Lot A of the college.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/27/4399654_west-hills-lemoore-to-offer-free.html?rh=1
 

First emissions free park located in South Pasadena uses
battery-powered mowers, leaf blowers.  Men wearing orange vests,
khaki shirts and snug green caps wielded an arsenal of power
tools at Garfield Park on Thursday afternoon. The landscapers
from Canoga Park-based TruGreen LandCare mowed the grass, blew
the leaves and whacked the weeds, but they did so using only
battery-electric equipment…
http://www.sgvtribune.com/environment-and-nature/20150226/first-emissions-free-park-located-in-south-pasadena-uses-battery-powered-mowers-leaf-blowers


OPINIONS

Amid drought, a turf war between residents and homeowners
associations. Rancho Pacifica, a gated community of spectacular
multimillion dollar homes in the hills east of Del Mar, is not
immune to the ravages of the California drought. Residents, who
can easily afford massive water bills, have sought to reduce
their water consumption — not just because they have to, but
because they want to.
http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82929407/ 

Slam the brakes on gas tax hike. All praise to the State Board of
Equalization, which voted Tuesday to cut California’s gas tax by
6 cents. This is a step in the right direction, but politicians
in Sacramento may soon reverse these gains with an ill-timed and
unnecessary gas-tax hike.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article11255456.html#storylink=cpy


Editorial: Monning bill good start on increasing big-rig safety.
It’s not often that proposed regulations are supported by the
industry the new laws are aimed at. So, with just that support,
we’re optimistic new laws requiring more training for commercial
truck drivers, proposed by state Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel,
will be quickly adopted.
http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150226/editorial-monning-bill-good-start-on-increasing-big-rig-safety

 
Climate change and the Land of Promise. All this talk about
reducing carbon dioxide emissions is something that we hear time
and time again. We heard it during the totally disappointing
Conference of the Parties on Climate Change last year in Lima, at
the climate march held in many cities in the world, after Pope
Francis’ visit last month to typhoon-ravaged Tacloban, and in US
President Barack Obama’s call to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/82916/climate-change-and-the-land-of-promise#ixzz3Sy3xyp1a

BLOGS

How Can We Address Indoor Air Pollution? Do Now. What are the
challenges of addressing indoor air pollution caused by solid
fuel fires for cooking and heating? How can we overcome those
challenges? Does the international community have an obligation
to help? Why or why not?  Introduction.  About three billion
people, particularly in developing regions of Africa, Latin
America and Asia, use open fires to cook and heat their homes.
http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2015/02/26/how-can-the-international-community-address-indoor-air-pollution/


Scientists Tackle a Dual Threat: More Acid, Less Oxygen in the
Ocean. Every summer for the past decade, fishermen and beachgoers
along the Oregon coast have noticed dead crabs scattered along
the shore, sometimes washed up in bunches. No one knows for sure
why it’s happening, but scientists think “dead zones” formed by
low oxygen levels in coastal waters could be the culprit. The
oceans absorb about a third of the carbon dioxide we pump into
Earth’s atmosphere…
http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/02/26/scientists-tackle-a-duel-threat-more-acid-less-oxygen-in-the-ocean/


Nearly All California Voters Think Water Shortage Is A Serious
Problem, Poll Shows. Nearly all California voters believe the
state's water shortage is a serious problem, though they were
split on whether environmental protection should be rolled back
in response, according to a Field Poll released on Thursday.
Winter storms that dropped up to a foot (30 cm) of rain on parts
of California have modestly eased the dry conditions…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/26/california-water-shortage_n_6759800.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics


China's Coal Use and Estimated CO2 Emissions Fell in 2014.  Good
news! China's coal consumption fell by 2.9 percent in 2014, the
first drop in 14 years, according to official Chinese energy
statistics released yesterday. Glen Peters of the Global Carbon
Project calculates that China's CO2 emissions have also fallen,
by 0.7 percent, for the first time this century.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-a-finamore/chinas-coal-use-and-estim_b_6769784.html


Climate Oscillations and the Global Warming Faux Pause. No,
climate change is not experiencing a hiatus. No, there is not
currently a "pause" in global warming. Despite widespread such
claims in contrarian circles, human-caused warming of the globe
proceeds unabated. Indeed, as reported here at The Huffington
Post just last month, the most recent year (2014) was likely the
warmest year on record.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-e-mann/climate-change-pause_b_6671076.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics


It's Time To Hurry Up And Beat A Solar Tax Credit Deadline?
Google GOOGL +1.32% is putting in $300 million in to a $750
million fund for SolarCity SCTY -0.54% to install solar panels on
25,000 residential roofs this year, the two companies announced
today. The fact that Google is backing solar or residential solar
installations or SolarCity’s projects in particular isn’t new.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/02/26/its-time-to-hurry-up-and-beat-a-solar-tax-credit-deadline/


Surprise! CO2 Directly Linked To Global Warming. For the first
time since the climate debate began, a team of researchers led by
the U.S. DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory directly
measured the contribution of increasing atmospheric carbon
dioxide (CO2) to heating of the Earth (Nature). Of course, this
will spark further debate and push-back from folks who really
don’t want climate change to be our fault.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/02/27/surprise-co2-directly-linked-to-global-warming/


California approves sale of DME as compression-ignition engine
fuel. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has
approved specifications for dimethyl ether (DME) used as fuel in
compression ignition engines. (The Department of Food and
Agriculture Division of Measurement Standards has the
responsibility for establishing and enforcing the quality
standards for spark- and compression-ignition engine fuels sold
in California.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150227-dme.html 

Cal Energy Commission adopts report outlining how state
transforming transportation system to meet climate goals. The
California Energy Commission adopted its 2014 Integrated Energy
Policy Report (IEPR) Update, which outlines, among many things,
how the state is working to transform the transportation system
to zero- and near-zero technologies and fuels to meet its climate
and clean air goals.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150226-cec.html 

Senate Bill Introduced To End Ethanol Mandate For Gasoline. A
decade ago, the biofuel ethanol was viewed as one way to reduce
the nation's consumption of oil for transportation fuel. In 2007,
Congress approved the Renewable Fuels Standard, which mandated
increasing amounts of ethanol gradually be blended into the fuel
supply. Now, those rules could be struck down.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097006_senate-bill-introduced-to-end-ethanol-mandate-for-gasoline


New catalyst delivers high yield of biofuel 5-EMF. Researchers in
China have developed an effective method for the conversion of
carbohydrates into liquid biofuels 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF)
over a magnetic solid acid catalyst (Fe3O4@C—SO3H). A paper on
their work is published in the journal Fuel.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150226-emf.html 




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