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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 11, 2015.
Posted: 11 Mar 2015 12:48:51
ARB Newsclips for March 11, 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. AIR POLLUTION Duke Energy fined $25 million over coal ash pollution. North Carolina environmental officials said Tuesday that they are fining Duke Energy $25 million over pollution that has been seeping into groundwater for years from a pair of coal ash pits at a retired power plant. The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources called it the state's largest penalty for environmental damages. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COAL_ASH_FINE_NORTH_CAROLINA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EPA chief hits back at states that 'just say no' to carbon rule. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday warned opponents that the agency will enforce regulations to slash carbon emissions from power plants even if states choose not to cooperate. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy hit back at lawmakers who have called on state officials to ignore federal deadlines to submit plans to comply with the agency's Clean Power Plan… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/usa-climate-epa-idUSL1N0WD1KM20150311 Delhi to Delay Release of Air Quality Data. This megacity’s modest effort to warn residents about unhealthy spikes in air pollution levels will soon end after a government decision to delay releasing the data by at least a day, ostensibly to authenticate it. “The unified system, expected to be in position in maximum two weeks’ time, will ensure authentic air quality information of Delhi to public at large… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/world/asia/delhi-to-delay-release-of-air-quality-data.html State Senate leader urges regulators to close Exide plant in Vernon. California's senate leader is demanding that state regulators immediately close and begin cleaning up an embattled Vernon battery recycling plant that has spewed lead and arsenic into surrounding neighborhoods over decades of operation. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-exide-violations-20150310-story.html GOP senators raise 'red flags' over EPA ozone analysis. Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee yesterday raised what they called six "red flags" about U.S. EPA's cost estimates of a recent proposal to tighten the national ozone standard. Among the issues raised by the GOP senators: EPA allegedly used inflated base-line controls, put an arbitrary cap on known pollution control costs… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060014813/feed CLIMATE CHANGE Cardinal indicates themes of pope's climate change document. A Vatican official who helped write a first draft of Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on climate change acknowledged disagreement over the causes of global warming but said "what is not contested is that our planet is getting warmer" and Christians have a duty rooted in "ancient biblical teaching" to address the problem. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_POPE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-eu--pope-climate-change-20150310-story.html Group wants probe of whether Fla. banned climate-change talk. Did Florida Gov. Rick Scott's administration ban state environmental scientists from using the terms "climate change" and "global warming" in their work? Scott says no, but some former employees say supervisors forbade them from using the terms - a striking charge in a U.S. state considered by climate scientists to be one of the most at risk of damage due to sea rise… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FLORIDA_GOVERNOR_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=392263831 Kochs say no to Dems' probe into climate research funding. The industrial conglomerate run by the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch is refusing to provide Democratic lawmakers with information on whether it has paid for climate change research. Last month, three Democratic senators sent 100 letters to an assortment of fossil-fuel companies and organizations... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KOCH_INDUSTRIES_CLIMATE_SCIENCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT China's Chongqing cuts carbon permit supply. Companies obliged to reduce their carbon emissions in China's pilot carbon exchange in Chongqing will be allocated a smaller number of permits for 2014, with the government tightening its grip on the market to tackle climate change. Market regulators in the southwestern city of Chongqing handed out 116 million 2014 permits early this month… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/10/china-carbon-chongqing-idUSL4N0WC3OU20150310 Why a changing climate could destroy the world’s oldest mummies. Some seven millennia ago or more, a group of people called the Chinchorro lived along the coasts of northern Chile and southern Peru. Their lives revolved around fishing from the rich Pacific waters, even as a uniquely arid desert — the Atacama — lay inland behind them. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/09/why-a-changing-climate-could-destroy-some-of-the-worlds-oldest-mummies/ As Climate Wars Heat Up, Some Skeptics Are Targets. Scientists who warn that the earth's climate is changing have been subjected to hacking, investigations, and even court action in recent years. That ire usually comes from conservative groups and climate skeptics seeking to discredit the research findings. Now it appears that liberals and environmentalists may be using some of the same tactics against the handful of scientists who either deny climate change outright, or think the risks are not as great as stated. http://www.npr.org/2015/03/10/391253086/as-climate-wars-heat-up-some-skeptics-are-targets Major new cuts eyed for greenhouse gases. Nearly a decade after California’s landmark law curbing greenhouse gases was signed, a key author of AB 32 wants to dramatically boost the crackdown on climate-changing carbon emissions over the next 35 years. The principal author of that legislation, Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, has introduced a new bill, SB 32… http://capitolweekly.net/greenhouse-gases-cut-legislation-california/ State regulators to tell senators they need more flexibility on carbon rule. State regulators will offer senators varied insights Wednesday on the proposed federal rule to slash carbon emissions at existing power plants, with Wisconsin warning of potential economic consequences and California seeking more flexibility from the Environmental Protection Agency. http://energyguardian.net/state-regulators-tell-senators-they-need-more-flexibility-carbon-rule Climate change could be good news for gray whales. The gray whale may turn out to be one of the winners in a warmer world. Until a few hundred years ago, gray whales thrived in the Atlantic ocean, but then mysteriously went extinct. A new study published Tuesday suggests that rising sea temperatures due to climate change could help them return to their old habitat once again. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-could-be-good-news-for-gray-whales/ Why Care about Global Warming? Droughts, Poor Harvests, and Social Upheaval Like it? In both industrialized countries and developing countries there may be those who ask “why should we care about global warming?” After all, many people may not feel that they are affected by warming, and may pay scant attention to reports showing the effects of extreme weather and climate events. http://theenergycollective.com/henry-auer/2203036/why-care-about-global-warming-droughts-poor-harvests-and-social-upheaval Climate sceptics attempt to block Merchants of Doubt film. Climate denier Fred Singer lobbied fellow sceptics to create a backlash, and proposed legal action, against the film that exposes industry’s role in manipulating US debate on climate change. On screen, the man widely regarded as the grandfather of climate denial appears a genial participant in a newly-released expose about industry’s efforts to block action on global warming. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/11/climate-sceptics-attempt-to-block-merchants-of-doubt-film Ark. joins legal fight against EPA's carbon rule. Arkansas has joined 13 states that are asking the courts to block U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, following a Republican takeover of the governor's and attorney general's offices in January. In a statement, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said the draft rule for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014826/print How ambitious of a plan will the U.S. submit to global climate talks? As the Obama administration puts the final touches on its submission for a new global climate deal, international leaders and environmental activists say they expect the United States to set an example for the rest of the world. The numbers that the United States will offer up are no secret: Already, the administration has pledged it will cut America's greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014829/print Melting Arctic sea ice may expand range of gray whales. While polar bears and walruses struggle to survive in a rapidly changing climate, gray whales could make a comeback in the Atlantic Ocean. Gray whales disappeared from the Atlantic several hundred years ago, but two recent sightings in the Atlantic and a new study from the City University of New York (CUNY)… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014811/print DROUGHT As official data dries up, Zimbabwe's farmers gauge rainfall themselves. Two months after the first rains fell in Zunzanyika village last autumn, tensions were high. The rains - which mark the start of the planting season - had disappeared as quickly as they had come, and crops planted in October failed to germinate. But unlike many of the smallholder farmers in his village, Takesure Chikata never panicked. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/zimbabwe-rainfall-idUSL5N0WC3LM20150311 Bureaucratic infighting hampers action on droughts: U.N. official. Infighting between competing government departments has weakened the world's ability to tackle droughts, a U.N. official said as scientists meet at an international conference in Mexico this week to discuss desertification. Most governments do not have a separate ministry to handle issues related to water, droughts or land management… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/10/us-food-climatechange-disaster-idUSKBN0M60XF20150310 Reservoirs for East Bay water users near 38-year lows. Levels at Sierra reservoirs that supply water for 1.3 million East Bay customers are as low as they’ve been in nearly 40 years, and it could take a miracle to make them better before the onset of the long dry season, officials were told Tuesday. The East Bay Municipal Utility District reservoirs contain less than half the water they usually do at this time of year. http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Reservoirs-for-East-Bay-water-users-near-40-year-6126613.php?t=746d0d813f00af33be&cmpid=twitter-premium Despite Drought, Not Time For Drastic Measures. Here in California it can be frustrating to see the East Coast and Midwest buried in snow while the west remains bone dry. But the news can be hard to avoid. Snow piling up so high, cities are struggling to get rid of it, while the west remains stormless. Seems like a waste. Surely there's a way some of that extra snow can be moved to where it's needed. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/11/despite-drought,-not-time-for-drastic-measures/ Big water rate hike plan reduced by Santa Clara Valley Water District. Facing a public outcry and some skepticism from their board of directors, the top staff of the Silicon Valley's largest drinking water provider on Tuesday suggested reducing a proposed drought-related water rate hike this year from 31 percent to 19 percent. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27687593/california-drought-big-water-rate-hike-plan-reduced LUMBER LIQUIDATORS/FORMALDEHYDE Consolidation sought for Lumber Liquidators lawsuits. A California lawyer is seeking to consolidate 10 proposed class actions filed by consumers claiming that Chinese-made flooring products sold by Lumber Liquidators contained excessive levels of formaldehyde. On Monday, San Diego-based attorney Ronald Marron asked the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to transfer Lumber Liquidators litigation to the… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/10/products-lumber-mdls-idUSL1N0WC29J20150310 Homeowners Try to Assess Risks From Chemical in Floors. Installing a new wood floor is usually about aesthetics: brown or black? Glossy or matte? Now, some Americans and businesses are grappling with another feature: formaldehyde. Uneasy consumers have flooded state and federal safety agencies with inquiries about Lumber Liquidators, the discount flooring retailer accused in a “60 Minutes” episode of selling laminate wood with high levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/business/homeowners-try-to-assess-risks-from-chemical-in-floors.html?_r=1 Embattled Lumber Liquidators says it has enough cash for ‘foreseeable future’ Lumber Liquidators shareholders will get their first look on Thursday at how the hardwood floor retailer is dealing with the fallout from a damaging “60 Minutes” report. The Toano, Va.-based company said Tuesday it will discuss the safety of its products, its outlook for the first quarter and its liquidity during a conference call with investors. http://nypost.com/2015/03/10/embattled-lumber-liquidators-says-it-has-enough-cash-for-foreseeable-future/ Lumber Liquidators Stock Soars as Investors Question '60 Minutes' Report. A growing number of hedge funds and large investors are questioning the methodology behind CBS' “60 minutes” report that suggested Lumber Liquidators' (LL) laminate flooring product has high levels of the cancer-causing toxin formaldehyde. In recent days, the stock has been pummeled since the network's expose, the FOX Business Network has learned. http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2015/03/11/lumber-liquidators-stock-soars-as-investors-question-60-minutes-report/ Has Lumber Liquidators finally found a floor? On a day when the broad market was battered, beaten-down Lumber Liquidators LL jumped as much as 14% in early Tuesday trading, ahead of a Thursday conference call with Wall Street analysts to discuss its current woes and offer first-quarter earnings and revenue guidance. Shares ended the session up 6% to $29.58. http://americasmarkets.usatoday.com/2015/03/10/has-lumber-liquidators-finally-found-a-floor/ Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc (NYSE:LL) Sets Date To Put Records Straight. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc (NYSE:LL) is not willing to take the attacks on the quality of its products lying down. The company has decided to act with the date set on March 12 for what it calls Business Update. Lumber intends to use the opportunity to set the records straight about its liquidity and claims that its flooring products contain higher levels of toxin. http://www.usmarketsdaily.com/lumber-liquidators-holdings-inc-nysell-sets-date-to-put-records-straight-10231 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Cruise Lines Are Urged to Cut Fuel Emissions. Operators of some of the world’s biggest cruise ships are facing calls to bring their fuel emissions while at Asia-Pacific ports into line with stricter air-quality standards in the U.S. and Europe. Many popular destinations, including Singapore, Australia and several of the Pacific Islands, apply international maritime guidelines restricting ships’ emissions of sulfur… http://www.wsj.com/articles/cruise-lines-are-urged-to-cut-fuel-emissions-1426090406 FUELS Coal Assets Abound for Those Willing to Bet on Rebound: Real M&A. For patient investors brave enough to call a bottom on coal, now may be the time to invest in the estimated $15 billion of mines up for grabs. Coal has lost more than half its value in the past four years. Expanding production and an economic slowdown in China, the largest market for the fuel, created a supply glut. Now Glencore Plc, the world’s biggest shipper of power-station coal… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-10/coal-assets-abound-for-those-willing-to-bet-on-rebound-real-m-a Biofuels Group to Ask Congress for Revamped Renewable Fuel Standards. Biofuels companies have been pressured by lower oil prices and regulatory uncertainty. Companies that make alternative fuels, pressured by lower oil prices and regulatory uncertainty, are launching a push for legislation to make it more likely fledgling segments of the biofuels industry can survive. http://www.wsj.com/articles/biofuels-group-to-ask-congress-for-revamped-renewable-fuel-standards-1426071642 California Regulators Say Lax Oversight Allowed Oil-Industry Contamination. California regulators on Tuesday acknowledged lax oversight by the state had allowed oil and gas industry contamination of protected water aquifers and other threats to public safety, and they pledged to intensify protection of water sources and public health. http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-regulators-say-lax-oversight-allowed-oil-industry-contamination-1426025444 China’s push to cut coal use may be bad news for U.S. exporters. As its national legislature adjourns this week, China has signaled it intends to further lower coal consumption, reducing pollution but also rocking coal-export industries from Australia to the Pacific Northwest. China is the world’s largest energy user, with an economy heavily dependent on cheap, coal-generated power. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/11/4420648_chinas-push-to-cut-coal-use-may.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy BioMass Module Reduces Plant CO2 Emissions 85%. MARG Energy, which converts CO2 emissions into algae that can then be used by the fuel, food and pharmaceutical industries, says its technology can help power plants, smokestacks, businesses and schools reduce CO2 emissions by 85 percent. The company says the US algae marketplace is estimated at $400 billion, and $12 trillion globally. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/03/11/biomass-module-reduces-plant-co2-emissions-85/#ixzz3U6BnwTUi VEHICLES Tesla battery swap at Harris Ranch? Not quite. Rumors, news reports and social media posts suggest that Tesla Motors has opened a battery swap facility at its Harris Ranch, Calif., supercharger station. It is said to be capable of replacing the battery in a Model S electric sedan in under three minutes. Not exactly. A battery swap facility has opened next to the Tesla-branded supercharger, at the famed gas-and-grub motorists'… http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-battery-swap-harris-ranch-20150310-story.html Have diesel cars been unfairly demonised for air pollution? The car industry on Wednesday launched a campaign to “challenge the increasing demonisation of diesel” vehicles. The campaign, launched by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), promotes the credentials of the new Euro-6 standards. This Europe-wide law, which will come into force in September, limits nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from new diesel cars to 80mg/km in order to bring down air pollution levels that breach health regulations in many EU cities. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/11/have-diesel-cars-been-unfairly-demonised-for-air-pollution GREEN ENERGY US, California modify area for renewable energy plants. The state and federal governments will move forward on less than half the California desert land initially designated for renewable energy plants, officials said Tuesday, leaving millions of acres in limbo as local governments decide how they want to handle large-scale solar, wind and geothermal projects. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_RENEWABLE_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03/10/us/ap-us-california-renewable-energy.html US lifts sanctions on Belarus energy company. The United States is lifting sanctions on a Belarus energy company, underscoring a thaw in relations in the wake of Minsk's key role in negotiations over Ukraine. The US announced online that it was lifting sanctions against Belorusneft that were implemented in 2011 in response to the company's announcement that it would begin work in Iran. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BELARUS_SANCTIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Solar plane pilots urge India to support clean energy drive. The Swiss pilots of a solar-powered airplane on a historic round-the-world journey said Wednesday that they want the people of India to support their campaign for clean energy, a day after the aircraft landed in the country. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOLAR_PLANE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Greek minister: government opposes energy privatizations. Greece's energy and environment minister says his new government is "radically opposed" to the privatization of "strategic sectors and businesses," particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Speaking at an energy conference in Athens on Wednesday, Panagiotis Lafazanis said he didn't understand why privatizations "have become synonymous with reforms" for some. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GREECE_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Germany seeks to boost renewable sources of heating. Germany's government set out changes to subsidy guidelines on Wednesday to try and boost the renewable sources of energy used to heat buildings and offices as it strives to avoid missing its ambitious climate targets. Renewable sources of energy accounted for almost 28 percent of Germany's electricity last year, but only 9.9 percent of its heating, far below a target for a 14 percent share by 2020. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/us-germany-energy-heating-idUSKBN0M717J20150311 Desert renewable energy plan is altered to win counties' support. The California desert may be a green energy developer's dream, but county officials have serious concerns about a plan to manage renewable energy projects on 22 million acres of the state's sunniest public and private lands. In an effort to maintain county support, state and federal sponsors of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0311-desert-20150311-story.html http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/03/11/50293/public-opposition-forces-retooling-for-california/ Turning San Diego’s Electrical Grid Into 100% Renewable Energy. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s Climate Action Plan calls for many changes to the way we live day to day — everything from reducing car use to boosting recycling. But one of its biggest goals is making the city's electrical grid use only renewable energy by 2035. Renewable energy means power that comes from sources that don’t deplete over time, including solar power… http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/mar/10/turning-san-diego-electrical-grid-renewable-energy/ Nicaragua's Renewable Energy Revolution Picks Up Steam. Nicaragua produces no oil, but is a land of fierce winds, tropical sun and rumbling volcanoes. In other words, it's a renewable energy paradise — and today the Central American nation is moving quickly to become a green energy powerhouse. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=392111931 First Solar, SunPower joint venture will own rooftop systems. First Solar and SunPower, the two largest U.S. solar-panel manufacturers, said their joint venture will own a stake in residential rooftop systems in addition to large-scale projects in California and Maryland. 8point3 Energy Partners will hold 432 megawatts in total capacity…http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27685388/first-solar-sunpower-joint-venture-will-own-rooftop U.S. has a 15% share of trillion-dollar global clean energy market, report finds. The United States commanded a 15 percent share of the $1.3 trillion global market for advanced energy systems in 2014, with revenue in this sector growing at five times the rate as the economy as a whole, according to a report, released yesterday. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014827/print Discredited Solar Warming Theory Still Has a Long Reach. Climate contrarian Willie Soon has been one of the most influential promoters of the idea that 'isn't even remotely credible.' The widely discredited theory that natural solar cycles are driving global warming has been part of the national conversation surrounding climate change for years… http://insideclimatenews.org/news/11032015/discredited-solar-global-warming-theory-still-has-long-reach-climate-change-skeptic-willie-soon-inhofe Report sees big gains from moving to renewables as SolarCity unveils new plan. Texas could realize billions of dollars in savings if more power generation made the transition toward alternatives such as wind and solar while moving away from coal, Public Citizen said yesterday in a new report. The study came the same day SolarCity Corp. announced a new program for consumers who want to produce electricity… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060014831/print Energy development in eastern U.S. may jeopardize 5.4M acres of forest – report. A swath of eastern U.S. forest bigger than the state of Maryland is vulnerable to future energy development, according to a new analysis backed by the Department of the Interior and the Nature Conservancy. Appalachia is the East's "energy resource hub," with a long legacy of coal mining and other fossil fuel development, states the report… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014828/print MISCELLANEOUS California Safe Soil raising $7.1M to build plant at McClellan. Safe Soil's Dan Morash, left, and Mark LeJeune are at the West Sacramento plant in this 2013 file photo. With the success of the pilot plant, the food recycling and fertilizing company is raising money to build a new one at McClellan Business Park. The company has operated a pilot plant in West Sacramento since 2012. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/10/california-safe-soil-raising-7-1to-build-plant-at.html OPINIONS End the Ethanol Rip-Off. WITH the collapse in global oil prices, members of Congress are once again pushing to raise the federal gasoline tax, with the proceeds going to new roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects. While some in Congress might be averse to a tax increase of any kind, they might find it more palatable if it came packaged with a tax cut. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/opinion/end-the-ethanol-rip-off.html?_r=0 CASSIE MACDUFF: Sometimes, ‘red tape' wraps up public good. Whenever I hear critics blasting regulation as some horrible boogeyman, I think about Inland Empire air. When I moved to this area in 1986, the smog was so bad you often couldn’t see across the street, let alone view the majestic mountains all around. Gradual tightening of air-quality regulations has slowly but surely cleaned up the air to the point that smog-obscured views… http://www.pe.com/articles/air-761840-pollution-lung.html?page=1 OUR OPINION: Wood-stove rules need some help to clear the air. Stricter standards are a start, but incentives are needed to replace older models. Wood stoves provide affordable, comfortable heat for a good number of Mainers, and are a reliable backup source of warmth for many more. They also produce pollution that exacerbates health problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease… http://www.centralmaine.com/2015/03/11/our-opinion-wood-stove-rules-need-some-help-to-clear-the-air/ BLOGS How Fast And How Deep Will Utilities Venture Into The Solar Energy Craze? The recent showdown in Arizona between customers who generate electricity using rooftop solar panels and the Salt River Project is a microcosm of the national phenomenon: Questions persist over how to allocate the cost of running the grid and how utilities should be investing for the future. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2015/03/10/how-fast-and-how-deep-will-utilities-venture-into-the-solar-energy-craze/ A Hardwood Flooring Insider's Take On Lumber Liquidators. I am president of a regional retail flooring company, as well as an investor in a hardwood and laminate distribution company operating through a network of over 250 retail stores, builders and contractors in five states. Our retail business has historically shown a high degree of correlation between its financial performance and that of Lumber Liquidators (NYSE:LL). http://seekingalpha.com/article/2991616-a-hardwood-flooring-insiders-take-on-lumber-liquidators Noted Short Sellers Get Long Lumber Liquidators (LL), While Others Dig In. While short sellers continue to attack Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL), shares are up 4% in pre-open trading Wednesday. This is on top of yesterday's 5.8% move higher. Shares remain down 55% since word spread of the negative 60 Minutes piece on February 25. http://www.streetinsider.com/Insiders+Blog/Noted+Short+Sellers+Get+Long+Lumber+Liquidators+%28LL%29,+While+Others+Dig+In/10361385.html 32 States What? Senator Inhofe's Fuzzy Math on States and EPA. Sen. Jim Inhofe opened an Environment and Public Works Committee hearing today with chart that paints 32 states (in green no less!) as though they have lined up solidly in opposition to EPA's Clean Power Plan. Inhofe's chart is intended to give the impression that states are in open revolt against EPA's first-ever limits on power plant carbon pollution… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ddoniger/32_states_what_senator_inhofes.html Global Warming May Ramp Up Methane Flow from Groundwater into Arctic Lakes. Global warming may ramp up the flow of methane from groundwater into Arctic lakes, allowing more of the potent greenhouse gas to bubble out into the atmosphere, according to a new study led by researchers at UC Santa Cruz. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=21577 Audi to have a plug-in hybrid in every model series; new BEV in 2018. Audi will have a plug-in hybrid in every model series in the coming years as part of its efforts in efficiency and sustainability, said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management at Audi AG for Technical Development, during his speech at Audi’s Annual Press Conference in Ingolstadt. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150311-audi-1.html UPDATE: Audi Q6 (Tesla Model X Competitor) Confirmed: Sleek Electric SUV May Beat It On Range. With the all-new 2016 Audi Q7 now launched at last week's Geneva Motor Show, and a diesel plug-in hybrid model to follow, luxury maker Audi can turn its attention to its next utility project. That would be a stylish all-electric crossover SUV that takes direct aim at the Tesla Model X… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097157_tesla-model-x-competitor-confirmed-by-audi-sleek-electric-suv-may-beat-it-on-range California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.