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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 2, 2015.
Posted: 02 Apr 2015 15:34:13
ARB Newsclips for April 2, 2015. Newsclips are for April 1 and April 2, 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 Methane leaks from gas distribution network are far below EPA estimates, study says. Leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas and the primary component of natural gas, from pipelines and distribution centers are less than the federal government currently estimates, according to a new study. The study finds that the United States' natural gas distribution network is leaking between 393 and 854 gigagrams per year of methane. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016093/print Judges skeptical of Iowans' push to regulate CAFO air pollution. A group of Iowa residents today took to federal court their fight to force U.S. EPA to regulate air pollution rising from animal feeding operations under the Clean Air Act. The Winneshiek County citizens claim the agency has ignored scientific findings by not setting air standards for ammonium and hydrogen sulfide emitted from concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016194/print Experts at workshop likely to reinforce Texas' doubts on ozone standard. Texas environmental regulators say that a three-day workshop scheduled for next week will focus on the science and policy questions surrounding ground-level ozone, a key component of smoggy city air. The workshop, to be held in Austin beginning Tuesday, comes as U.S. EPA is weighing comments on a proposal to tighten the national standard for ozone from 75 parts per billion to between 65 and 70 ppb. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016126/print CLIMATE CHANGE How will Clean Power Plan compliance be tracked? Critics of U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan frequently argue that requiring states to reduce carbon emissions will threaten the grid's reliability and drive up utility bills. Those are the big-ticket items to worry about, said Brenda Brickhouse, environment vice president for the Tennessee Valley Authority. She's also uneasy about something else: creating an inexpensive, uncomplicated compliance program to keep track of emission reduction data. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060016178/print Western cities had hottest March on record. While much of the nation shivered, many Western cities sweltered through their hottest March on record. Cities in California, Arizona, Texas, Nevada and even Montana had record high temperatures on individual days last month, according to the National Weather Service. Some also racked up unusual overall temperatures or streaks of balmy weather. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HOT_MARCH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-04-01-19-49-47 Obama’s Strategy on Climate Change, Part of Global Deal, Is Revealed. The White House on Tuesday introduced President Obama’s blueprint for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by nearly a third over the next decade. Mr. Obama’s plan, part of a formal written submission to the United Nations ahead of efforts to forge a global climate change accord in Paris in December, detailed the United States’ part of an ambitious joint pledge made by Mr. Obama and President Xi Jinping of China in November. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/01/us/obama-to-offer-major-blueprint-on-climate-change.html?_r=0 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-31/obama-s-new-climate-change-plan-in-two-charts http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/31/obama-administration-citing-climate-risks-plans-steep-cuts-in-greenhouse-gas-pollution/ U.S. Sticks With 26-28 Percent by 2025 Cut but Gives Itself Wiggle Room to Negotiate. The U.S. opted not to budge from an earlier pledge to cut greenhouse gases 26 percent to 28 percent over the next decade in its March 31 formal submission toward a global climate accord, but it kept the door open to possibly agreeing to cuts closer to the higher end of that range at the Paris climate summit in December. http://www.bna.com/us-sticks-2628-n17179924831/ Major study shows biodiversity losses can be reversed. Most people would probably agree that human pressures on the land are bad news for wildlife. Practices such as agriculture can introduce pollutants to the environment, force out wildlife, and change local ecosystems forever. A new study published today in the journal Nature gives a global view of this damage since the 1500s. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504020502M2______EUPR_____c2de0000016c8d82_3600-1 Mild 2014 Seen Cutting EU Carbon Market Emissions to Record. Carbon dioxide emissions in the European Union’s cap-and-trade program, the world’s largest, probably fell to a record last year as warmer-than-average weather curbed demand for gas and power. Emissions from companies covered by the program dropped 5.8 percent to 1.798 billion metric tons in 2014, according to the median forecast of six analysts… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-01/eu-carbon-market-emissions-seen-at-record-low-on-warm-weather Oceans might take 1,000 years to recover from climate change, study suggests. Naturally occurring climate change lowered oxygen levels in the deep ocean, decimating a broad spectrum of seafloor life that took some 1,000 years to recover, according to a study that offers a potential window into the effects of modern warming. Earth's recovery from the last glacial period, in fact, was slower and more brutal than previously thought… http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83191943/ Reducing Climate Change Would 'Create One Million Jobs.' As the March 31 deadline for countries to submit their proposals for tackling irreversible climate change passes, a new report claims lives could be spared, the climate could be saved from catastrophic and irreversible change, and one million jobs could be created if green policies are initiated. http://www.newsweek.com/report-1-million-jobs-created-if-climate-goals-reached-318280 What California Can Teach Other States about Climate Change. 2006 was a good year for environmentalists. Al Gore had just released his documentary about climate change, “An Inconvenient Truth,” to enthusiastic appraisals, and was travelling across the U.S. to spread the word. http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/what-california-can-teach-other-states-about-climate-change?mbid=rss Tom Steyer’s group shutters climate policy arm as political efforts ramp up. The move indicates that Steyer will probably shift more resources toward his attempts to sway the 2016 elections. The nonprofit launched by environmentalist Tom Steyer is shutting down its climate and energy program, in a likely signal that the billionaire is shifting resources to his organization’s political arm ahead of the presidential elections. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/tom-steyer-nonprofit-shuts-down-climate-program-116584.html#ixzz3WAoIsnJB Chuck Schumer Votes Reliably on Climate, but Rarely Leads. Probable next Senate Democratic leader calls for climate action while keeping quiet on fracking. 'It hasn't been where he's put most of his time.' Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the probable next Senate Democratic leader, has been vocal about the need for climate action and has compiled a solid pro-environment voting record, but he's never been a leader on the issue, environmentalists and political experts said. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/01042015/chuck-schumer-reliable-vote-climate-not-leader-democrats Schumer Called Mixed Bag for Energy Industry, Follows ‘Awesome' Reid. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is emerging as the likely successor to Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) as leader of Senate Democrats, presents a mixed bag for the energy industry, analysts told Bloomberg BNA. On the one hand, he opposes a mandate requiring billions of gallons of ethanol and other biofuels into the nation's fuel supply and supports hydraulic fracturing. http://www.bna.com/schumer-called-mixed-n17179924870/ Ocean Changes Linked to 2010 Hurricanes, Bitter Winters. An invisible workhorse of the Atlantic Ocean tirelessly shuffles cold and warm water back and forth between tropical and Arctic waters, dragging heat away from the equator. Scientists credit rich Atlantic fisheries and mild Mediterranean winters with the sheer power of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, or AMOC. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/ocean-link-to-hurricanes-bitter-winters-18846 Antarctica’s Record High Temp Bodes Ill for Ice. The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming spots on the planet, but in recent days, a stubborn weather pattern sent temperatures skyrocketing there, setting a record high for the continent. While the event that set the mercury soaring — called a Chinook, or foehn wind — isn’t unusual for the region, it does seem to be increasing with climate change, as winds around Antarctica become stronger. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/antarctica-record-high-temp-bodes-ill-for-ice-18840 Canada: Ontario’s Climate Change Discussion Paper, 2015 – What’s In It And Where Will It Lead? The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change released Ontario's Climate Change Discussion Paper, 2015 in February 2015 . The purpose of the Discussion Paper is to elicit feedback from the people of Ontario. In person consultations are taking place with First Nations and Métis communities and in cities across the province. http://www.dentons.com/en/insights/newsletters/2015/march/31/climate-change-newsletter/climate-change-newsletter-issue-8?ParentItemID=ugyG+xoGEo0R+Uhpftk7DVYOwEJ/IQrR4yhkipTnx6ggQZEX5tMZsQ==&Archive=False#ontario?utm_source=Mondaq&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=LinkedIn-integration Republicans demand answers on EPA scientific predictions. Four Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Republicans asked U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy again yesterday to show how the climate projections her agency uses in its rulemakings have squared with observed warming in recent years. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016206/print MIT researchers say reprogramming traffic lights could cut urban emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions in traffic-clogged cities could be reduced by simply reprogramming traffic lights to stimulate more efficient traffic flows, according to new research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The findings, detailed in two papers published in the journals Transportation Science and Transportation Research, describe an approach that combines vehicle data with city data… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016088/print DROUGHT California Drought Is Worsened by Global Warming, Scientists Say. The severe California drought that has led the state to order cutbacks in water use may not have been set off by climate change, scientists say, but global warming is making the situation worse. “The drought is made of two components: not enough rain and too much heat,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/02/science/california-drought-is-worsened-by-global-warming-scientists-say.html?partner=socialflow&smid=tw-nytnational&_r=2 Brown orders California's first mandatory water restrictions: 'It's a different world'. Standing in a brown field that would normally be smothered in several feet of snow, Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday ordered cities and towns across California to cut water use by 25% as part of a sweeping set of mandatory drought restrictions, the first in state history. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83191987/ http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/01/california-drought-mandatory-water-reductions/70780554/ http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/01/4457426/smallest-snowpack-in-history-adds.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_27827782/california-drought-gov-brown-join-water-officials-search?source=most_viewed Water-conscious Peninsula expects lighter hit from Brown’s water cutback order. Despite ranking among the state’s lowest water users, even Monterey Peninsula residents will likely be required to cut back a little more as a result of Gov. Jerry Brown’s historic order setting mandatory water use restrictions. Aimed at reaching a statewide 25 percent reduction in water use… http://www.montereyherald.com/environment-and-nature/20150401/water-conscious-peninsula-expects-lighter-hit-from-browns-water-cutback-order Farmers, Water Agencies React To Brown's Water Order. An executive order from Governor Jerry Brown imposes a 25 percent mandatory water reduction on California cities and towns. It’s the first such order in the state’s history. Cannon Michael says that’s enough. He farms 10,000 acres of tomatoes and corn in Central California. “Compare a 25 percent reduction in urban use to a zero percent allocations for thousands of farms. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/01/farmers,-water-agencies-react-to-browns-water-order/ New California Water Reductions Don't Apply to Farmers. Agriculture in California consumes about 80 percent of water used by humans. Brown’s executive order requires farmers to submit information on water usage to the state, but not to cut back further. Jay Lund of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences says across-the-board cuts to agriculture would be economically disruptive. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/01/new-california-water-reductions-dont-apply-to-farmers/ Bleak California Snowpack ‘Obliterates’ Record Low. April 1 is supposed to mark the high point of California’s snowpack. It’s when officials estimate how much water they’re going to see flowing into reservoirs as winter’s snow melts during the spring and summer. But after this hot, dry winter, there wasn’t much to measure, and the snowpack came in at a shocking 6 percent of normal — an all-time record low. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-snowpack-obliterates-record-low-18847 Calif. water-use crackdown exposes rift between cities, farms. Drought-stricken California will enforce a mandatory water cutback of 25 percent for urban residents because the state's situation is dire, officials said yesterday after Gov. Jerry Brown (D) issued an executive order with numerous water savings edicts. On the same day that a reading of the state snowpack showed the lowest level in recorded history, California leaders in charge of water, agriculture, fish and game, and other resources painted the outlook as grim. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016203/print LUMBER LIQUIDATORS/FORMALDEHYDE Washington Law Firm Files Suit Against Lumber Liquidators. The law firm of Hagens Berman filed the suit today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The law firm of Hagens Berman filed the suit today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Lumber Liquidators began offering free in-home formaldehyde testing kits to customers who bought laminate flooring products following a bruising March 1 report on the CBS News program 60 Minutes. http://wydaily.com/2015/04/01/california-law-firm-files-suit-against-lumber-liquidators?cat=localnews/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Consol Energy rolls out equipment to cut emissions at its airport drilling operations. As Consol Energy drills beneath Pittsburgh International Airport, it's now using new high-horsepower engines designed to significantly cut air pollution emitted by its hydraulic fracturing fleet -- and it has become the first natural gas producer to deploy them, the company said Wednesday. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504020821KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_35092_20722-1 FUELS California energy tech firm pushing gas-to-liquids technology. A San Francisco company that has come up with a less expensive technology to convert natural gas to gasoline, diesel and other liquids is seeking to put it to use on a larger commercial scale. Siluria Technologies uses a catalyst to convert methane into ethylene, a building block for petrochemicals… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/01/siluria-natgas-gasoline-idUSL2N0WW2KI20150401 EU reaches tentative cap on food-based biofuels –sources. The European Union reached a tentative deal on Wednesday on a 7 percent limit on how much crop-based biofuel can be used in the transport sector, EU sources said. The agreement on a legal text, thrashed out by representatives of the European Commission, the parliament and member states follows years of argument on traditional biofuels… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/01/eu-biofuels-idUSL6N0WY35820150401?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews China sells Australia-spec gasoline cargo, eyes growing market. Chinese refiners are setting their eyes on Australia as a new destination for gasoline exports, as they crank up production of the motor fuel to meet rising domestic demand, industry sources said. Investments by refiners to produce cleaner fuels as part of a national drive to curb domestic vehicle emissions has meant some are now able to meet stringent Australian specifications, opening up a new and potentially growing market. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/02/china-gasoline-idUSL3N0WZ1M820150402 German Cabinet Approves Anti-Fracking Draft Law. Draft legislation effectively bans shale gas fracking for at least five years. Germany’s cabinet approved draft legislation on Wednesday effectively banning shale gas fracking for at least five years despite growing concern along business and western allies that the country is too reliant on gas imports from Russia. http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-cabinet-approves-anti-fracking-draft-law-1427896555 Formula E racing fuel so environmentally friendly, it’s drinkable. Like other aspects of Formula E, the all-electric racing series coming to the city this weekend, the fuel used to charge the batteries powering the cars is easy on the environment. How easy? You can safely drink it. The fuel, glycerol, is a colorless, odorless sugar alcohol synthesized from salt water alga and burns in a specially-modified… http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150401/formula-e-racing-fuel-so-environmentally-friendly-its-drinkable FUEL: What's in summer gas blend? Beginning today, the gasoline you pump into your car will be a bit different, and air-quality officials say it will help us breathe a bit easier. The summer blend is refined to have less of the volatile hydrocarbon chemicals, such as butane and pentane. It will thus evaporate less than the winter blends when under similar conditions. Reducing how much gasoline can evaporate helps reduce smog. http://www.pe.com/articles/summer-763648-air-gasoline.html Navy biofuels programs sail on amid sinking oil prices. Navy officials say it's full steam ahead for the service's alternative fuels program, despite the plummeting price of oil globally. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Joseph Bryan said the service is "driving towards the goal" of deriving half the service's energy from alternative sources by 2020. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016196/print Guardian Media Group to divest its £800m fund from fossil fuels. GMG becomes largest fund yet known to pull out of coal, oil and gas companies in a move chair Neil Berkett calls a ‘hard-nosed business decision’ justified on ethical and financial grounds. The Guardian Media Group (GMG) is to sell all the fossil fuel assets in its investment fund of over £800m, making it the largest yet known to pull out of coal, oil and gas companies. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/01/guardian-media-group-to-divest-its-800m-fund-from-fossil-fuels VEHICLES Tesla Buyers Making Twice U.S. Average See Rebates in Danger. California’s incentives to purchase electric vehicles are under attack, as data shows most of the money goes to consumers who earn twice the national average yet collect cash rebates on Tesla Motors Inc.’s luxury models. “It’s hard for the average Californian to understand why someone buying a $100,000 car should get a rebate… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-02/tesla-buyers-making-twice-u-s-average-find-rebates-under-fire Renault delivers Twizy number 15,000 to the municipality of Florence, Italy. Florence asserts its commitment to electric transport. Renault's cooperation with the city of Florence began in 2011 when Matteo Renzi (then mayor of Florence) signed an agreement with the Renault-Nissan Alliance on promotion of the electric vehicle. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504010658M2______EUPR_____5c970000022ce98f_3600-1 U Toronto LCA suggests that with CNG as primary vehicle energy source, EVs best targeted at non-attainment areas. A team at the University of Toronto has examined the life cycle air emissions (climate change and human health) impact benefits and life cycle ownership costs of compressed natural gas (CNG) use directly in conventional vehicles (CV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV)… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150401-luk.html UPS to add 1,400 new CNG vehicles over next year; building 15 new CNG fueling stations. UPS announced plans to purchase and deploy 1,400 new CNG vehicles over the next year, representing a 27.5% increase to UPS’ current industry-leading alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet of 5,088 vehicles worldwide. To support the purchase and planned deployment of the 1,400 new CNG vehicles, UPS plans to build 15 compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150402-ups.html Kia Soul EV To Go On Sale In Five More States By This June. When the Kia Soul EV electric car debuted just over a year ago, Kia planned a fairly cautious roll out. The electric tall wagon would launch in California, and sales would expand to other states at an undetermined future point. Then reality struck. It turned out that buyers really liked the idea of an all-electric tall wagon with 93 miles of range. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097563_kia-soul-ev-to-go-on-sale-in-five-more-states-by-this-june Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Mar: Leaf Surpasses Volt In Total Sales Since 2010. For more than four years, the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt have been the highest-volume plug-in electric cars sold in the U.S. Last month, for the first time in roughly three years, the Nissan Leaf's total U.S. sales surpassed those of the Chevrolet Volt. With March deliveries of 1,817 Leafs, compared to 639 Volts, the Leaf surged past the Volt to a total of 76,407 sold since December 2010--against 75,231 for the Volt. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097589_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-mar-leaf-surpasses-volt-in-total-sales-since-2010 GREEN ENERGY GE Makes Once-a-Decade Bet on Big Turbines as Energy Use Surges. General Electric Co.’s industrial overhaul rests in part on a piece of machinery that’s larger than a Winnebago and weighs as much as a Boeing 747. Now, it just needs to work. GE plans to deliver its newest gas turbine in July, a decade after the rollout of an earlier model that was hindered by performance issues and sold poorly. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-01/ge-makes-once-a-decade-bet-on-big-turbines-as-energy-use-surges Siemens receives major order for 300-MW wind project in Oklahoma. Hamburg - Siemens has been awarded an order from Apex Clean Energy to supply, support installation and provide long-term service for 130 wind turbines for the 299-megawatts (MW) Kay Wind project to be located in Kay County, Oklahoma. Installation of the wind turbines is scheduled to begin this year, with the start of operations expected for the fourth quarter of 2015. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504010701M2______EUPR_____bf69000001a9e9cc_3600-1 Clouds on horizon for solar projects. Municipal and large commercial solar projects in Massachusetts are being stymied by caps on net metering, which gives a credit for any unused energy they provide to the electrical grid, and incentive to install new panel arrays, advocates said yesterday. The caps for both large private and public solar projects in National Grid territory were hit within the past two weeks… http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504020107KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_60746_2787-1 Green Investment Bank's new wind power fund pulls in 463 mln pounds. Britain's Green Investment Bank (GIB) has raised 463 million pounds ($685 million) in the first close of its offshore wind power fund, it said on Wednesday. The bank was created in 2012 by the government to back green energy projects in Britain and to spur private sector investment in the low-carbon energy sector. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/01/funds-britain-idUSL6N0WX3PY20150401 An unnecessary delay for Mojave Desert renewable energy plan. Federal and state officials have spent six years examining how best to allocate land in the Mojave Desert to satisfy two disparate environmental imperatives: renewable energy to reduce Californians' thirst for gas and oil, and conservation to preserve unique places and protect wildlife in the desert's fragile habitat. By identifying the least environmentally sensitive land in advance, the state hoped to expedite the permitting process for energy developments. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83191734/ Northwest US wind power output falls in 2015. Wind generation in the Northwest Power Pool in the first three months of 2015 fell by 19pc from a year earlier while load declined by 9pc. An unusually warm winter in the pool's territory, which covers the northwest US and western Canada, has cut into the snowpack and boosted hydropower generation at the same time as wind output fell. http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1017550&menu=yes Analysis: California grid eyes 50pc renewable goal. Fulfilling a possible state mandate for procuring 50pc of electricity from renewable sources requires savvy consumers, energy storage and finding uses for excessive daytime solar power generation, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) says. The 50pc goal proposed by governor Jerry Brown (D) is achievable with the right set of policies… http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1016800&menu=yes Los Angeles can add more solar, study says. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power can significantly expand its use of solar energy to replace the coal-fired generation the utility is dropping from its supply mix, according to a study. The municipal utility can increase its solar capacity to 1,500MW by 2025 from the current 153.5MW if it can overcome the challenges of slowing existing programs… http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1017070&menu=yes State regulators plead for break on Clean Power Plan rules until court challenges end. U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy may be so certain of the Clean Power Plan's legal footing that she doesn't need to develop a Plan B, as she said this week. But many state regulators are worried that they will devote time, finances and resources to the challenge of lowering their power sectors' greenhouse gas emissions, only to see the unprecedented EPA rule thrown out by federal courts. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/02/stories/1060016169 Marine life at seafloor may take 1,000 years to recover from climate change. Invertebrate fossil records suggest that ocean seafloor ecosystems could take millennia rather than decades to recover from the effects of climate change. A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that invertebrate species living on the ocean floor took hundreds of years to rebound at the end of the last ice age… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/02/stories/1060016171 DOE-backed study to track climate impacts on tropical forests over a decade. A $100 million Energy Department-backed effort is underway to model the effects of climate change on tropical ecosystems. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and eight other federal institutions will spend the next 10 years studying the dense, diverse, and carbon- and water-rich environment of tropical rainforests and their role in a changed climate. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016167/print Scientists probe climate-stressed reefs considered a harbinger of oceans' future. Research scientists are delving deep into the coral reefs of the Channel Islands in order to learn more about the species growing in the deep-sea environment but also to take a peek at the future state of the oceans. The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, a protected area of 1,470 square miles established in 1980 and located off the West Coast of the United States, experiences weather patterns… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016147/print MISCELLANEOUS Sacramento City Council Bans Plastic Bags. The Sacramento City Council has voted unanimously to ban plastic grocery bags and require a minimum ten-cent charge for reusable or paper bags. The ordinance is similar to a California law signed last year by Governor Jerry Brown. Opponents to the state law gathered enough voter signatures to put the ban on the November 2016 ballot. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/31/sacramento-city-council-bans-plastic-bags/ Nuclear Regulatory Commission Urged To Review Procedures. An environmental group is calling on the head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reverse a staff decision and review the installation of faulty steam generators at the San Onofre nuclear power plant. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff took almost three years to respond to a petition filed by Friends of the Earth. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/apr/01/nuclear-regulatory-commission-urged-review-procedu/ Governor says he will sign transportation funding proposal. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said Wednesday that he will sign a transportation funding bill expected to raise $900 million for the state's infrastructure needs through changes to the state's gas tax and new fees on electric cars and hotel visits. The proposal approved by lawmakers Tuesday night converts the state's mix of taxes on gasoline to an excise tax of 26 cents per gallon dedicated to transportation expenses. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/01/4457452_governor-says-he-will-sign-transportation.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy With Roundup classified as 'probable' carcinogen, what's next? Two weeks ago, the World Health Organization's cancer research arm designated glyphosate as a "probable" carcinogen. It was immediately labeled a clear danger by opponents of large-scale industrial agriculture, and concurrently brushed off by Monsanto Co. and technology-focused scientific organizations. Glyphosate is better known by its Monsanto-given name, Roundup. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016212/print OPINIONS Here's why Obama is approving Arctic drilling again. For a leader who has made fighting climate change a priority, President Barack Obama's decision to approve Royal Dutch Shell's return to oil and gas exploration off Alaska was seen by many environmentalists as a contradiction. On Tuesday, his administration upheld a 2008 Arctic lease sale, clearing an important hurdle for Shell. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/01/usa-shell-arctic-idUSKBN0MS54K20150401?feedType=RSS&feedName=everything&virtualBrandChannel=11563 California's mandatory water cutbacks are a good move. Residents of large urban areas have weathered California's current drought, well into its fourth year, without making many substantial changes. Los Angeles was shielded from the full impact by water stored in reservoirs. Many Sacramento residents still have no water meters. It's different now, and good for Gov. Jerry Brown for saying so — and for doing something about it. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83199911/ U.S. has bold plan to stall climate change. In baseball, there's a traditional comeback after a tough season: "Wait 'til next year!" For climate change "next year" is now. This year is the time and the United Nations' international climate negotiations in Paris in December are the place to secure strong global agreement to curb heat-trapping emissions. A successful climate pact will send a signal around the world that a shift to a low-carbon economy is underway. http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/31/opinions/richardson-climate-change/ EDITORIAL: Farmers don’t need the state telling them what to plant. Farms are not exaggerated lawns. Almonds, grapes and tomatoes have more value than, say, geraniums. We found the suggestion in a column published March 25 in The Bee perplexing. It could only have been written by someone with virtually no knowledge of farming, at least in our part of California. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/01/4457947/editorial-farmers-dont-need-the.html#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: Fresno city manager now says public scrutiny is 'welcome'. Farms are not exaggerated lawns. Almonds, grapes and tomatoes have more value than, say, geraniums. We found the suggestion in a column published March 25 in The Bee perplexing. It could only have been written by someone with virtually no knowledge of farming, at least in our part of California. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/01/4457947/editorial-farmers-dont-need-the.html#storylink=cpy Our View: It’s no longer optional, we must conserve water. We must do more. That’s not a request, that’s an order. Gov. Jerry Brown delivered that message Wednesday. A press conference including many of his top officials drove home the point that California has not done enough to save water. Now, conservation is no longer optional. In this fourth and worst year of drought, we must either cut water use or many will go without. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/editorials/article17163722.html#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: California taxing away cheap gas. Just in time for Spring Break road trips, Californians have been enjoying slightly lower gas prices. Yet gripes remain about the state paying on average almost 80 cents more per gallon than the rest of the United States. After prices rose by $1 in just four weeks, the jump was examined last week by a joint hearing in the state Senate of the Energy… http://www.pe.com/articles/state-763715-cents-california.html JOE MATHEWS: Stadium will ease drought? No fooling? Could a new pro football stadium help California beat its drought? That's the ambitious goal of the latest stadium proposal to appear in Los Angeles. The project -- details of which are only now becoming public -- would provide more than a home for the National Football League's Jacksonville Jaguars, who are looking to leave their smaller market in North Florida. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/forum/x565635977/Stadium-will-ease-drought-No-fooling Will Renewables Demand be Hobbled by Growing Oil Glut? Although little has been reported on the daily pages of the economic media, it has been increasingly verified that solar, wind, ethanol, geothermal, and the trend toward electric cars have been negatively impacted by the "overflow" of oil and natural gas availability, while relatively static power generation demand has been slowly switching back to fossil fuels. http://www.desertsun.com/story/morrisbeschlosseconomics/2015/04/01/morris-beschloss-economics-oil-renewable-energy/70768336/ Drought Etiquette: When Is Yellow No Longer Mellow? It seems so simple. Stop hosing down your sidewalk. Forgo washing the car out on the street. Be prudent in all your outdoor watering. Quit letting the water run while you brush your teeth or shave or do anything else. Take Navy showers. Put a brick in the tank of your toilet or install a low-flow model. And don’t flush unnecessarily — if it’s yellow, let it mellow. http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/20/drought-etiquette-when-is-yellow-no-longer-mellow/ Even climate villain Australia might be thinking about cleaning up its act. There was a somewhat surprising announcement this week from a country with one of the world’s worst climate reputations: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s office declared that his government is committed to signing on to the next major international climate accord, set to be hammered out in Paris later this year. http://grist.org/climate-energy/even-climate-villain-australia-might-be-thinking-about-cleaning-up-its-act/ Opinion: Scientific illiteracy in left-wing politics. It seems that every week we hear a new story that demonstrates a lack of scientific literacy in right-wing politics. Recently we learned that employees of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection under the tenure of Gov. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) were instructed not to use the terms “climate change” and “global warming” in official correspondences. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) recently brandished a snowball on the Senate floor as evidence that global warming is a hoax. http://tech.mit.edu/V135/N9/vierra.html BLOGS Why U.S. Territories Are Most Vulnerable to Climate Change. We know that climate change poses significant risks across the contiguous U.S., from rising sea levels along our coasts, to extreme heat in our agricultural heartland, to more severe droughts and wildfires in the Southwest. But perhaps the parts of the U.S. that are most at risk are also the most frequently overlooked—our many island territories. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/03/31/why-u-s-territories-are-most-vulnerable-to-climate-change/ The bad GOP and the good GOP on climate change. The Obama administration officially committed the United States Thursday to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent within 10 years. This is the sort of U.S. leadership necessary to keep major emitting nations moving toward significant curbs on the gases that cause global warming, a world effort that negotiators hope to formalize at a major conference in Paris this year. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/03/31/the-bad-gop-and-the-good-gop-on-climate-change/ Studies conclude climate change will cause less severe winters. After two straight miserably cold winters in the East, the trendy explanation has been that climate change made them more extreme. But two new studies say not so fast, we should expect a warming climate to lead to a marked decrease in cold weather as time wears on. The idea that winters are leading to increased extreme cold and big temperature swings is tied to the hypothesis that the jet stream is slowing down and becoming more erratic. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/03/31/studies-conclude-climate-change-will-cause-less-severe-winters/ Guest post: A driving force behind the Low Carbon Fuel Standard sees credit prices rising. The price of Low Carbon Fuel Standard credits is going to rise. It’s just a question of when. That’s the view of Professor Daniel Sperling, member of the California Air Resources Board, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis, but more importantly, the intellectual father of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard. http://blogs.platts.com/2015/03/31/a-driving-force-behind-the-lcfs-sees-credit-prices-rising/ Obama Makes Global Climate Pledge, But GOP Has Other Ideas. The Obama administration delighted environmental groups and the international community Tuesday with a pledge to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 28 percent by 2025 — a prelude to a possible global climate agreement to be negotiated in Paris later this year. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/04/01/obama-makes-global-climate-pledge-but-gop-has-other-ideas/ Will Cutting Methane Emissions Curb Climate Change? A recent announcement by the Obama Administration targets methane emissions, especially those coming from the energy industry, while touting environmental and health benefits, regulators claim the stringent regulations will help curb climate change. Indeed, methane is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the country. Yet, it is less than 10 percent of total manmade GHG emissions in the United States. http://www.forbes.com/sites/brighammccown/2015/04/01/will-cutting-methane-emissions-curb-climate-change-2/ Polluting Cars Out From Under Radar. At 5 am as many as 500 cars and trucks are lined up outside the gates of the fairgrounds in Fresno, CA, waiting here for hours as the sun rises and slowly lifts the persistent morning fog off the valley floor. Many of the people in the line even camped out here overnight to get something that might not normally be that thrilling... a tailpipe emissions test. Nearly three-quarters of the cars in this line will fail the emissions tests…http://www.huffingtonpost.com/molly-miller/polluting-cars-out-from-under-radar_b_6974486.html America's Top Solar Cities. Solar power is on the rise across the country, with another panel or project installed every three minutes last year. Plummeting costs, increasing public concern over global warming and energy independence, and technological innovation have all played a role in spurring the growth of this pollution-free energy source. And so have America's cities. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margie-alt/americas-top-solar-cities_b_6979304.html With 'Megadroughts' in the Future, We Need More Renewable Energy Today. Rising carbon emissions may lead to unprecedented "megadroughts" in the United States later this century, according to a recent NASA report. And these droughts could impact our lights as much as our lawns. That's because powering computers, phones, lamps, and other appliances requires massive amounts of water. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-lewis/with-megadroughts-in-the-_b_6948848.html?utm_hp_ref=green What this NASA scientist meant about California having a year of water left. California Governor Jerry Brown announced his state's first-ever mandatory statewide water restrictions on Wednesday, seeking to curb water use by at least 25%. While the governor cited a record low snowpack and below average reservoirs in the midst of a four-year drought as the reasons for the move, one particular scientist's actions may have had something to do with the restrictions. http://mashable.com/2015/04/01/california-water-nasa/ EU Member States Aim for Carbon Market Reserve Launch in 2021. European member states signed off last week on a mandate to begin negotiating a carbon market stability reserve with EU parliamentarians – including a proposal for a 2021 start date – as part of a broader effort to ensure the long-term sustainability of the 28-nation bloc’s flagship emissions trading scheme. http://www.ictsd.org/bridges-news/bridges/news/eu-member-states-aim-for-carbon-market-reserve-launch-in-2021 Here’s How China Is Planning To Curb Its Climate Impact. With Tuesday’s news that the U.S. officially submitted commitments to the United Nations, pledging to significantly cut its carbon emissions to help flight climate change, it’s natural to wonder what China is up to. After all, China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and has seen its environmental legacy marred by stifling air pollution and a deep dependence on coal power. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/01/3641084/china-doing-good-things/ Mitch McConnell Undermines Obama’s Climate Plan With Other Countries. In an effort to undermine international negotiations aimed at combating climate change, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is telling other countries not to trust President Obama’s promise to significantly reduce the United States’ carbon emissions. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/01/3641594/mcconnells-inner-tom-cotton/ Russia Joins U.S. In Filing International Pledge To Reduce Carbon Emissions. Turns out the United States was not the only large country to officially submit a carbon reduction pledge to the United Nations on Tuesday. According to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Russia also submitted a plan saying it could cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 percent of its 1990 levels by 2030. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/01/3641836/russia-climate-pledge/ The Corrections: Jonathan Franzen’s Deeply Irresponsible Climate Change Article. The New Yorker has published one of the most bird-brained and hypocritical climate articles ever, “Carbon Capture: Has climate change made it harder for people to care about conservation?” Quick answer: No! Awareness of and action on climate change are entirely about conservation — conserving a livable climate for humans and all other species. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/01/3640975/jonathan-franzen-bird-brain-climate-change/ Inside the Push to Put Climate Change Warnings on Gas Pumps. The Bay Area wants to apply the tobacco-labeling approach to fuel. A few years ago, Jack Fleck was reading Tropic of Chaos, an investigation into how climate change fuels political discord and violence, when he began to feel discordant. "It talked about the impunity of oil companies…http://www.citylab.com/work/2015/04/inside-the-push-to-put-climate-change-warnings-on-gas-pumps/389132/ What to do about climate change? Of the many pressing issues that confront Washington these days, few pose a larger dilemma than what to do about climate change. Intractable positions on global warming, staked out by rural members of Congress, have been driven by the sentiments of their voters. http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/237480-what-to-do-about-climate-change Bolt Motorbikes reimagines the moped with electric results [w/video]. The Bolt M-1 Isn't Your Weird Uncle's Moped. The Seventies were a special decade. Adorned with long, thick sideburns and swathed in wide wale corduroy, it brought us video games, disco and mopeds. Of those three things, only the lowly moped has yet to go on to bigger and better things. Now, that could change as Bolt Motorbikes reimagines this niche conveyance with a design that's far more practical. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/04/01/bolt-motorbikes-electric-moped-video/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.