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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 8, 2015.
Posted: 08 Apr 2015 15:16:16
ARB Newsclips for April 8, 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 Research group says joining RGGI would give Va. a low-cost way to comply with EPA's power plant rule. A new study from a clean energy advocate is urging Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. That's despite the fact that a bill doing just that stalled in the Commonwealth's Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this year, and never saw a vote. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016407 AIR POLLUTION Push for cleaner stoves in poor countries to cut pollution. Every evening, hundreds of millions of Indian women hover over crude stoves making dinner for their families. They feed the flames with polluting fuels like kerosene or cow dung, and breathe the acrid smoke wafting from the fires. The smoke, containing high concentrations of tiny particles known as black carbon, is responsible for premature deaths from cancer and other diseases and is causing… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_BLACK_CARBON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EPA updates list of areas in compliance with fine particle standard. U.S. EPA this week updated the list of areas in the country that are in compliance with the 2012 fine particulate matter standard. In a Federal Register notice yesterday, EPA named five counties in Georgia and neighboring counties in Alabama and South Carolina in attainment with the standard. EPA also changed original "nonattainment"… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016432 Georgia Tech study projects potential mixed impacts of climate change policies on air quality. Results of a study by a team from Georgia Tech and their colleagues at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management show that national CO2emissions reductions strategies will play an important role in impacting air quality over the US. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150408-gatech.html CLIMATE CHANGE Obama: Malia's asthma brings home climate change debate. President Barack Obama says his memory of the fear over his daughter's preschool asthma attacks brings home the debate over climate change. Obama says he knows firsthand how scary it can be to have a child who struggles to breathe. He is arguing that preventing climate change could improve public health by reducing illnesses such as asthma. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_ASTHMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT If We Dig Out All Our Fossil Fuels, Here’s How Hot We Can Expect It to Get. World leaders are once again racing to avert disastrous levels of global warming through limits on greenhouse gas emissions. An agreement may be in reach, but because of the vast supplies of inexpensive fossil fuels, protecting the world from climate change requires the even more difficult task of disrupting today’s energy markets. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/upshot/if-we-dig-out-all-our-fossil-fuels-heres-how-hot-we-can-expect-it-to-get.html?_r=1&abt=0002&abg=0 California Considers Stricter Carbon Standards. California is already working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. But a bill approved by a state Senate committee today would set some new goals to be met by 2030. The measure would cut in half the amount of petroleum used in cars. It would double the energy efficiency of existing buildings. And it would require 50 percent of electricity to come from renewable sources. http://www.capradio.org/45762 Judge hears historic climate case. A lawsuit that seeks to force state lawmakers to work harder to address climate change also draws a protest outside court. A Lane County judge on Tuesday heard arguments in a potentially precedent-setting case brought by two Eugene teenagers seeking a court ruling that would force state lawmakers to work harder on a plan to reduce carbon emissions and help stave off climate change. http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32947906-75/eugene-teens-get-their-day-in-court-in-climate-case.html.csp How Flood Insurance Could Drive Americans From Coasts. As salty waters ride the fossil fueled escalator of sea level rise into American streets and homes, rising flood risks may force coastal neighborhoods — if not entire cities — to be abandoned in the decades ahead. “You can’t build a seawall along the entire Eastern Seaboard,” Jessica Grannis, a climate adaptation specialist at Georgetown Climate Center, said. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/flood-insurance-americans-on-coasts-18863 Power Plant Rules Could Unite States On Climate Action. Proposed greenhouse gas rules affecting America’s electricity industry are inflaming entrenched schisms between some governors and the president — but they could eventually lead to an unprecedented level of unity among states on climate action. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/epa-rules-could-unite-states-on-climate-18812 Thawing Permafrost Will ‘Seep, Not Explode’ CO2. The Arctic holds more than a trillion tons of carbon, locked in the frozen soil known as permafrost. That’s more than twice as much carbon as there is in the atmosphere itself, according to a 2013 report from the National Academy of Sciences. And as the climate warms under its growing blanket of human-generated greenhouse gases… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/thawing-permafrost-climate-danger-18869 Western Canada May Lose 70 Percent Of Its Glaciers By The End Of This Century. If the rugged wilderness of Canada’s western provinces seems synonymous with mountain glaciers, that relationship might come with an expiration date: according to a study published this week in the journal Nature Geosciences, 70 percent of glaciers in Alberta and British Columbia could disappear by the end of the 21st century. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/08/3643791/canada-glacier-loss-2100/ Why This New Study On Arctic Permafrost Is So Scary. Scientists might have to change their projected timelines for when Greenland’s permafrost will completely melt due to man-made climate change, now that new research from Denmark has shown it could be thawing faster than expected. Published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, the research shows that tiny microbes trapped in Greenland’s permafrost are becoming active as the climate warms and the permafrost begins to thaw. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/08/3643953/greenland-permafrost-thaw-microbes/ Oil-rich Canada should meet emission cuts through provincial action, economic report says. Carbon-cutting programs implemented by Canadian provinces, rather than by the federal government, are the most effective way to help the country meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, according to a report released yesterday. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016398 Obama heads to Americas summit, but will he emphasize climate change? Energy, and to a lesser extent climate change, will make up a key part of President Obama's policy package this week as he travels to Jamaica and Panama for a series of high-level meetings with Caribbean and Latin American leaders. While the spotlight at the seventh Summit of the Americas on Friday will be on the theatrical… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016410 DROUGHT Desperate from Drought, California Turns to Desalination. As California battled its last severe drought in the early 1990s, Santa Barbara spent $34 million on a desalination plant that proved too costly to keep running when rain returned. Now, the city can’t afford to keep it idle. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-08/california-sees-salvation-in-seawater-as-drought-drags-on In drought, Californians lacking water meters let it flow. Broad rivers fed by Sierra Nevada snowmelt brought plentiful water to California's agricultural heartland and a certain sense of entitlement. So strong was the belief that water was an inalienable right that several communities and cities promised never to install meters to measure water use…http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/08/us-usa-california-drought-idUSKBN0MZ14V20150408 Southern California lags behind in water conservation. Water use in California dropped only 2.8% in February compared with the same period in 2013, in what officials said was an alarming trend. The decline is significantly less than what the state posted in January and December. In January, water use dropped 8% and in December it dropped 22%. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83236798/ Despite the drought, produce prices are staying stable -- why? California's drought has driven the prices of some fruits and vegetables up substantially, but others are actually cheaper than they were a year ago. In fact, the U.S. Agriculture Department’s forecast for produce prices predicts modest increases of 2% to 3%. Why aren’t fruit and vegetable prices skyrocketing in these dry times? There are several reasons, farm experts say. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83241935/ $10,000 per day fines proposed for water wasters. The State Water Resources Control Board is planning fines of up to $10,000 per day for continued noncompliance with its water use curtailment demands. Enforcement would start with warning letters but could escalate to formal actions that would include cease and desist orders to stop non-compliant activity. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28103 Calif. Continues to Shatter Temperature Records. The dubious records keep piling up for California, a state wracked by four years of drought brought on by a pernicious weather pattern that has kept rains at bay and exacerbated by human-induced warming. Just one week after the state measured its lowest-ever snowpack, U.S. scientists have announced that the year so far has been the warmest on record, setting expectations for a long, hot, dry year ahead. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-shattering-temperature-records-18871 For some Californians, 35% water cutback is on tap. Many California cities will need to shrink their water consumption 35 percent, not just the 25 percent that Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has ordered, under a proposal released yesterday. The state Water Resources Control Board unveiled its framework for a four-tiered "sliding scale" of reductions, intended to account for the fact that some locations already have conserved more than others. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016434 FUELS Bloomberg adds $30 million to anti-coal campaign. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg says he is donating an additional $30 million to a Sierra Club initiative working to reduce the nation's use of coal. The Sierra Club has a goal of replacing half the nation's coal plants with renewable energy by 2017. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/67b660064eb94e6e81ec43193e0c74ed/bloomberg-adds-30-million-anti-coal-campaign TransCanada applies Keystone's lessons to Energy East pipeline. After six years battling bitter opposition to its Keystone XL pipeline project in the United States, TransCanada Corp has learned where and when to pick its fights, to consult early and often - and to retreat when prudent. Canada's No. 2 pipeline company scrapped plans last week to build a crude oil export terminal in Quebec because it would endanger beluga whales in the St. Lawrence River. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/07/us-transcanada-energyeast-idUSKBN0MY1SG20150407 Shell to Buy BG Group for About $70 Billion. Deal the latest sign of how tumbling energy prices are shaking up the global oil-and-gas industry. Petroleum giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC has agreed to buy BG Group PLC for about $70 billion, in a deal that would create the world’s largest independent producer of liquefied natural gas amid a historic downturn in energy prices. http://www.wsj.com/articles/shell-to-buy-bg-group-1428473660 Driller drops suit over Calif. county fracking ban. Proponents of local government control over hydraulic fracturing are celebrating a win this week after a California oil company withdrew a challenge to San Benito County's ban on fracking and steam injection. Citadel Exploration Inc. filed a motion Friday in California Superior Court asking the judge to dismiss a lawsuit the company filed last month challenging San Benito's fracking ban. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016399 EDF Sparks Mistrust, and Admiration, With Its Methane Research. Environmental Defense Fund fills a void in tackling critical climate issue, but to some, its collaboration with fossil fuel industry taints findings. The Environmental Defense Fund is one of the nation's most venerable environmental organizations, and many consider it one of the most effective. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/07042015/edf-sparks-mistrust-and-admiration-its-methane-leaks-research-natural-gas-fracking-climate-change Who Funds EDF's $18 Million Methane Research Project? The Environmental Defense Fund has launched an ambitious project to study how much methane, the main component of natural gas, leaks into the atmosphere at every stage of gas production, development, transportation and consumption. To fund the $18 million, 16-study investigation, the EDF assembled a sprawling network of private donors, foundations, utilities, fossil fuel companies and others. http://insideclimatenews.org/content/who-funds-edfs-18-million-methane-research-project VEHICLES Tesla boosts range, power and price of low-end Model S. Electric car maker Tesla Motors is going after mainstream luxury car buyers by adding all-wheel-drive and more range and power to the base version of its only model. But the added features at the low end of the Model S lineup will come with about a 7 percent price increase, to $75,000 for those buying the cars. The base lease price will rise to $838 per month from $796 for 12,000 miles per year. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TESLA_MODEL_S_CHANGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-04-08-08-16-09 OTHER RELATED STORIES http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83245543/ http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/08/4467001_tesla-boosts-range-power-and-price.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Best Deals On Hybrid, Electric, Diesel Cars For April 2015. Buying a green car leads to savings on fuel, but saving money on the car itself is good too. Like any other models, manufacturers sometimes offer discounts or special lease deals that can make buying a hybrid, diesel, or plug-in electric vehicle more attractive. So far, April is shaping up to be a good month for those deals. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097687_best-deals-on-hybrid-electric-diesel-cars-for-april-2015 GREEN ENERGY White House: Obama 'greenest president' ever. President Obama's environmental record will make him remembered as the “greenest” president in history, the White House said Tuesday. “The president is going to go down in history as the greenest president we’ve ever had,” press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/238112-wh-calls-obama-the-greenest-president-weve-ever-had Legislature ponders raising state's share of renewable energy to 50%, cutting oil use. A major legislative push to raise California's share of renewable energy to 50 percent by 2030 had its first hearing before a panel of largely receptive lawmakers yesterday. The Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee took up Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De León's (D) S.B. 350, which would implement Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) inaugural January pledge to boost renewables… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016408 Mayor unveils 'ambitious' plan to make LA greener. On Wednesday, Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled his office’s “Sustainable City Plan,” a document that outlines sweeping goals for environmental improvements that the city will aim to achieve during the next 20 years. A year in the works, the 108-page plan covers planned improvements in 14 areas: water, solar, energy-efficient buildings, carbon and climate… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/08/50858/unpacking-the-mayor-s-new-sustainability-plan/ MISCELLANEOUS Electric cars, clean air: Garcetti outlines vision for a 'sustainable' L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday released a broad-ranging plan that outlines his vision for environmental goals and programs in Los Angeles over the coming decades. The 105-page booklet -- titled, in a simple play on words, "the pLAn" -- is a grab bag of previously announced and novel environmental initiatives on subjects that include water use and electric cars. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83246310/ OPINIONS Formula E racing opens a road to a world without oil. Remember not so long ago when hybrid and electric cars were all stumpy little vehicles with tiny wheels? Designers seemed to be saying, “If you hate cars, hug trees and feel guilty about not being on a city bus, this is the vehicle for you!” If those early attempts to steer away from gasoline-powered automobiles had to be small in size, why couldn’t they at least look as frisky as a Miata? Why did they have to look like potatoes on wheels? http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83244435/ Opinion: Quebec's carbon-pricing system could be a model for other provinces. In poll after poll, Quebecers rate the highest in Canada in their understanding of climate change and their support for action to address it. We take pride in this, and are recognized for it in other parts of Canada. So why is one of Quebec’s greatest acts of climate leadership — our carbon-pricing system — such a well-kept secret both at home and across the country? http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/opinion-quebecs-carbon-pricing-system-could-be-a-model-for-other-provinces BLOGS OIL REFINERS, PRODUCERS DUKING OUT CRUDE EXPORT BATTLE ONE TWEET. The battle over allowing crude exports is playing out in 140 characters or less. Business coalitions on both sides of the issue—the export of domestic crude oil has been effectively banned since the oil embargo of the ‘70s—have set up dueling twitter accounts, designed to sway policy makers, the press and the general public that their position is correct. http://www.bna.com/oil-refiners-producers-b17179925103/ How India’s New Air Quality Index Works. It’s no surprise to residents of the country’s capital that Delhi’s air quality can be terrible, but now they can know just how dangerous it is to go outside. The air quality index from the Central Pollution Control Board is the first national index to explain in layman’s terms the effect that breathing the air in 10 cities could have on a person’s health. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/04/08/how-indias-new-air-quality-index-works/ How unwanted CDs and DVDs could help cut carbon emissions. Now that most consumers download and stream their movies and music, more and more CDs and DVDs will end up in landfills or be recycled. But soon these discarded discs could take on a different role: curbing the release of greenhouse gases. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-04/acs-huc040815.php Welcome to the Decentralized Energy Revolution: Cleanly Electrifying the World. While the boons of electricity are obvious to anyone who has watched a 49ers game on a 70-inch ultra HDTV or whipped up a frozen margarita in a blender, it also has its downsides—most of them environmental. Coal and natural gas power plants belch planet-warming CO2 into the atmosphere, while nuclear plants produce highly lethal radwaste. http://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/just-in/2015-04-07/welcome-decentralized-energy-revolution-cleanly-electrifying Obama Insists that Climate Change Hurts Health, Sharpening Debate. Obama spoke of the hazards that emissions pose to the human body, citing threats to people with asthma and spikes in insect-borne diseases rarely found in North America. Climate change consistently polls low among Americans' priorities… http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/obama-insists-that-climate-change-hurts-health-sharpening-debate/ The U.S. is still the world’s biggest hydrocarbon producer. The U.S. was the world’s biggest producer of hydrocarbon fuels for the third year in a row in 2014, according to new government data. Record natural gas production and a historic crude oil surge widened the gap between the U.S. and its two closest rivals, Russia and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a report Tuesday. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/04/08/the-u-s-is-still-the-worlds-biggest-hydrocarbon-producer/ Urban Drivers Are Emitting Way More Carbon Dioxide Than We Thought. More cars, more problems. Cities, with their dense populations and public transit systems are often seen as hotbeds of green innovation--places where bicycles, subways, and light rail are transforming how we get around. But new research shows that fast-growing cities are some of the worst culprits when it comes to CO2 emissions from cars. http://www.popsci.com/city-drivers-are-emitting-way-more-carbon-dioxide-we-thought?dom=tw&src=SOC Life After Keystone: The Future of the Climate Movement When the Pipeline Battle Ends. Green groups are working to keep momentum alive in the climate fight. President Obama could reject or approve the controversial Keystone XL pipeline any day, week or month now. And as a decision looms, environmentalists face a daunting question: Can they recreate the kind of mass appeal that Keystone inspires when the pipeline battle ends? http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/life-after-keystone-the-future-of-the-climate-movement-when-the-pipeline-battle-ends-20150406 Why Teenagers Are Suing States Over Climate Change. Oral arguments were heard on Tuesday in a long-running lawsuit brought by two teenagers against the state of Oregon. The teens are seeking to force the state to take more aggressive action on climate change and thereby better protect the planet for future generations. The suit is one of dozens of legal actions and petitions filed in virtually every state… http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/04/08/why-teenagers-are-suing-states-over-climate-change/ China's Other Electric Vehicle Industry. While the global automotive giants struggle to find a winning formula for electric vehicles (“EVs”), approximately 100 manufacturers in China have already identified a large potential market undiscovered by the traditional players. The common problems faced by EV automakers — high cost, driving range, and the availability of charging stations… http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2015/04/08/chinas-other-electric-vehicle-industry/ It Turns Out That You Can't Divide Americans Over Renewable Energy. In our second annual survey on American homeowners' attitudes toward clean energy, one thing is resoundingly clear. In a nation divided on climate change, immigration policy and so many other issues, Americans are overwhelmingly united in their support of renewable energy. The poll, commissioned by our firm Clean Edge with SolarCity, and conducted by national polling firm Zogby Analytics… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ron-pernick/it-turns-out-that-you-cant-divide-americans-over-renewable-energy_b_7018932.html Bridging the Clean Energy Divide. When you live on a fixed income, reducing monthly electricity bills can make a big difference in your daily life. Lower energy costs mean more money for food, health care and other important parts of raising a family. A new study, Bridging the Clean Energy Divide, released by NRDC found that clean energy solutions like efficient appliances and wind and solar power… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-caseylefkowitz/bridging-the-clean-energy_b_7026142.html?utm_hp_ref=green Water Wars in California: Factory Farms Draining the State Dry. California Governor Jerry Brown has been talking tough about California's growing drought crisis. In January he declared a state of emergency saying, "I'm calling on all Californians to conserve water in every way possible," and just last week he announced that we are "in a new era" of drought severity. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-wells/water-wars-in-california-factory-farms-draining-the-state-dry_b_7021414.html?utm_hp_ref=green Could Coca Cola save the PLANET? Carbon dioxide made by burning fossil fuels could be used to make fizzy drinks, claims report. We may be told that fizzy drinks aren’t good for our health, but there's a chance that they could be beneficial to the planet. An Australian government report suggests that carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels could be captured and used to produce the fizz in Cola. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3030308/Could-drinking-Coca-Cola-save-PLANET-Carbon-dioxide-burning-fossil-fuels-used-make-fizzy-drinks-claims-report.html#ixzz3WjetKcyz Ordinary clay can be used for carbon capture. Carbon capture will play a central role in helping the nations of the world manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Many materials are being tested for the purpose of capturing CO2. New results show that ordinary clay can work just as effectively as more advanced materials. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150408090319.htm California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.