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ARB Newsclips for April 30, 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

Carbon price uncertainty is a big worry for energy leaders
heading into Paris, survey finds. Energy price volatility and the
future of a carbon price are the issues that "keep energy leaders
awake at night," according to a forthcoming survey of 1,000
energy leaders. In an interview yesterday previewing the World
Energy Council's 2015 Trilemma report, Secretary-General
Christoph Frei said the uncertainty around a meaningful carbon
price has serious implications…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017722 

AIR POLLUTION

(THIS IS WATER POLLUTION—MOVE TO MISCELLANEOUs”) Record pollution
fine for McDonald's supplier in China. A french fry supplier to
the McDonald's restaurant chain in China has been issued
Beijing's biggest-ever pollution fine for releasing dirty
wastewater, state media reported. The official Xinhua News Agency
said late Wednesday that Beijing environmental officials levied a
record fine of 3.8 million yuan, or more than $650,000, against
Beijing Simplot Food Processing Co. Ltd.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_MCDONALDS_SUPPLIER_FINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-04-30-07-03-45


The 10 most polluted cities in the U.S. California has had a
rough go this year. The state’s historic drought is impacting the
lives of Californians and now the drought is exacerbating
California’s air pollution, according a new report by American
Lung Association. But Californians are not alone. More than four
in 10 Americans live in counties where the air is unhealthy to
breathe due to ozone or particle pollution.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/04/30/the-10-most-polluted-cities-in-the-u-s/


Air pollution makes it ‘dangerous to breathe’ in many U.S.
cities: report. Despite attempts to cut pollution, the nation's
air has remained "too often dangerous to breathe" for nearly half
the country, according to a report by the American Lung
Association. While there's been "encouraging progress," in most
cities, there is "evidence of troubling challenges" as pollution
impacts nearly 138.5 million people…
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/pollution-dangerous-breathe-report-article-1.2204916


Report: California drought could worsen air pollution.  Drought
conditions may be exacerbating air pollution throughout
California, according to a report released by the American Lung
Association on Wednesday. ALA experts said many Western cities,
as well as Riverside County as a whole, have been recording
record numbers of days with high levels of short-term particle
pollution.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/29/report-california-drought-could-worsen-air-pollution/26615205/


California air is getting cleaner, new report says. Good news for
people who appreciate breathing: It’s getting easier to do in
California, according to the American Lung Association’s latest
“State of the Air” report, released Wednesday. The air is
cleaner, but make no mistake. It’s still not good, according to
the report.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-air-is-getting-cleaner-new-report-says-6232235.php


Solano air quality good and bad. The air quality in Solano County
continues to improve in some ways, but needs work in others
according to a recent report released by the American Lung
Association. The State of the Air 2015 is an annual report
released by the American Lung Association on air quality. It
lists both the cleanest and most polluted areas in the country.
http://www.thereporter.com/general-news/20150429/solano-air-quality-good-and-bad


Large industrial fire in Fresno affects air quality.  Smoke from
a large industrial fire in Fresno may periodically affect air
quality in Fresno, Kings, Tulare and the valley portion of Kern
counties until the fire is extinguished, according to the San
Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Smoke from fires
produces fine-particulate matter that can cause serious health
problems including lung disease…
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28249 

States, ag groups warn of harm to farmers from lower ozone
standard. State and farm group officials yesterday told a House
panel that a tightening of the national ozone standard would
disproportionately affect rural America and farmers. Among the
many potential impacts on rural areas raised by the witnesses:
bans on prescribed burns and expensive upgrades to tractor
equipment. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060017706/feed


CLIMATE CHANGE

Japan’s Plan for 26% Greenhouse Gas Cut Jeered as Too Timid.
Japan’s promise to cut greenhouse gases by 26 percent by 2030 as
part of a global deal to fight climate change has drawn quick
criticism from environmental groups that say the effort is both
statistically unsound and too timid. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s
government said the reductions would be made from a 2013
baseline.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-30/japan-government-proposes-26-cut-in-greenhouse-gases-by-2030
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/04/30/japan-carbon-idUKL4N0XR5ZV20150430?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/04/30/world/asia/ap-as-japan-climate-change.html

http://www.trust.org/item/20150430081755-f9347/?source=fiBlogs 
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/japanese-government-proposes-cutting-greenhouse-gas-emissions-up-to-a-quarter-before-2030/


To sustain climate adaptation, integrate it with local economies:
experts. To make development efforts more sustainable, businesses
need incentives to invest in community-level climate change
adaptation programs – but resistance to creating those incentives
is still strong, climate change specialists said this week in
Nairobi. Some adaptation efforts steer clear of working with
businesses, concerned that their aims…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/30/us-climatechange-adaptation-idUSKBN0NL18H20150430


McConnell suggests Obama plan to cut power emissions won't stick.
The U.S. Senate majority leader on Wednesday urged countries to
go slowly on committing to cut carbon emissions in any global
agreement later this year, in his latest effort to cripple
President Barack Obama's clean power plan.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/29/us-usa-carbon-mcconnell-idUSKBN0NK2LP20150429


Poll: Millennials are no more convinced about global warming than
their parents. On Wednesday, the Harvard Institute of Politics
released its latest poll on the political views of millennials.
It surveyed more than 3,000 young Americans aged 18 to 29 — and
the inquiry produced a striking data point when it comes to
climate change.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/30/poll-millennials-are-no-more-convinced-about-global-warming-than-their-parents/


California Governor Orders New Target for Emissions Cuts. Gov.
Jerry Brown issued an executive order Wednesday sharply speeding
up this state’s already ambitious program aimed at curbing
greenhouse gas emissions, saying it was critical to address “an
ever-growing threat” posed by global warming to the state’s
economy and well-being.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/us/california-governor-orders-new-target-for-emissions-cuts.html?_r=0

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/california-jerry-brown-cut-carbon-emissions-new-targets
http://www.rtcc.org/2015/04/30/california-targets-40-emissions-cut-in-boost-to-us-climate-ambition/

http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017724
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/california-raises-us-climate-bar-with-unprecedented-emissions-goal-59150
 
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/04/29/california-climate-goal/
https://civsourceonline.com/2015/04/30/california-governor-pushes-aggressive-emissions-cuts/
http://audio.californiareport.org/archive/R201504300850/a 
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017724 

US, Japan miss UN climate change fund deadline. A key U.N.
climate fund hit a snag Thursday as major donors including the
United States and Japan failed to meet a deadline for converting
their pledges of climate aid into signed agreements. Green
Climate Fund — intended to become the main international channel
of climate finance for developing countries — said it had inked
deals for 42 percent…
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/apr/30/us-japan-miss-un-climate-change-fund-deadline/


California’s Forests Have Become Climate Polluters. California
introduced a world-leading carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program
to drive down pollution rates after lawmakers approved an
ambitious climate protection law in 2006. It also changed rules
affecting utilities, spurring investments in some of the biggest
solar power plants the world has yet seen.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-forests-climate-polluters-18941


The Massive New Online Course That Every Climate Science Denier
Should Be Very Afraid Of. What’s the best way to show a climate
change denier the error of their ways? A new online course
answers this question for the masses. Hint: it’s not lobbing an
endless stream of scientific evidence that proves human-driven
climate change. While this approach may be cathartic, telling
those who refuse to accept climate science for political,
cultural…
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/30/3652549/climate-denial-debunking-101/
 

City approves 20-year plan to cut energy, greenhouse gases. City
councillors unanimously endorsed an energy plan Wednesday
designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and save residents $2.5
billion. The energy transition strategy aims over the next 20
years to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced in
Edmonton by 35 per cent from 2005 levels.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/City+approves+year+plan+energy+greenhouse+gases/11014542/story.html


States, greens defend EPA against latest push to block carbon
regs.  Eleven states and environmental groups yesterday pushed
back on assertions from challengers to U.S. EPA's proposed
greenhouse gas power plant standards that recent comments by
Administrator Gina McCarthy warrant blocking the rule from
finalization.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017748 

(MOVE UP TO ALL THE JERRY BROWN ARTICLESS)Things to know about
California's plan to cut emissions. Here are some things to know
about California Gov. Jerry Brown's new target for reducing
carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. WHAT DO THE
NUMBERS MEAN? Brown set a goal for the state to reduce emissions
to 40 percent below what they were in 1990.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article19914099.html#storylink=cpy


Climate change accelerates the spread of asthma. The first time
Devine Simpson had an asthma attack, she said she couldn't stop
coughing. It was so bad; it woke her up in the middle of the
night. "I felt like I was going to throw up," she said. Devine
was diagnosed at age 3, and for many years, her asthma seemed out
of control, said her mother, Tracie Simpson.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017690 

DROUGHT

$10,000 fines a potent PR tool against water waste. Nobody knows
how many water wasters there are in California. And it's far from
clear that converting them to zealous conservationists would make
a major dent in the drought. But the threat of fining wasters
$10,000 a day —- as Gov. Jerry Brown proposed this week — could
be a potent political and psychological weapon.  As the governor
pushes to cut urban water use across California by 25% over the
next year, experts say he must create a sense of urgency about
the drought and the need to save water.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-psyche-20150430-story.html


Yosemite's Half Dome opens three weeks early because of
California's drought. Yosemite National Park will allow hikers up
its iconic Half Dome trail this weekend -- three-weeks ahead of
the trail’s traditional opening -- because of California’s
drought. Though the trail up to the rock can be clear of snow by
early May, in years past the granite top would still be covered
because it faces north…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-half-dome-yosemite-opens-this-weekend-due-to-drought-20150430-story.html


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

FUELS

VEHICLES

Five questions for Elon Musk about Tesla's battery business plan.
Tesla Motors Chief Executive Elon Musk plans to launch the
electric car market into a new product line -- batteries for home
and business energy storage. That would allow users, for
instance, to charge batteries at night -- when energy rates are
cheap -- and use the power during peak hours in the daytime.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-battery-preview-20150429-story.html


Electric Cars: Defining Battery-Electrics, Plug-In Hybrids,
Range-Extended & More. With an ever-growing landscape of plug-in
electric vehicles, there is now more potential than ever for
confusion among potential buyers. To the casual observer, the
umbrella term “electric car” can mean anything from an
all-electric vehicle to even a hybrid.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098066_electric-cars-defining-battery-electrics-plug-in-hybrids-range-extended-more


Volvo Cars announces improved fuel consumption/GHG numbers for
XC90 T8 Twin Engine PHEV. Volvo Cars reports that its XC90 T8
Twin Engine plug-in hybrid is now rated with fuel consumption of
2.1 l/100 km (112 mpg US) and 49 g CO2/km, with 43 km (27 miles)
all-electric range on the NEDC cycle for hybrids. In December
2014, the figures were 2.5 l/100 km and 59 g/km. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150430-volvo.html 
 
GREEN ENERGY

First US Hotel With Energy Storage + EV Charging Is In Santa
Monica. Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California, is a luxury
establishment with an energy storage system and fast DC electric
vehicle (EV) charging — reportedly, the first one in the US to
have this setup. It is expected that the lithium-ion energy
storage system will help it reduce electricity demand charges by
50%. Over time, that savings will most likely offer a good return
on investment (ROI).
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/04/30/first-us-hotel-energy-storage-ev-charging-santa-monica/
 

MISCELLANEOUS

OPINIONS

RPT-COLUMN-Big data helps shipping lines cut fuel bills and
emissions- Kemp. By focusing on operational improvements,
shipping companies are reducing fuel consumption, saving money
and cutting greenhouse emissions, while continuing to increase
the amount of freight transported. Maersk Line, the world's
largest container carrier, cut fuel consumption by more than 13
percent between 2012 and 2014…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/30/shipping-containers-fueloil-kemp-idUSL5N0XQ5RJ20150430


Beyond the Pope’s Message on Climate Change. To the Editor: “The
Pope Joins the Climate Wars” (editorial, April 29) says “Catholic
conservatives have argued that the pope has no special authority
to delve into matters of scientific fact.” Francis is not doing
that; he is supporting a much broader concept, that science and
religion can coexist. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/opinion/beyond-the-popes-message-on-climate-change.html?_r=0


Gov. Brown's tough climate goals: Nation should follow
California's lead. California has already adopted some of the
world's most aggressive policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Now Gov. Jerry Brown has raised the bar even higher — setting a
new, more ambitious target to reduce the pollutants that are
responsible for climate change.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-brown-climate-change-20150430-story.html

Victor Davis Hanson: An ironic drought in California. The present
four-year California drought is not novel, even if President
Barack Obama and Gov. Jerry Brown have blamed it on man-made
climate change. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, California droughts are both age-old and common.
Predictable California dry spells – like those of 1929-34,
1976-77 and 1987-92…
http://www.modbee.com/opinion/state-issues/article19884174.html#storylink=cpy

 
 


 


 


 




















 



The present four-year California drought is not novel, even if
President Barack Obama and Gov. Jerry Brown have blamed it on
man-made climate change.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
California droughts are both age-old and common. Predictable
California dry spells – like those of 1929-34, 

BLOGS

LETTER: Washington Post wrote about dire global-warming threat --
in 1922. The Arctic Ocean is warming, icebergs are growing
scarcer and in some places the seals are finding the water too
hot. Reports from fishermen and seal hunters all point to a
change in climate conditions (global warming) and unheard of
temperatures in the Arctic zone. Great masses of ice have been
replaced by moraines of earth and stone…
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/04/letter_107.html


Pope's Coming Statement On Global Warming Will Be Significant. It
is fitting that Pope Francis I, who chose his name from St.
Francis of Assissi, the patron saint of animals and the
environment, is preparing to publish an encyclical this summer on
the effects of climate change on the poor, and the need to
protect Earth and its environment. This is not to be taken
lightly.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2015/04/29/403033029/popes-coming-statement-on-global-warming-will-be-significant


California's Fire Season Is Shaping Up to Be a "Disaster" It's
already looking bad, and it's going to get worse. On Monday, 200
firefighters evacuated an upscale residential neighborhood in Los
Angeles as they responded to a wildfire that had just broken out
in the nearby hills. Ninety minutes later, the fire was out, with
no damage done. But if that battle was a relatively easy win, it
belied a much more difficult war ahead for a state devastated by
drought.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/04/californias-wildfire-season-going-be-really-bad
 



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