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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 2, 2015.
Posted: 02 Jul 2015 13:39:18
ARB Newsclips for July 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. CAP AND TRADE Chinese carbon market doldrums may undermine climate efforts. Regulatory uncertainty and a lack of transparency have left trade on China's seven pilot carbon exchanges in the doldrums, which could undermine efforts to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. China told the United Nations on Tuesday it would cap its emissions by 2030, and promised to cut carbon intensity… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/01/us-china-carbon-idUSKCN0PB4BM20150701 EU’s Emissions Trading System Needs More Oversight to Improve Carbon Market. The EU’s cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide is the world’s largest system. The European Commission should consider some changes to the bloc’s emissions trading system to further improve the working of the carbon market and increase investor confidence, the European Court of Auditors said on Thursday. http://www.wsj.com/articles/eus-emissions-trading-system-needs-more-oversight-to-improve-carbon-market-1435838225 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-01/eu-eyes-setting-aside-carbon-permits-for-production-increases The morality of a cap-and-trade system. The Ontario government is steaming ahead with a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gasses despite a clear warning from Pope Francis about buying and selling “carbon credits.” In his encyclical Laudato Si’, the Pope expressed concern in paragraph 171 that creating a marketplace for carbon credits could lead to “speculation which would not help reduce the emission of polluting gases worldwide.” http://www.catholicregister.org/item/20516-the-morality-of-a-cap-and-trade-system AIR POLLUTION Oklahoma Sues to Block EPA Energy Plan as Illegal Power Grab. Oklahoma sued to block a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plan that state Attorney General Scott Pruitt called an illegal move to close coal-fired plants. “The Clean Power Plan is an unlawful attempt to expand federal bureaucrats’ authority over states’ energy economies in order to shutter coal-fired power plants… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-01/oklahoma-files-suit-challenging-epa-clean-power-plan- Fourth of July Sunny, With a Little Bad Air From Rockets’ Glare. The U.S. Fourth of July holiday should be a good one for most people coast to coast, except perhaps for a little choking air in the wake of the rockets’ red glare. From New York City to Boston, high temperatures will range in the 70s Fahrenheit (low-to-mid-20s Celsius), a little below normal peaks in the low 80s… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/fourth-of-july-sunny-with-a-little-bad-air-from-rockets-glare MORENO VALLEY: Planners OK World Logistics Center mega-warehouse. Though planners debated air quality and traffic concerns, their 6-1 decision ultimately came down to jobs. The sole dissenting commissioner, Patricia Korzec, said she feared the Moreno Valley was becoming a city of warehouses. http://www.pe.com/articles/project-772096-city-air.html CLIMATE CHANGE World mayors, others pitch in toward global climate accord. French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday that money is the main roadblock to a global accord at a U.N. climate conference in Paris this year. Poor countries need investment to adapt to climate change, and rich countries need to invest in cleaner technologies if all agree in December on binding global reductions in the emissions that heat the planet. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/01/world/europe/ap-eu-france-climate.html?_r=0 http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/World-mayors-others-pitch-in-toward-global-6360195.php New USGS report: Coastal erosion threatens northern Alaska. Erosion is eating away at Alaska's northern coast at some of the highest rates in the nation, threatening habitat and infrastructure, according to a new report published Wednesday. The U.S. Geological Survey study looked at more than 50 years of data and found an average yearly shoreline change of 1.4 meters - or more than 4 1/2 feet - taking both beach erosion and expansion into account. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NORTHERN_ALASKA_EROSION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Germany Gives Dirtiest Coal Plants Six Years for Phase Out. Germany’s main political parties worked out a compromise plan to cut power-industry pollution by handing a six-year lifeline to some of the dirtiest coal-fired plants. Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said 13 percent of power stations burning lignite, a cheap form of coal, would be phased out by 2021 under the program. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/germany-to-close-coal-plants-in-effort-to-curb-pollution Global warming may cause sex changes in lizards. According to new research, climate change may leave some lizards in a gender lurch. The Australian bearded dragon's sex is determined by both its chromosomes and the environment its egg is incubated in, so warmer temperatures could be skewing wild populations to have more females. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/07/01/global-warming-may-cause-sex-changes-in-lizards/ How Canada's emissions cuts could spur Keystone XL pipeline approval. Canada hopes new emissions rules will get the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline one step closer to US State Department approval. The pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of Canadian oil sands to US Gulf Coast refineries daily. TransCanada Corp. has written to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arguing that new Canadian rules on emissions… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0702/How-Canada-s-emissions-cuts-could-spur-Keystone-XL-pipeline-approval Abbott told to cut Australia emissions 30% by 2025. Australia should cut greenhouse gas emissions 30% from 2000 levels by 2025, the government’s Climate Change Authority has recommended. By 2030, the country should target a 40-60% cut, according to the advisory body’s final report. These goals “broadly match” the US and EU targets and are in line with the global goal to limit warming to 2C, the experts said. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/07/02/abbott-told-to-cut-australia-emissions-30-by-2025/#sthash.PkOGVkw1.dpuf GE Helps Beijing Power Plant Reduce Emissions, Boost Efficiency. General Electric Power Generation Services has been selected to help a Beijing power plant reduce its emissions and boost efficiency. The cornerstone of China’s $40 billion plan to power the 2008 Olympics was the Taiyanggong Thermal Power Station. The 780-MW natural gas-fired plant in Beijing was the first step in an effort to improve electricity generation facilities… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/02/ge-helps-beijing-power-plant-reduce-emissions-boost-efficiency/#ixzz3ekoOzJTk EPA cuts heat-trapping refrigerants and coolants. U.S. EPA finalized a rule today that will phase out the use of heat-trapping hydrofluorocarbons for air conditioning and refrigeration. The agency has already approved a list of alternatives for the chemicals, which are thousands of times as climate-forcing as carbon dioxide but which stay in the atmosphere for a relatively short time. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/02/stories/1060021231 DROUGHT California: Record water savings shows big cuts possible. Water use in drought-stricken California plunged by record levels in May, and Gov. Jerry Brown's administration cited that as proof cities can hit steep summer conservation targets they have blasted as unfair. The State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday released data showing urban water usage fell 29 percent in May compared to the same month in 2013. The savings were the best showing since the agency started tracking conservation last summer. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-may-water-conservation-20150701-story.html#page=1 http://news.yahoo.com/california-cities-show-biggest-water-savings-yet-drought-184118824.html;_ylt=AwrTceDNgJVVGyUAavgnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTEzOWlpMXBsBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDRkZHRTAyXzEEc2VjA3Nj# Snow Drought Saps Washington State’s Economy. The dire situation in the Olympic Mountains is hurting Washington farmers and businesses. The Olympic Mountains that tower above this farming community normally rank among the snowiest places in the U.S., with drifts several feet deep lingering into June. But this year, the Olympics recorded virtually no snow in all but the highest peaks. http://www.wsj.com/articles/snow-drought-saps-washington-states-economy-1435801630 Calif. committee examines impacts to fish from pot growers bogarting water. California lawmakers yesterday called for the regulation of marijuana farms to protect stream flows and help fish species like coho salmon and steelhead, which face possible extinction as the state's drought rages on. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/02/stories/1060021201 FUELS New West Coast Oil Refinery Proposed To Meet Clean-Fuel Demand. Along the Columbia River in Washington state, developers are planning the first new oil refinery on the West Coast in 25 years. Paradoxically, the goal of the project is to meet new clean-fuel standards. It's certainly not a result local environmental groups expected when they championed those standards. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098959_new-west-coast-oil-refinery-proposed-to-meet-clean-fuel-demand VEHICLES Tesla Beats Delivery Forecast With 52% Quarterly Surge. Tesla delivered 11,507 Model S sedans in the period, the Palo Alto, California-based manufacturer said Thursday in a statement of preliminary figures. The company predicted in May that it would sell 10,000 to 11,000 of the electric-powered car, its only model, during the second quarter. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/tesla-beats-delivery-forecast-with-52-quarterly-surge http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Tesla-tops-11-000-vehicles-delivered-in-second-6362535.php http://www.ocregister.com/articles/percent-669815-tesla-quarter.html http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098964_tesla-delivers-11500-electric-cars-globally-from-april-through-june-it-says BMW Pushes Fuel-Cell Car Development With First Street Tests. BMW AG will test a vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells for the first time on public roads this month as the German automaker looks to expand clean-car offerings after rolling out the battery-powered i3 in 2013. The company plans “a technically mature, customer-ready vehicle sometime after 2020… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-01/bmw-s-first-fuel-cell-car-starts-testing-in-clean-engine-push CARB Approves $373M in Clean-Vehicle Grants. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved $373-million in grants to bolster alternative-fuel vehicles, including fleet-eligible rebates for low- and zero-emission passenger vehicles, the board announced. The budget for the annual Funding Plan for Low Carbon Transportation Investments and the Air Quality Improvement Program is up by $150 million over last year's budget, CARB reported. http://www.greenfleetmagazine.com/news/story/2015/07/carb-approves-clean-vehicle-funding-plan.aspx GREEN ENERGY German Wind-to-Hydrogen Plant Takes Car-Fuel Battle to Tesla. After decades of research, Linde AG says the elements needed to make hydrogen-fuelled cars a viable challenger to Tesla Inc’s battery-driven vehicles are finally falling into place. The world’s largest industrial gas supplier will today open a plant that uses wind power to convert water into the gas. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/german-wind-to-hydrogen-plant-takes-car-fueling-battle-to-tesla India's $100 billion solar push draws foreign firms as locals take backseat. India's $100 billion push into solar energy over the next decade will be driven by foreign players as uncompetitive local manufacturers fall by the wayside, no longer protected by government restrictions on the sector. The money pouring into India's solar industry is likely to be soaked up by foreign-organized projects such as one run by China's Trina Solar… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/02/us-india-solar-idUSKCN0PC1E420150702?virtualBrandChannel=11563 Tesla’s Battery Push Is Good News for This Israeli Solar Company. It’s good to do business with Elon Musk. That’s what SolarEdge Technologies Inc. is discovering, as demand from customers including Musk’s SolarCity Corp. helped the shares double since its March initial public offering. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/tesla-s-battery-push-is-good-news-for-this-israeli-solar-company MISCELLANEOUS Solar-powered plane nears Hawaii in record-setting flight. The Solar Impulse 2, the sun-powered plane attempting to fly around the world, is scheduled to land late Thursday or early Friday in Hawaii after an arduous five-day flight across the Pacific from Japan. At four days and counting, the plane and its pilot André Borschberg have now set records for longest solo flight and longest solar-powered flight in terms of time… http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/02/solar-impulse-solar-powered-plane-hawaii/29615487/ BP agrees to $18.7B settlement for environmental, state damages. BP PLC has reached an up-to-$18.7 billion agreement in principle for a settlement with Gulf Coast states and the federal government for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, bringing to a close a major chapter in the disaster that killed 11 rig workers and spewed millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060021204 OPINION A moonshot to save a warming planet. Every silver lining has a cloud. The technologies that offer human beings comforts and opportunities that would have been unimaginable two centuries ago ultimately depend on an abundance of energy. Fire is the source of that energy. But the burning of fossil fuels, from which we gain so much, also releases the carbon dioxide that threatens to destabilise the climate. http://www.todayonline.com/world/moonshot-save-warming-planet Why Should Climate Philanthropy Care About Energy Access? Investing in clean energy access provides a disruptive opportunity to revolutionize electricity systems and get on the right side of the politics of development -- philanthropy just hasn't realized it yet. To be fair, philanthropy needs to step up it's game on climate across the board. http://www.theenergycollective.com/guayjguay/2245257/why-should-climate-philanthropy-care-about-energy-access BLOGS Inter-religious march in Rome demands action on climate change. Several thousand Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and Moslems marched through Rome to the Vatican on Sunday to demand action on climate change and thank Pope Francis for his encyclical on the environment. They marched behind banners reading “Many Faiths – One Planet” and “The Earth – Our Common Home – Climate Action Now!” http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/07/02/inter-religious-march-in-rome-demands-action-on-climate-change/ Scientific and political consensus emerging: not all biomass is "carbon neutral". When dealing with a thorny public policy issue, it's always noteworthy when scientific and political consensus begins to emerge. Last week, a number of statements out of different parts of our government showed that our understanding of the role biomass--essentially plant material burned to produce energy… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/slyutse/scientific_and_political_conse.html Here's Where Electric Vehicles Actually Cause More Pollution Than Gas Cars. The idea that gasoline cars might cause less environmental harm than electric vehicles seems impossibly backwards. But consider the following thought experiment before you dismiss it out of hand. A view from the tailpipe gives EVs a clear edge: no emissions, no pollution, no problem. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/01/electric-vehicles-pollution_n_7708406.html New Efforts Address Electric Vehicle Affordability. Through the first 5 months of 2015, according to data from Hybridcars.com, plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) sales are down in the United States by 4% from 2014. This is due, in part, to the current price of gasoline being lower than the 2014 price by $0.89 cents per gallon (per the U.S. Energy Information Administration)… http://www.forbes.com/sites/pikeresearch/2015/07/02/electric-vehicle-affordability/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.