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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 14, 2015.
Posted: 14 Sep 2015 14:43:05
ARB Newsclips for September 14, 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 Northeast cap-and-trade program nets $2.2 billion since 2008. The latest auction in the Northeast’s cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants brought in $152 million to be distributed to the nine participating states including New York. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative sets a cap on carbon dioxide emissions… http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/13/northeast-cap-and-trade-program-nets-22-billion-si/ Australia's Divisive Prime Minister Tony Abbott Is Out. Meet the New Guy. Malcolm Turnbull may not be much better on climate change. Australia has a new prime minister. Again. The turbulent tenure of now former conservative PM Tony Abbott—infamous around the world for repealing Australia's groundbreaking carbon pricing system and extending the country's draconian immigration policies… http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/09/australia-tony-abbott-malcom-turnbull-new-prime-minister-climate Calif. Legislature spends more cap-and-trade money but holds back $1.7B. California's Legislature late Friday approved spending nearly $250 million in revenue from its cap-and-trade program to cut carbon emissions but delayed allocating another $1.7 billion in proceeds. Lawmakers set aside the bulk of remaining money that is generated by the program that auctions pollution permits to businesses… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024611 AIR POLLUTION Chinese emissions of two key pollutants drop slightly in first half of 2015. China's emissions of two key pollutants fell slightly in the first half of 2015, according to the environment ministry, as authorities stepped up punitive measures to combat environmental degradation. Emitted levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide - both associated with acid rain… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/14/us-china-pollution-idUSKCN0RE0IR20150914 Los Angeles, Beijing agree on plan to promote clean air as part of Obama-Xi deal. Mayors of a dozen cities in the U.S. and China are nailing down agreements to team up in the fight against climate change, starting with a plan forged over the weekend between the officials of Los Angeles and Beijing to collaborate in promoting clean air in their cities. http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-na-cities-climate-china-20150914-story.html Valley Fire: Air quality hazardous in fire areas. Because of the weather patterns and lack of control of the fires, Lake County is experiencing unhealthy to hazardous air quality. The prediction Monday is for “Unhealthy” to “Hazardous” air quality in Lake County. With the size of the Valley Fire, all areas of Lake County are affected by these conditions. http://www.record-bee.com/general-news/20150914/valley-fire-air-quality-hazardous-in-fire-areas Government passing the buck on air pollution, say campaigners. Critics say plan to make councils responsible for policing pollution in urban areas offers no extra money or new powers. A government plan to meet European air quality limits by letting councils ban diesel vehicles and charge drivers more for parking polluting cars and vans is disappointing and could result in further court cases…http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/13/government-passing-the-buck-air-pollution-campaigners CLIMATE CHANGE State Officials Question Clean Power Plan Approach. The Environmental Protection Agency cannot show any quantifiable climate change gains from its Clean Power Plan, and it overly relied on health benefits from other pollutant reductions to make a case for the regulation, Texas and Ohio officials told a House subcommittee Sept. 11. http://www.bna.com/state-officials-question-n17179935931/ California Lawmakers Tackle Climate, Marijuana, Aid in Dying. California lawmakers counted far-reaching but less-ambitious climate change legislation, statewide medical marijuana regulation and a deeply emotional measure to allow aid in dying among the hundreds of bills they passed before closing out the 2015 legislative session early Saturday. But they also left unfinished many of the thorniest challenges of the year. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/09/12/us/ap-us-xgr-california-legislature.html?_r=0 California Legislature: 'Right to die," climate change bills sent to governor. After months of emotionally wrenching debate, state lawmakers on Friday sent a landmark bill to Gov. Jerry Brown that would allow doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill Californians who request them. http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28800951/california-legislature-right-die-climate-change-bills-sent Migrant Crisis: 'If We Don't Stop Climate Change...What We See Right Now Is Just the Beginning' A Q&A with Frank Biermann, a Dutch researcher who led a controversial 2010 study on climate refugees, who fears crises like Europe's will only get worse. The surge of people fleeing to Europe from the Middle East highlights how quickly mass migrations can occur. It may also offer a glimpse of what's to come as climate change… http://insideclimatenews.org/news/13092015/migrant-crisis-syria-europe-climate-change Why British forecasters say the global warming 'pause' is over. A strong El Niño is going to contribute to a rise in global temperatures and major weather shifts over the next year, says Britain's Met Office. Climate scientists in Britain have issued a warning: the “pause” in global warming is ending, and global temperatures will likely hit record highs in the next few years as the effect of greenhouse gases combines… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0914/Why-British-forecasters-say-the-global-warming-pause-is-over http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/253526-global-warming-pause-could-be-ending-uk-says Why global warming bleaches coral in Hawaii. As temperatures continue to rise in ocean waters surrounding Hawaii, stressed-out coral reefs are losing color and their health. Warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures around Hawaii could create the worst year ever for coral bleaching, experts say. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with the microscopic algae called zooxanthellae that live in their tissues… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0914/Why-global-warming-bleaches-coral-in-Hawaii Virtual-reality viewfinders show sea-level rise and what to do about it. A 7-year-old with her bike helmet still on saw more than marshes and the shimmer of an inlet in the northern San Francisco Bay when she looked through a black viewfinder next to a popular bike path near her home. "Look, Mommy, it's the floods!" exclaimed Ashlyn. Her mother, Tanya Steinhofer, had never stopped at the devices before, but now she took a look. The two viewfinders, called Owls… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024598 DROUGHT Lawmakers seek special session on drought. A bipartisan group of 47 state Assembly members delivered a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday asking him to declare a special session to tackle problems related to California's drought. In the letter, provided to The Associated Press, they say a special session is needed to address the unprecedented water crisis, which could worsen as California… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/drought-338768-ocprint-letter-special.html California Drought Factor In Rapid Growth Of Wildfires. The Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties increased to more than 50,000 acres in less than 48 hours after it started last week. The Valley Fire in Lake County doubled overnight to 40,000 acres early Sunday. Extreme weather conditions and steep topography were factors in the rapid spread of the Butte Fire. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/14/california-drought-factor-in-rapid-growth-of-wildfires/ 10,000-acre forest deal near Lake Tahoe to aid in drought studies. Researchers are hoping the preservation of 10,000 acres of watershed land west of Lake Tahoe can help provide solutions to California’s persisting drought and wildfire epidemic. The Nature Conservancy — an environmental group that aims to prove that thinning areas of the Tahoe National Forest could enhance old forest habitats and improve the quality of… http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/18171466-113/10000-acre-forest-deal-near-lake-tahoe-to-aid DIESEL EMISSIONS Nine out of 10 new diesel cars exceed EU pollution limits, report finds. Road test reveals cars emit seven times the permitted level of exhaust emissions when tested in real-world conditions. Nine out of 10 new diesel cars break new EU pollution limits when tested on roads rather than test tracks, according to a new report. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/14/nine-out-of-10-new-diesel-cars-in-breach-of-eu-pollution-rules-report-finds http://fleetworld.co.uk/news/2015/Sep/Only-one-in-10-new-diesel-cars-complies-with-EU-air-pollution-limits-research-finds/0434021532 FUELS Rich world struggles to resolve row over coal subsidies. Rich nations are stubbornly divided ahead of talks in Paris on Thursday to seek a deal to phase out coal subsidies in a foretaste of the difficulty of agreeing on action to curb global warming at a U.N. summit later this year. France, host of the U.N. climate summit, has piled on the political pressure to restrict a type of subsidy that helps nations export technology for power generation from coal… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/14/us-oecd-coal-idUSKCN0RE12P20150914 Average U.S. gas price drops 27 cents in past 3 weeks -Lundberg survey. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States fell 27 cents in the past three weeks as refiners and retailers gave up some of their profits margins to sell more fuel, according to the Lundberg survey released on Sunday. Regular grade gasoline fell to $2.44 per gallon in the Sept. 11 survey from $2.71 on Aug. 21… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL1N11J0JZ20150913 http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/Survey-US-gasoline-price-drops-27-cents-over-3-weeks--327210241.html Biofuels Try to Snap Out of Dormant Phase. The promise of energy from sources like wood chips and switchgrass is still a long way off. Nearly 10 years ago, then-President George W. Bush promised to fund research in “cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips and stalks or switchgrass.” But that promise of biofuels made from non-food products is still a long way off. http://www.wsj.com/articles/biofuels-try-to-snap-out-of-dormant-phase-1442197715 How shale oil can kill. When Joe Morales found him, Jim Freemyer was standing over the hatch, dazed and miming the gestures of measuring the crude oil tank with nothing in his hands. Later, Freemyer wouldn't even remember Morales guiding him off the catwalk. All he recalled was smelling something like gasoline and getting dizzy. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024589 Green groups push for halt to coal, oil and gas leasing on public lands. A coalition of more than 400 citizens, in a letter sent this morning, called on President Obama to halt the sale of coal, oil and natural gas leases on public lands. During his seven years in office, they said, Obama has "given new voice" to urgent climate threats and overseen critical steps to cut planet-warming emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024607 Uncertainty grows within Canada's LNG industry. Worries are sprouting that Canada's liquefied natural gas exports will encounter delays and cancellations amid rising construction costs and as low LNG prices eat away at the confidence of international energy stakeholders. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024584 VEHICLES Porsche and Audi unveil electric cars to take on Tesla. The high-performance electric car market is shaping up to be a high-profile battleground featuring some of the world's most glamorous brands after Porsche and Audi unveiled models to challenge U.S. pioneer Tesla Motors (TSLA.O). Consumers have largely shunned electric vehicles because of their high price tags and limited driving range… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/14/us-autoshow-frankfurt-audi-tesla-idUSKCN0RE1GV20150914 LA police, city vehicles go green with 160 new electric cars. The sounds of city vehicles on Los Angeles streets are about to get a bit quieter. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Friday the city will lease 160 pure battery electric vehicles, which reduce greenhouse emissions and also make less noise. The Los Angeles Police Department will use 100 of the vehicles, while the fire department… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vehicles-682324-angeles-electric.html Long Beach electric vehicle exposition offers window into an all-electric future. Long Beach residents got a small glimpse into the future of transportation at Houghton Park Saturday morning as they viewed Teslas, electric motorcycles and a prototype of an electric bus that will soon be ferrying people around the city. The Long Beach Drive Electric celebration was the first in what local advocates… http://www.presstelegram.com/technology/20150912/long-beach-electric-vehicle-exposition-offers-window-into-an-all-electric-future GREEN ENERGY Renewable Energy’s Potential May Be Understated. Utilities look at batteries, software and new pricing strategies to prevent overloads from wind and solar power. In February 2013, California energy officials sat down with power-industry executives to figure out how to avert an approaching calamity: The rapid rollout of wind and solar electricity was stressing the state’s grid. http://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energys-potential-may-be-understated-1442197711 California Climate Law Boosts Solar Power and Building Retrofits. Solar and wind-power entrepreneurs will get a bigger share of California’s energy market. Construction contractors will get more work tightening the energy efficiency of buildings. And environmentalists will tiptoe closer to their goal of weaning the most-populous U.S. state from fossil fuels. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NUJM0C6S972A01-04CJJMRQMVJE50DV4COU8UIQ74 Dubai Plans to Award Solar Power Contract in First Quarter. Dubai’s government-owned utility will probably announce the winners in the first quarter to build the third phase of a $3.3 billion solar energy park. The project to produce 800 megawatts of electricity from the sun will probably be awarded to more than one company… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NUM2C66JTSEI01-6JD2JIGRBI8U89MU3QAC61VC74 California Legislature: Green tech gets green light. Despite a testy and drawn-out political battle, the new green mandates just approved by state lawmakers — higher efficiency standards for buildings, more reliance on renewable energy — signal good news for the state’s clean-energy industry. The guidelines are expected to draw new investment and jump-start wind and solar projects… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150913/california-legislature-green-tech-gets-green-light SOLAR ENERGY: Edison seeks fee for new solar customers. The power company also wants to pay future solar users less for the power they generate. Southern California Edison, which supplies electricity to much of the Inland area, wants to levy a fee on future residential solar users, ostensibly to pay for maintaining the grid. The monthly fee, condemned by the solar industry and environmentalists and likely to be controversial with solar customers… http://www.pe.com/articles/solar-780145-electricity-edison.html Half Of California’s Electricity Will Come From Renewable Energy In 15 Years. Late Friday night, the California State Assembly voted 51-26 to pass SB 350, a landmark bill that would boost renewable energy and make buildings twice as efficient as before. The legislature sent the bill to California Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature, and he is expected to sign it later this month… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/12/3700981/california-landmark-climate-bill/ California passes law accelerating renewable energy, energy efficiency targets. The California State Assembly has passed legislation that would significantly increase the use of renewable energy and dramatically increase the energy efficiency of buildings in California. The legislation, the Clean Energy and Reduction Act (SB 350), was passed by a vote of 51 to 26 on Friday. http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/california-passes-law-accelerating-renewable-energy-energy-efficiency-targe/2015-09-14 The US Green Energy Movement Is Red, White, And Blue. The energy might be clean, but the work is rooted in all-American dirt, sweat, and hard labor. The Pope just took a stand on climate change. One of the fastest cars in the world is electric. China is the world’s leading market for solar. So why does it feel like America is stuck in the sixties when we talk about energy? http://cleantechnica.com/2015/09/14/the-us-green-energy-movement-is-red-white-and-blue/ Strong Policy Framework Vital For Renewable Energy Development In North & South America. A strong policy framework is vital for the development of renewable energy in North and South America, says GlobalData in new report. GlobalData, a global intelligence provider for the energy and healthcare industries… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/09/14/strong-policy-framework-vital-renewable-energy-development-north-south-america/ Lawmakers pass 50% renewable energy standard and efficiency package. California lawmakers passed a bill last week that moves the state further along its low-carbon path, although not as far as Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and legislative leaders would have liked. The state Assembly voted Friday night, on the last day of the legislative session, to approve S.B. 350, which mandates a 50 percent renewable energy… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024612 OPINIONS California’s Climate Change Revolt. Democrats reject green schemes that raise energy costs for the non-rich. The environmental lobby has tried to turn climate change into a social justice issue even though its anticarbon policies disproportionately harm the poor. Honest Democrats are starting to admit this, as we saw in this week’s stunning revolt in the California legislature. http://www.wsj.com/articles/californias-climate-change-revolt-1442014369?cb=logged0.28146320558153093 Why activists are pushing a “supply side” strategy for fighting climate change. Even as President Obama further amplifies his rhetoric about addressing climate change, a coalition of environmental organizations released a letter Monday seeking to push his administration much further still. Not content with recently announced curbs on emissions from fossil fuel fired power plants… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/14/green-groups-ask-obama-to-curb-new-federal-fossil-fuel-leases/ Vermont solar plan brightens green energy hopes. Once a leading producer of marble in the world, Rutland, Vt., is embracing a new reputation as the "Solar Capital of New England." Festivities set for Tuesday will commemorate the designation, which may seem modest in comparison to Rutland's industrial past. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2015/09/13/loveless-solar-rutland-vermont/32060851/ http://www.desertsun.com/story/money/columnist/2015/09/13/loveless-solar-rutland-vermont/32060851/ Dan Morain: How oil won the battle for SB 350. Before he would commit to voting for landmark legislation to cut petroleum use by 50 percent, Assemblyman Adam Gray had a few requests. Actually, it was more than a few. The term sheet runs three pages. The quid for the quo is something to behold. In one of his more remarkably bold suggestions, the Merced Democrat sought $550 million a year in cap-and-trade revenue… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dan-morain/article34976295.html#storylink=cpy Another View: EU’s failing carbon market a lesson for California. California’s Global Warming Solutions Act created a market-based effort to achieve a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, following the lead of the European Union carbon market. A new report out of Europe serves as a warning that California should reverse… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article34587792.html#storylink=cpy Analysis: Gov. Brown shares blame for oil bill’s problems. It was an angry Gov. Jerry Brown who pulled his landmark plan to cut gasoline use by 50 percent by 2030 after not only Republicans but also moderate Democrats said they weren’t convinced it could — or should — be done. “We didn’t get this one,” Brown said this week. “This is one skirmish, but I’ll tell you it’s increasing the intensity of my commitment to do… http://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Jerry-Brown-shares-blame-for-green-bill-s-woes-6499373.php?t=4cbec52eed1210a92f&cmpid=twitter-premium Gov. Jerry Brown long ago mastered political jiujitsu. For those unfamiliar with jiujitsu, it is a martial art centered on the principle of turning an opponent’s energy against himself and then dispatching him. Often the vanquished foe is left wondering, “What in the world happened?” The governor’s deft handling of myriad issues since he returned to office in 2010 has put California… http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/editorials/article34979769.html#storylink=cpy CA Climate-Change Bill Passed, Electric Utilities To Target Oil Industry. Let's call this one a good news, bad news, good news story. On Friday, September 11, the California Senate approved SB 350, the Clean Energy and Reduction Act--by far the most far-reaching climate change legislation enacted in the U.S. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099999_ca-climate-change-bill-passed-electric-utilities-to-target-oil-industry BLOGS Why Renewable Energy Still Needs Subsidies. The wind-energy sector won a long-fought battle in mid-July, when the Senate Finance Committee voted to extend the production tax credit, the most commonly-used subsidy for wind project development in the U.S., for another two years. But the road to credit extension wasn’t easy: The tax credit has been on-again, off-again for years, as has the parallel Investment tax credit for solar-project development. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/09/14/why-renewable-energy-still-needs-subsidies/ Why Investors Can’t Avoid Climate Risk by Divesting. The topic of divestment often comes up in conversations about how to mitigate climate change. But these discussions often miss an important point: Climate risk is real and embedded across a portfolio, and as such, investors cannot diversify away from climate risk by divesting. Take climate as an example. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/09/14/why-investors-cant-avoid-climate-risk-by-divesting/ California Legislature Doubles Down on Energy Efficiency. Senate Bill 350 will double our current goals (yes, that is a 100% increase) for energy savings in California's homes, businesses, and factories - an ambitious but achievable target that will boost the state's ability to reduce climate pollution. California legislators are headed home this evening after a tumultuous legislative session with this truly significant… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mborgeson/CA_doubles_EE.html California Doubles Down on Energy Efficiency with Passage of SB 350. SB 350 With passage of SB 350 on September 11, California is poised to reduce its electricity needs by about 30 percent and its natural gas needs by about 10 percent below the demand projected in 2030. NRDC’s Merrian Borgeson explains. Senate Bill 350 will double our current goals (yes that is a 100 percent increase) for energy savings in… http://energyefficiencymarkets.com/california-doubles-down-on-energy-efficiency-with-passage-of-sb-350/ Can Index Insurance Protect Poor Farmers Against Climate Change Risks? Insuring crops against unforeseen weather events is a standard practice among farmers in rich countries. Traditional insurance is either unavailable or is very expensive in many developing countries, leaving small farmers particularly vulnerable. A severe drought, a devastating earthquake or another weather disaster can wipe out small farmers. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gloria-grandolini/can-index-insurance-prote_b_8133400.html What Global Warming Hiatus? Year 5775 Was Hot. Happy New Year! Or as those who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah say, "shana tovah u'metukah" (a good and sweet new year). People who are engaged in the political debate over global warming have established the New Year's tradition of speculating on whether a new annual record has been set, and then arguing about arcane and irrelevant details. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-boslough/what-global-warming-hiatu_b_8130912.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.