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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





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