What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for October 9, 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

Gov. Cuomo aims to link U.S. Northeast's carbon market with
Calif.'s. 
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) yesterday announced his state will
"explore the possibility" of linking the Northeast's carbon
cap-and-trade system with California's, envisioning a "North
American market" where emissions allowances are bought and sold
across the United States as well as in Canada.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/09/stories/1060026140 

AIR POLLUTION

So that's why Beijing's skies were polluted during a national
holiday. Beijingers, well-accustomed to eye-watering air
pollution, have long found some respite in official holidays,
when the city’s traffic eases and its factories temporarily
close, granting them a few precious days of fresh air. But not
this year.
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-beijing-skies-polluted-20151008-story.html


Valley air district gets $255,400 to modernize wood-burning
stoves. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
will receive $255,400 from the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to get area residents to switch from old wood-burning
stoves to energy-efficient ones. EPA Regional Administrator Jared
Blumenfield announced the funding during a Thursday news
conference.
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article38283765.html#storylink=cpy

CLIMATE CHANGE 

This El Niño, dubbed Bruce Lee, may be the strongest in recorded
history. One of the strongest El Niño winters ever recorded since
modern records first began in 1950 continues to grow in the
Pacific Ocean, federal scientists reported Thursday. So, with the
likelihood for a wet winter increasing across drought-parched
California, residents staring at empty reservoirs…
http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151008/this-el-nixf1o-dubbed-bruce-lee-may-be-the-strongest-in-recorded-history


'The worst is yet to come' -- experts warn of impacts from strong
El Niño. The El Niño that is developing in the Pacific Ocean is
expected to be one of the strongest on record. It could rival the
episode that happened in 1998, when almost 20,000 people died and
damages of $100 billion were reported. It refers to the unusual
warming of sea surface temperatures…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/09/stories/1060026107 

IMF chief seeks climate breakthrough at Lima meet. Christine
Lagarde calls on governments to back carbon pricing, slash fossil
fuel subsidies as finance leaders gather in Peru. “If we
collectively chicken out of this, we’ll all turn into chickens
and we’ll all be fried, grilled, toasted and roasted1.” So said
Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, in a
press conference in Lima on Wednesday.
http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/10/08/imf-chief-seeks-climate-breakthrough-at-lima-meet/
 

DROUGHT

Feinstein, Boxer hopeful for compromise to increase state water.
Four years into California's epic drought, a Senate committee
heard Thursday from California lawmakers proposing two wildly
conflicting approaches to water shortages, hoping to meld a
compromise that could come together by the time El Nino arrives
in the state.
https://app.meltwater.com/dashboard/index?redirectTo=%2F 

Rain No Help For California Reservoirs.  A fifth year of drought
is likely in California, and El Niño won't end it, say water
scientists and forecasters. Water managers can only wait, hoping
the fall and winter precipitation brings enough snowpack and rain
to ease four years of drought. The snowpack last year was gone in
early spring.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/08/rain-no-help-for-california-reservoirs/

DIESEL ACTIVITIES

First federal enforcement of California’s Truck and Bus
Regulation. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced on Thursday that Virginia-based Estes Express Lines
will pay a $100,000 penalty for violations of the California
Truck and Bus Regulation, for failing to install particulate
filters on 73 of its heavy-duty diesel trucks (15% of its
California fleet).
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151009-epa.html
http://www.ngtnews.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.11200#.VhfzlvlVhBc

http://abc30.com/politics/trucking-company-fined-for-violating-clean-air-laws-helps-clean-valleys-air/1023973/
 

Dearman and Hubbard Products form technology partnership for
zero-emission transport refrigeration. Dearman, the developer of
the liquid air Dearman Engine—an innovative heat engine that uses
liquid air (or liquid nitrogen) as a “fuel” and emits cold air as
exhaust(earlier post)—has formed a technology partnership with
Hubbard Products, Europe’s leading designer, manufacturer and
supplier of commercial cooling equipment.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151009-dearman.html 

Four more carmakers join diesel emissions row. Mercedes-Benz,
Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi’s cars are shown to emit
significantly more NOx pollution on the road than in regulatory
tests. Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi have joined the
growing list of manufacturers whose diesel cars are known to emit
significantly more pollution on the road than in regulatory
tests…
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/09/mercedes-honda-mazda-mitsubishi-diesel-emissions-row


FUELS

Philippines move to cleaner fuel cuts imports. The Philippines'
move to cleaner fuel from January next year has cut imports of
diesel, with a major refinery upgrading units to produce fuel
meeting the new requirement, industry sources said on Thursday. 
Oil companies are required to be ready with the more
environmentally friendly Euro-IV compliant diesel and gasoline
fuels by Jan. 1, 2016.
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N1280J720151009


VEHICLES

Honda Accord Hybrids Recalled For Software Fix. Honda is
recalling certain 2014 and 2015 Accord Hybrid sedans to address a
software issue that may disable the cars' gasoline engines.  A
defect in the cell voltage sensors (CVS) may leave a car only
able to travel on battery power and limiting top speed to 40 mph.
The CVS "may not have sufficient electrical noise toughness,"
Honda says.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100401_honda-accord-hybrids-recalled-for-software-fix


VW Diesel Fixes, Tesla Model S Changes, CA Hydrogen Station
Update: Today's Car News. Today, we look at potential fixes for
the Volkswagen diesel cars affected by the ongoing emissions
scandal, we track updates to the Tesla Model S, and the
California Fuel Cell Partnership issues an update on hydrogen
station construction. All this and more on Green Car Reports.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100408_vw-diesel-fixes-tesla-model-s-changes-ca-hydrogen-station-update-todays-car-news


HIGH-SPEED RAIL

California bullet train project is attracting interest — but not
funding.  Since its earliest days of planning, California's
$68-billion bullet train project has counted on a massive
infusion of private capital to fill any gaps in state and federal
funding. A new sounding of international interest in such
investments indicates the money may not arrive any time soon.
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/me-bullet-train-gap-20151009-story.html


VW RECALL

House slams regulators for not catching VW for years. Volkswagen
AG's (VOWG_p.DE) U.S. chief executive blamed "individuals" for
using software to cheat on diesel emissions at a House hearing on
Thursday as lawmakers attacked federal environmental regulators
for failing to catch the fraud for years.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/09/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0S217M20151009?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews


VW exec blames 'a couple of' rogue engineers for emissions
scandal. Michael Horn, chief executive of Volkswagen Group of
America, apologized and promised a full investigation into the
company's emissions-cheating scandal at the first congressional
hearing on the matter. A top Volkswagen executive on Thursday
blamed a handful of rogue software engineers for the company's
emissions-test cheating…
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-vw-hearing-20151009-story.html


Spain minister: VW guarantees multibillion Spain investments
despite emissions debacle. Spain's industry minister says
Volkswagen has guaranteed it will follow through with 4.2 billion
euros ($4.8 billion) in investments for two auto plants despite
the diesel emissions scandal that is expected to significantly
hurt the carmaker's finances.
http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/10/09/spain-vw-investments-guaranteed-despite-emission-debacle


VW Withdraws Emissions Certification Application. In the wake of
the Volkswagen emissions scandal, the automaker is withdrawing US
emissions certification applications for its 2016 diesel Jettas,
Golfs, Passats and Beetles, according to an Associated Press
report. In addition to almost half a million cars in the US,
Volkswagen admitted that almost 1.2 million diesel vehicles in
the UK are…
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/10/09/vw-withdraws-emissions-certification-application/#ixzz3o5ipmD16


How can the emissions of 482,000 cars be fixed? One of many
questions facing VW in the U.S. Michael Horn, president and CEO
of Volkswagen's U.S. subsidiary, testifying before a House
investigation committee yesterday morning, said it will take a
year or more to fix most of the automaker's vehicles with
on-board software designed to deceive emissions tests.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/09/stories/1060026138 


GREEN ENERGY

How Canadians on a Shopping Spree Are Propping Up U.S. Power.
Canada’s appetite for U.S. power assets extended a record run of
deals this week, bolstering the value of American targets. The
$1.51 billion purchase of Pennsylvania power plants by
Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. and Brookfield Renewable Energy
Partners LP Thursday boosted cross-border deals this year to a
record $11.7 billion…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVWZ2Z6TTDS701-43NC4A6AJKN5QH3HOU79IAHUA6


Is Building Efficiency the Next VW Emissions Scandal? A building
advisory official speaking at UK Construction Week has warned the
construction and property sector could face legal action over the
“performance gap” between buildings’ promised efficiency and
their actual performance — and cautions the industry could face
its own VW-style emissions scandal, Business Green reports.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/10/09/is-building-efficiency-the-next-vw-emissions-scandal/#ixzz3o5jQ3DBW


BLOGS

Live map shows the current air pollution level in hundreds of
cities all around the world. We've long known that air pollution
is associated with a whole host of health problems like
respiratory disease and lung cancer, and a recent study published
in the journal Nature tried to quantify its full human toll. Air
pollution, the authors concluded, contributes to approximately
3.3 million premature deaths worldwide each year.
http://www.businessinsider.com/map-shows-worldwide-air-pollution-in-real-time-2015-10


State Department Embraces Cities As Key To Meeting Climate Goals.
Mayors from 19 cities are meeting in Washington to talk about
cutting planet-warming emissions. The State Department thinks
cities are essential to unlocking meaningful climate change
commitments and is hosting mayors from around the world on
Thursday to demonstrate that.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cities-climate-change_5616cad2e4b0dbb8000daec6?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green§ion=green




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