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ARB Newsclips for October 15, 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

Ontario urged not to give breaks to big polluters under
cap-and-trade. Ontario must not go easy on big polluters lobbying
for breaks under the upcoming cap-and-trade program, a coalition
of 80 businesses, environmental groups and labour unions warns in
a report to be released Thursday. The province should create an
arms-length agency to handle the money raised from the program…
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-urged-not-to-give-breaks-to-big-polluters-under-cap-and-trade/article26818496/


AIR POLLUTION

Germany Considers Emissions Levy as CO2 Reduction Target Wobbles.
Germany may have to implement a tax on emissions as it struggles
to meet its target to cut carbon dioxide pollution by 2020, said
Franzjosef Schafhausen, a senior government official. The
government’s decision in August to back away from measures that
would close some of the most polluting coal plants raises
questions…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-14/germany-considers-emissions-levy-as-co2-reduction-target-wobbles


Torrance, AQMD to study use of alternative to toxic chemical at
ExxonMobil refinery. Facing public pressure in the wake of a
four-hour community workshop on safety issues at the troubled
ExxonMobil refinery, the Torrance City Council has decided to
study safer alternatives to a potentially lethal chemical used to
produce gasoline at the plant.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/20151014/torrance-aqmd-to-study-use-of-alternative-to-toxic-chemical-at-exxonmobil-refinery


5 states face the highest Clean Power Plan costs – report.
Nebraska, Kansas, Tennessee, Missouri and West Virginia may
experience the greatest challenges to complying with U.S. EPA's
Clean Power Plan, according to rankings from financial analysts
at Fitch Ratings. Under the final rule issued in August, other
states must make steeper reductions in power-fleet carbon
emissions by 2030…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026360 

CLIMATE CHANGE

In climate bid, Obama expands steps to cut refrigerants.
President Barack Obama is ordering new steps to reduce
refrigerants that contribute to climate change as he works to
secure a global climate treaty. The Obama administration is
proposing to extend rules targeting emissions of ozone-depleting
chemicals to refrigerants called hydrofluorocarbons. The White
House said Thursday the rules will be finalized next year.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/15/us-usa-climatechange-hfcs-idUSKCN0S92D220151015


Vast Alpine glacier could almost vanish by 2100 due to warming.
One of Europe's biggest glaciers, the Great Aletsch, coils 23 km
(14 miles) through the Swiss Alps - and yet this mighty river of
ice could almost vanish in the lifetimes of people born today
because of climate change. The glacier, 900 meters (2,950 feet)
thick at one point, has retreated about 3 km (1.9 miles)…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/15/us-climatechange-summit-earthprints-swit-idUSKCN0S914A20151015
 

Even Coal-Mining Giants Now Want a Climate-Change Deal This Year.
Calling for action on climate change is as trendy as it gets for
corporations these days. But the latest businesses to declare
support for a global deal on greenhouse gases may turn some
heads. The 14 companies that issued a joint statement Wednesday
endorsing international negotiations include leaders from some of
the world’s most carbon-intensive industries…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-14/even-coal-mining-giants-now-want-a-climate-change-deal-this-year

How Indonesia’s staggering fires are making global warming worse.
Experts say that along with dramatic global coral bleaching,
thousands of fires across Indonesia represents the next sign of
an intensifying global El Niño event. And the consequences, in
this case, could affect the entire globe’s atmosphere. That’s
because a large number of Indonesia’s currently raging fires are
consuming ancient stores of carbon-rich peat…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/15/how-indonesias-staggering-fires-are-making-global-warming-worse/


Obama aims to reduce a different class of greenhouse gases:
hydrofluorocarbons. President Obama took his campaign to fight
climate change to another front Thursday, rolling out a series of
executive actions to reduce a class of greenhouse gases known as
hydrofluorocarbons, HFCs, as they're called, are part of a class
of man-made gases that help trap heat in the earth's atmosphere…
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/10/15/obama-aims-reduce-different-class-greenhouse-gases-hydrofluorocarbons/73994288/
 

Forecast: Strong El Niño Will Improve California Drought.  A
strong El Niño is predicted to help ease drought conditions in
some, but not all of California. The U.S. Seasonal Drought
Outlook, released Thursday, Oct. 15, by the NOAA's Climate
Prediction Center shows a strong El Niño improving drought
conditions across central and southern California through
January. "Strong El Niño conditions are ongoing across…
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/15/forecast-strong-el-nino-will-improve-california-drought/


Native landscaping should thrive — not wash away — in heavy El
Nino rains.  After four years of drought finished off your lawn,
you finally invested in native landscaping, complete with
succulents, meadow flowers and herbs and wood chips. But are
those drought-resistant designs also flood-proof? Or will it all
drown or be uprooted, with your beloved cactuses rushing in a
water wave toward the storm drains…
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20151014/native-landscaping-should-thrive-x2014-not-wash-away-x2014-in-heavy-el-nino-rains


2015 Closes in on Becoming the Warmest Year Yet. With each
passing month, 2015 is edging closer and closer to locking in its
ranking as the warmest year on record for the planet, and the
chances of that happening are now at 93 percent, according to
calculations from NASA.  The strong El Niño event that has taken
shape this year – which could rank among the strongest on record…
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/2015-warmest-year-more-certain-19548?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed


El Niño Lifts Odds of Wetter South, Drier North This Winter. The
El Niño chatter has been going on for months, but we’re now
entering the time of year when the climate phenomenon has
noticeable impacts on U.S. weather. Government forecasters
announced Thursday that they expect this year’s strong event to
set up a north-south divide in both temperature and
precipitation…
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/el-nino-winter-weather-forecast-19550?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed


Climate Change: 7 Out Of 10 Americans Now Believe There Is 'Solid
Evidence' Of Global Warming. Last week, Republican presidential
hopeful Donald Trump criticized President Barack Obama for
focusing his efforts on tackling climate change. In the past,
Trump, along with several other GOP presidential candidates, has
expressed doubt over the existence of global warming -- which, in
Trump’s case…
http://www.ibtimes.com/climate-change-7-out-10-americans-now-believe-there-solid-evidence-global-warming-2141932


Will climate change and 'devil winds' bring year-round wildfires
to Southern Calif.?  As autumn approaches and temperatures cool,
residents in Northern California typically breathe a sigh of
relief -- traditionally, this is the time fire season winds down.
But in the southern part of the state, the fire threat is far
from gone. In fact, it's just heating up. "Traditionally, this is
the peak of our fire season,"…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026351 

Americans agree climate change is real. But made by humans? Not
so much. Despite scientific near-certainty on global warming's
causes, many Americans' views remain influenced by local weather
trends and group norms.  A large majority of Americans now say
there is strong evidence for global warming…
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2015/1015/Americans-agree-climate-change-is-real.-But-made-by-humans-Not-so-much.


Warming oceans driving East Coast fish to cooler waters – NOAA.
Young East Coast fish are making moves to cooler waters, and
researchers say that could mean changes for regional stock
assessments. For decades, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration has been charting fish movement along the
Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Ecosystem -- from Cape Hatteras,
N.C., to Cape Sable in Nova Scotia.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026341 

DROUGHT

Cities and private equity firms fight over ownership of water
systems. Apple Valley residents were among the millions of
Californians who cut back on water use during the state-mandated
water restrictions this spring. Unlike most, however, their
monthly water bills from their privately owned water provider,
Park Water Co. in Downey, contained a rude surprise: a surcharge
of 5% — for using less water.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-public-private-properties-20151015-story.html


Districts slow flow of their water use. Much of south Orange
County, as well as California as a whole, remains on track to
achieve the state’s mandated water-use reduction after the first
three months of the cutback period. Among South County water
districts and cities, the exceptions are the city of San Juan
Capistrano and Laguna Beach County Water District.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-687680-district-south.html
 

DIESEL ACTIVITIES

German minister says higher diesel taxes not on agenda. German
Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said on Thursday higher
taxes for diesel vehicles were not on the political agenda, hours
after she had suggested Berlin should think about ending tax
breaks on diesel cars and promoting electric ones. "For me,
higher taxes for diesel vehicles are not on the political agenda…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/15/us-volkswagen-emissions-germany-hendrick-idUSKCN0S917L20151015


To Meet Its Environmental Goals, California Has to Transform How
People Travel. At a laboratory in downtown Los Angeles, a big rig
spins its wheels on massive rollers as a metal tube funnels its
exhaust into an array of air quality sensors. Engineers track the
roaring truck's emissions from a bank of computer screens. The
brand-new diesel truck is among the cleanest on the road…
http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/cutting-ozone-will-require-radical-transformation-of-californias-transit-sector.html


FUELS

WRAPUP 1-Gasoline weighs on U.S. consumer prices; jobless claims
fall. U.S. consumer prices recorded their biggest drop in eight
months in September as the cost of gasoline fell, but a steady
pick-up in the prices of other goods and services suggested
inflation was starting to firm. There was good news on the labor
market, with other data on Thursday showing new applications for
unemployment aid fell back to a 42-year low last week.
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL1N12F0U320151015


Study questions RFS's environmental and economic benefits.
University of Tennessee researchers cast doubt today on the
environmental and economic track record of the renewable fuel
standard, the federal policy that requires refiners to use
increasing amounts of ethanol and advanced biofuels.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026378 

Alaska company gets first U.S. OK to ship LNG by rail. The U.S.
Transportation Department last week granted the Alaska Railroad
Corp. permission to become the first U.S. company to transport
liquefied natural gas tanks by rail. In a letter to the Alaska
company, the Federal Railroad Administration opened the door for
the rail line to carry a limited number of LNG shipments over the
next two years.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026355 

VEHICLES

Volvo Cars Plans First All-Electric Vehicle by 2019. The first
step will be the introduction of plug-in hybrid versions of the
larger 90-series and 60-series cars, the Gothenburg-based
manufacturer said in a statement on Thursday. Volvo has a plug-in
hybrid version of the new XC90 SUV on the market and will offer
the same option for the S90 sedan that is set to be introduced
next year.
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NW7UUI6S972A01-7PVO7F0RR08CVFGISB6EH319AN

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/10/15/volvo-plug-ins/73981460/


Honda adding 120 EV chargers to Torrance Campus; 50kW DC fast
charger adjacent to campus.  In an effort to increase the use of
alternative fuel vehicles by its associates for daily commuting,
and to prepare for a new generation of plug-in vehicles set to
arrive by 2018, Honda is adding 120 new electric vehicle (EV)
chargers on the Torrance, CA headquarter campus of American Honda
Motor Co., Inc.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151015-honda.html 

Ford to Deliver More Power to Employees; Network of Charging
Stations to Expand. Ford Motor Company is highlighting its
commitment to plug-in electric vehicles by expanding efforts to
provide more workplace charging stations to employees across the
United States and Canada. The automaker began installing charging
stations in September 2014, and currently has 145 units available
for employee use at 43 Ford offices and manufacturing facilities
in 6 states and Canada.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2015/10/15/144185-ford-to-deliver-more-power-to-employees-network-charging-stations.html


VW RECALL

German order triggers recall of 8.5M VW cars in Europe. German
authorities on Thursday ordered a recall of all Volkswagen cars
fitted with emissions test-cheating software, a decision that
will affect 8.5 million VW diesel vehicles across the 28-nation
European Union. The Federal Motor Transport Authority announced
that the recall would affect 2.4 million vehicles in Germany.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/business/international/volkswagen-germany-recall.html?_r=1


EPA: Proposed fix for some diesel Volkswagens expected soon. U.S.
regulators say they expect to receive a proposed fix later this
week for some diesel Volkswagens caught up in the German
automaker's emissions-rigging scandal. Environmental Protection
Agency spokeswoman Laura Allen said Thursday the proposed
software patch would be for 2012 to 2014 Passat TDI models.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_PROPOSED_FIX?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Italy police search VW offices in Verona in emissions probe. 
Italian authorities have searched the headquarters of Volkswagen
Italia as part of a local investigation into the emissions
testing scandal at the German automaker. The financial police in
the northern city of Verona conducted the searches on Thursday
and confirmed that there are officials under investigation.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_ITALY_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

VW working on fix for scandal-hit British cars - UK boss.
Volkswagen's boss in Britain said the company's engineers were
working to find a way to fix the brand's British models that
contain software that can rig diesel emissions.  About 1.2
million vehicles in Britain have been affected by the scandal.
Some engines require changes to both hardware and software whilst
others only need the software changed…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/15/volkswagen-emissions-britain-idUSU8N10Z00P20151015?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews

At the Orange County Auto Show, Volkswagen will face consumers
for first time since emissions scandal [The Orange County
Register]. The Orange County International Auto Show figures to
be a popular showcase for dozens of new vehicles and concept cars
-- and for one of the more anticipated business encounters in
years. Starting Thursday in Anaheim, Volkswagen's auto show booth
will be its first face-to-face…
http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201510151133KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_3565_41906-1


UPDATE 1-Faurecia sees limited impact from Volkswagen troubles.
French car parts maker Faurecia said on Wednesday it expected a
limited impact from its biggest client Volkswagen's struggle with
a diesel emissions scandal. To illustrate its exposure to
Volkswagen, Faurecia said that its sales of diesel passenger car
parts to Europe's largest carmaker were…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/faurecia-results-idUSL8N12E47420151014


Germany mandates VW recall over deceptive software. Germany’s
motor transport agency is ordering a mandatory recall of
Volkswagen cars sold with software that enabled them to evade
diesel emissions testing. The dpa news agency reported that the
Federal Motor Transport Authority rejected a Volkswagen proposal
for a voluntary recall.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/vw-emissions-scandal/2015/10/15/volkswagen/73974656/


VW suspends head of Kassel transmission plant – sources.
Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) has suspended the head of its main
transmissions plant as it presses on with an investigation into
who was responsible for cheating on diesel emissions tests, two
people familiar with the matter said. Falko Rudolph, head of VW's
factory in Kassel, Germany, has been suspended after being
questioned by internal investigators last week…
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/vw-suspends-head-kassel-transmission-130322746.html


GREEN ENERGY

FERC Energy-Saving Rule in Doubt After Supreme Court Session.
U.S. Supreme Court justices raised doubts about a federal rule
that rewards industrial consumers for cutting electricity use,
hearing arguments in a clash between the Obama administration and
the power-generation industry. The hour-long session Wednesday
suggested the court was likely to give at least a partial victory
to generators…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-14/ferc-energy-saving-rule-left-in-doubt-by-u-s-high-court-session


Making cheaper solar panels by making less waste. Researchers in
Germany have developed a new technology that reduces solar costs
substantially. Solar photovoltaics can generate clean
electricity, but until recently one major barrier to greater
adoption is the fact that solar panels have been prohibitively
expensive. In recent years there have been technological advances
in photovoltaic cells’ efficiency, and increased production has
brought down their cost.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/1015/Making-cheaper-solar-panels-by-making-less-waste


Report Names Funders Of Anti-Solar-Power Initiatives &
Legislation.  As home-solar installations proliferate, electric
utilities are worried about what affect that could have on their
business. There's been much talk among analysts about whether
distributed generation of electricity from renewable sources
could threaten the traditional grid-based model.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100471_report-names-funders-of-anti-solar-power-initiatives-legislation


OPINIONS

Volkswagen can take $80 bln hit before crumpling. Volkswagen is
strong enough to withstand the financial fallout of disguising
emissions of 11 million diesel engines sold globally. If Europe’s
biggest carmaker can keep its operations stable, the cash it
produces means it could allow it to absorb an impact of 70
billion euros ($79.7 billion) without having to sell brands or
raise equity. VW’s financial power-train is its core business of
selling motor vehicles.
http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/10/15/volkswagen-can-take-80-bln-hit-before-crumpling/


Tesla Model S P90D: A normal person drives the ‘best car’ ever
made. The first thing I Googled from the driver's seat of this
$142,000 Tesla Model S P90D was a plea: "turn off tesla." A
representative of Elon Musk's heavily hyped automaker had just
patiently explained everything I would need to know about the
all-electric sedan, including how to enjoy its 300 miles of
battery-powered range…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/10/15/tesla-model-s-p90d-a-normal-person-drives-the-best-car-ever-made/


Exxon's damaging denial on climate change. Before most Americans
were even aware of global warming, Exxon was investing in
high-quality research on the subject. According to reports in the
Los Angeles Times and elsewhere, the oil company's scientists
concluded in the 1970s, '80s and '90s that climate change was
real…
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-exxon-climate-change-20151015-story.html


A dirty trucking industry means dirty air for all of us.  To the
editor: Thank you for the story on the radical transformation
needed in California's trucking industry. (“To cut smog, radical
steps are next,” Oct. 11).  It certainly is good to see this kind
of leadership. It gives me hope. But it leaves me with questions
as well.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1015-trucking-emissions-ozone-20151014-story.html


Letter: Volkswagen not doing enough to fix its problem. 
Volkswagen not doing enough to fix its problem. Volkswagen’s
apology: What does it really mean?  Simply this:  1. They deny
responsibility. VW management says they are sorry clean air
standards were subverted but that they are not culpable. Taking a
page from Donald Rumsfeld, “a tiny group of software developers”
did it (AP, E-R, Oct. 9).
http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20151014/letter-volkswagen-not-doing-enough-to-fix-its-problem


Editorial: District correctly reverses course on sealing
fireplaces after catching public heat. Sometimes it really does
take the angry voice of ordinary people to get a zealous single
purpose agency to back off and bury a wrong-headed idea. Earlier
this year when the Bay Area Air Quality Management District
proposed a rule that would bar any home from being sold that has
a traditional wood burning fireplace…
http://www.mercurynews.com/milpitas/ci_28969541/editorial-district-correctly-reverses-course-sealing-fireplaces-after


BLOGS

EPA right to go after methane. The EPA recently proposed to
reduce methane emissions from one of its largest sources -- the
oil and gas industry. Methane is more than 20 times more potent
than carbon dioxide in its greenhouse gas effects and as such,
cutting methane emissions is critical to addressing climate
change.
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/256940-epa-right-to-go-after-methane

Climate Change: Warming Ocean is Causing Bubbling Plumes to
Release Methane. Scientists have uncovered methane plumes in a
warming ocean. They've found bubble plumes off of the Pacific
Northwest that could support the idea that gradual ocean warming
at about a third of a mile down may be releasing frozen methane
in the seafloor.
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/31359/20151015/climate-change-warming-ocean-causing-bubbling-plumes-release-methane.htm


Filling the Glass on Water Conservation. Californians have been
stepping up to the challenge of meeting Governor Brown's water
conservation goals; the numbers for May showed a 29 percent
reduction in water use, a laudable achievement showing concerted
effort by water districts and residents throughout the state. The
good news: we're half way there. But the other half of the empty
glass is still there, with a looming…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paula-daniels/filling-the-glass-on-wate_b_8299780.html


Unleashing Innovation for a Clean Energy Economy.  One of
America's greatest assets is the ingenuity of its people.
President Obama has been driving that theme home since the
beginning of his Administration. At EPA, we've seen time and
again that by unleashing homegrown American innovation, we can
bring about big wins for both the environment and the economy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-mccarthy/unleashing-innovation-for_b_8303696.html




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