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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 23, 2015.
Posted: 23 Oct 2015 15:39:53
ARB Newsclips for October 23, 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 Firms question how carbon levy will fund California rail project. Private firms looking to build California's $68 billion high-speed train system have concerns about the state's ability to finance some of the project's cost through an untested 'cap-and-trade' carbon trading levy. The doubts, mentioned in correspondence to the state and reviewed by Reuters through a public records request… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/21/us-california-rail-captrade-idUSKCN0SF36520151021 AIR POLLUTION States reliant on fossil fuels sue over new clean air rules. States and industry groups dependent on fossil fuels are lining up to file court challenges to President Obama's Clean Power Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A flurry of lawsuits was expected Friday at U.S. Court of Appeals as the Environmental Protection Agency published the final version of the new regulations. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLEAN_AIR_LAWSUITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT New UN health agency report cites measures to reduce risks from climate pollutants. The World Health Organization (WHO) today spotlighted the need to reduce short-lived climate pollutants like black carbon, ozone, methane and carbon dioxide that contribute to climate change and lead to more than 7 million deaths linked to air pollution each year. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201510230611M2______EUPR_____01f9000002d057ff_3600-1 RPT-Indonesia prepares warships to evacuate "haze" refugees. Indonesia is preparing warships as a last resort to evacuate children and others suffering from smoke inhalation from slash-and-burn fires, a minister said on Friday, as the country struggles to contain fires expected to continue for weeks. Southeast Asia has suffered for years from annual "haze" caused by forest… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N12N2R20151023 UPDATE 1-GM's Opel denies violating EU emissions standards. General Motors' Opel division has denied violating European environmental standards after researchers said tests on one of its latest models had shown excessive emissions of nitrous oxide. German environmental lobby group DUH said on Friday that the emissions… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12N2Z820151023 Major road in heavily polluted New Delhi briefly car-free. One of the world's most polluted capitals, New Delhi, closed a stretch of a major road to private cars for a few hours Thursday, hoping to give its citizens a brief breath of fresh air by observing a car-free day. Only public transport was allowed on the road from Old Delhi to the doorstep of Parliament. http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-as--india-car-free-20151022-story.html No wood burning devices in new homes: Property owners escape having to change out heaters, fireplaces at point of sale. Starting next fall, wood-burning devices will be forbidden in newly constructed homes built in the Bay Area under new rules adopted by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-10-23/no-wood-burning-devices-in-new-homes-property-owners-escape-having-to-change-out-heaters-fireplaces-at-point-of-sale/1776425152358.html Artificial lung to help study air pollution effects. Air pollution is one of the leading causes of lung cancer and respiratory diseases, responsible for one in eight global deaths, according to the World Health Organisation. However, researchers will soon be able to develop new treatments for such diseases with a life-sized, artificial human lung created at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/49101 Pollution Could Buy an Extra Decade of Arctic Sea Ice. Arctic sea ice continues to dwindle at an exceptional pace. Summer sea ice has declined at a rate of 13 percent per decade, and the rate has sped up in the last 10 years. The main driver for Arctic sea ice’s disappearing act is the rising ocean and air temperatures driven by human greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pollution-could-buy-an-extra-decade-of-arctic-sea-ice/ CLIMATE CHANGE Talks on UN climate deal heat up over bill to fix problems. The trillion-dollar question of who should pay for global warming is coming to a head in talks on an international climate pact, as developing countries worry they won't get enough money to tackle the problem. With just five weeks left before a U.N. climate summit in Paris, developing countries closed ranks at weeklong talks ending Friday in Bonn, calling on wealthy nations… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_UN_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article41173464.html#storylink=cpy http://www.enterprisenews.com/article/ZZ/20151023/NEWS/310239945/16909/NEWS?rssfeed=true Americans Have Never Been So Sure About Climate Change—Even Republicans. Look at the massive shift among Republicans on the issue this year. Maybe it's the pope. Or the freakish year in extreme climate records. It might even be explained by the United Nations climate talks and the bright lights of the presidential election cycle. Whatever the cause, U.S. views on climate change are shifting—fast. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-23/americans-have-never-been-so-sure-about-climate-change-even-republicans By Adding One Word, UN Climate Deal Moves in New Direction. Eliminating fossil fuels from the world’s energy supply is back on the United Nations agenda as envoys from around the world wrap up a week of discussions about a deal on global warming they intend to adopt by the end of the year. The delegates drawn from energy and environment ministries in more than 190 nations… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-22/by-adding-just-one-word-un-climate-deal-moves-in-new-direction VW Downgrade Underlines Climate Change Role on Ratings, S&P Says. Environmental and climate risks are increasingly impacting corporate credit ratings as the example of Volkswagen AG’s downgrade this month demonstrates, rating agency Standard & Poor’s said in a report. The rating company identified 299 cases where environmental and climate developments were a significant factor in influencing a revision or rating analysis… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-23/vw-downgrade-underlines-climate-change-role-on-ratings-s-p-says CORRECTED-Migration needs a home in global climate deal - UN experts. One person is displaced by disasters every second, migration experts emphasised at U.N. climate talks in Bonn, as they called for climate-related migration to be more prominent in a new U.N. agreement to curb global warming. Very few mentions of displacement linked to climate change now exist in a draft deal… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12N2L820151023 Why record-breaking hurricanes like Patricia are expected on a warmer planet. First there was Supertyphoon Haiyan — which peaked out at 170-knot or 196 mile-per-hour winds in 2013 as it slammed the Philippines. And now there is Patricia, forecast to soon hit Mexico, with currently estimated maximum sustained wind speeds of 175 knots or, that’s right, over 200 miles per hour. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/23/why-hurricanes-like-patricia-are-expected-on-a-warmer-planet/ Numerous States Prepare Lawsuits Against Obama’s Climate Policy. As many as 25 states will join some of the nation’s most influential business groups in legal action to block President Obama’s climate change regulations when they are formally published Friday, trying to stop his signature environmental policy. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/us/politics/numerous-states-prepare-lawsuits-against-obamas-climate-policy.html?_r=0 States and industry groups reliant on fossil fuels challenge Obama's Clean Power Plan in court. States and industry groups dependent on fossil fuels are lining up to file court challenges to President Obama's Clean Power Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A flurry of lawsuits was expected Friday at U.S. Court of Appeals as the Environmental Protection Agency published the final version of the new regulations. http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/10/23/states-reliant-on-fossil-fuels-sue-over-new-clean-air-rules Snow leopards at risk as Himalayas face climate change 'crisis'. Warming temperatures could cause over a third of the endangered big cats’ habitat to become uninhabitable, conservationists have warned. More than a third of the snow leopard’s mountain habitat could become uninhabitable for the endangered big cat because of climate change, conservationists have warned. Warming temperatures could cause the tree line to shift up the mountains… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/23/snow-leopards-at-risk-himalayas-face-climate-change-crisis California Faces a Future of Droughts Alternating with Floods. A warming climate coupled with more intense El Niño and La Niña events could cause twice as many droughts and three times as many floods in California. A warming climate coupled with more intense El Niño and La Niña events could cause twice as many droughts and three times as many floods in California by 2080… http://insideclimatenews.org/news/22102015/california-faces-future-drought-alternating-floods-el-nino Can a phrase change the world? Some diplomats here hope so. As countries skirmish here over money and carbon emission cuts, a seemingly abstract debate is shaping up with real-world implications for investors and governments alike. Dubbed the "long-term goal," it is wording in a burgeoning international climate change accord that defines how 194 countries want the world to look by the century's end. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026824 DROUGHT Congressional Republicans demand plan for collecting El Niño water. The Republican members of California's delegation are demanding a government plan to store the deluge of water that could come with El Niño this winter. Fourteen GOP lawmakers will send a letter to President Obama and Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday asking for specifics about how federal and state agencies expect to capture, save and transport water. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-gop-el-nino-drought-letter-story.html High And Dry: A Deep Dive Into The Water Crisis. From the parched California coast to soaring water bills in New York, this episode of Reveal takes an in-depth look at water issues around the country. Reporters track down water guzzlers in the Golden State, where some people are using millions of gallons of water in a year in the middle of a historic drought. But their identities are kept secret. http://www.capradio.org/news/special/reveal/2015/10/23/high-and-dry-a-deep-dive-into-the-water-crisis/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES San Joaquin Valley air district gets $1 million in fed funds to replace diesel tractors. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District received $1 million to replace 75 off-road agricultural diesel tractors, part of a federal pot of more than $3 million awarded Thursday to California clean-air agencies. The new tractors coming to the Valley will have Tier 4 or cleaner engines. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/agriculture/article41133222.html#storylink=cpy http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/energy-and-environment/19905-epa-awards-1m-to-reduce-diesel-emissions-in-valley VEHICLES Tesla Take Two, Nissan Electric Goals, No VW Reprieve In U.S.: Today's Car News. Tesla electric cars are always a big topic here, and today we've got some more thoughts on their reliability. And Nissan set some ambitious goals for its own electric cars. But while VW says there's no defeat software in its latest diesels, that won't help the company in the U.S. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100616_tesla-take-two-nissan-electric-goals-no-vw-reprieve-in-u-s-todays-car-news Europe's automakers and cities rush to accommodate more electric cars. Still breathing the fumes from its diesel-emissions scandal, Volkswagen AG has made a strategic decision to make the next version of its flagship sedan, the Phaeton, an electric car. The decision, viewed by some as a diversionary tactic, is more likely an indication of where the industry is heading -- toward pure electrics and plug-in hybrids. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060026701 Battle grows over utilities' role in EV charging station market. California wants 1.5 million clean cars on state roads by 2025, a tenfold jump from the current number. The push has unlocked an opening for utilities seeking to join the charging station business. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) needs to ensure there are enough places to plug in electric vehicles. It's agreed to let the biggest utilities get involved in deploying stations. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026783 VW RECALL German Minister Heads to U.S. for Talks on Volkswagen Scandal. Meetings with U.S. counterpart and EPA officials as worries over fallout to economy rise. Germany’s transport minister heads to Washington, D.C., on Monday to discuss the Volkswagen AG emissions scandal with top U.S. officials amid mounting pressures by regulators to more accurately and realistically test automotive pollution. http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-minister-heads-to-washington-for-talks-on-volkswagen-scandal-1445614488?alg=y VW dealers reassure customers, wait for emissions-software fix. PR experts suggest incentives, truth will help retain loyalty. Volkswagen dealers find themselves on the front lines of a scandal not of their making, expecting to be tasked with repairing diesel vehicles containing software designed to cheat on emissions testing. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/10/23/dealers-on-front-lines-of-vw-scandal.html GREEN ENERGY Apple cleaning up act in China with more renewable energy. Apple is cleaning up its manufacturing operations in China to reduce the air pollution caused by the factories that have assembled hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads during the past eight years. The world's most valuable company is working with its Chinese suppliers to produce 2.2 gigawatts of solar power and other renewable energy by 2020. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_APPLE_CLEANER_CHINA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026821 UK and China sign the Clean Energy Partnership. The Clean Energy Partnership establishes co-operation in research and industry while transitioning to a low carbon global economy. This will strengthen the UK's position as the partner of choice for China in low carbon energy and will help to pave the way for effective energy relations between the two countries. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201510231115M2______EUPR_____297400000113a670_3600-1 Aggressive rooftop solar proposal clears key legal hurdle. One of the nation's most aggressive rooftop solar initiatives has cleared a critical hurdle. The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday approved a ballot initiative that would deregulate a growing sector of the electricity industry in that state. The proposed ballot initiative by Floridians for Solar Choice – an unusual grass-roots coalition of Tea Party and Christian Coalition conservatives… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rooftop-solar-proposal-clears-court-20151022-story.html Graphene Could Lower The Cost Of Renewable Hydrogen For FCEVs. We’ve been calling graphene the nanomaterial of the new millennium, and among its many superpowers it looks like this ultra thin material with unique electronic properties could help lower the cost of renewable hydrogen fuel. That’s great news for fans of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). http://cleantechnica.com/2015/10/23/graphene-lower-cost-renewable-hydrogen-fcevs/ U.S., Asia lead world in solar PV manufacturing – report. Asia dominates the global solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing sector, accounting for seven of the 10 strongest markets, but the United States and Canada are gaining ground in key areas, according to new findings published by GTM Research. Among the strongest factors promoting solar manufacturing in the United States are a positive business environment, strong regional demand for solar generation… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026787 Wind power industry catches another breeze. The U.S. wind power industry added 1,602 megawatts of new generation during the third quarter of 2015, nearly four times the amount of capacity added in the same quarter of 2014 and the second-highest third quarter since 2012. For the first nine months of 2015, U.S. wind energy capacity expanded by 3,596 MW… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026805 MISCELLANEOUS Edison reaches $400-million settlement with nuclear insurer. Southern California Edison has reached a $400-million settlement with its insurer over the shuttered San Onofre nuclear plant that the utility says will help cut customers' costs. Edison said 95% of the money from Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited, or NEIL, "will benefit customers," though it will not come in the form of a refund. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-edison-settlement-nuclear-20151022-story.html OPINIONS To protect their homes, Nipomo retirees are taking on an oil refinery. It's a well-trod path for many urban Californians: You hit retirement age, you start dreaming about living in the country, away from the noise, the traffic, the high cost of living. You decamp from, say, your job as a real estate agent in Irvine, and settle into a new life on the Central Coast, in a house near the eucalyptus groves of the Nipomo Mesa. http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-oil-train-20151023-column.html Essential Politics: GOP asks Brown for drought plan. I’m Christina Bellantoni, the Essential Politics host today. Let’s get started. The 14 Republicans in California’s congressional delegation are demanding a government plan to capture, store and transport the water expected from this winter’s El Niño. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-essential-politics-html-20151022-htmlstory.html Piece of Mind: Tapping the universe to dampen the drought. The wind gusts that arrived here Wednesday, dropping our paltry humidity levels farther south, reminded me of a column I’ve been sitting on for three months. I’ve previously considered the topic of the drought and of our community’s overuse of landscape watering, but have never before brought any metaphysical thoughts into the equation. But this is my new proposal: http://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/opinion/tn-vsl-piece-of-mind-tapping-the-universe-to-dampen-the-drought-20151022-story.html Hawaii faces winter drought despite wettest summer in years. The strong El Nino has flipped Hawaii's seasons, making the normally dry summer months extremely wet while the traditionally wet winter months will be dry, forecasters said Wednesday. The summer rains were the heaviest the state had seen in 30 years and ended drought conditions that have persisted since 2008… http://www.latimes.com/travel/cruises/sns-bc-us--hawaii-drought-20151021-story.html Parts of Montrose Gardens need replanting after being trampled during Oktoberfest. Parts of the newly planted Montrose Gardens won’t be blooming anytime soon because nearly a quarter of the drought-tolerant plants were trampled by pedestrians during this year’s Oktoberfest. The city recently removed 18 plots of grass along the sidewalks… http://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/tn-gnp-parts-of-montrose-gardens-need-replanting-after-being-trampled-during-oktoberfest-20151022-story.html PRO: New ozone regulations are easily met and will protect millions. On Oct. 1, the Environmental Protection Agency revised the national standards for ground-level ozone, one of the primary components of photochemical smog. This was a modest action but one that will help protect the health of many Americans. http://heralddemocrat.com/opinion/national-commentary/pro-new-ozone-regulations-are-easily-met-and-will-protect-millions#sthash.fr2qItWx.dpuf El Niño is coming. Are we ready? The anticipation is building. Stories and news reports are popping up everywhere. Predictions and expectations fill coffee shops and social media. No, I’m not talking about the 2024 Olympics in Los Angeles. I am talking about El Niño. And, chances are that it will arrive this winter along with plenty of precipitation. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/10/el-nino-is-coming-are-we-ready/ BLOGS No Turning Back on Clean Power. AS THE GAME-CHANGING CLEAN POWER PLAN BECOMES OFFICIAL, WE MUST STAND TOGETHER TO MOVE FORWARD AND ENSURE A HEALTHIER FUTURE. The official publication of President Obama's Clean Power Plan in the Federal Register gives our states and our people exactly what we need to fight climate change our way -- by cutting carbon pollution from the power plants in our own backyard. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rsuh/no_turning_back_on_clean_power.html VW does not want to fight diesel class action suit in California. Volkswagen knows it has a long legal battle ahead of it over the diesel emissions contretemps. History is a good enough guide for that knowledge, even better are the 350 lawsuits filed in 41 states and the District of Columbia so far, with more coming daily. Come what may, the company does not want to fight that battle in California, which is where some of the plaintiff's attorneys who are aiming to combine cases have requested they be transferred. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/10/23/vw-does-not-want-to-fight-diesel-class-action-suit-in-california/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.