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ARB Newsclips for October 29, 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

Governments to raise $22 billion from carbon pricing in 2015:
report. Governments around the world will this year raise around
$22 billion from schemes putting a price on carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions such as taxes or emissions trading systems, a report on
Wednesday showed. The role of carbon pricing, in efforts to curb
rising emissions blamed for global warming…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/us-global-carbonpricing-revenues-idUSKCN0SM1IG20151028


Air Resources Board looks to tropical deforestation for
cap-and-trade offsets. California environmental regulators zeroed
in on tropical deforestation Wednesday as a top cause of global
climate change and looked for ways to halt the destruction of
distant forests through the state’s pioneering carbon
cap-and-trade program.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article41761962.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/29/stories/1060027124 

Massachusetts Mulls an Economy-Wide Price on Carbon. One of six
states considering carbon pricing to combat climate change,
Massachusetts weighs two bills that could make the state a
trendsetter. "We have to step up our fight against climate
change," Massachusetts state Sen. Michael Barrett told a packed
committee hearing in Boston on Tuesday. Barrett's solution: put a
price on carbon.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/29102015/massachusetts-mulls-economy-wide-price-carbon-michael-barrett


AIR POLLUTION

China warns of severe winter smog, worsened by El Nino. China
could face another bout of severe air pollution this winter with
unfavorable weather expected to aggravate the problem, the
environment ministry said on Thursday. Smog has emerged as a
major problem for the government, which has relied on coal and
highly polluting heavy…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/us-china-environment-smog-idUSKCN0SN16A20151029?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews


European politicians back new law to reduce air pollution. The
European Parliament on Wednesday backed a new draft law to cut
toxins in the air and halve the number of premature deaths caused
by pollution. Environment campaigners, however, said the plans
are too conservative and the proposed limits for emissions are
above safe levels…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/environment-air-eu-idUSL8N12O0JH20151028

 
CLIMATE CHANGE

UN weather body: Antarctic ozone hole expands due to cold. The
Antarctic ozone hole has swelled this month to one of its biggest
sizes on record, U.N. and U.S. scientists say, insisting that the
Earth-shielding ozone layer remains on track to long-term
recovery but residents of the southern hemisphere should be on
watch for high UV levels in the weeks ahead.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UNITED_NATIONS_OZONE_LAYER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N12T41M20151029
 
http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-eu--united-nations-ozone-layer-20151029-story.html


British foreign minister discusses climate change in Gulf.
Speaking from a Gulf nation whose skyscrapers rose on oil wealth,
Britain's foreign secretary called Thursday on the rest of the
wealthy Arab world to put their money toward renewable and clean
energy ahead of the landmark climate change conference in Paris
later this year.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_EMIRATES_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Malawi's hydropower dries up as river runs low, menacing forests.
Dwindling water levels are hobbling Malawi's hydroelectric power
supply and putting more pressure on the country's already
stressed forests, officials say. The Electricity Supply
Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), a public utility, says the amount
of power it generates through three plants on the Shire River has
fallen by 66 percent…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/malawi-energy-hydropower-idUSL8N12S4O920151029


What El Niño could mean for California: 5 takeaways. A Wednesday
state Senate hearing dove into a topic on the mind of many
Californians, examining how an anticipated El Niño surge of
wetness could affect residents and force a pivot from drought
preparedness to flood response.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article41705805.html#storylink=cpy


What is California’s Climate Change Plan? For decades, California
has been a leader on environmental and climate change policies,
including the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate in 1990 and a “Clean
Car” bill in 2002 that became a model for the National Fuel
Efficiency Standards that President Obama announced in 2012.
http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan


What is the California Global Warming Solutions Act and is it
working? The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006
established a comprehensive program to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The legislation was signed into
law on September 27, 2006 by former Republican Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger.
http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#what_is_the_california_global_warming_solutions_act_and_is_it_working?


DROUGHT

China's answer for drought-plagued area: Move residents out.
Village elder Yang Zhenjun isn't ready to move out from the
valley where his people have herded sheep and tended crops for
generations amid arid, drought-prone mountains of China's
northwest. Still, he acknowledges that life as he has known it is
all but over.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_DISPLACED_BY_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Lingering drought heightens worries of extinction for salmon.
Another deadly summer of drought has heightened fears of
extinction in the wild for an iconic California salmon, federal
officials said Wednesday. Officials with the National Marine
Fisheries Service said preliminary counts indicate that hot,
shallow waters caused by the drought killed most of this year's
juvenile winter-run…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_ENDANGERED_SALMON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Drought, other factors contribute to larger Texas wildfires.
Larger, more threatening wildfires are occurring at greater rates
as Texas faces lingering drought, consistent development - driven
by millions of new residents and the spread of outlying suburbs -
and changes in how the state's land is used. Texas had 157,000
wildfires over a nine-year period ending in 2014…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEXAS_WILDFIRES_GROWING_THREAT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

River god, drought blamed for power shortages in Africa. With the
rains not having fallen as they normally do, water levels have
dropped in a dam that supplies electricity to Zambia and
Zimbabwe, causing power blackouts, business closures and
consternation. Some traditional chiefs are blaming an angry river
god.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_ZIMBABWE_ZAMBIA_POWER_SHORTAGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


California officials outline preparations for El Nino flooding.
As California braces for torrential downpours this winter from El
Nino, authorities have stockpiled extra sandbags across the state
while putting hundreds of personnel through flood-control
training, officials told state lawmakers on Wednesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/california-elnino-idUSL1N12S2MI20151028


UPDATE 1-Beyond haze, El Nino drought poses poverty challenge for
Indonesia. On a dry and dusty sports field in central Java,
Indonesian men dressed as traditional warriors take turns to
battle with wooden staves, while village women crowd around,
chanting: "All farmers let us pray that rain comes and washes our
sorrow away."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/indonesia-elnino-idUSL3N12T46M20151029


These water districts are way short of their conservation
targets. Over the last four months, the residents and businesses
of the Indian Wells Valley Water District have cut their water
consumption by about 25%, and General Manager Don Zdeba thinks
that's "pretty darn good." The problem for Zdeba and his Kern
County customers is that the state expects the district to slash
its water usage by even more — 36% as compared with 2013.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-conservation-20151029-story.html


Dry Times Continue In California, Nevada. The U.S. Drought
Monitor released October 29 shows no change in the drought
depiction for California or Nevada. "A mostly dry week led to
status quo conditions in the hardest-hit drought areas of the Far
West, including California," according to the weekly report.  "On
October 25, California led the nation in topsoil and subsoil
moisture rated very short to short (both 90%).
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/29/dry-times-continue-in-california,-nevada/


California drought: Agencies not fining water wasters. The
Coachella Valley has fallen far short of its state-mandated water
conservation targets, but local agencies have largely declined to
fine homes and businesses for violating water rules. When Gov.
Jerry Brown ordered cities to slash consumption by as much as 36
percent earlier this year, local agencies dramatically restricted
water use…
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/10/28/california-drought-agencies-not-fining-water-wasters/74757454/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=


FUELS

What is the Low Carbon Fuel Standard? The LCFS was adopted in
2009 as the California Air Resources Board sought to achieve AB
32’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by
2020. Transportation accounts for 40 percent of greenhouse gas
emissions in California. The LCFS regulation, which became
effective in 2011 and was updated in 2015…
http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#what_is_the_low_carbon_fuel_standard?


How can the state cut fuel use in half by 2030? Although the goal
of cutting fuel use in half by 2030 was rejected by the state
Assembly in 2015, Governor Brown said he still plans to achieve
it through regulations and executive orders. Many policies
already in place are expected to substantially reduce the state’s
use of gasoline and diesel, perhaps approaching the governor’s
goal.
http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#how_can_the_state_cut_fuel_use_in_half_by_2030?


VEHICLES

BMW plans to market sedan fuel cell vehicle after 2020. BMW AG on
Wednesday said its first fuel cell vehicle would likely be a
larger-sized sedan which would put on the market after 2020, when
a hydrogen development partnership ends between the German luxury
automaker and Toyota Motor Corp. Under its partnership with
Toyota, BMW is developing a way to compress hydrogen at
ultra-low…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/autoshow-japan-bmw-idUSL3N12T3TN20151029?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews
 

Tokyo Motor Show Green Cars: Concepts & Production Models.
Auto-show season continues with the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, which
featured a number of notable green-car debuts. Tokyo usually
boasts a few significant world launches from the local carmakers,
mixed with more esoteric models designed primarily with Japan in
mind.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100679_tokyo-motor-show-green-cars-concepts-production-models


VW RECALL

VW affirms commitment to Chattanooga plant despite scandal.
Volkswagen is sticking with planned investments at its plant in
Chattanooga, Tennessee - including production of a new SUV there
next year - despite the uncertainty caused by its emissions
scandal. Volkswagen said Thursday it is reviewing investment
spending worldwide as it faces huge costs to deal with its
scandal…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN_TENNESSEE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Switzerland: 600 criminal complaints filed in VW scandal. Swiss
prosecutors say that they have received some 600 criminal
complaints related to the Volkswagen emissions-rigging scandal.
The federal prosecutor's office said Thursday that it has agreed
with its state-level counterparts to handle all the complaints
from private citizens itself rather than leaving them to local
authorities to evaluate individually.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_SWITZERLAND_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Tennessee lawmakers to hear from Volkswagen on Thursday.
Volkswagen is reaffirming its commitment to its lone U.S. plant
in Tennessee after a diesel emissions cheating scandal rocked the
German automaker. The Chattanooga plant's CEO, Christian Koch,
said in a statement that the company must "deepen our commitment
to America."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_TENNESSEE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Hybrid technology to fill autos gap as diesel damaged by VW
scandal. The Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) diesel emissions test rigging
scandal could accelerate a shift toward gasoline-electric hybrid
cars and plug-in electric hybrids - even as cheaper gasoline, for
now, saps demand for green cars. The fallout from VW - where the
cost of the scandal pushed the German automaker…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/us-autoshow-japan-volkswagen-fallout-idUSKCN0SM2SU20151028


Volkswagen CEO looks to restructure in wake of 'Dieselgate'
scandal. In the wake of Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal,
the company's chief executive plans on decentralizing Europe's
top automobile manufacturer and allowing its various brands to
operate independently to prevent similar issues from arising in
the future.
http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/ceo-volkswagen-restructure-wake-emissions-scandal-article-1.2415093


A new study estimates that the VW emissions cheat will cause 59
premature deaths in the US. Nearly 60 people will die prematurely
from the excess air pollution caused by Volkswagen cheating
emissions tests in the US, according to a new study. The first
peer-reviewed estimate of the public health impacts of VW’s
rigging of tests for 482,000 diesel cars in the US found that if
the company recalls all the affected cars…
http://www.businessinsider.com/vw-emission-cheat-estimated-to-cause-59-premature-deaths-in-the-us-2015-10

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/29/vw-emissions-estimated-to-cause-59-premature-us-deaths


GREEN ENERGY

Thai developer Sena aims to boost solar energy capacity. Thai
property developer Sena Development Pcl said on Thursday it aimed
to boost solar power capacity to 100 megawatts (MW) over the next
three years to lift revenue and profits from renewable energy.
Sena is among several Thai companies diversifying into solar
energy, with the government aiming to raise solar power capacity
to 6,000 MW by 2036 from 1,570 in 2014.
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N12T3RX20151029

  
Republicans Embrace Obama on Energy. One line seemed awfully
familiar during the third Republican debate, held Wednesday
night. Candidates Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Lindsey Graham
and George Pataki declared their support for an
"all-of-the-above" energy strategy – effectively embracing the
marquee stance of GOP Public Enemy No. 1, President Barack Obama.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/10/29/republicans-embrace-obama-on-energy


What is the state renewable energy policy? In 2015, Governor
Brown signed a bill (SB 350) that says California will get half
of its electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind
power by 2030. It’s an ambitious goal, but it continues an
increasingly aggressive policy that started back in 2002 when the
state said it would get 20 percent…
http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#what_is_the_state_renewable_energy_policy?


How will the state increase energy efficiency in homes,
businesses and factories?
Senate Bill 350, signed by the governor in September 2015,
included a major provision that requires buildings, homes and
factories to double their energy efficiency by 2030. As the
Natural Resources Defense Council reported, that will save enough
electricity for 5 trillion cups of coffee per year and enough
natural gas for 13 billion showers.
http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#how_will_the_state_increase_energy_efficiency_in_homes,_businesses_and_factories?


MISCELLANEOUS

Your Place: Some professional tips for clearing the air. October
is National Indoor Air Quality Month, so I thought I would share
a few thoughts from Broan Nu-Tone, a manufacturer of
home-ventilation products. Of course, it's a good idea to spend
the entire year in a clean-air environment. For those with
allergies, that's especially true… 
http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/home-garden/article41786181.html#storylink=cpy


OPINIONS

'Desperate environmentalism' won't save the environment. When I
started teaching environmental law and policy, I thought I would
work with the next generation of extraordinary environmentalists.
I don't. My students are extraordinary, but many see themselves
as "corporate social responsibility consultants," "ecosystem
service managers," "sustainability leaders," "industrial
efficiency experts," maybe "clean energy entrepreneurs"
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-galperin-environmental-desperation-20151029-story.html


Buy Coal Now! It’s the best way for climate-concerned
billionaires to fight global warming. The idea is simple. People
burn fossil fuels. The fuels emit carbon-dioxide into the
atmosphere. If that carbon lingers in the air, it causes
greenhousing and contributes to global warming; if it gets
absorbed by the ocean, it acidifies the water and wrecks the
marine food chain.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/10/every-climate-concerned-billionaire-should-do-this-to-save-the-world/413020/


BLOGS

Indian villagers desperate for water as wells and pumps run dry.
Raj Kumar Jaiswal begins his day irritated. He needs water from
the pump that stands in the courtyard of his home. Working the
handle is a struggle; it often yields little water, or none at
all. 
http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2015/10/29/indian-villagers-desperate-for-water-as-wells-and-pumps-run-dry/


EVs Need Equity: California is Ditching Big Oil to Charge Ahead
with Clean Cars for All. Big Oil is a big loser in California.
The Golden State is trailblazing a clean transportation future by
setting the ambitious goals of getting 1.5 million zero-emission
vehicles (ZEVs) on the road by 2025, cutting California’s
greenhouse gas (GHG) 



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