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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 15, 2015
Posted: 15 Dec 2015 16:46:18
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 Calif. explores how to mesh cap and trade with federal rule. California regulators are wading through the details of how to connect their landmark cap-and-trade system to U.S. EPA's regulations for power plants. At the top of the regulators' agenda is how to preserve their own program, which has been in place since 2012. As the only state with an economywide carbon cap… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/15/stories/1060029514 AIR POLLUTION US appeals court leaves Obama mercury air pollution rule in place. A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday said that an Obama administration rule that regulates mercury and other toxic pollutants can remain in effect while the government revises it in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling. In a brief order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the rule could remain in effect… http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-pollution-idUSL1N11V2CZ20151215 EU parliament panel rejects car pollution rules as too lax. he European parliament's environmental committee voted on Monday against new car pollution rules they say are too lenient in the light of the Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) scandal which exposed loopholes in existing emissions tests. The new rules agreed in a closed-door committee in October would allow vehicles to carry on spewing out… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-eu-idUSKBN0TX25B20151215 Hazardous smog hits Shanghai as China's bad air spreads. Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday, prompting schools to ban outdoor activities and authorities to limit work at construction sites and factories as polluted air spreads around the country. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-idUSKBN0TY0MN20151215 China again promises to clean up air ahead of 2022 Games. China promised again on Tuesday to take steps to reduce air pollution in the run-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics, to be held in Beijing and a nearby city, after a choking pall of smog prompted the Chinese capital's first ever red alert last week. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-china-idUSKBN0TY14620151215 Shanghai Warns People to Stay Indoors on ‘Severe’ Air Pollution. Shanghai warned children and elderly to remain indoors and everyone else to avoid physical activity outdoors as air pollution levels worsened. The city’s air was classified as “severely polluted,” the worst level of a 6-grade scale, as the air quality index hit 315… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/shanghai-warns-people-to-stay-indoors-on-severe-air-pollution In China, Diners Pay for Clean Air With Their Entrée. Has clean air become such a luxury in China that restaurants can charge patrons for it? That question raged on Tuesday after Xinhua, the state news agency, reported that a restaurant in the eastern province of Jiangsu was doing just that. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/16/world/asia/china-air-restaurant-clean-charge.html?_r=0 The Port of L.A. rolled back measures to cut pollution -- during its 'green' expansion. Shortly after the Port of Los Angeles agreed to require air quality improvements at one of its busiest terminals seven years ago, top port officials privately began rolling back pollution-cutting measures they promised, government records obtained by The Times show. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-port-pollution-20151215-story.html Porter Ranch gas leak could be declared local emergency by supervisors. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected Tuesday to vote to proclaim a local state of emergency due to a natural gas leak above Porter Ranch. If the proclamation is approved, it will be sent to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services… http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151214/porter-ranch-gas-leak-could-be-declared-local-emergency-by-supervisors Leak At Natural-Gas Field Now One-Quarter Of All CA Methane Emissions. For half a century, California has been at the forefront of reducing emissions and cleaning up air pollution. And the state has made breathtaking progress since the days of early-Seventies technicolor photochemical smog alerts. But then bad things happen--and a leak at a single natural-gas well shows… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101414_leak-at-natural-gas-field-now-one-quarter-of-all-ca-methane-emissions CLIMATE CHANGE India worries it compromised too much on climate treaty. As the world celebrates reaching an unprecedented global climate treaty, India praised nations' willingness to compromise for the good of the planet. But many in the country - which had been among the most strident during the negotiations - worry they had to compromise the most. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_CLIMATE_TREATY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Pope's comments on global warming top notable quotes list. Pope Francis' comments that human activity is mostly to blame for global warming top a list of the most notable quotes of 2015, as compiled by a Yale Law School librarian who also included several sound bites from the U.S. presidential campaign. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_QUOTES_OF_THE_YEAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Climate deal typo hiccup solved 'in a small room,' France says. A last minute dispute over an apparent typing error in last weekend's global climate deal in Paris was solved "in a small room" and thanks to trust established during the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-error-idUSKBN0TY1CS20151215 Look Who's Hiring a Climate Researcher (It's Exxon). An oil giant needs a climate scientist, offers competitive compensation and benefits. ExxonMobil is looking for a PhD engineer, scientist, or economist who can “lead research in areas such as Earth systems science and the role of technologies and systems in managing the risks posed by global climate change.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/look-who-s-hiring-a-climate-researcher-it-s-exxon- Greenland May Seek UN Climate Deal Opt-Out Amid Emissions Goal. The ink hasn’t yet dried on the UN climate accord and one of the territories most at risk from global warning is already demanding an opt-out. “We still have the option of making a territorial opt-out to COP21," Kim Kielsen, the prime minister of Greenland, said during a visit to Copenhagen on Monday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/greenland-may-seek-un-climate-deal-opt-out-amid-emissions-goal Climate change activists are just warming up. Even as it became clear that a historic climate agreement could be reached in France, activists were organizing protests deep into next year, some liberal political leaders were pledging to go beyond whatever goals the agreement might yield and diplomats, scientists… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-climate-after-paris-20151215-story.html An Unusual Tech Bet Could Slow Climate Change. Ethanol, saltwater and fermentation all get involved. Corn is king in the U.S. Midwest, and few companies in the field are larger than Archer Daniels Midland. The agribusiness giant runs a corn processing plant in Decatur, Ill. that turns tons of golden kernels into thousands of liters of alcohol, food chemicals, even syrup. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-unusual-tech-bet-could-slow-climate-change/ Study: Climate change slowing the Earth's rotation. Earth's spin is slowing down by one millisecond per day. File this under Things You May Not Have Known: Climate change, scientists say, is slowing Earth's rotation ever so slightly. It's not a new idea. In fact, scientists have been looking at the relationship among melting glaciers, rising sea levels and a slowing Earth for years. http://www.wmur.com/national/climate-change-is-a-drag-on-earth-study-says/36974066 UN CLIMATE TALKS France: Expect pressure to stick to climate pledges. France's foreign minister says the nearly 200 countries that signed up to a global climate deal should expect heavy pressure to fulfill their promises to reduce emissions and fight global warming. Laurent Fabius on Tuesday recounted the "extremely difficult" climate talks that ended Saturday… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Businesses get climate certainty they wanted; now for action. With the new global climate deal, businesses around the world got the long-term certainty that they had been clamoring for - now they need to back up the shift to a greener world with cold hard cash. Many business leaders have praised the climate deal reached Saturday in Paris… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_BUSINESS_IMPACT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Paris Paves Way for Global Carbon Price, Ex-Australia PM Says. The Paris climate accord will pave the way for carbon markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S. to link and form a global emissions price, according to Kevin Rudd, the former Australian prime minister whose climate policies helped cost him his job. “It’s easier for emissions-trading schemes… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/paris-paves-way-for-global-carbon-price-ex-australia-pm-says Goldman Sachs to launch climate-focused ETF. Goldman Sachs Group Inc said in a filing on Monday it would launch a new climate-focused index-tracking exchange-traded fund (ETF). Launch of the Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Environmental & Socially Responsible ETF comes on the heels of the recent landmark agreement on climate change at the global climate summit in Paris. http://in.reuters.com/article/goldmansachs-etf-idINL3N14450E20151215 Scientists See U.N. Climate Accord As A Good Start, But Just A Start. Climate scientists who scrutinized the U.N. accord are urging citizens to keep a sharp eye on each nation's leaders to make sure they follow through on pledges to reduce emissions. Climate scientists who scrutinized the U.N. accord are urging citizens… http://www.npr.org/2015/12/15/459693015/scientists-see-u-n-climate-accord-as-a-good-start-but-just-a-start Businesses see boost for carbon trading in climate accord text. The climate accord in Paris does not put a price on carbon dioxide, which many big businesses had been asking for, but does include language laying the groundwork for more emissions trading. The binding section of the deal allows countries to use "internationally transferred mitigation outcomes… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/15/stories/1060029502 DROUGHT Environmental group gives California mixed marks for drought management. More than four years into a drought, California's efforts to manage the crisis have produced mixed results, according to a report card issued Monday by a leading environmental nonprofit organization. The state received high marks from the Natural Resources Defense Council for its urban conservation and water recycling… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-nrdc-20151215-story.html http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/california-gets-low-grades-for-drought-14204015 FUELS Gasoline Nearing $2 Seen Spurring Record U.S. Holiday Travelers. U.S. travelers over the year-end holiday season will surge to a record 100.5 million as cheap fuel makes trips more affordable. About 91.3 million people will drive to holiday destinations 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more from home, an increase of 1.4 percent over last year, according to Heathrow, Florida-based AAA, a national federation of motor clubs. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/gasoline-nearing-2-seen-spurring-record-u-s-holiday-travelers China's NDRC plans domestic fuel pricing reform amid low crude. China plans further reforms of its retail fuel pricing system, the country's central economic planning commission said on Tuesday, part of efforts to make prices more market-driven. The world's second-largest oil consumer has taken big steps this year in reforming the oil and gas sector. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-fuel-prices-idUSKBN0TY18I20151215 The Worst Gas Leak in California’s History Isn’t Close to Being Fixed. A massive natural gas leak in California is still releasing huge amounts of methane into the environment almost two months after it began, driving over a thousand families from their homes and prompting the FAA to create a no-fly zone over the area. The Aliso Canyon gas storage facility near the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles started leaking massive amounts of methane into the San Fernando Valley area on Oct. 23. http://time.com/4149170/california-natural-gas-methane-leak/?xid=homepage Between Cheap Gas And Carbon Caps, Oil Sands Face Uncertain Fate. Canada has the world's third-largest oil reserve, and it's worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Nearly all of that crude is contained in Alberta's oil sands. Getting the oil from underground and into your car requires an extraordinary mining effort that has significant effects on the environment and is expensive. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/14/459336339/between-cheap-gas-and-carbon-caps-oil-sands-face-uncertain-fate?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news Study quantifies impact of fuel composition on PM emissions from gasoline direct injection engines. Researchers from Tsinghua University and Peking University have investigated the effects of fuel properties on particulate emissions gasoline direct injection engines (GDI). The study results, reported in the journal Fuel, demonstrated that the fuel composition has a significant on particulate emissions from GDI engines. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151214-gdipm.html VEHICLES Europe Car Recovery to Slow After Fastest Growth in a Decade. The European car market’s growth is set to slow from its fastest pace in at least 10 years as consumers increasingly choose alternatives to owning a vehicle, sapping a recovery from a two-decade low. New-car registrations in Europe are set to rise 8 percent this year to more than 14 million vehicles for the first time since 2009. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/europe-car-recovery-to-slow-after-fastest-growth-in-a-decade South Korea Plans Big Jump in Fuel-Cell Vehicles. South Korea wants one in 10 of every new cars sold in the country to be a fuel-cell model by 2030. South Korea is honing plans to put more hydrogen-powered vehicles on its roads, as auto makers around the globe look to develop technologies to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Korea aims to drastically increase the number of fuel-cell cars on its streets… http://www.wsj.com/articles/south-korea-plans-big-jump-in-fuel-cell-vehicles-1450152058 Nissan To Launch Range-Extended Electric Vehicle In 2016: Report. The Nissan Leaf is now firmly established as the bestselling electric car in history. Nissan expects to deliver its 200,000th Leaf sometime next month. And Nissan managed to achieve that without offering a gasoline range extender, as some other makers do with their battery-electric models. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101409_nissan-to-launch-range-extended-electric-vehicle-in-2016-report VW RECALL VW European sales growth screeches to near-halt. Volkswagen sales growth in Europe screeched to a near-halt in November compared with both its mass-market and premium competitors as the German carmaker was penalized for its involvement in a diesel emissions-cheating scandal. Sales of the core Volkswagen brand grew in November by just 2.8 percent, compared with nearly 14 percent for the industry as a whole… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_CAR_SALES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/vw-s-europe-market-share-narrows-most-since-emissions-crisis Chinese environmental group sues Volkswagen over emissions scandal. A Chinese environmental group said it has sued Volkswagen AG over its use of software to rig emissions tests, in what state-owned media calls the first public interest lawsuit over the scandal in the German company's biggest global market. http://www.reuters.com/article/volkswagen-emissions-china-idUSL1N1440LJ20151215 U.S. brands tap European auto recovery as Volkswagen left behind. European car sales rose 13.7 percent in November, according to industry data published on Tuesday, with U.S. brands recording strong gains as Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) continued to pay the price of its diesel emissions test-rigging scandal. Registrations rose to 1.12 million cars last month from 989,758 a year earlier… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-carsales-idUSKBN0TY0JY20151215?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews VW to end contracts of 600 temp workers at Zwickau next year. Volkswagen will terminate contracts of about 600 temporary workers next year at a plant in Zwickau, Germany as it battles the costs of its diesel emissions test-rigging scandal, the carmaker's labour representatives said on Tuesday. Jobs of more than 10,000 core workers at VW's three eastern German sites in Zwickau… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFF9N13D02520151215 Bosch Role in VW Diesel Scandal Reviewed by German Prosecutors. Prosecutors in Stuttgart said they are investigating whether Robert Bosch GmbH employees helped Volkswagen AG rig software to cheat on emissions tests. The probe is looking at corporate staff at the car-parts maker, which provided VW with the software, but no suspects have been identified… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/bosch-role-in-vw-diesel-scandal-reviewed-by-german-prosecutors GREEN ENERGY W.House urges Congress to invest in renewable energy in spending bill. U.S. President Barack Obama would like to see Congress make investments in renewable energy in its omnibus spending bill, though final details of the funding measure would be up to lawmakers, the White House said on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-fiscal-whitehouse-energy-idUSW1N12Z00V20151214 Paris climate pact sinks coal stocks, lifts renewable energy. A landmark deal to curb global warming dented shares of fossil fuel companies and lifted renewable energy stocks on Monday, although some price swings were muted by the non-binding nature of the pact. The deal forged at the Paris climate summit is widely seen as the most important climate agreement since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-stocks-idUSKBN0TX22A20151214 China's Senyuan Starts Building $1.55 Billion Solar Farm. Henan Senyuan Group Co., a Chinese electrical power equipment maker, started construction of a 10 billion-yuan ($1.55 billion) photovoltaic power project in central China’s Henan province. The 1 gigawatt Yuzhou project will be capable of generating 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/china-s-senyuan-starts-building-1-55-billion-solar-farm Canada expected to triple solar PV capacity in the next 5 years. While considerably smaller than in the United States, Canada's solar market is riding a growth trajectory similar to that of its southern neighbor, with developers looking to nearly triple the country's solar photovoltaic capacity by 2020, from 2,400 megawatts to roughly 6,300 MW. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/15/stories/1060029499 MISCELLANEOUS Australian court tosses out Adani coal mine challenge. An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a bid to stop India's Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) building one of the world's biggest coal mines, saying the project should go ahead provided the firm complies with a host of environmental measures. The ruling by the Land Court of Queensland sets Adani back on track to proceed… http://www.reuters.com/article/adani-ent-australia-coal-idUSKBN0TY0L020151215 OPINIONS Windmills Have Direct Benefits for Farmers. With 98%-99% of wind-farm land free for other uses, wind has little impact on farmers and ranchers. Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst’s “How Wind Farms Blow Away Rights on Real Farms” (Cross Country, Dec. 5) ignores the benefits of low-cost wind energy… http://www.wsj.com/articles/windmills-have-direct-benefits-for-farmers-1450131095 A Global Accord on Climate Change. To the Editor: Re “Nations Approve Landmark Climate Deal” (front page, Dec. 13): The climate negotiators in Paris gave us a deal that falls far short of staving off the worst effects of climate change. They gave us nonbinding promises to reduce carbon emissions without a mechanism for verification, leaving room for inaccurate reporting and cheating. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/opinion/a-global-accord-on-climate-change.html Remember the Paris climate deal when voting in 2016. To the editor: The Paris climate agreement is a resounding success — within the context of reduced expectations after 20 years of failed agreements. ("Nearly 200 nations join together to fight climate change in historic Paris agreement," Dec. 12) The U.S. Senate has effectively held the entire world hostage by refusing to ratify a true legally… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-want-the-paris-climate-deal-to-succeed-then-vote-accordingly-in-2016-20151215-story.html Paris pact is more hype than real change. Perhaps the best part of the United Nations climate change agreement reached in Paris this weekend is that the hype is much more sweeping than the actual impact of the accord. Given President Barack Obama’s determination to secure his legacy by turning back rising temperatures, Paris could have been disastrous to future economic growth… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/12/14/paris-climate-talks-hype-global-warming/77334752/ The Hidden Climate Threat That Gas Companies Noticed, But Rarely Fixed. World leaders left Paris over the weekend with an aggressive agreement to cut methane emissions and other so-called short-lived climate pollutants. Methane doesn’t last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, but it’s much more potent. That’s one reason the city of Los Angeles is suing over the methane leak from a natural gas well north of L.A. … http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/12/14/the-hidden-climate-threat-that-gas-companies-noticed-but-rarely-fixed/ BLOGS Breakdown: Uneven CO2 prices are better than none. A uniform price on carbon emissions is unlikely to emerge from the United Nations climate change confab in Paris. There’s plenty of support for one, but enough opposition that any mention of it in a final agreement is likely to be vague at best. Here’s a breakdown of why it’s important – and why the current hodge-podge of local and ad hoc measures is far better than nothing. http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/12/15/breakdown-uneven-co2-prices-are-better-than-none / Why the climate change deal works. After years of painstaking negotiations, the climate change deal struck by leaders of 195 countries on Saturday was a diplomatic success. It represents a welcome shot in the arm for attempts to tackle global warming and, crucially, establishes a new set of guidelines for lowering greenhouse gas emissions. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/12/14/why-the-climate-change-deal-works/ California's Billion-dollar Drought Plan Draws Ire. Political leaders in water-starved Southern California are headed for a confrontation over an innovative but costly plan to build one of the world’s largest systems for recycling wastewater, VOA has learned. San Diego officials are casting serious doubt on the proposal, which advocates say could provide the region… http://www.voanews.com/content/california-billion-dollar-drought-plan-draws-ire/3097600.html The hard truths about renewable energy and subsidies. In a recent Washington Post article, author Griff Witte laments how the British government has cut renewable energy subsidies. This policy change has alarmed some across the world because of climate change fears. Britain is not, however, casting away a bright future of renewables; it is facing harsh realities. http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/263214-the-hard-truths-about-renewable-energy-and-subsidies Hazardous Smog Hits Another Chinese City. Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday. Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday, prompting schools to ban outdoor activities and authorities to limit work at construction sites and factories as polluted air spreads around the country. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/shanghai-smog-china_5670207de4b0fccee16fd089 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.