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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 11, 2016

Posted: 11 Jan 2016 13:51:29
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.

AIR POLLUTION

Air quality flag hopes to bring awareness to Imperial.
Air pollution has become a huge topic in today’s society. The
Imperial Valley has some of the worst air quality and many
residents do not know about it. According to Respira Sano, an
asthma education group, “Approximately 23,000 children and adults
have been diagnosed with asthma.”
http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/local/air-quality-flag-hopes-to-bring-awareness-to-imperial/article_c0e10d50-b7f2-11e5-ab80-1f2076017ac2.html


ALISO CANYON

California Residents Fear Long-Term Impact of Gas Leak.
When Robyn Shapiro’s 18-month-old son started suffering from
nosebleeds last fall, she knew it was time to leave her home in
Porter Ranch, the Los Angeles neighborhood where thousands of
residents say they have been sickened by a massive natural gas
leak. Shapiro, 43, moved her family 15 miles away in early
December and said her son’s health quickly improved.
http://time.com/4173516/california-gas-leak-resident-reaction/ 

Porter Ranch residents demand that Aliso Canyon gas facility be
shut down.
Hundreds of San Fernando Valley residents crowded into a high
school gymnasium Saturday to express outrage over a gas leak that
has sickened and displaced thousands from the Porter Ranch area.
“You need to shut it down. It’s killing us,” Maureen Capra told
South Coast Air Quality Management District officials.  Capra,
who has lived in Porter Ranch for four decades, said she and her
family have suffered headaches, bloody noses and asthma because
of the damaged storage well in Aliso Canyon.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-residents-to-demand-porter-ranch-gas-facility-shut-down-20160109-story.html


SoCalGas seeks to burn gas leaking from well.
Southern California Gas Co. is seeking regulatory approval for a
plan to capture and burn some gas leaking from a well site above
Porter Ranch, sickening some residents and forcing more than
2,000 to flee their homes. The company has been discussing a
two-phase burn option with the South Coast Air Quality Management
District, said gas company spokeswoman Kristine Lloyd. Permit
applications for Phase 2 were submitted on Monday and for Phase 1
on Friday.
http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201601090918KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_945_61175-1


UC Davis Scientist First To Measure Methane Leak At Aliso
Canyon.
UC Davis scientist Stephen Conley has been flying his special
pollution detection plane just downwind of the Aliso Canyon
natural gas storage facility since early November. He says the
amount of leaking methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is unlike
anything he’s ever seen. “If you imagine a United States Navy
aircraft carrier and what that weighs, that’s about what’s coming
out of this leak every month,” says Conley.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2016/01/11/uc-davis-scientist-first-to-measure-methane-leak-at-aliso-canyon/


CLIMATE CHANGE

Paris Global Warming Agreement Is One More New Year's
Resolution.
Like most New Year’s resolutions, the hope generated by the Paris
climate accord last month will fade into disappointment. Global
warming is generating huge risks for our world, and collectively
we are managing those risks very badly. My new book Behavioral
Risk Management explains why deep seated psychological pitfalls
underlie the biggest risk management failures from the last
fifteen years, including our slow response to address global
warming properly.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/hershshefrin/2016/01/09/paris-global-warming-agreement-is-one-more-new-years-resolution/


Crusading state prepares to take on new climate threats.
California is poised to enact a slew of new policies in 2016
aimed at furthering the state's progressive trajectory on climate
change. With the backing of Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and state
lawmakers, regulators are preparing a new "scoping plan" aimed at
extending and expanding their current suite of climate policies
through 2030. It includes regulations for black carbon, the
particulate matter released by wood-burning and diesel engines,
as well as proposals to reduce methane emissions from the oil and
gas industry and dairy farms.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/01/11/stories/1060030391 

Powerful replacement in works for climate-modeling computer.
One of the most powerful computers in the world dedicated to
climate change, weather and other earth science research will be
replaced in 2017 by an even faster machine, officials announced
Monday. The Yellowstone supercomputer in Wyoming currently ranks
among the 60 fastest in the world. The new supercomputer, to be
named Cheyenne, will be at least 2 1/2 times more powerful, the
National Center for Atmospheric Research said.
http://www.modbee.com/news/business/article54082300.html 

Company Behind Methane Leak Is Ordered to Offset the Climate
Damage.
California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered Southern California Gas Co.
to pay for a mitigation program to offset damage to the world's
climate from a massive methane leak at an underground natural gas
storage facility in Los Angeles. The directive was part of
Brown's Jan. 6 declaration of a state of emergency. The ongoing
leak has caused more than 2,300 people to evacuate their homes
and forced school closures in the Porter Ranch neighborhood of
northwest Los Angeles. Brown's proclamation also directed state
agencies to protect public health and safety, oversee efforts to
stop the 12-week-old leak and ensure that SoCal Gas is held
accountable for costs and any violations.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/10012016/california-methane-leak-so-cal-gas-company-ordered-offset-carbon-emissions-climate-change-governor-brown


NASA technologies could save GHGs and $25B.
Green technologies developed by NASA to cut emissions, fuel and
noise from airplanes could save the nation's airlines more than
$25 billion if implemented, according to the agency. The
research, conducted between 2009 and 2015, aimed to find
solutions that would reduce the total impact of aviation on the
environment.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/01/11/stories/1060030368 

Climate change means more fear, less fun for global middle class:
UBS.
The erosion of wealth among the world's middle class due to
climate change is a threat to economic and social stability which
could spur its 1 billion members to push for action on global
warming, Swiss bank UBS Group AG said. In a study of middle-class
consumption in 215 cities around the world, UBS analysts found
spending priorities were noticeably different in cities most at
risk from climate change such as Los Angeles, Tokyo and
Shanghai.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-cities-wealth-idUSKCN0UP1AE20160111


DROUGHT

California drought: How will we know when it’s over?
Now that 2016 has gotten off to a wet start, with a series of El
Niño storms drenching California in recent days, the question is
turning up with increasing frequency at dinner parties and coffee
shops:
“How will we know when the drought is over?” The answer, water
experts say, is more complicated than you’d think.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20160109/california-drought-how-will-we-know-when-its-over


As rain drenches California, some see a way to fight drought.
Much of the torrential rain that fell on Southern California this
week flowed right into the ocean, just like it did before the
state’s epic drought. That seemed like a good idea for many
years, as storm drains provided a crucial defense against
flooding. But with California entering what may be a fifth year
of drought, water agencies are slowly moving to capture and store
more of this precious resource.
http://napavalleyregister.com/ap/state/as-rain-drenches-california-some-see-a-way-to-fight/article_7601e9cc-cdf7-55e5-8919-3ca79b4149e0.html


FUELS

New efficient electrolysis process for direct hydrogen production
from biomass; 16.7% of energy required for water electrolysis.
Researchers at Georgia Tech, with colleagues at Hunan University
and the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
have devised a novel, efficient electrolysis approach for
hydrogen evolution directly from native biomasses—cellulose,
lignin and even wood and grass powders—to hydrogen at low
temperature. A paper on their work is published in the RSC
journal Energy and Environmental Science.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/01/20160209-gatech.html 

VEHICLES

Cool Electric Cars And The Vinyl Revival.
General Motors’ new electric car gets 200 miles on a single
charge, has full access to both Google and Apple infotainment and
navigation systems and can be a giant WiFi hub. Pretty great,
right? It’s no wonder GM’s CEO is calling Volt a platform, not
just a car … Curie – Intel’s revolutionary, button-sized Internet
of Things chip – is ready to start shipping, beginning with a
collaboration with ESPN to integrate the module into the Slope
Style and Men’s Big Air completion at the upcoming X-Games to
provide data for extreme athletes’ rotations, jump heights and
even the force of their landings.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonmarkman/2016/01/10/cool-electric-cars-and-the-vinyl-revival/


2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Specs Released: Battery Pack, Motor Power,
And More.
The production version of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV 200-mile
electric car made its auto-show debut this morning in Detroit,
after last week's global unveiling at the Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas. But while the car was familiar, Chevy provided
some eagerly sought information on the car's specifications.  The
capacity of the Bolt EV's lithium-ion battery pack is 60
kilowatt-hours, and the output of the electric motor driving its
front wheels is up to 150 kilowatts (200 horsepower).
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101775_2017-chevrolet-bolt-ev-specs-released-battery-pack-motor-power-and-more


VW unveils plug-in Tiguan GTE Active concept.
Volkswagen AG on Monday unveiled a plug-in version of its Tiguan
SUV as it attempts to further electrify its lineup. The German
automaker, embroiled in an emissions-cheating scandal over its
diesel vehicles, showed off the five-seater Monday morning. It
includes a six-speed automatic transmission and will have a
driving range of 580 miles on both gasoline and its two electric
batteries, including 20 all-electric miles.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/detroit-auto-show/2016/01/10/vw-tiguan-gte-concept/78598308/


Powertech’s H2 fueling station increases number of fills.
British Columbia—based Powertech Labs’ hydrogen fueling station,
located onsite at the company’s headquarters, has increased the
number of vehicles that it services. The station, the only 70 MPa
fast-fill hydrogen fueling station in Canada, currently meets the
fueling needs for Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai fuel cell electric
vehicles, with a total of 9 vehicles using the station.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/01/20160111-powertech.html 

VW RECALL

VW CEO vows to rebuild trust, credibility. 
Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller said the embattled automaker’s
top priority in 2016 is winning back customer trust and
credibility in the wake of violations over diesel emissions
rules. “I fully understand the severity of the emissions issue
and the impact it has had on all the lives of people who rely on
Volkswagen around the world,” Mueller said in a speech Sunday at
the VW Group’s annual reception to kick off the Detroit auto
show. “It is not only our cars we have to fix. We know we have to
repair our credibility, too.”
http://www.autonews.com/article/20160110/OEM02/160119985/vw-ceo-vows-to-rebuild-trust-credibility


GREEN ENERGY

Solar Surges Past Wind, Hydro as California’s No. 1 Renewable
Energy Source.
In just a few short years, solar power has gotten big in
California, and now it’s at the top of the renewable energy heap.
Data compiled from daily reports by the state’s major grid
manager indicate that in 2015, solar became the No. 1 source of
renewable energy in California. Not only did solar beat wind
power for the first time, but it also topped drought-depleted
hydropower, the long-standing leader in California electricity
generation outside fossil fuels and nuclear.
http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2016/01/11/solar-power-california-top-source-of-renewable-energy


MISCELLANEOUS

Bentonville teens to give car an electric makeover.
A team of Bentonville High School students intends to convert a
traditional gasoline-powered car to an electric one and enter the
vehicle in a competition in the spring. They already have the
car, a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu donated to them last month by a
Bentonville dealership. They also have the confidence and much of
the knowledge they need to complete the project.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/technology/article53477315.html


OPINIONS

Why climate change is an ethical problem.
Climate change presents a severe ethical challenge, forcing us to
confront difficult questions as individual moral agents, and even
more so as members of larger political systems. It is genuinely
global and seriously intergenerational, and crosses species
boundaries. It also takes place in a setting where existing
institutions and theories are weak, proving little ethical
guidance.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/01/09/why-climate-change-is-an-ethical-problem/





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

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