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ARB Newsclips for March 2, 2016. 
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

Southern California smog regulator may be forced out amid shift
on air board.  Southern California's air quality board is moving
to replace its top executive a month after Republicans gained a
majority on the panel with new appointees who have vowed to make
pollution regulations less burdensome for businesses.  The South
Coast Air Quality Management District gave notice in an agenda
item posted Tuesday that its governing board…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-air-board-director-20160301-story.html

http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/03/02/stories/1060033321 

Schools Urged To Help Protect Kids From Unhealthy Air.  Air
quality officials are launching a program intended to reduce the
amount of pollution kids are breathing in the San Joaquin Valley.
 One source of pollution comes from parents who keep their cars
running in the parking lot while waiting for their kids in the
afternoon.  "What you've got there is a lot of noxious fumes that
the kids are breathing…
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2016/03/01/schools-urged-to-help-protect-kids-from-unhealthy-air/


UK government told to take action on air pollution or face legal
challenge. ClientEarth has sent a final warning letter to
environment secretary, Liz Truss, giving her 10 days to act on
dirty air or face action in the high court. The UK government
must take steps to tackle air pollution within days or face
further legal action, it has been warned.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/01/government-told-to-take-action-on-air-pollution-or-face-legal-challenge


CLIMATE CHANGE

Parts of Great Barrier Reef face permanent destruction due to El
Nino: scientists. 
Parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef face permanent
destruction if the current El Nino, one of the strongest in two
decades, does not ease this month, scientists said on Wednesday.
The El Nino is a result of a warming of the ocean in the western
Pacific -- ideal conditions for coral bleaching, where coral
expels living algae, causing it to calcify.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-environment-greatbarrierree-idUSKCN0W40BG


Green Venture Seeks to Turn Back Clock on Carbon Emissions. Pilot
project holds the prospect of powering vehicles using fuel
reconstituted from tailpipe exhaust. A project backed by Bill
Gates and a Canadian oil baron is attempting to turn back the
clock on greenhouse gas emissions by snatching carbon dioxide
particles out of thin air.
The initiative, by Calgary, Alberta,-based Carbon Engineering
Ltd., holds the prospect of powering vehicles using fuel
reconstituted from tailpipe emissions…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/green-venture-seeks-to-turn-back-clock-on-carbon-emissions-1456930222


Tasking Deese with high court pick could send climate signal. The
White House senior official who helped bring home a long-sought
global climate deal last year now faces perhaps the tougher
challenge of shepherding a Supreme Court nominee past a
recalcitrant Senate. The White House announced this week that
senior adviser Brian Deese will lead the team responsible for
filling…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/03/02/stories/1060033302 

DROUGHT

Dry spell ate away at snowpack of drought-ridden California. An
unwelcome three-week winter dry spell left the California
snowpack at just 83 percent of average, a setback for the state
as it tries to break out of record drought, state snow surveyors
found Tuesday. In an icy meadow in California's central Sierra
Nevada, state surveyor Frank Gehrke plunged poles into snowbanks…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


California drought restrictions lifted in Russian River area.
California regulators have ended mandatory water cutbacks along
tributaries of the Russian River, but will continue to require
property owners to report how much water they use. The State
Water Resources Control Board said ample rainfall eliminated the
need for the emergency restrictions…
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-drought-russian-river-20160301-story.html


California's snowpack falls below average, sparking new drought
fears. After a promising start to winter, California’s snowpack
has shrunk to below-average levels, causing state water officials
to redouble their calls for water conservation. On Tuesday, the
statewide snowpack stood at only 83% of average for the day, a
result the California Department of Water Resources blamed on
fall and winter seasons…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-snowpack-below-average-20160301-story.html


Florida shores yellow, brown and black all over. MIAMI What's
yellow, brown and black all over? After a bruising watery winter
on the heels of a dry summer, Florida's water. In July, a stinky
stain scientist call yellow fog spread across Florida Bay after a
regional drought killed miles of seagrass.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-tns-bc-env-fla-waters-20160302-story.html


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

San Diego faces 'daunting' crisis as city vehicle fleet ages and
deteriorates. Years of neglect and mismanagement of San Diego's
large fleet of fire engines, patrol cars, street sweepers and
other vehicles have created a crisis that officials say they're
just beginning to understand. Only about 1,600 of the city's
roughly 4,100 vehicles are in good shape or better…
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-sd-city-vehicles-20160301-story.html


FUELS

Even as gas prices rise, drivers will save at the pump. Gasoline
prices have started their annual springtime migration higher, but
motorists should still save money at the pump in 2016. The
national average price for a gallon of regular has risen for
eight straight days - the first time that has happened since last
May, according to the auto club AAA - to about $1.79 on
Wednesday. That's still 54 cents cheaper than at this time last
year.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHEAP_GASOLINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


U.S. Shale Producers Face Reality, Cut Output. Cuts stand in
contrast to past year, when U.S. drillers kept pumping as prices
plunged. Some of America’s biggest shale producers are beginning
to ratchet back oil and gas production for the first time in
years, bending to the reality that a global glut will keep prices
depressed. The production cuts, announced as shale companies
reported dismal earnings in recent days…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-shale-producers-cut-back-production-amid-global-oil-glut-1456795120


Shale Oil Isn't Saudi Arabia's Only Nemesis. The U.S. Geological
Survey said the epicenter was about 500 miles west-southwest of
Padang, Indonesia and 529 miles north-northwest of the Cocos
Islands. Even if Saudi Arabia wins its struggle with U.S. shale
producers over market share, it will face a new billion-barrel
adversary.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-02/saudi-arabia-faces-a-new-oil-titan-once-battle-with-shale-is-won-ila2vccq


Oklahoma takes action on fracking-related earthquakes — but too
late, critics say. They feel them in the little city of Cushing,
where a web of pipelines and giant oil storage tanks makes the
area a crucial international hub — and vulnerable. They feel them
in the time-capsule town of Guthrie, where plaster is cracking in
storefronts built in the 19th century.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-oklahoma-quakes-fracking-20160302-story.html

Former CEO Charged With Rigging Bids For Oil And Gas Leases.
Aubrey McClendon, the former CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corp., was
charged Tuesday with orchestrating a conspiracy not to compete
for oil and gas leases in northwest Oklahoma, the Justice
Department said. The DOJ explained in a statement: During this
conspiracy, which ran from December 2007 to March 2012…
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/01/468814566/former-ceo-charged-with-rigging-bids-for-oil-and-gas-leases?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=5aaed169f0-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-5aaed169f0-327747457


VW RECALL

EU politicians begin inquiry into VW emissions scandal. The
European Parliament on Wednesday began a year-long investigation
into the Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) emissions scandal and whether
regulators could have done more to prevent it. EU regulation of
the car industry has been under scrutiny since Volkswagen
admitted last September it rigged U.S. tests for nitrogen oxide
emissions in diesel vehicles.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-parliament-idUSKCN0W41TN


Volkswagen says did not breach market disclosure rules.
Volkswagen said on Wednesday its management board did not violate
financial market disclosure rules, responding to lawsuits
claiming it had been too slow to inform investors about its
rigging of diesel emissions tests. VW said it had filed a
statement of defense with a German regional court in Brunswick in
relation to the claims.
http://www.reuters.com/article/volkswagen-emissions-idUSL2N16A1KI
  

Tiguan owner sues VW dealership over emissions scandal. A
Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) car owner sued a German VW dealership on
Wednesday, demanding the seller cancel the contract and take back
his Tiguan diesel compact car, one of the models affected by the
automaker's emissions test cheating scandal. A lawyer for the
plaintiff, a history professor, said his client's car would be
impossible to resell…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-lawsuit-idUSKCN0W41CP

Volkswagen Disputes Allegations It Was Tardy in Disclosing News
on Scandal. German auto maker says shareholder suits have no
merit. Volkswagen AG on Wednesday disputed shareholder
allegations that it has failed to properly inform markets ahead
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Sept. 18
announcement that the company had cheated on its diesel emissions
tests.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-refutes-allegations-it-was-tardy-in-disclosing-news-on-scandal-1456943681


Volkswagen: We thought scandal wouldn't cost much. German
automaker Volkswagen Group said Wednesday that when it initially
discovered its own emissions scandal it didn't think the issue
would cost very much. The admission — part of a statement
designed to show that it did not defraud investors — came as the
automaker may be facing tens of billions in U.S. fines and
lawsuits, according to analysts.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2016/03/02/volkswagen-emissions-scandal/81214726/


FORMALDEHYDE

Formaldehyde issues heat up. The issue of formaldehyde emissions
has been a hot topic recently among industry insiders. That
includes those wondering if their own products would meet
standards for products sold in California. One of the big issues
is how officials interpret California regulations involving
product testing. In late November, short seller Whitney Tilson of
Kase Capital, alleged that Wayfair is selling product that
exceeds formaldehyde emissions…
http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/529055-formaldehyde-issues-heat


OPINIONS

The Upside of Plunging Oil Prices. Sharply lower oil prices have
rattled equity markets and are complicating economic policy
across the world. But “oilmageddon” isn’t all bad -- and its
benefits go beyond lower costs for consumers. Falling oil prices
also put salutary pressure on some of the world’s more unsavory
regimes. Many big oil exporters just aren’t the kind of countries
you’d want to bring home to mother.
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2016-03-02/the-upside-of-plunging-oil-prices
 

The car century was a mistake. It’s time to move on. We must
first remember that all cities were car-free little more than a
century ago. Not all cities responded to the advent of
automobiles with the same enthusiasm as the cities of the United
States. In fact, some cities never did adopt the car. Venice was
unwilling to destroy itself in order to build streets wide enough
for cars…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/02/29/the-car-century-was-a-mistake-its-time-to-move-on/


Don't by fooled by the 'natural' in natural gas. To the editor:
When I read the claims by the Southern California Gas Co. chief
executive about steps his polluting and climate-wrecking fossil
fuel company is taking to protect the public, I laughed.
("Southern California Gas using enhanced leak detection and
inspections at Aliso Canyon," Feb. 26).
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0302-wednesday-natural-gas-porter-ranch-20160302-story.html


California the worst state to keep on truckin'  As if we needed
another example of how bad California’s business climate is, a
new survey concludes that the Golden State is the worst state in
the nation for trucking. The survey of “Best and Worst States for
Trucking in 2016” was conducted by Merchant Cash USA, which
offers cash advances to small businesses. Rounding out the bottom
five were Virginia, Ohio…
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-706288-state-trucking.html

Volkswagen is having a hard time selling cars in the US right
now. VW reported on Tuesday that its US sales plunged more than
13% last month. For the year, Volkswagen sales are down nearly
14%. At a time when many of its rivals are reporting double-digit
growth in a US market that's currently near its record high, VW
is reporting double-digit declines. Even more troubling is the
brand's continued loss of market share.
http://www.businessinsider.com/volkswagen-sales-suv-crossover-america-2016-3


Comment: Cap and trade will reduce pollution, create jobs.
Climate change is here. It's costing all of us money — in rising
costs for everything from food to property insurance. And it's
forcing many of us to change our ways of living. How much time
have you spent skating or skiing this winter? We're beyond
denying the fact that human activity has caused climate change.
Now we can and must take action to stop it.
http://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/6370413-comment-cap-and-trade-will-reduce-pollution-create-jobs/


BLOGS

Will Cap-and-Trade Slow Climate Change? The principle that
polluters should pay for the waste they create has led many
experts to urge governments to put a price on carbon emissions.
One method is the sometimes controversial cap-and-trade. Quebec,
California and the European Union have already adopted
cap-and-trade, and Ontario will join Quebec and California's
system in January 2017.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-suzuki/capandtrade-climate-change_b_9360498.html


Regional Climate Change and National Responsibilities. Global
warming of about 1°F (0.6°C) over the past several decades now
"loads the climate dice." Fig. 1 updates the "bell curve"
analysis of our 2012 paper1 for Northern Hemisphere land, which
showed that extreme hot summers now occur noticeably more often
than they did 50 years ago.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-james-hansen/regional-climate-change-a_b_9367312.html


How ‘natural geoengineering’ can help slow global warming.  As
natural wonders go, perhaps the most awe-inspiring is the annual
migration of 1.2 million wildebeest flowing across East Africa’s
vast Serengeti grassland. It would be a tragedy to lose these
animals. But we almost did in the mid-20th century when,
decimated by disease and poaching, their numbers crashed to
300,000.
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-natural-geoengineering-can-help-slow-global-warming




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