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ARB Newsclips for March 17, 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

Air Pollution Reduction Program Ruled Illegal. A controversial
program to give local refineries and major manufacturers more
flexibility in reducing air pollution has been ruled illegal by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, officials disclosed
late Wednesday. The federal agency said the program fails to meet
national clean air standards.
http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2016/mar/16/air-pollution-reduction-program-ruled-illegal/
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/03/17/stories/1060034209  
http://www.pe.com/articles/air-797290-board-aqmd.html 

Clean Bay Area air: $90 million in grants, incentives available.
Air quality regulators will have $90 million -- $30 million more
than this year -- to give away in grants in the next fiscal year
to reduce motor vehicle air pollution in the Bay Area. Aided by
an increase in state money, the Bay Area Air Quality Management
District announced how much it will have for grants and
incentives for businesses, people…
http://www.insidebayarea.com/bay-area-news/ci_29648264/clean-air-90-million-grants-incentives-available


Methane Emissions Are Spiking, But It Might Be More Cow Than Car.
Since 2006, atmospheric levels of methane — a greenhouse gas 86
times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period —
have steadily been on the rise. For years, scientists weren’t
sure what was behind the rising levels of methane, but they had a
few ideas: namely an increase in fossil fuel-related emissions.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/03/17/3760811/rising-methane-due-to-agriculture/


Barrasso touts 'better way' on methane. Sen. John Barrasso
(R-Wyo.) yesterday took to the Senate floor to both slam the
Obama administration's plan to regulate oil and gas methane
emissions and to promote legislation that would expedite the
permitting of natural gas lines on federal lands. Last week,
President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
announced that both nations would begin regulating emissions of
methane…
http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2016/03/17/stories/1060034164 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Beyond record hot, February was 'astronomical' and 'strange'.
Earth got so hot last month that federal scientists struggled to
find words, describing temperatures as "astronomical,"
''staggering" and "strange." They warned that the climate may
have moved into a new and hotter neighborhood. This was not just
another of the drumbeat of 10 straight broken monthly global heat
records, triggered by a super El Nino…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_GLOBAL_SUPER_HEAT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Al Gore urges world leaders to sign Paris climate deal. World
leaders must show their commitment to tackling global warming by
signing the Paris climate agreement at a ceremony in April at the
United Nations, climate change activist and former U.S. Vice
President Al Gore said. Gore said there was a “tremendous push”
for heads of government to formally ink the accord…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-climatechange-un-idUSKCN0WJ1FR?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews


Osborne's Budget Criticized for Neglecting Climate Change Goals.
U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s statement on
Wednesday that his new budget “puts the next generation first”
isn’t enough to protect subsequent generations from the
consequences of climate change, critics said. Just three months
after the U.K. joined 195 other countries in a climate deal in a
bid to restrain rising global temperatures by curbing emissions…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O459SX6VDKHS01-1OOHDUFU8S5KRS6RMN19IOTRIG

In this tiny Arctic town, dramatic warmth threatens everything.
It may sound strange to someone from the Lower 48, but in
interior Alaska, 2 degrees Fahrenheit in early March is balmy.
This winter’s record-setting warm temperatures are just the
latest in an ongoing string of environmental changes for the
indigenous Gwich’in village of Fort Yukon…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/03/16/in-this-tiny-arctic-town-dramatic-warmth-threatens-everything/?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ecd51520be-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ecd51520be-327747457


Climate change warms boring budget hearing. Fortunately the House
hearing was not what it might have been. The Republican committee
chairman had subpoenaed agency documents. The Obama
administration official at the witness table has not provided
everything the chairman wants. In too many cases, that would have
generated a highly partisan session where real governing was
shortchanged.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/03/17/climate-change-warms-boring-budget-hearing/


Trees Deal With Climate Change Better Than Expected. The
bend-don’t-break adaptability of trees extends to handling
climate change, according to a new study that says forests may be
able to deal with hotter temperatures and contribute less carbon
dioxide to the atmosphere than scientists previously thought. In
addition to taking in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis…
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/science/global-warming-climate-change-trees-carbon-dioxide.html?_r=0


GOP chairman stepping up crusade against climate change study. 
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) is stepping up his crusade against a
federal climate change study that challenges a key talking point
of climate skeptics. Smith, chairman of the House Science
Committee, faced off on Wednesday with the head of the agency
that produced last summer's study.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/273282-gop-chairman-continues-crusade-against-climate-change-study?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ecd51520be-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ecd51520be-327747457

How the World Has Changed Since the Paris Agreement on Global
Warming.  A list of progress and failures in the wake of the
historic agreement to combat climate change. National leaders
have yet to sign a new United Nations climate pact, but
developments during the three months since the Paris Agreement
was finalized have been feverish.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-world-has-changed-since-the-paris-agreement-on-global-warming/


Plants may contribute less to warming than previously thought.
Plants may not be the oversized contributors to climate change
they were once predicted to be, according to a new study.
Research published yesterday in the journal Nature finds that
although trees in the boreal and temperate regions do release
more carbon dioxide through natural processes as temperatures
increase…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/03/17/stories/1060034157 

Energy-sector CO2 flat while economy grows – again. Global
energy-related carbon dioxide emissions held steady for the
second year in a row while the economy grew, according to the
International Energy Agency. In a simple, two-column spreadsheet
released yesterday, IEA showed that the world's energy sector
produced 32.14 metric gigatons of carbon dioxide in 2015, up
slightly from 32.13 metric…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/03/17/stories/1060034181

DROUGHT

Dramatic images show El Niño beginning to rescue California from
its drought. No, California's drought isn't over. But this week,
the state came to terms with the fact that the series of El Niño
influenced storms has made a dent. State officials say it's far
too early to declare the drought over — especially given that the
rains seem to have focused on Northern California…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-el-nino-california-drought-rescue-20160317-htmlstory.html


Drought and rising temperatures 'leaves 36m people across Africa
facing hunger'. More than 36 million people face hunger across
southern and eastern Africa, the United Nations has warned, as
swaths of the continent grapple with the worst drought in decades
at a time of record high temperatures. The immediate cause of the
drought which has crippled countries from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe is
one of the strongest El Niño events ever recorded.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/16/drought-high-temperatures-el-nino-36m-people-africa-hunger?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ecd51520be-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ecd51520be-327747457


Extreme And Severe Drought Decline In California. The 'Miracle
March' storms have reduced the severity of drought in California.
The most significant is a 10 percent decline in severe drought.
But reservoir levels did not improve in many parts of the state
and groundwater has not recovered after years of drought.  "A
westerly flow of Pacific weather systems pummeled the west coast
this week...
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2016/03/17/extreme-and-severe-drought-decline-in-california/


March storms brighten future of winter-run Chinook salmon.
Seasonal storms that have raised the region’s reservoir water
levels to their highest points in the last two years could
bolster this year’s run of Chinook salmon, water and wildlife
officials said Wednesday. The recent drought has hurt the
endangered species’ numbers as…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article66570277.html#storylink=cpy


FUELS

NREL updates Survey of Advanced Biofuel Producers in the United
States. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) updated
its annual survey of US non-starch ethanol and renewable
hydrocarbon biofuels producers. The 2015 Survey of Non-Starch
Ethanol and Renewable Hydrocarbon Biofuels Producers provides an
inventory of the domestic advanced biofuels production industry…
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/03/my-entry.html 

VEHICLES

Small-town Indiana Chevy dealer is big on electric cars. It's
often said that franchised auto dealers are one of the bigger
impediments to sales of plug-in electric cars. Vehicles with
plugs require more explanation, the financial calculations are
often more complicated, and home and public charging stations add
a further layer of complication.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102879_small-town-indiana-chevy-dealer-is-big-on-electric-cars


Hydrogen for fuel-cell vehicles made from wind energy in Japanese
test. One of the big questions surrounding hydrogen fuel-cell
cars is how to produce the hydrogen used to power them. Mass
adoption of fuel-cell vehicles would not only require much more
hydrogen than is currently available, but hydrogen that is
generated with minimal carbon emissions.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102909_hydrogen-for-fuel-cell-vehicles-made-from-wind-energy-in-japanese-test


ClipperCreek introduces 24 Amp Level 2 charging station for $499.
ClipperCreek, Inc. has introduced a new 24 Amp Level 2 LCS-30
electric vehicle charging station to its line-up. The LCS-30
offers 5.8kW of power for up to 4 times faster charging than the
standard 120V cordsets delivered with most vehicles. The LCS-30
is available for both hardwired and plug in installations; the
hardwired 240 Volt charging station is $499…
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/03/20160317-clippercreek.html


VW RECALL

VW seeks comprehensive deal on emissions with U.S. regulators –
source. Volkswagen aims to agree a deal with U.S. authorities
that resolves as many issues related to its emissions cheating
scandal as possible at once, a senior manager at the German
carmaker told Reuters. "It must be our goal to negotiate a
comprehensive solution, which could also include the lion's share
of expected penalties," the person…
http://www.reuters.com/article/volkswagen-emissions-regulator-idUSL2N16P16I

VW Said in Talks With U.S. Over Two Funds to Pay for Pollution.
Volkswagen AG is in talks with U.S. authorities to establish a
national remediation fund and a separate one for California as
punishment for pollution from its cars after the automaker
cheated on diesel-emissions tests, said people familiar with the
matter. One fund would be administered by the Environmental
Protection Agency and used to promote clean transportation
throughout the U.S…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O44Q8L6S972A01-7SU7Q3FGQHG33L5SJ8L7JGRB9V


HIGH-SPEED RAIL

San Fernando mayor happier about latest bullet train
alternatives, not so conservationists.  The High Speed Rail
Authority's latest options unveiled this week for the Burbank to
Palmdale segment of the bullet train tracks drew a more positive
reaction from the San Fernando mayor than it has previously.
Conservationists, however, remain opposed to two of the latest
route choices because they would still travel through the Angeles
National Forest.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2016/03/16/58630/san-fernando-mayor-happier-about-latest-bullet-tra/

GREEN ENERGY

China wasted 20 percent of wind power generated in 2015. Energy
wastage on wind farms in China worsened in 2015, as plunging
utilization rates kept 33.9 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) from
being delivered to the grid, the energy regulator said, the
equivalent of a fifth of total generated wind power. Average
utilization rates last year fell 165 hours from 2014, the
regulator said, calling for tougher measures to cut wastage…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-power-renewables-idUSKCN0WJ124?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews


EUROPE POWER-German spot down on more wind, France up. European
prompt power prices for next day delivery were mixed on Thursday
with Germany down on more wind and weaker demand ahead of the
weekend and France a bit firmer due to tighter supply. "But
France will be able to import, and solar output is also high in
the region, that limits its price upside," one trader said.
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N16P45R  

Doubling renewables could boost global economy $4.2T. A worldwide
doubling of renewable energy -- from 18 to 36 percent -- would
save $4.2 trillion annually by shifting spending away from
traditional energy systems and driving down the costs of health
and environmental crises, new findings from the International
Renewable Energy Agency show.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/03/17/stories/1060034176 

MISCELLANEOUS

RIVERSIDE: Boosters push for state air test facilities.  Inland
civic leaders want state Air Resources Board facilities with 400
employees to locate at UC Riverside. Riverside boosters are
pushing hard to convince the California Air Resources Board that
UCR is the best place to locate a $350 million office and
laboratory facility that will have as many as 400 well-paid state
employees.
http://www.pe.com/articles/riverside-797282-air-board.html 

Tribune Publishing buys Orange County Register. Chicago-based
Tribune Publishing, which already owns the Los Angeles Times and
the San Diego Union-Tribune as well as the Chicago Tribune, has
purchased the Orange County Register in a winning bankruptcy bid.
The Register's parent, Freedom Communications, has been
reorganizing under a Chapter 11 filing in…
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20160317/NEWS07/160319826/tribune-publishing-buys-orange-county-register


OPINIONS

The Water Data Drought. AS a nation, we have become disciples of
data. We interview 60,000 families a month to determine the
unemployment rate, we monitor how much energy we use every seven
days, Amazon ranks sales of every book it sells every hour. Then
there is water. Water may be the most important item in our
lives, our economy and our landscape about which we know the
least.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/opinion/the-water-data-drought.html


BLOGS

Car2go kills all-EV fleet in San Diego, replaces it with gas
cars. Car sharing group blames the lack of charging
infrastructure for the change. The all-electric car sharing
Car2go fleet started with a bang in 2011. The mood was positively
sunny, with then-CEO of Car2go North America Nick Cole telling me
that these small, short-term rental EVs were, "a realistic
alternative to traditional car ownership."
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/03/17/car2go-kills-all-ev-fleet-san-diego-gas-cars/



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