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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 14, 2016.

Posted: 14 Apr 2016 12:42:26
ARB Newsclips for April 14, 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

New car emissions in EU beat climate targets with 3 percent fall.
 Average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars sold in the
European Union fell 3 percent last year, remaining below EU
targets for 2015 as part of efforts to slow climate change, the
European Environment Agency (EEA) said on Thursday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-autos-emissions-idUSKCN0XB139


CO2 Emissions Down as EU Drivers Buy Cleaner Cars. New cars sold
in the European Union are increasingly more fuel-efficient and
beat the official CO2 emissions target handily, concludes the
European Environment Agency (EEA) in a new report published
today. Official test results reported by national authorities to
the agency show that last year new passenger cars sold emitted…
http://ens-newswire.com/2016/04/14/co2-emissions-down-as-eu-drivers-buy-cleaner-cars/

ALISO CANYON

New gas-odor complaints in Porter Ranch. There are new complaints
of a gas odor in the neighborhood where a huge leak forced
thousands from their homes – but officials say they can’t find
the cause. The South Coast Air Quality Management District
received some 40 complaints Wednesday in the Porter Ranch area.
Officials say their air sampling and inspectors …
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/gas-712034-complaints-leak.html

http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_29763564/new-odor-complaints-la-neighborhood-near-huge-gas

http://canmua.net/california/strong-odors-spark-new-fears-in-porter-ranch-and-prompt-649859.html


CLIMATE CHANGE

Scientists: Greenland ice sheet is melting freakishly early. 
Greenland's massive ice sheet this week started melting
freakishly early because of a weather system that brought
unseasonably warm temperatures and rain, scientists say. While
the record early melt is mostly from natural weather on top of
overall global warming, scientists say they are concerned about
what it will mean when the melt season…
http://bigstory.ap.org/urn:publicid:ap.org:a6236ae3af404af9a022d071b0269a7a?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=93cb5c510e-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-93cb5c510e-327747457


The most important mystery about U.S. climate change policy. On
the surface, it looks like extraordinarily good news. The United
States is burning less coal — less of the fuel that contributes
the most carbon dioxide to the atmosphere when burned. Instead,
we’re swapping in cleaner burning natural gas, which could serve
as a “bridge” to an era in which wind and solar provide the bulk
of the nation’s power.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/04/13/the-most-important-mystery-about-u-s-climate-change-policy/


Exxon asks Texas court to block subpoena in climate-change
investigation undertaken by states. Exxon Mobil Corp. is squaring
off against government investigators who believe the energy giant
covered up knowledge of how fossil fuels contribute to climate
change. Exxon went to state court this week in Texas to quash a
subpoena issued last month by the attorney general of the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2016-04-14/exxon-seeks-to-block-subpoena-over-climate-change-documents

http://www.modbee.com/news/nation-world/article71766662.html#storylink=cpy


Oyster hatchery sows pearls of wisdom on climate change. Say
"infrastructure" and most people think roads and bridges, not
tubes and valves. But to Bill Mook, the black box in the basement
of his oyster hatchery is every bit as fundamental as the basic
facilities and structures that serve as a community's framework.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/business/20160414/oyster-hatchery-sows-pearls-of-wisdom-on-climate-change


Consensus Affirmed: Virtually All Climate Scientists Agree
Warming Is Manmade.
New paper tries to counter denialists' arguments and sway public
opinion in the U.S., which lags far behind the science. Ninety to
100 percent of climate scientists agree that the planet is
warming due to human activity…
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/14042016/climate-change-consensus-affirmed-global-warming-manmade-scientists

Is it possible to reduce CO2 emissions and grow the global
economy? Yale Environment 360: Surprising new statistics show
that the world economy is expanding while global carbon emissions
remain at the same level. Is it possible that the elusive
‘decoupling’ of emissions and economic growth could be happening?
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/14/is-it-possible-to-reduce-co2-emissions-and-grow-the-global-economy


UN climate science body green-lights 1.5C report.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change accepts call for report
on tough aspirational global warming threshold agreed in Paris.
The UN’s climate science body will produce a special report by
2018 on the impacts of 1.5C global warming and emissions cuts
needed to stay within that threshold.
http://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/04/14/un-climate-science-body-green-lights-1-5c-report/?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=93cb5c510e-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-93cb5c510e-327747457


Carbon price needed to avoid economic disruption from Paris
climate goals – analysis. Climate Institute says regulations to
phase out coal-fired generators and subsidies to encourage clean
energy are needed. Australia faces significant economic
disruption in 2030 to meet the Paris climate goals unless action
is quickly taken, according to a new analysis.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/15/carbon-price-needed-to-avoid-economic-disruption-from-paris-climate-goals-analysis


Paris climate deal on target, two years ahead of schedule. The UN
climate chief has said that the Paris climate agreement could
swing into action as early as 2018, two years earlier than
expected. The global deal reached at the Paris climate conference
of December 2015 could come into force two years ahead of
schedule…
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2016/0414/Paris-climate-deal-on-target-two-years-ahead-of-schedule

Berkeley Resilience Plan Is About More Than Fires and Flooding.
To increase disaster preparedness, Berkeley wants to make better
neighbors. A cornerstone of the city’s new resilience strategy,
released earlier this month, is forging stronger connections
among neighbors and neighboring institutions to help them better
withstand the effects of climate change and natural disasters…
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/new-berkeley-resilience-plan-community-resilience-centers


More moose on the loose in a warmer Alaska. Rising temperatures
and longer summers have helped the iconic Alaskan moose conquer
vast new stretches of frozen tundra according to a new study.
Changes in climate have seen a rapid increase in the size of
plants that the moose depend on in winter to survive.
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36038237 

Climate change inspections may join building inspections as
prerequisites for buyers. Buying a house? OK, you’ve ordered a
building inspection to check the condition of the house, but what
about a “climate valuation” report to consider the impact of
climate change? This could be the new box to tick when buying
property, with an Australian company planning to have climate
valuation reports available by October.
http://www.domain.com.au/news/climate-change-inspections-may-join-building-inspections-as-prerequisites-for-buyers-20160414-go5ae8/


World's scientists to join forces on major 1.5C climate change
report. Special UN report will offer comprehensive assessment of
impacts of a 1.5C rise in global warming on sea level, coral
bleaching and biodiversity. Scientists from around the world will
contribute to a major UN report on how global temperatures can be
held to a rise of 1.5C and what the impact might be on sea level
rises, the bleaching of corals and biodiversity.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/14/worlds-scientists-to-join-forces-on-major-15c-climate-change-report


Changing climate parches mountain streams. The debate began in
September 2014 with a roughly sketched mountainside on a napkin,
as five hydrologists sipped coffee and exchanged heated words
about stream systems. Almost two years later, the results of
their friendly academic sparring have been published in
Environmental Research Letters.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/04/14/stories/1060035578 

Race, poverty complicate climate resilience – study. Coastal
communities in low-lying Louisiana, threatened not only by
subsiding land but rising seas, face social vulnerabilities that
must be taken into consideration as the state adapts to climate
change, new research finds.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/04/14/stories/1060035577 

Peabody Energy's rocky relationship with climate change. Peabody
Energy Corp. has a checkered past on climate change. The coal
mining giant, which filed for bankruptcy yesterday, once embraced
a legislative effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The
company supported parts of the so-called Waxman-Markey
cap-and-trade bill when it was working its way through Congress
in 2009.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/04/14/stories/1060035597 

Nutritional value of fish threatened by climate change. Warmer
waters could one day make fish and other aquatic species less
rich in two omega-3 fatty acids, researchers at Ryerson
University in Canada revealed this week. The culprit is climate
change, but researchers said rising global temperatures are not
directly affecting the fish that are humans' main source of the
fatty acids…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/04/14/stories/1060035596 

DROUGHT

California drought fears ease, don’t vanish, with rain.  A wetter
winter has dampened Californians’ anxiety about the drought,
though large majorities remain deeply concerned about ongoing
water shortages and committed to consuming less. Well over half
of California voters dubbed an enduring lack of water a major
problem, with 62 percent of Field Poll respondents…
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/national/article71770667.html#storylink=cpy


California drought: Odds of La Niña increase for next winter,
bringing concerns the drought may drag on.  El Niño, the warming
of the Pacific Ocean that brought Northern California its wettest
winter in five years, easing the drought, is continuing to weaken
and appears to be giving way to La Niña conditions, which
historically have increased the chances of drier-than-normal
weather in much of the state.
http://www.eastbaytimes.com/california/ci_29766135/california-drought-odds-la-nina-increase-next-winter


FUELS

RWE Reviving Gas Plant Shows Fuel Has Place Among Renewables.
While Europe’s vision of the future may be one where all power is
generated using renewable energy, for now natural gas has its
place. RWE AG, Germany’s biggest electricity producer, plans in
October to restart part of its mothballed Moerdijk-2 gas-fired
plant in the Netherlands as fuel prices near a record low make
previously unprofitable units viable.
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O5IYBS6S973001-6IC33K4Q3USVTIBLT0EON62APP


Gulf Refiners Pay More for Mexican Crude as Fuel Demand Soars.
Mexican heavy crude became more expensive for U.S. Gulf Coast
refiners as gasoline demand surges ahead of the summer driving
season. The trading arm of Petroleos Mexicanos cut the discount
on Maya crude for Gulf refineries to $1.80 per barrel in May, the
narrowest since July, down from $2.75 in April.
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O5LBXN6KLVRI01-7SG2JJQ8H5A32L4KN4DM6HA8S3

VEHICLES

Tesla Tested by Enel to Buffer South Africa Power Cost (Correct).
Enel Green Power SpA, the renewable energy unit of Italy’s
biggest utility, is rolling out a version of Tesla Motors Inc.’s
home-power kit to help South African retail customers buffer
against rising electricity prices and grid outages. With South
African power tariffs set to rise 9.4 percent this year, Tesla’s
battery systems could become more attractive…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O5INOP6TTDS401-3420FR1CVEPLFDQ2DGLBFSDDLA


Merkel says Germany on track with electric car incentives review.
The German government is on target with a review of the case for
incentives to boost demand for electric cars and plans to meet
automotive market representatives later this month, Chancellor
Angela Merkel said on Thursday. "When this meeting has taken
place, then of course we will inform you. 
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N17H2ZZ  

LG Chem plans to build electric car battery factory in Poland –
source.  South Korea's LG Chem plans to build an electric vehicle
(EV) battery factory in Poland to meet rising demand from
European automakers, a person familiar with the matter said on
Thursday. "The plant will be completed in about one-and-a-half
years," said the source, who did not want to be named as he was
not authorized to talk to the media. He did not provide any
details on the size of the investment.
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N17H1IV 
  
Cal Energy Commission approves ~$9M for DC fast chargers; $12.6M
for NGV incentives. The California Energy Commission approved
nearly $9 million in grants for the installation of DC fast
chargers along major state freeways and highways to allow
electric vehicle drivers to travel from San Diego to the Oregon
border without worrying about running out of energy.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/04/20160414-calenergy.html 

Tesla And Other Tech Giants Scramble For Lithium As Prices
Double. Demand for lithium—the hottest commodity on the planet
and the only commodity to show positive price movement in 2015—is
poised to continue on its upward trajectory, becoming the world’s
new gasoline and earning the moniker of “White Petroleum”.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/04/20160414-lithium.html

VW RECALL

VW diesel fallout: hot-selling Porsche Macans finally certified
by EPA. It may not be sold in the U.S. with a diesel engine after
all, but the 2017 Porsche Macan was recently ensnared in the
Volkswagen diesel scandal. Shipments of the small luxury
crossover were held up at ports for weeks pending regulatory
approval. The issue prevented Porsche from shipping the vehicles
to the 13 states…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1103417_vw-diesel-fallout-hot-selling-porsche-macans-finally-certified-by-epa


GREEN ENERGY

UK's 3 billion pound green home scheme not value for money:
watchdog. A British government scheme costing energy firms 3
billion pounds to help people cut their bills and greenhouse gas
emissions through measures such as subsidized loft insulation has
not been value for money, a parliament watchdog said. The report,
by the National Audit Office (NAO), said "neither we nor the
Department (of Energy and Climate Change)…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-energy-efficiency-idUSKCN0XB17H?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29


Calpers seeks Anadarko shareholder support on climate
disclosures.  Calpers, the largest public U.S. pension fund and a
shareholder of Anadarko Petroleum Corp, has sought shareholder
support for a proposal requiring the company to report risks
linked to climate change through routine annual disclosures.
Calpers, which holds about 1.5 million shares in Anadarko…
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL3N17H33R 

The Wheel Thing: Untangling electric vehicle tax credits. It’s
been two weeks since Tesla introduced its all-electric Model 3
sedan, with a range of 215 miles per charge and a starting price
of $35,000. Costing half as much as the auto maker’s larger Model
S, the Model 3 surprised industry analysts when more than 325,000
people placed deposits on the compact luxury sedan in little more
than a week.
http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2016/04/14/47956/the-wheel-thing-untangling-electric-vehicle-tax-cr/


Can banks raise an annual $1T for clean energy?  National and
multilateral development banks can help the world achieve the
climate goals enshrined in last year's Paris deal by taking steps
to make clean energy investment less risky and expensive,
according to a report by the New Climate Economy. The
international initiative spearheaded by former Mexican President
Felipe Calderón proposes a target of $1 trillion a year for
low-carbon energy.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/04/14/stories/1060035576 

MISCELLANEOUS

California mulls HFC bans in refrigeration, air conditioning from
2020-21. The Air Resources Board is proposing actions to cut HFC
emissions by 40% by 2030, compared to 2013 levels. Meeting these
targets will help to achieve the Governor’s goal to cut all
greenhouse gas emissions in California by 40% below 1990 levels
by 2030 and help to meet Federal air quality standards for 2031
and beyond.
http://www.hydrocarbons21.com/articles/6949/california_mulls_hfc_bans_in_refrigeration_air_conditioning_from_2020-21


OPINIONS

Climate Change: More Losers Than Winners. Heat is just one of
many exposures by which climate change threatens human health. 
In his April 7 op-ed “An Overheated Climate Alarm” Bjorn Lomborg
targets the recent Federal Climate and Health Assessment,
focusing on the balance between cold-related deaths avoided and
heat-related deaths caused by climate change.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-change-more-losers-than-winners-1460583835


BLOGS

Climate Silence: How Fossil Fuel Industry Power Works to Keep
Climate Out of the Presidential Debates and What to Do. About 1
percent of the questions asked at the presidential debates have
concerned climate change. This is an outrage. Humanity faces an
existential crisis, and over the course 21 debates, debate
moderators are only able to manage 12 questions on climate out of
well over 1,000.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weissman/climate-silence-how-fossi_b_9690438.html


Climate change alters genes of a mustard plant. California got a
bit more rain and snow this year thanks to El Niño, but is still
suffering the effects of many years of drought. This drought is
one example of the many extreme events, including storms and
fires that are increasing in frequency as the global climate
continues to change.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-franks2/climate-change-alters-gen_b_9690292.html


The road from Massachusetts v. EPA: Through the looking glass to
lawless climate change regulation. In Lewis Carroll’s Through  a
Looking Glass (the sequel to Alice in Wonderland), Alice and
Humpty Dumpty have the following conversation:
“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful
tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor
less.’
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/275921-the-road-from-massachusetts-v-epa-through-the-looking


Finding a United Front as Methane Becomes Key Climate Battle.
Washington Post science writer Chris Mooney weighs in today with
a deep-dive on rising methane emissions from America’s surging
natural gas production, calling it “most important mystery about
U.S. climate change policy.” 
http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2016/04/14/finding-a-united-front-as-methane-becomes-key-climate-battle/


Chevron’s New Willits Investments. Chevron's Richmond oil
refinery is a colossal system of pipes, towers, smokestacks, and
storage tanks perched on a peninsula of low hills rising from the
San Francisco Bay. According to data from the California Air
Resources Board (CARB), it was California's third largest emitter
of climate change… http://theava.com/archives/55011 

CARB Paperwork Reveals Updated 911 GTS Is Coming. It seemed
slightly odd that Porsche would introduce a second-generation of
the 911 GTS in 2015; less than a year before the updated 911 with
turbo flat-six engines would be revealed. But it seems it was
meant to be a short production run. An eagle eye member of the
Rennlist forums found paperwork filed by Porsche to the
California Air Resources Board (CARB)…
http://www.torquenews.com/3719/carb-paperwork-reveals-updated-911-gts-coming#sthash.iKCfj2CC.dpuf


EPA underestimates methane emissions. Rising amounts of
greenhouse gas missed by environmental agency’s methods. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency has a methane problem — and that
could misinform the country’s carbon-cutting plans. Recent
studies suggest that the agency’s reports fail to capture the
full scope of U.S. methane emissions...
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/epa-underestimates-methane-emissions?mode=blog&context=100




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

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