What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for April 20, 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

Clean air advocate: California has nation's dirtiest air.
Millions of Californians live in places with dirty air, according
to an annual report card issued Wednesday that ranks two major
urban areas in the state as the nation's most polluted.
Bakersfield tops the list for having the most unhealthy days from
airborne particles spewed by highway traffic, diesel trucks, farm
equipment and fireplaces…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AIR_POLLUTION_REPORT_CARD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-air-pollution-report-20160420-story.html

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/20/dangerous-air-pollution-us-population-report

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article72814927.html#storylink=cpy

http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20042016/air-pollution-spike-global-warming-climate-change-coal-ozone-particulate-matter-lung-association


Air quality in eastern China improves but slips elsewhere:
Greenpeace. The air quality in eastern China continued to improve
in the first quarter, but smog worsened in central and western
regions, Greenpeace said in a report on Wednesday after analyzing
government data for 362 cities. An analysis of concentrations of
tiny airborne pollutants known as PM2.5 highlighted the
effectiveness of government policies to clean the air…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-idUSKCN0XH04Y 

Carbon from planes, ships targeted before climate deal. With
countries poised to sign the Paris climate deal, negotiators are
working behind the scenes to limit emissions from two sectors not
covered by the agreement: shipping and aviation. The sectors
combined produce around 4 percent of the world's emissions…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/04/20/stories/1060035929 

ALISO CANYON

Aliso Canyon, methane, and global climate. On October 23, 2015,
the Aliso Canyon underground storage facility for natural gas in
the San Fernando Valley—the fourth largest of its kind in the
United States—had one of its wells blow out, leading to a large
release of methane. The leak was not fully under control until
February 11, 2016. In the interim, residents of nearby
neighborhoods were sickened by the odorants added to the 
http://phys.org/news/2016-04-aliso-canyon-methane-global-climate.html#jCp


CLIMATE CHANGE

Earth's hot streak continues for a record 11 months. Earth's
record monthly heat streak has hit 11 months in a row - a record
in itself.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced Tuesday that March's average global temperature of 54.9
degrees was not only the hottest March, but continues a record
streak that started last May.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_RECORD_HEAT_1ST_LD_WRITETHRU?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


More Than 160 Nations UN-Bound for Signing of Climate Pact. Four
months after nearly 200 nations finally reached an historic deal
in Paris to address climate change, more than 160 of them will
send representatives April 22 to sign it in New York, in hopes of
getting the deal entered into force well before 2020.  United
Nations and world leaders are touting the likely historic nature
of the April 22 ceremony—they expect to set a record for…
http://www.bna.com/160-nations-unbound-n57982070024/  

How Earth itself has upped the stakes for the Paris climate
accord. Representatives from more than 150 countries will gather
at the United Nations on Friday to officially sign a global
accord aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing
climate change.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/04/20/as-nations-gather-to-sign-climate-accord-planet-reaches-new-warming-heights/


UPDATE 1-China wants ships to use faster Arctic route opened by
global warming. China will encourage ships flying its flag to
take the Northwest Passage via the Arctic Ocean, a route opened
up by global warming, to cut travel times between the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans, a state-run newspaper said on Wednesday.
China is increasingly active in the polar region…
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N17N2XD 

VEHICLES

German politicians seek tax break for electric car buyers.
Germany's coalition parties plan to boost demand for electric
cars by exempting them from vehicle tax, according to a draft
document seen by Reuters on Wednesday. German auto executives
have long pushed the government to introduce incentives to lift
demand for electric cars.
http://www.reuters.com/article/autos-electric-germany-idUSL5N17N3BR


Valley’s only hydrogen fuel station opens at Harris Ranch.
California business, air quality and energy officials will be in
Coalinga on Wednesday afternoon to cut the ribbon on a new
location in the state’s nascent system of fueling stations for
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. The True Zero hydrogen station at
the Harris Ranch Inn…
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article72677232.html#storylink=cpy


U.K. electric-car sales finally take off after long lag. After
years of low sales and tepid government support, U.K. plug-in
electric car sales are taking off, five years after the first
modern electric cars hit the road. Sales steadily increased
during 2015, but really took off in the first quarter of this
year. From January through March, a total of 10,496 electric
cars…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1103499_u-k-electric-car-sales-finally-take-off-after-long-lag


New Flyer introduces first 60-foot hydrogen fuel cell bus in
North America. New Flyer of America, a subsidiary of New Flyer
Industries Inc., the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit
buses and motor coaches in the United States and Canada,
conducted the inaugural road demonstration of the Xcelsior XHE60
heavy-duty articulated fuel cell transit bus.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/04/20160420-newflyer.html 

FTA selects 7 projects to receive $22.5M in grants for
battery-electric and fuel cell buses, infrastructure. The US
Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) announced the latest project selections for the Low and
No-Emission Vehicle Deployment Program, known as Low-No. Seven
transit providers in five states will receive a share of $22.5
million toward transit buses and related facilities that utilize
battery-electric…
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/04/20160420-fta.html 

Group of Calif. lawmakers opposes utility's EV charger plan. A
bipartisan group of California lawmakers yesterday protested a
utility's plan to install 7,600 electric vehicle charging
stations, less than a month after the proposal gained some
support. State senators and Assembly members, led by Assemblyman
Rich Gordon (D) of the San Francisco Bay Area…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/04/20/stories/1060035933 

VW RECALL

VW Fooled Your DMV Too, Prompting Calls for Tougher Air Tests.
Each year, millions of American motorists trudge to state
inspection stations to make sure their vehicles aren’t violating
pollution limits. At least, that’s what they think they’re doing.
As the emissions-cheating scandal involving Volkswagen AG
demonstrates, the tests may not be all they are cracked up to be.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-20/vw-fooled-your-dmv-too-prompting-calls-for-tougher-air-tests


VW Says Diesel Emissions Fix Progress Makes Trial Unneeded (1).
Volkswagen AG said there will be no need for a trial this summer
over damages related to its rigging of 600,000 diesel vehicles to
cheat pollution control laws. The carmaker does “not believe” an
expedited trial will be necessary after the company updates a
judge April 21 on its proposed solution to address the polluting
vehicles…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O5WBRR6TTDS7-1FK6J8R2LUHD4PM3HJ4A00LKG8

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL5N17N2M7 

European fix for VW diesels complies with law, but real-world
emissions still too high. Updates to the millions of Volkswagen
TDI diesel cars that turned out not to meet European emission
regulations were supposed to be well underway by now. German
authorities had signed off on the modifications—software updates
and for one group of engines, a new plastic insert to alter
incoming airflow…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1103509_european-fix-for-vw-diesels-complies-with-law-but-real-world-emissions-still-too-high


VW owners seek trial if there's no fix in emissions case. Lawyers
representing thousands of people who own diesel Volkswagens that
cheat on emissions tests are asking a judge to order repairs and
compensation if the company and government regulators don't agree
to a fix by Thursday. The request was made in a proposed agenda
for hearing Thursday before Senior U.S. District Court Judge
Charles Breyer in…
http://bakersfieldnow.com/news/auto-matters/vw-owners-seek-trial-if-theres-no-fix-in-emissions-case
http://www.modbee.com/news/state/article72606102.html  

GREEN ENERGY

Utilities, developers strike deal on solar pricing in N.Y. New
York state's major electric utilities and three leading solar
power developers yesterday announced an agreement on a new
net-metering plan, a move that links two sides that elsewhere are
in a pitched battle over the fair cost that owners of distributed
solar units should receive for surplus carbon-free power they
sell back to the grid.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2016/04/20/stories/1060035928 

OPINIONS

Drought is the new normal for California -- but we need to build
more housing? To the editor: The Times has published an
interesting juxtaposition of articles in the last few days. One
speaks of the need for more housing to keep rents and housing
prices affordable, and this Op-Ed article, "Is the California
drought America's water wake-up call?" (April 16), discusses how
a water deficit may be our new normal.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0420-wednesday-drought-housing-california-20160420-story.html


State should give Sacramento region a break on water
conservation. Water providers from throughout the Sacramento
region will urge the State Water Resources Control Board on
Wednesday to release their customers from emergency conservation
targets as local water supplies recover from drought.  In their
place, we will continue local programs to encourage ongoing
improvements in water efficiency.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article72689442.html#storylink=cpy


BLOGS

Restoring green to a city’s concrete hardscape. Americans’
personal connection to the environment, which the founders of
Earth Day hoped to restore nearly 50 years ago, is all but lost.
Today 80 percent of American families live in urban areas, the
vast majority of which are densely populated and defined by
concrete. There are no open vistas, unobstructed night skies or
untouched forests.
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2016/04/19/restoring-green-to-a-citys-concrete-hardscape/


Most Of Us Believe In Global Warming, But That’s Not Enough To
Stop It. A new survey finds 94 percent of Americans believe in
the phenomenon. More Americans than ever believe in global
warming, according to a new poll Nat Geo WILD released just ahead
of Earth Day. The survey published Wednesday found 94 percent of
Americans believe our planet is warming…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-change-belief-america_us_571712b4e4b0060ccda4d5ce


How Teaching A Math Problem To A Child Can Help Solve Climate
Change. World leaders achieved something extraordinary last
December at COP21 in Paris; a binding agreement, which will be
signed this week in New York, that unites all countries in a
shared duty to fight climate change. But in the weeks before the
Summit, there were doubts and skepticism.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sylvia-bongo-ondimba/how-teaching-a-math-probl_b_9736896.html


Will the Worst Methane Leak in U.S. History Transform
California's Energy Grid? California officials advance plan to
use restitution to spur energy innovation. Before SoCalGas
plugged the methane leak at its Aliso Canyon natural gas storage
facility in Los Angeles earlier this year, state officials made
clear the company would have to pay to counteract the damage:
107,000 tons of methane emissions…
http://www.govtech.com/fs/perspectives/Will-the-Worst-Methane-Leak-in-US-History-Transform-Californias-Energy-Grid.html




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