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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 7, 2016.
Posted: 07 Jun 2016 14:27:39
ARB Newsclips for June 7, 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 Germany Pushes EU to Close Loophole in Rules on Emissions (1). Germany wants the European Union to tighten a loophole in vehicle-emissions rules that allowed carmakers to reduce pollution controls in certain conditions, part of the heightened scrutiny in the wake of Volkswagen AG’s diesel-cheating scandal. European regulations allow automakers to adjust exhaust systems for safety reasons… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O8EDOM6S973601-6HJOTV3Q7CVV5VBESJ1PHQ971U Satellite imagery helps NASA find unreported sources of air pollution. In a recent collaborative study, NASA, along with Environment and Climate Change Canada and two universities, located major previously unknown sources of air pollution. In parts of the Middle East, Russia, and Mexico, the air is more polluted by factories and power plants than previously thought. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0606/Satellite-imagery-helps-NASA-find-unreported-sources-of-air-pollution Measuring Shipping Emissions in the Arctic. Shipping must prepare for stricter black carbon emission regulations; Finns improve the reliability of international measurement techniques. A new global challenge and a compliance monitoring market are emerging, due to tightening environmental regulations. http://www.marinelink.com/news/measuring-emissions410747.aspx CLIMATE CHANGE Here are three climate change breakthroughs possible during Modi’s trip to Washington. More than 300 million Indians have no access to electricity, and about the same number get it for only a few hours a day. India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, made universal electrification a pillar of his election campaign two years ago, and since then he has made major announcements ramping up India's ambitions to produce both coal and "clean" power. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/06/modis-visit-to-washington-could-set-a-new-tone-on-fighting-global-climate-change/ The Great Barrier Reef: a catastrophe laid bare. Australia’s natural wonder is in mortal danger. Bleaching caused by climate change has killed almost a quarter of its coral this year and many scientists believe it could be too late for the rest. Using exclusive photographs and new data, a Guardian special report investigates how the reef has been devastated – and what can be done to save it. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/07/the-great-barrier-reef-a-catastrophe-laid-bare?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=f9f827a60f-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-f9f827a60f-327747457 Norway just set an incredible target to have net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Norway's parliament has agreed on a goal to cut the country's net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2030, moving the target forward by 20 years, an official at the national assembly said on Tuesday. To achieve this goal, oil and gas producing Norway will have to lower its carbon output or purchase carbon credits to offset its emissions. http://www.businessinsider.com/norway-agrees-to-huge-climate-change-goal-2016-6 Unabated Global Warming Threatens West's Snowpack, Water Supply. New study shows a snowline creeping higher in the Rockies, Sierra Nevada and Cascades and the resulting decrease in spring runoff endangers those below. Low-elevation snowpack across the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades will disappear in the coming decades if global warming continues unabated, according to a new study. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/07062016/unabated-global-warming-threatens-west-snowpack-water-rocky-mountains-sierra-nevada-drought Issue gap for voters is greatest on climate -- Gallup poll. A new poll shows a wide gap between Democrats and Republicans on how important climate change is to their vote for president. The Gallup poll found that 72 percent of Democrats say that the issue of climate change is "extremely" or "very" important in how they vote for a presidential candidate. Just 25 percent of Republicans say that the issue is important. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2016/06/07/stories/1060038382 DROUGHT Water conservation has saved energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions, study finds. debate continues in San Diego County and around the state over how aggressively to conserve water amid a historic drought, a new study finds that reductions in urban water use have saved significant amounts of electricity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-sd-greenhouse-gas-emissions-20160607-snap-story.html Californians keep up water savings in April. Californians continued to save water in April despite the easing of the drought, reducing use by about 26 percent compared to 2013, the State Water Resources Control Board said Monday. The reductions came before the recent roll back of severe mandatory conservation targets. They also came during a relatively dry April. http://www.modbee.com/news/article82156412.html#storylink=cpy Critical index finds smelt nearly extinct in Sacramento Delta. Delta smelt have hovered close to extinction for years, but biologists say they’ve never seen anything like this spring. “There’s nothing between them and extinction, as far as I can tell,” said Peter Moyle… http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article82144857.html#storylink=cpy New California drought threat: Bark beetles and tens of millions of dead trees. More rain arrived in Northern California this year, which is good news overall. Yet, more bad news is lurking in the forest: Bark beetles. In fact, those bark beetles are lurking in backyards throughout Butte County. Trees were under stress the past few years due to lack of water. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20160606/new-california-drought-threat-bark-beetles-and-tens-of-millions-of-dead-trees Could rising CO2 levels help plants withstand drought? Global drying may not be as extensive as some models predict, according to a study published this week in Nature Climate Change. Carbon dioxide, a main driver of global warming, also helps plants become hardier against drought. Drying effects could be counteracted by plants needing less water… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/06/07/stories/1060038395 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Santa Cruz Metro receives grant to purchase new electric bus. The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District recently received a grant award of $709,292 on June 1 to purchase an electric bus that will run as a new circulator service in downtown Watsonville beginning in 2018. “This is a step toward lowering greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/government-and-politics/20160606/santa-cruz-metro-receives-grant-to-purchase-new-electric-bus FUELS UN asks governments for 2050 plans to phase out coal, oil and gas. Laurence Tubiana and Hakima El-Haite deliver ‘roadmap’ to COP22 climate summit, call on governments to think long-term. Governments, cities and business leaders will be asked to develop plans to radically cut emissions by 20502, under UN proposals released on Monday. http://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/06/06/un-asks-governments-for-2050-plans-to-phase-out-coal-oil-and-gas/?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=f9f827a60f-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-f9f827a60f-327747457 VEHICLES Italy Says No Emissions Wrongdoing in Fiat Vehicles. Government says tests show no illegal emissions-evading devices on vehicles other than Volkswagens. Italian government tests of diesel vehicles from various manufacturers show that only Volkswagen AG cars have so-called defeat devices designed to dupe emissions tests… http://www.wsj.com/articles/italy-says-no-emissions-wrongdoing-in-fiat-vehicles-1465322468 EU Rejects Call to Tighten Car Emissions Control Law. EU commissioner says it is up to national authorities to catch and punish car makes who manipulate data. A German proposal to tighten European Union rules on when car makers can turn off emission control systems in their vehicles has been given the cold shoulder by the bloc’s executive. http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-rejects-call-to-tighten-car-emissions-control-law-1465299116 Samsung says sayonara to fuel cells, focuses on batteries for electric cars. South Korea's Samsung SDI has decided to drop its hydrogen fuel-cell division, and focus future development resources exclusively on batteries for electric cars. Samsung SDI is already a major player in the electric-car battery market. But until recently the company also dabbled in fuel-cell technology… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1104333_samsung-says-sayonara-to-fuel-cells-focuses-on-batteries-for-electric-cars Hyundai's Genesis luxury brand to get electric cars as well: report. Hyundai's newly separated Genesis luxury brand may add electric cars to its lineup in the near future. The Korean carmaker previously sold the Genesis and Equus luxury sedans under its own brand name, but now feels a separate luxury brand is warranted. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1104332_hyundais-genesis-luxury-brand-to-get-electric-cars-as-well-report S. Korea calls for Nissan to face charges over emissions. South Korea has called for car giant Nissan to face criminal charges for allegedly manipulating emissions data on a popular sports utility vehicle, weeks after Seoul slapped the firm with a fine over the issue. The environment ministry called on state prosecutors to probe Nissan Korea after saying tests had shown an emission defeat system… http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/s-korea-calls-for-nissan-to-face-charges-over-emissions/ar-BBtXjDz VW RECALL Volkswagen gets approval for diesel cheat fix in Germany. VW says the cars will be fully compliant after repair, and performance won't be impacted. Volkswagen has received approval from German authorities to go through with its plan to recall more than 800,000 diesel-powered vehicles in order to fix its so-called "cheat" software used. This is the code that reduces the cars' emissions - but only when they're being tested. http://www.autoblog.com/2016/06/07/volkswagen-gets-approval-for-diesel-cheat-fix-in-germany/ GREEN ENERGY Saudi Arabia Scales Back Renewable Energy Goal to Favor Gas (1). Saudi Arabia is curtailing renewable-power targets as the world’s biggest oil exporter plans to use more natural gas, backing away from goals set when crude prices were about triple their current level, according to Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih. The kingdom aims to have power generation from renewable resources… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O8DM0P6TTDS401-77T4V5QGN4OR13LFU6VA3LKBPR A Biologist Works to Reconcile Bats and Wind Energy. Tim Hayes, with Duke Energy Renewables, seeks to reduce bat and bird fatalities on the company’s wind farms. Tim Hayes’s early interactions with bats on his grandparents’ Indiana farm didn’t scream “future bat expert.” He recalls sitting outside with his brother at dusk watching them flutter out of the barn… http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-biologist-works-to-reconcile-bats-and-wind-energy-1465319783 Who's In Charge? Getting Western States To Agree On Sharing Renewable Energy. In California, there is so much solar energy that grid operators have to switch off solar farms. One solution of dealing with the additional power generated is to share the renewable wealth across state borders – but in the West, it's sparking some not-so-neighborly opposition. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=475731503 Energy bill prospects dim in dispute over drilling, drought. Congressional efforts to approve the first major energy bill in nearly a decade are in jeopardy amid a partisan dispute over oil drilling, water for drought-stricken California and potential rollback of protections for the gray wolf and other wildlife… http://napavalleyregister.com/ap/business/energy-bill-prospects-dim-in-dispute-over-drilling-drought/article_81550141-b45a-54de-b20d-68c656a07ea7.html German grid agency skeptical of new renewables strategy. Germany's drastic growth in renewable energy deployment has sent regulators scrambling to ensure that the country doesn't become a victim of its own success. On May 8, renewable energy fulfilled a record 87 percent of the country's electricity demand. Rainer Baake, state secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/06/07/stories/1060038394 MISCELLANEOUS Most big users failing on cotton sustainability: report. Most companies using cotton do nearly nothing to improve environmental sustainability in its supply, environmental groups said on Tuesday, citing a report by an online green consumer site. Traditional farming of cotton, the second-biggest raw material for textile, makes heavy use of pesticides and water. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cotton-companies-idUSKCN0YT14D?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fenvironment+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Environment%29 Calif. regulator aims for 50% methane emissions cut with proposed oil, gas rule. The California Air Resources Board proposed new greenhouse gas and methane emissions standards for oil and gas facilities that it said will cut these emissions by more than 50%. The board, or CARB, anticipates a reduction of 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent… https://www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-36716272-10293 OPINIONS California's drought: How Trump's blustering caricatured a genuine crisis. If all the mistakes, misstatements, and assorted bloviations issuing from Donald Trump during the current presidential campaign, surely one of the leading head-scratchers is his May 27 assertion to the effect that “there is no drought” in California. http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-westlands-20160606-snap-story.html BLOGS Reducing Methane Emissions: An Important Part of a Clean Energy Future. Recently the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final rules on methane emissions. The rules aim to crack down on leaked emissions of methane from new sources of oil and gas production, processing and transmission equipment. The new rules also represent the first time the EPA has directly addressed methane pollution. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-francetic/reducing-methane-emissions_b_10323756.html Norway moves closer to banning sales of gas-powered cars by 2025. The agreement political parties in Norway reached won't "ban" fossil fuel-powered cars, according to Norway's Minister of Climate and Environment Vidar Helgesen. In a Twitter exchange with Mashable, he stated: "There is an agreement on a target of zero new fossil-fuel cars sold" from 2025 on. http://mashable.com/2016/06/06/norway-car-ban-elon-musk/#RBDZ8MvU8Zqd Climate change and the value of daring. Solving climate, peace and human security issues requires a quiet defiance. The climate system is a unifying ethical field that extends from the physical to the metaphysical and connects your actions to my well-being, and vice-versa, no matter how remote your life is from mine. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2016/jun/06/the-value-of-daring A New Air Pollution Database Is Good, but Imperfect. WHO's most recent atlas of air quality leaves significant gaps in coverage. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released its latest global urban air pollution database, including information for nearly 3,000 cities—a doubling from the 2014 database, which itself had data from 500 more cities than the previous (2011) iteration. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/a-new-air-pollution-database-is-good-but-imperfect/ Explaining The Recent Extreme Weather: Global Warming. The human release of greenhouse gasses has ultimately caused changes in weather patterns so that major storm systems in the Northern Hemisphere get wetter and move along more slowly, causing significant rainfall events to occur at a much higher rate than previously. This has become a nearly ongoing phenomenon, with major floods in Canada… http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2016/06/07/explaining-the-recent-extreme-weather-global-warming/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.