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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 22, 2016.
Posted: 22 Jun 2016 12:21:23
ARB Newsclips for June 22, 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 Massive gas leak reaction contributed to AQMD exec's ouster. Almost four months after California's top air quality executive was ousted from the South Coast Air Quality Management District in a contentious closed-session vote, email exchanges obtained by The Desert Sun point to frustration over the agency's handling of the Porter Ranch gas leak as a key driver of the SCAQMD board's vote. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2016/06/22/keeping-board-out-loop-may-have-been-aqmd-execs-undoing/86036776/ EPA seeks comments on nominees to hot-button science panel. U.S. EPA is seeking public comment on a slate of seven nominees for a slot on its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), the panel charged with providing scientific and technical expertise in the agency's periodic reviews of the standards for ozone, particulate matter and four other "criteria" pollutants. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/06/22/stories/1060039232 CLIMATE CHANGE Polluted estuaries spew 'potentially significant' emissions. Estuaries may be releasing more methane into the atmosphere than previously thought, according to a study done on the Chesapeake Bay. The bay's low-oxygen "dead zone" that forms in summer may be contributing to the buildup of the potent greenhouse gas in its waters, the study released this week warns. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/06/22/stories/1060039230 Colo. regulators find methane violations at 10 companies. Colorado regulators have issued warnings to 10 energy companies that operate in the Denver-Julesburg Basin for emitting methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to ground-level ozone or smog. Methane and VOCs are stringently regulated in Colorado, which suffers from a chronic ozone problem. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/06/22/stories/1060039181 Will Water Sector Help or Hurt on Climate Change? California has been diligently trying to reduce use of fossil fuels and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 350, which requires 50 percent of the electricity from utilities to come from renewable sources by 2030. But it’s not just energy utilities that can add more renewables to their portfolios – water suppliers can… http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2016/06/21/will-water-sector-help-or-hurt-on-climate-change/ Trader Joe’s is forced to fix refrigerators, cut greenhouse gas emissions. Trader Joe’s will spend millions of dollars over the next several years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its refrigeration equipment as part of a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department. Federal officials had alleged that the grocery chain had violated the Clean Air Act… https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/06/21/trader-joes-is-forced-to-fix-refrigerators-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions/?utm_campaign=ebf899e381-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Inside Climate News http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-trader-joes-greenhouse-gas-20160421-snap-story.html EU smashes 2020 emissions target six years early. The EU soared past its 2020 carbon cutting goal six years early, according to European Environment Agency data released on Tuesday. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2014 were 4.1% lower than the previous year and 24.4% below the 1990 baseline. The 2020 target is a 20% cut. http://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/06/21/eu-smashes-2020-emissions-target-six-years-early/?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ebf899e381-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ebf899e381-327747457 Natural systems could protect against climate-fueled disasters. Congress could reshape how Americans bounce back from disasters in places that are vulnerable to climate change by making it easier to approve protective infrastructure and by discouraging development in flood-prone areas, the National Wildlife Federation and private insurers said yesterday in a new report. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/06/22/stories/1060039180 Race to save hidden treasures under threat from climate change. THOUSANDS of ancient relics unearthed by climate change could soon be lost forever, destroyed by weathering and pests. The crisis is so acute that some archaeologists are urging colleagues to abandon their current field sites and focus instead on these newly exposed treasures before they vanish. Rising seas, raging storms, melting ice and forest fires are exposing artefacts that have much to tell us about our history on Earth – from sunken shipwrecks in… https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23030794-000-race-to-save-hidden-treasures-under-threat-from-climate-change/ DROUGHT It will take years of wet weather before California recovers from drought, study finds. When forecasters last year warned of a massive El Nińo, some Californians held out hope that a single extremely wet year could bust the state’s severe drought. But a study published Tuesday in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, offered support for the argument that state hydrologists… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-snowpack-20160621-snap-story.html http://bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/research-california-years-away-from-making-drought-recovery Before and after: A Tustin garden goes from thirsty lawn to drought-tolerant oasis. We're asking Southern California readers to share photos of their lawn-to-drought-garden makeovers. Here’s how one Tustin couple did it: After they let their lawn die last year, Lorna and Phil Sikorski took advantage of Orange County’s Turf Removal Program and transformed it into a low water oasis. http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-0618-tustin-lawn-makeover-20160620-snap-story.html Sacramento City Council rejects plan to increase watering days. As temperatures race toward the triple digits, City Council members voted unanimously to reduce water conservation goals but maintain a twice-weekly watering restriction. The Department of Utilities presented a plan to drop conservation goals from 28 percent over 2013 levels… http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article85161817.html#storylink=cpy California Snowpack Won't Recover From Drought For Years. The winter of 2015 capped four years of drought that resulted in an unprecedented water deficit in Sierra Nevada snowpack. Much of California’s water comes from snowmelt. Researchers at UCLA say in a new study, that this winter’s strong El Nińo didn’t make up for that deficit. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2016/06/21/california-snowpack-wont-recover-from-drought-for-years/ Sacramento-Area Water Conservation 31 Percent In May. The Sacramento Regional Water Authority says people in the five-county region reduced water use 31 percent in May, compared to 2013. The RWA says the May reduction is the same as April's rate. The RWA represents water providers in Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Yolo and Sutter counties. http://www.capradio.org/76211 What Lake Mead’s Record Low Means for California. When in the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced last month that the country’s largest reservoir, Lake Mead, had fallen to its lowest-ever level at 1,074ft (327m), the question many asked was: How will it affect one of California’s primary drinking sources? After all, some 19 million Californians, nearly half the state’s population, receive some part of their water from the Colorado River… http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2016/06/21/what-lake-meads-record-low-means-for-california/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Push renewed to ban trucks older than ’07 at NJ/NY ports. The Coalition for Healthy Ports and key Newark, N.J. politicians want the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to reinstate a plan to prohibit trucks with engines older than 2007 by next year. At a June 16 press conference, Mayor Ras Baraka and Council President Mildred Crump asked PANYNJ to return to its original plan to bar pre-2007 diesel engines… http://www.ccjdigital.com/push-renewed-to-ban-trucks-older-than-07-at-njny-ports/ Diesel emissions worse in cold weather. One testing company found that emissions from diesel cars significantly rise when the temperature decreases. After testing 213 models from 31 manufacturers, Emissions Analytics said that when the temperature is below 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius), the pollution becomes much worse. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/06/22/stories/1060039212 TRUCK ENFORCEMENT/INSPECTION – OTAY MESA http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1380&DateTime=6%2F21%2F2016+4%3A10%3A04+PM&Term=california+air+resources+board&PlayClip=TRUE http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1385&DateTime=6%2F21%2F2016+5%3A17%3A30+PM&Term=california+air+resources+board&PlayClip=TRUE http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=6670&DateTime=6%2F21%2F2016+5%3A35%3A07+PM&Term=california+air+resources+board&PlayClip=TRUE http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=2555&DateTime=6%2F21%2F2016+5%3A37%3A23+PM&Term=Air+Resources+Board&PlayClip=TRUE http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=2555&DateTime=6%2F21%2F2016+6%3A37%3A15+PM&Term=Air+Resources+Board&PlayClip=TRUE http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1385&DateTime=6%2F21%2F2016+6%3A38%3A54+PM&Term=california+air+resources+board&PlayClip=TRUE http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1380&DateTime=6%2F21%2F2016+10%3A34%3A50+PM&Term=california+air+resources+board&PlayClip=TRUE FUELS Federal court kills BLM fracking rule. The Obama administration's hydraulic fracturing rule is dead. In a monumental ruling last night, the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming struck down the years-in-the-making regulation, concluding that the Bureau of Land Management has no authority over fracking. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2016/06/22/stories/1060039204 VEHICLES Infiniti recalls sedans to fix electronic steering. Nissan is recalling 60,000 Infiniti luxury sedans worldwide because the electronic steering can malfunction. The recall covers certain Q50 gasoline and hybrid cars from the 2014 and 2015 model years. It includes more than 28,000 in the U.S. The company said Wednesday in documents posted by the U.S. government a combination of low battery voltage… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2016/06/22/infiniti-recall/86223140/ California EV Buyers May See Rebates Disappear for Now. California may lose its status as the beacon for electric vehicle purchase incentives, at least for now. The California legislature has passed a new budget, awaiting Governor Jerry Brown’s signature, which cuts off funds for the state’s clean vehicle subsidies. http://www.hybridcars.com/california-ev-buyers-may-see-rebates-disappear-for-now/ VW RECALL VW Chairman Under Fire From Investors for Dual Role in Crisis. Volkswagen AG Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch bore the brunt of investor dissatisfaction over the automaker’s handling of the emissions cheating scandal during a raucous shareholder meeting, with some even trying to remove him as host of the gathering. Poetsch received a tongue-lashing from investors for his shift last year from… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O8X1ADSYF01V01-10OVJEKRGS2NMMN55CH929UN9M Volkswagen Shareholders Air Grievances at Annual Meeting. Volkswagen shareholders had a lot to complain about on Wednesday. Management bonuses, sagging profits and an emissions scandal have all caused the company’s stock to plunge. Whether those complaints will make any difference is another question. Institutional investors and individual shareholders have grown increasingly restive… http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/business/international/volkswagen-shareholder-meeting.html?_r=0 Volkswagen Board Accused Of Stock Market Manipulation, & Considers Completely Dropping Diesel Development. Volkswagen chief Matthias Mueller has hinted in a newspaper interview that his company might completely abandon diesel engine technology in the wake of the its massive emissions cheating scandal. “Against this background, we have to ask ourselves whether… we want to spend more money on the further development of diesel,”… http://cleantechnica.com/2016/06/22/volkswagen-board-accused-stock-market-manipulation-considers-completely-dropping-diesel-development/ GREEN ENERGY Elon Musk Aims to Shore Up SolarCity by Having Tesla Buy It. Elon Musk has built an ambitious business empire on three pillars: electric cars, solar energy and space travel. Now, the billionaire entrepreneur is trying to shore up his embattled solar panel provider by merging it with the electric carmaker. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/22/business/dealbook/tesla-solarcity-elon-musk.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0 Related Articles http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/06/22/stories/1060039200 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/06/22/this-is-why-elon-musk-is-buying-solarcity/ New clean energy authority selects its CEO. The Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority has appointed its chief executive officer. Tom Habashi has been chosen by the authority's board of directors to oversee the organization that plans to bring residents and businesses renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power from providers other than PG&E. http://www.mercurynews.com/campbell/ci_30042115/new-clean-energy-authority-selects-its-ceo Va.'s offshore wind prospects weather financial doldrums. Just last year, Virginia was poised to become the first U.S. state to tap the Atlantic coast's offshore winds. That's when Dominion Resources Inc., the commonwealth's largest electric utility, doubled down on its promise to build a 12-megawatt wind power facility 25 miles… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/06/22/stories/1060039179 MISCELLANEOUS PG&E to close Diablo Canyon, California's last nuclear power plant. One of California’s largest energy utilities took a bold step in the 21st century electricity revolution with an agreement to close its last operating nuclear plant and develop more solar, wind and other clean power technologies. The decision announced Tuesday by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to close its beleaguered Diablo Canyon… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-diablo-canyon-nuclear-20160621-snap-story.html OPINIONS The goal of cap-and-trade is to fight climate change, not raise tax revenue. To the editor: California’s cap-and-trade program should be viewed as part of the state’s comprehensive package of climate policies, including efficiency standards for new homes and appliances, which have driven emissions reductions… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-california-cap-and-trade-climate-change-20160620-snap-story.html Jerry Brown’s vow to slash oil use in California’s cars in trouble. The meltdown of California’s cap-and-trade system of reducing carbon emissions has not only thrown its climate change crusade into disarray but caused collateral damage. One victim is Gov. Jerry Brown’s $3.1 billion plan to spend auction proceeds, now on indefinite hold. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/dan-walters/article85150877.html#storylink=cpy New water rules make good sense. After a year of heroic water conservation under state-mandated emergency rules, Californians will shift this summer to ongoing water-saving practices guided by local conditions. Under new rules adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board, California is transitioning from last year’s one-size-fits-all mandatory reductions in water use… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article85095117.html#storylink=cpy Obama's carbon footprint. It’s was nice to see President Obama’s concern in regards to climate change and the “carbon foot print” we all leave. Does the President follow what he preaches? I checked the logistics of the President and his family’s past trip to India and found the following: The trip included Air Force One, a C-17 plus 38 other aircraft… http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2016/06/20/Obama-s-carbon-footprint.html BLOGS Volkswagen Diesels Cheated Us. Here’s How VW Should Pay. The sun is finally setting on the days when Volkswagen and other automakers could disregard emission standards. Here’s how we can make sure it happens. Nearly coinciding with the summer solstice, June 28 is the deadline imposed by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco for VW, federal and California officials to decide how… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-becker-and-james-gerstenzang/volkswagen-diesels-cheate_b_10485350.html Corporate Demand for Renewable Energy Could Rock the Grid. Renewable energy is good for customers, the environment and the bottom line of corporations that run their operations with it. In the United States, though, renewables (including solar, wind, hydropower and biomass) account for only about 10 percent of all energy used and 13 percent of total electricity generated – even as corporate contracts for renewable energy… http://www.forbes.com/sites/manishbapna/2016/06/21/corporate-demand-for-renewable-energy-could-rock-the-grid/#511286cd5b23 Dieselgate: The End Is Nigh, If Not For Volkswagen, Then At Least For Diesel. The timing could not have been better, or worse: Tomorrow, June 22, Volkswagen convenes its General Shareholder Meeting. Shareholders will face a board that is with “one foot in prison,” as the German figure of speech goes. Compared to that, the news that Volkswagen sees no big future in diesel sound harmless. The news was released in steady drips for maximum effect. http://www.forbes.com/sites/bertelschmitt/2016/06/21/dieselgate-the-end-is-nigh-if-not-for-volkswagen-then-at-least-for-diesel/?yptr=yahoo&ref=yfp#3f4786e5b630 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.