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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 22, 2016.

Posted: 22 Aug 2016 13:45:54
ARB Newsclips for August 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

Iraqi children pay high health cost of war-induced air pollution,
study finds. Researchers identify exposure to toxic materials
from explosion of munitions and burning of military waste by US
army as cause of birth defects and cancers. Air pollution caused
by war may be a major factor in the numbers of birth defects and
cancers being reported in Iraq and other war zones, a study has
suggested.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/aug/22/iraq-children-health-cost-war-induced-air-pollution-study-toxic-waste-birth-defects


Cruise ships start to come under scrutiny as massive pollution
machines. Cruise ships regularly depart major ports with
thousands of passengers onboard, and they are now being called
out as major sources of pollution. While increased pressure on
carmakers to improve emissions continues, regulators and
environmental groups are also scrutinizing other forms of
transportation-related emissions.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2016/0821/Cruise-ships-start-to-come-under-scrutiny-as-massive-pollution-machines


CLIMATE CHANGE

There’s at least one creature on Earth that’s loving global
warming. About 23,600 square miles of Arctic sea ice melted every
day in May, a record-high amount. That is good news for one
group: bowhead whales, the Arctic’s largest marine mammal.
Warming temperatures are leading to a massive sea-ice melt that’s
troublesome for native people and polar bears. Both rely on the
ice to launch hunts.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/theres-at-least-one-creature-on-earth-thats-loving-global-warming/2016/08/22/331cc880-43aa-11e6-8856-f26de2537a9d_story.html

As Chimney Fire burns, climate change increases potential for
more wildfires. Globally, NASA, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and the World Meteorological
Organization all announced that 2015 was the hottest year on
record, shattering the previous record set in 2014 by more than
one-tenth of a degree Celsius.
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/weather/weather-watch/article96912947.html#storylink=cpy


Climate change will mean the end of national parks as we know
them. As the National Parks Service turns 100 this week, we look
at how receding ice, extreme heat and acidifying oceans are
transforming America’s landscapes, and guardians of national
parks face the herculean task of stopping it.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/22/climate-change-national-parks-threat


How the Park Service is planning for climate change. The agency
is forging ahead despite meager help from Congress. Five years
ago, just after archaeologist Marcy Rockman joined the National
Park Service’s new climate change response program, the
GOP-controlled Congress slashed its budget by 70 percent.
Republicans were determined to squash President Barack Obama’s
climate agenda…
http://www.hcn.org/issues/48.14/how-the-park-service-is-planning-for-climate-change?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=faf25ca1f1-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-faf25ca1f1-327747457


Reports: Plans for IPCC's 1.5C special report start to take
shape. Due in 2018, the report will set out the feasibility of
limiting rise in temperatures to 1.5C as well as the enormous
changes needed to achieve the target. The feasibility of limiting
global temperatures to 1.5C will play a major role in the special
report set to be prepared by the UN's climate science panel in
the wake of the Paris Agreement.
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2468410/reports-plans-for-ipccs-15c-special-report-start-to-take-shape?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=faf25ca1f1-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-faf25ca1f1-327747457
 

California Climate Policies a $48 Billion Boon for State’s
Economy, Analysis Finds. A new analysis by a non-partisan
business group finds that California’s climate policies have been
a boon for the state’s economy. Assembly Bill 32, also known as
AB 32 or the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, requires
California to reduce climate-cooking greenhouse gas emissions to
1990 levels by 2020…
http://www.theenergycollective.com/desmog/2386353/california-climate-policies-a-48-billion-boon-for-states-economy-analysis-finds


Study Measures Methane Release From Arctic Permafrost. A
University of Alaska Fairbanks-led research project has provided
the first modern evidence of a landscape-level permafrost carbon
feedback, in which thawing permafrost releases ancient carbon as
climate-warming greenhouse gases.
http://www.eurasiareview.com/22082016-study-measures-methane-release-from-arctic-permafrost/


Report links climate change with income loss for millennials.
NextGen Climate is focusing on voters' wallets in its ongoing bid
to drive young people to the polls in November, releasing a
report today that predicts members of the millennial generation
could expect to lose $8.8 trillion in lifetime income unless the
nation takes action to address climate change.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/08/22/stories/1060041898 

DROUGHT

'Blob' may help drought-stricken California. But this series of
marine heat waves has been harming marine life from Australia to
San Diego. As a series of marine heat waves linked to climate
change has thrown ocean ecosystems out of whack from Australia to
the coast of California, a cooling trend called La Niña has given
scientists hope that water temperatures could come back into
balance.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/aug/20/blob-la-nina-el-nino-heat-waves/


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

Near-Zero Emission NGV Buses Slated for Los Angeles Transit
Fleet. Global bus manufacturer New Flyer Industries on Wednesday
committed to have the first near-zero natural gas vehicle (NGV)
transit bus on the market. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit
Authority (LA Metro) is slated to receive the first two buses.
Key to the near-zero emission (NZ) NGV technology is the
8.9-liter ISL G Cummins Westport engine (see Daily GPI, May 6).
LA Metro described its two NZ buses as an Xcelsior model…
http://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/107484-near-zero-emission-ngv-buses-slated-for-los-angeles-transit-fleet


FUELS

Oil and gas fracking industry targets Millennials for support.
The oil and gas industries certainly know how to tailor their
messages to specific demographics. The process of hydraulic
fracturing—commonly known as "fracking"—to release fossil-fuel
reserves from the earth has led to a boom in U.S. production, but
has also proven controversial because of environmental issues.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1105678_oil-and-gas-fracking-industry-targets-millennials-for-support


VEHICLES

California may beef up electric vehicle mandate. Democratic Gov.
Jerry Brown issued an executive order in 2012 calling for 1.5
million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025; 192,000 have
been sold since 2010, according to the air board. With the
extension of California's landmark climate change law stalled, a
legislative plan is emerging to significantly up the ante on…
http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2016/8/22/Californiamaybeefupelectricvehiclemandate.aspx

1 in 6 cars sold in 2020 must be electric to meet fuel-economy
rules: study. Several nations have enacted strict fuel economy
standards but, for the most part, they have not required
automakers to sell electric cars. In the U.S., only the state of
California has a zero-emission vehicle mandate that puts such a
requirement on carmakers. Yet even without mandates, automakers
may soon be forced to sell large numbers of electric cars just to
meet fuel-economy rules.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1105673_1-in-6-cars-sold-in-2020-must-be-electric-to-meet-fuel-economy-rules-study

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2016/0822/Study-says-1-in-6-cars-sold-in-2020-must-be-electric-to-meet-fuel-economy-rules


VW RECALL

VW's Battle With Contractors Gets Unusually Messy.  A revolt that
is leading some plants idle. The decision of the world’s largest
automaker to take on a feisty Bosnian entrepreneur who supplies
it parts is backfiring spectacularly. Volkswagen AG VLKAY -0.26%
said Monday it had stopped, or partially stopped, work at six of
its biggest assembly plants…
http://fortune.com/2016/08/22/vw-supplier-dispute-production/ 

GREEN ENERGY

Obama Rule Could Take Wind Out of Renewable Power on Public Land.
It was supposed to be the largest wind farm in North America,
with 1,000 turbines spinning above 320,000 acres of southern
Wyoming. But after investing more than $50 million and nearly a
decade seeking approval to build a wind farm on public lands…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-22/obama-rule-could-take-wind-out-of-renewable-power-on-public-land


Wall St. flat as biotechs offset energy sector slump.  U.S.
stocks were little changed on Monday as a drop in oil prices that
weighed on the energy sector was offset by strong gains among
biotech stocks. Oil prices fell about 3 percent, after touching
two-month highs last week, on worries about burgeoning Chinese
fuel exports…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks-idUSKCN10X19M?feedType=RSS&virtualBrandChannel=11563


America’s First Offshore Wind Farm May Power Up a New Industry. A
just-completed project off the coast of Rhode Island, though
relatively tiny, is at the forefront of a sea-based transition to
renewable energy. The towering machines stand a few miles from
shore, in a precise line across the seafloor, as rigid in the
ocean breeze as sailors reporting for duty.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/23/science/americas-first-offshore-wind-farm-may-power-up-a-new-industry.html?_r=0


Offshore wind farm a green-energy milestone. The first offshore
wind energy farm in the USA is up and nearly ready to go, marking
a new chapter in the nation’s changing electricity grid.
Thursday, workers finished installing the last of five turbines
off Rhode Island’s coast, a little more than a year after the
Providence-based developer Deepwater Wind first put steel in the
water.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2016/08/21/offshore-wind-farm-green-energy-milestone/88621448/


Bad energy? Some locals upset over proposed renewable energy
plant in Anaheim.  Some residents within several miles of a
proposed renewable energy plant that would convert food waste
into clean electricity are questioning whether the idea smells.
Carlsbad-based Anaergia proposes to build a facility where daily
hundreds…
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/plant-726560-waste-energy.html


SDG&E Gets OK to Build Energy Storage Projects in Escondido and
El Cajon. State regulators have signed off on San Diego Gas &
Electric’s proposal to build lithium-ion battery projects in
Escondido and El Cajon capable of storing a combined 37.5
megawatts of energy. The California Public Utilities Commission’s
approval follows a request by the agency that electric…
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/SDGE-Gets-OK-to-Build-Energy-Storage-Projects-in-Escondido-and-El-Cajon-390912611.html#ixzz4I5f45kkY

Wind turbines: The money and the myths. When Exelon approached
Dean Kritzman about leasing his land for the energy company’s
most recent wind turbine project, Kritzman didn’t hesitate to say
yes. He saw it as a win-win-win situation: the turbine would
produce renewable energy, Sanilac County would reap tax revenue
benefits and he would get a personal lease payment each year.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/08/20/michigan-wind-turbines-money-and-myths/89041958/


MISCELLANEOUS

A new era in California gold prospecting could be coming with
court ruling. California's Supreme Court could clear the way for
a new era of gold prospectors 168 years after the start of the
state's historic Gold Rush. The court is set to rule Monday on
the legality of the state's ban on the use of suction dredges to
extract gold from rivers.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-gold-prospecting-20160822-snap-story.html

Butte farmers may qualify for cash to replace old tractors.
Farmers in Butte County may be eligible for air quality funding
this year that will help pay for new farm equipment like tractors
and nut harvesting equipment. The funding, through the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, has been around since 2009.
However, priority is given to replace equipment that creates the
most air pollution and in areas with the worst air quality.
http://www.orovillemr.com/article/NB/20160821/NEWS/160829963 

Torrance residents get to suggest how to spend millions on air
quality improvements. Southern California’s regional air quality
watchdog has scheduled a Wednesday meeting in Torrance to discuss
how to spend $2.7 million in penalties imposed on the former
ExxonMobil refinery for excess emissions.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/environment-and-nature/20160820/torrance-residents-get-to-suggest-how-to-spend-millions-on-air-quality-improvements


ENVIORNMENTAL JUSTICE

CARB meeting in Brawley.  (Air Resources Board wants to hear from
the Public)…Mostly North County residents. The California Air
Resources Board citizen input for the updated Supplemental
Environmental Project. CARB will be holding a meeting Wednesday
at the Comite Civico del Valley on Main Street in Brawley.
http://kxoradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6316:carb-meeting-in-brawley&catid=8&Itemid=103


OPINIONS

A New Strategy for Climate Change? Retreat. Years from now, as
the rising tides and brutal storms wrought by climate change push
the residents of coastal towns around the U.S. away from the
water's edge, each of those towns will confront some version of
the same question: What do you do about people like the Nelsons?…
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-08-22/nj-s-blue-acres-program-a-new-strategy-for-climate-change


Good news for the energy industry. Coal bed methane offers a safe
solution to energy problems. While the price of oil may be
beginning to climb up a bit these days, we hope it has at least
seen the bottom. The devastating effect of oil prices on cities,
companies and workers cannot be overstated. The energy industry
needs some good news. And they may found it.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/21/coal-bed-methane-good-news-for-the-energy-industry/


A big question complicating the climate debate: Are current
policies only benefiting the rich?  In early 2015, Democratic
members of the state Assembly huddled in a Cal State Sacramento
conference room to hear Mary Nichols, chair of the powerful Air
Resources Board, explain how her agency handles the billions of
dollars collected from California’s marquee program to fight
climate change.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-climate-change-disadvantaged-communities-20160822-snap-story.html


Climate change is real to farmers in California. Many farmers
regard themselves as the original land stewards. For us, it is
especially stressful to watch the planting and harvesting seasons
change, for reasons out of our control. In 2015, drought and
irregular weather brought my pistachio crop nearly to disaster.
It’s clear that for us to remain resilient in the face of
uncertain new weather patterns… 
http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article97168502.html#storylink=cpy


Commentary: California must tackle super-pollutants in air (East
Bay Times). It's not too long ago that smog days were a regular
occurrence for schoolchildren in California, especially in
communities hit hard by air pollution. A lot has changed since
then. Through decades of emissions restrictions, California has
made huge strides in cleaning our air and protecting public
health from the worst effects of air pollution.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_30269004/commentary-california-must-tackle-super-pollutants-air-east


Let's pump the brakes on cap-and-trade. In 2006, elected
officials gave the California Air Resources Board (CARB)
virtually unchecked authority to implement AB 32, which aims to
reduce carbon emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. The
legislation, including the controversial cap-and-trade program,
expires in four years. Some lawmakers have already introduced
legislation, such as SB 32, to extend CARB’s authority.
http://www.vvdailypress.com/article/20160822/OPINION/160829963 

Legislation targeting AQMD renews air quality concerns. A number
of local elected officials from across the South Coast region
signed an Aug. 17 Valley Voice which claims California Senate
bill 1387 would take Air Quality Management District control out
of local hands.  They also claim in their column that the bill
will "fix something that is not broken."
http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/contributors/valley-voice/2016/08/19/valley-voice-terry-aqmd-legislation-support/88974852/


Who decides on greenhouse gases: Voters or lawmakers? The
fundamental things apply … As time goes by.” That lyric from the
classic film “Casablanca” could certainly apply today in the
continuing, fundamental battle between environmentalists and a
major part of California’s business community over legislation
containing stricter measures to curb greenhouse gases. It’s a
familiar fight in the Capitol: Oil companies and their allies say
jobs… http://capitolweekly.net/greenhouse-gases-voters-lawmakers/


Passing Climate Bills Will Help Clear Up California’s Smog. If
California lawmakers are looking for yet another reason to pass
Senate Bill 32 (Pavley) and Assembly Bill 197 (E. Garcia), which
would reduce climate-changing pollution to 40 percent below 1990
levels by 2030 and put new emphasis on measures that protect
public health, they need only breathe in the dirty air plaguing
the South Coast air basin.
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/alex-jackson/passing-climate-bills-will-help-clear-californias-smog


Editorial: Water agencies make mockery of conservation. It’s
always been an open question about how we’d know when
California’s drought is over. Apparently if it came to a vote of
the state’s water agencies, we’re there now. Tuesday the State
Water Resources Control Board released the conservation targets
the water providers were setting for their customers. For 85
percent of them, the target was zero.
http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20160820/editorial-water-agencies-make-mockery-of-conservation


California methane regulations are excessive, pointless. MANY
have questioned whether State Question 777, the “Right to Farm”
constitutional amendment, is truly needed in Oklahoma. While
supporters argue constitutional protection is a must to prevent
pointless and job-killing regulation of farms and ranches,
opponents reasonably note that Oklahoma has never been hospitable
to such movements. Now if we were talking about California …
http://newsok.com/article/5514795 

Letters: Dangers of natural-gas air pollution. The recent study
linking excess air pollution in Philadelphia to 126 deaths and
284 hospitalizations should be a wake-up call to our policymakers
about the human toll of failing to enact strong environmental
protections ("Study: Phila.'s bad air tied to 126 early deaths,"
Aug. 11). As a physician, I'm not surprised.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20160822_Letters__Dangers_of_natural-gas_air_pollution.html


Can we afford the true cost of air pollution? Air pollution takes
years off people’s lives. It causes substantial pain and
suffering among adults and children alike. And it damages food
production at a time when we need to feed more people than ever.
This is not just an economic issue; it is a moral one. Air
pollution can be produced both outdoors and indoors.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/08/20/commentary/world-commentary/can-afford-true-cost-air-pollution/#.V7s4U_nQhKU


BLOGS

Global Warming Has Now Made the Northwest Passage a Thing. More
than a century ago, explorers dreamed of a Northwest Passage, a
route from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic by plying the
waterways north of Canada, threading through the Canadian Arctic
Archipelago, huge icy islands north of Canada.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2016/08/22/global_warming_has_allowed_easier_access_to_the_northwest_passage.html


Flooding, Extreme Weather, and Record Temperatures: How Global
Warming Puts it All Together. Louisiana, August 2016: “I’m going
home to see if I have a home”. Ellicot City, Maryland, July 2016:
“Oh my god. There’s people in the water”. West Virginia, June
2016: “23 dead, thousands homeless after devastating flood”. What
do these events (and 5 more since April 2015) have in common?  
http://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/flooding-extreme-weather-and-record-temperatures-how-global-warming-puts-it-all-together


Why Are Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Emissions Going Up? A new report
reveals that harmful emissions from oil and gas development are
increasing.  This is bad news for Pennsylvania families who have
been repeatedly told by industry trade groups that pollution is
under control. According to the Department of Environmental
Protection, in 2014 oil and gas companies emitted…
http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2016/08/22/why-are-pennsylvanias-oil-gas-emissions-going-up/


India Achieves Historical First-Ever Surplus of Power. While
India makes strides in moving toward a power surplus, pollution
is worsening and access to electricity remains a distant promise
for millions. For the first time since India’s independence in
1947, the country now has a power surplus. This is a remarkable
achievement as India was just a few years ago grappling with
rampant power deficits and outages.
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/india-achieves-historical-first-ever-surplus-of-power/




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

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