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ARB Newsclips for September 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

Harley-Davidson Air Polluting ‘Super Tuners’ Banned. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of
Justice have settled with Harley-Davidson, the motorcycle giant,
in a lawsuit over illegal devices that increase air pollution
from riders’ bikes. Terms of the settlement require all the
company’s four affiliated firms to stop selling…
http://ens-newswire.com/2016/09/14/harley-davidson-air-polluting-super-tuners-banned/


ALISO CANYON

Southern California Gas to pay $4-million settlement over massive
Porter Ranch gas leak. Southern California Gas Co. agreed to pay
$4 million to settle criminal charges over the massive gas leak
near Porter Ranch last year, but the utility still faces
potentially costly civil actions from both residents and
regulators. The settlement ends a prosecution brought  by the Los
Angeles County district attorney’s office…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-porter-ranch-settlement-20160913-snap-story.html?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=27b085401a-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-27b085401a-327747457


Aliso Canyon shutdown jolts utilities to push energy storage
plans. Fewer than four months ago, the still-emerging energy
storage industry faced a big challenge. With the Aliso Canyon
natural gas field essentially out of commission after a massive
leak, the California Public Utilities Commission called on
Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric to come
up with storage…
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-energy-storage-20160913-snap-story.html


CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change 'significant and direct' threat to U.S. military:
reports. The effects of climate change endanger U.S. military
operations and could increase the danger of international
conflict, according to three new documents endorsed by retired
top U.S. military officers and former national security
officials. "There are few easy answers, but one thing is clear:
the current trajectory of climatic change…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climatechange-idUSKCN11K0BC
 
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/14/military-experts-climate-change-significant-security-risk


Winemakers Toil to Beat the Heat of Climate Change. Grapes are
ripening earlier and more quickly around the world, putting
pressure on winemakers. Neil Paulett, a winemaker in South
Australia’s Clare Valley, stopped his vehicle in front of a row
of vines on a recent rainy afternoon. The grapes growing here, he
said, are ripening a month earlier…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/winemakers-toil-to-beat-the-heat-of-climate-change-1473857879


A ‘Red Scare’ tactic or standing up for ExxonMobil on climate
change? Just how much power does a congressional committee have
to issue broad subpoenas of state attorneys general and
environmental groups? That’s the issue the House Committee on
Science, Space and Technology wrestled with Wednesday with
members from both parties wrapping themselves in the First
Amendment.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/red-scare-or-exxon-mobil-rescue/2016/09/14/3b772752-7a80-11e6-beac-57a4a412e93a_story.html


Joshua trees could be declared a threatened species over climate
change. Joshua trees could soon follow polar bears as one of the
first species to be listed as threatened due to climate change.
Federal officials announced Tuesday that they will study whether
to declare the iconic trees a threatened species.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/09/14/joshua-trees-could-declared-threatened-species-over-climate-change/90355896/

California’s dairy industry knows how to cut its greenhouse gas
emissions, but can it afford to?  The rumbling of a tank-sized
power plant on the Van Warmerdam dairy is the sound of relief for
a longtime farming family. It’s a signal that the Van Warmerdams
won’t have to change the way they do business much to comply with
the looming air quality regulations that aim to slash the carbon
footprint of California’s dairy industry.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article101657322.html#storylink=cpy


Gov Jerry Brown signs four climate change bills in downtown
Fresno. The governor met with community leaders to sign
legislation that directs $900 million in cap-and-trade funds. The
money will be spent on programs that reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. The governor also signed bills that prioritize
spending in communities that are directly impacted by dirty air
and pollution.
http://abc30.com/politics/live-gov-jerry-brown-to-sign-four-climate-change-bills-in-downtown-fresno/1511413/

Empowering the Bayview to weather climate change. Climate change
is already happening, and Bayview-Hunters Point is not ready.
With few trees and lots of concrete and asphalt, the neighborhood
is particularly vulnerable to extreme heat and floods. It already
has high crime and asthma rates. It’s already struggling with
police violence and toxic pollution.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/empowering-bayview-weather-climate-change/

Arctic sea ice cover set to be second lowest ever recorded, data
suggests. Satellite data shows ice was close to last year’s
record low confirming a long-term downward trend towards ice-free
Arctic summers. Arctic sea ice cover could be confirmed within
days as the second lowest ever recorded, the latest data
suggests.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/14/arctic-sea-ice-cover-set-to-be-second-lowest-ever-recorded-data-suggests?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=27b085401a-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-27b085401a-327747457


CO2, Climate Change Seen As Waste Disposal Challenge. When it
comes to carbon dioxide, what goes up doesn’t come down. It stays
in the atmosphere for thousands of years after plumes of
pollution have been released from tailpipes and power plants,
trapping heat and warming the planet. That’s why some scientists
are increasingly looking at global warming as a waste disposal
problem.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/co2-climate-change-waste-disposal-challenge-20692


More than 80% of Americans support U.S. climate goals. A strong
majority of Americans think the United States should meet its
obligations under the Paris climate agreement, though they doubt
nations abroad will uphold their end of the bargain, according to
an Associated Press and University of Chicago poll released
today.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/09/14/stories/1060042783 

What's driving down industry emissions? The market. Market
forces, not U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, are the chief driver
behind lower carbon emissions right now, energy experts said at a
conference here on power-sector trends yesterday. Low natural gas
prices, federal tax breaks for renewables, and the falling cost
of wind and solar…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/09/14/stories/1060042784

GREEN ENERGY

Desert plan tries to balance solar energy, open land. Interior
Secretary Sally Jewell is expected to announce today the first
phase of a long-awaited renewable energy and conservation plan
covering 10 million acres of public lands in the California
desert.
The Obama administration describes it as a crucial step toward
meeting the renewable energy goals set out in the president's
Climate Action Plan.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/09/14/stories/1060042803 

OPINIONS

Mostly cheers for Jerry Brown's climate action. To the editor:
Thank you, Bettina Boxall and Dan Weikel, for reminding us to
stay vigilant — our fight for Banning Ranch is far from over. The
Banning Ranch Conservancy’s plan for developing this land is in
accordance with how Californians see themselves, as opposed to
the real estate intensive vision of the Newport Banning Ranch
plan.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-climate-20160914-snap-story.html


BLOGS

How Much Will Americans Pay to Battle Climate Change? Not Much. A
wide range of public opinion polls point to a clear and growing
trend: Americans of all political stripes are increasingly
worried about climate change. This is undoubtedly good news for
those advocating for robust policies to reduce carbon emissions,
the main contributor to climate change.
http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2016/09/14/how-much-will-americans-pay-to-battle-climate-change-not-much/


Here's One Aspect of Climate Change Everyone Can Agree On. The
topic of climate change has in many ways become as polarizing as
politics and religion. It’s usually a good idea to avoid bringing
it up at family gatherings, at work and especially on first
dates.  The topic is almost certain to set off a “heated”
ideological debate about whether or not humans are driving
planetary warming.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2016/09/13/heres-one-aspect-of-climate-change-everyone-can-agree-on/#124ccd3930f1




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