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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 28, 2016.

Posted: 28 Oct 2016 15:32:18
ARB Newsclips for October 28, 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

Shippers Brace for New Rules to Cut Deadly Sulphur Emissions. The
global shipping industry is bracing for a key regulatory decision
that could mark a milestone in reducing maritime pollution, but
which could nearly double fuel costs in a sector already reeling
from its worst downturn in decades. The shipping industry is
among the world's largest emitters of sulphur behind the energy
industry…
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/10/28/business/28reuters-shipping-regulation-imo.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/28/shipping-industry-fails-agreement-cap-carbon-emissions
 

When China Wants Better Air Readings, Cotton Does the Trick. The
scheme was simple: Stuff cotton into air-monitoring equipment so
that the air being read would be filtered and seem cleaner. The
people doing this to produce better — but false — air-quality
readings in Xi’an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi, got away
with it for months, until inspectors noticed irregularities in
the data.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/29/world/asia/china-xian-air-pollution-data.html?_r=0

Dependence On Cars Costs California $15B A Year, Report Says. A
new report from the American Lung Association says California's
dependence on gas-powered vehicles costs the state $15 billion a
year in health and climate-related expenses. The report drills
down on the costs of smog and climate pollution caused by
passenger vehicles. Researchers evaluated the effects in
California and in nine other states.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2016/oct/27/true-cost-gas-powered-vehicles-staggering-californ/


Political will needed to curb smog, says ousted air chief. For a
man who earlier this year lost his powerful job in a political
takeover of Southern California’s air quality agency, Barry
Wallerstein appeared upbeat and comfortable. The former executive
officer of South Coast Air Quality Management District smiled
frequently as he gave a wonkish, 90-minute presentation Thursday
evening, Oct. 27, at UC Riverside about the challenges of the
region’s deadly smog problem and the strategies…
http://www.pe.com/articles/air-817042-wallerstein-pollution.html


Ozone battle rages on as regulatory regime takes shape. Lawsuits
over the Obama administration's Clean Air Act standard for ozone
are still playing out, legislative battles are still sputtering
along in Congress and key regulations are still under wraps. But
in the year since U.S. EPA set the bitterly contested standard,
the new regime is quietly being locked into place and the
trickle-down repercussions are starting to surface.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/10/28/stories/1060044997 

Calif. agency sues over EPA's fine particulate strategy. Southern
California air pollution regulators are challenging U.S. EPA's
recently adopted compliance strategy for meeting the 2012 fine
particulate standard. The recently filed lawsuit by the South
Coast Air Quality Management District does not spell out the
grounds for its appeal.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/10/28/stories/1060044991

Wall Street boom or bust linked to dust — study. To the litany of
harmful effects associated with exposure to fine particles, a new
study by Canadian and U.S. researchers suggests that there's yet
one more to add: They may help drive down stock prices. The
study, published this month by the National Bureau of Economic
Research, looked at air quality readings near…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/10/28/stories/1060044999 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Study predicts deserts in Spain if global warming continues.
Southern Spain will become desert and deciduous forests will
vanish from much of the Mediterranean basin unless global warming
is reined in sharply, according to a study released Thursday. 
Researchers used historical data and computer models to forecast
the likely impact of climate change on the Mediterranean region,
based on the targets for limiting global warming…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GLOBAL_WARMING_MEDITERRANEAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/10/27/world/europe/ap-eu-global-warming-mediterranean.html
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Study-predicts-deserts-in-Spain-if-global-warming-10417690.php


Seafood's new normal. California's coastal ecosystem — and the
fisheries that depend on it — are in the grip of a huge
disruption. In the shallow waters off Elk, in Mendocino County, a
crew from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife dived
recently to survey the area’s urchin and abalone populations.
Instead of slipping beneath a canopy of leafy bull kelp…
http://projects.sfchronicle.com/2016/california-seafood-collapse/


The carbon bubble: why investors can no longer ignore climate
risks. The financial risks posed by climate change and bad
investments could make an ugly dent in your retirement savings, a
new report warns. hen Sandy Emerson sat down in her portfolio
manager’s office two years ago and announced she wanted to divest
from fossil fuels…
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/oct/27/investment-advice-retirement-portfolio-tips-climate-change-financial-risk


Amitav Ghosh: where is the fiction about climate change? The
climate crisis casts a much smaller shadow on literary fiction
than it does on the world. We are living through a crisis of
culture – and of the imagination. It is a simple fact that
climate change has a much smaller presence in contemporary
literary fiction than it does even in public discussion. As proof
of this, we need only glance through the pages of literary
journals and book reviews.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/28/amitav-ghosh-where-is-the-fiction-about-climate-change-

Can a town that has defied history survive climate change? Ten
days after he evacuated from his home on the other side of the
Tar River, out of a home that flooded 17 years before and, now, a
home that had just flooded again, the mayor of Princeville
returned to his city. Bobbie Jones, a part-time mayor and a
full-time high school vice principal, walked across the bridge
over the Tar River hand-in-hand with other leaders.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/10/28/stories/1060044963 

DROUGHT

Wildfires burning around South as drought worsens. Wildfires are
charring hundreds of acres daily in the South as drought
conditions worsen across the region, and the heavy, widespread
rains that officials say are needed to end the threat are nowhere
in sight. A crew using bulldozers worked to put out a wildfire
that spread gray smoke across the rural community of Brookside
about 20 miles northwest…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SOUTHERN_WILDFIRES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Zimbabwe dam levels at record lows after drought.  Zimbabwe's dam
levels have fallen to 42 percent following a devastating drought
that has left millions in need of food aid and local councils
rationing water, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on
Friday. An El Nino weather pattern, which ended in May, triggered
drought conditions across the southern African region that hit
the staple…
http://www.reuters.com/article/zimbabwe-drought-water-idUSL8N1CY5M0?feedType=RSS


How Is A 1,600-Year-Old Tree Weathering California's Drought?
It's been a brutal forest fire season in California. But there's
actually a greater threat to California's trees — the state's
record-setting drought. The lack of water has killed at least 60
million trees in the past four years. Scientists are struggling
to understand which trees are most vulnerable to drought and how
to keep the survivors alive.
http://www.npr.org/2016/10/27/499453623/a-1-600-year-old-tree-may-hold-the-secret-to-surviving-california-s-drought


Storms put small dent in California drought. California is still
substantially in a drought, but don't call it parched. A year
ago, almost the entire state was in severe, extreme or
exceptional drought — from the Oregon state line to the Mexican
border — but since then enough rain has fallen that a chunk of
northwestern California is now back to normal and the worst
levels of drought designation…
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Storms-put-small-dent-in-California-drought-10419114.php


It’s Sacramento’s 12th wettest October – and we’re not done.  A
surprisingly wet October continues to bring gentle rains to the
Sacramento region, providing some relief to watersheds parched by
five years of drought. But as scattered showers hit the region
Thursday, forecasters and hydrologists said the promising start
to the rainy season, while helpful, doesn’t necessarily mean the
drought will end this winter.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article110801097.html#storylink=cpy


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

Oakland Port cuts diesel soot with cleaner trucks, ships. The
Port of Oakland helped put West Oakland neighborhoods on the
toxic hot spot map a decade ago with trucks and ships that
regularly showered large volumes of diesel soot pollution into
the area. Neighbors can breathe a little easier these days. The
Port reported Friday it has slashed its diesel emissions from
trucks by 98 percent since 2005, and cut diesel pollution from
ships by 75 percent.
http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2016/10/28/oakland-port-slashes-dirty-diesel-pollution-in-long-campaign/


State approves funds for rural bus upgrades. The final vote has
been cast by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that will
open up $10 million in funding for rural and small school
districts to replace their aging and dilapidated school buses.
Rural and small districts have among the oldest and dirtiest
burning fleets of buses in California.
http://www.record-bee.com/article/NQ/20161026/NEWS/161029898 

Halliburton settles Calif. truck-emissions case. Published:
Friday, October 28, 2016 Halliburton Co., the second biggest
provider of oil field services in the world, will pay $410,000 to
settle allegations that it violated California's emissions rules
for heavy-duty trucks. California requires companies that operate
diesel-powered trucks and buses to meet U.S. EPA's 2010 emissions
standards…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2016/10/28/stories/1060044943 

FUELS

Exxon 3Q Profit Falls 38 Percent on Lower Oil Prices. Exxon's
profit keeps shrinking because of lower oil prices, and the
company is responding by sharply cutting investment in future
production. Exxon Mobil Corp. said Friday that third-quarter
income fell 38 percent to $2.65 billion. Still, it was the
company's best quarter this year.
The profit was higher than analysts expected, although revenue
was sharply below forecasts.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EARNS_EXXON_MOBIL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/10/28/business/ap-us-earns-exxon-mobil.html


API natural gas push meets resistance.  America's oil and gas
lobby is ramping up its campaign for states to use natural gas to
meet federal climate standards, but environmental advocates warn
that may lock the country into many decades more of fossil fuel
dependence. The American Petroleum Institute yesterday released
its analysis suggesting that letting markets pick the cheapest
electricity sources would lead…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/10/28/stories/1060044966

VEHICLES

Volkswagen Introduces New American-Built 7-Passenger SUV.
Volkswagen took a big step toward recovering from its
emissions-cheating scandal by introducing a new seven-passenger
SUV. The Atlas SUV gives VW a family hauler entry into the
fastest-growing part of the U.S. market, something dealers had
sought for years. Volkswagen says the Atlas is big enough to
carry seven adults plus their luggage.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/10/28/us/ap-us-volkswagen-new-suv.html


VW May Return to Debt Market as Early as November: CFO.
Volkswagen may return to the bond market as early as next month,
Finance Chief Frank Witter said. Europe's largest automaker has
been effectively shut out of the unsecured bond market since
September 2015 when it admitted to rigging U.S. diesel emissions
tests.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/10/27/business/27reuters-volkswagen-debt.html

Hyundai, Kia to Pay $41.2 Million to U.S. States Over Mileage
Claims. Korean carmakers Hyundai Motor Co and affiliate Kia
Motors Corp will pay $41.2 million to resolve an investigation by
33 U.S. states over the their 2012 mileage restatements, state
attorneys general said on Thursday. Hyundai said it agreed to
settle state consumer protection claims but didn't admit to
violating any laws.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/10/27/business/27reuters-hyundai-motor-kia-motors-probe.html


VW RECALL

VW Says 1.23 Million Diesel Cars Have Been Refitted With Software
Update. Volkswagen said it has refitted 1.23 million diesel cars
with a software update on pollution control systems as it pushes
steps to overcome its emissions scandal. The number of 1.2-litre
and 2.0-litre diesel cars repaired has more than doubled within
several weeks from 500,000 previously, a Volkswagen (VW)
spokesman said. The refitted cars include models from VW brand…
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/10/28/business/28reuters-volkswagen-emissions-diesel-cars.html


EU Fears VW Diesel Fixes Could Damage Engines: Der Spiegel. The
European Commission fears steps taken by Volkswagen to refit
polluting diesel cars may damage the vehicles' engines, the
Spiegel magazine reported, citing unidentified staff at the
European Union's executive branch. Software updates carried out
by Volkswagen (VW) could inflict greater stress on engine
components, Spiegel cited a member of staff at the Brussels-based
Commission as saying.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/10/28/business/28reuters-volkswagen-emissions.html


VW's Audi Warns of Currency Hit to Sales in Challenging Market. 
Audi cut its sales forecast for the year on Friday, blaming
volatile currency markets and predicting that its revenue will
stagnate compared with 2015 due to "challenging" conditions. The
pessimistic outlook from Volkswagen's flagship luxury division
came a day after it scaled back its profitability forecast.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/10/28/business/28reuters-audi-results.html


GREEN ENERGY

Policy Prescriptions: Trump and Clinton on Energy. Energy
independence has been a goal of every president since Richard
Nixon, but it remains elusive. Still, an ongoing drilling boom
has lowered dependence on imports of fossil fuels such as oil and
natural gas. In 2015, the U.S. relied on net imports for about 24
percent of petroleum use, the lowest level since 1970. Domestic
production of all types of energy except coal…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CAMPAIGN_2016_POLICY_RX_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/10/28/us/politics/ap-us-campaign-2016-policy-rx-energy.html


How Energy-Efficient Upgrades Can Increase Your Home's Value.
Energy-efficient upgrades can not only shrink your utility bill;
they can increase the value of your home.
Homebuyers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of
energy-efficient homes. In fact, they're often willing to pay
more for homes with "green" upgrades, says Sandra Adomatis, a
specialist in green valuation with…
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/10/27/business/ap-us-nerdwallet-energy-efficient-home-upgrades-.html


OPINIONS

The Climate Challenge Trio. Nations can and must deal with
climate change, poverty and economic growth all at the same time.
The three biggest challenges facing humanity are climate change,
poverty and the economy. Perhaps the only good thing about the
three is that they can and should be dealt with at the same time.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/op-ed/articles/2016-10-28/deal-with-climate-change-poverty-and-economic-growth-at-the-same-time
 

Criminalizing climate change dissent? A new abuse of power. What
issues matter the most to you this election? If you're like most
Americans, climate change either isn't on the list or it comes in
last. And that means Leonardo DiCaprio is unhappy with you.
The actor, who produced the soon-to-premiere documentary "Before
the Flood"…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article111012132.html#storylink=cpy


BLOGS

Alabama’s ‘Worst Drought In Memory’ Is About To Get Even Worse.
With 98 percent of the state affected, Alabama’s abysmal water
management planning is under intense scrutiny. Alabama farmer
George Robertson has experienced some bad droughts over the
years, but the 74-year-old has seen nothing like this. Speaking
from his parched farm in East Alabama on Tuesday, Robertson
sounded heavy-hearted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/alabama-drought-2016_us_5812b8fee4b0990edc303fb7




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

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