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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 2, 2016.
Posted: 02 Dec 2016 15:20:19
ARB Newsclips for December 2, 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. CAP AND TRADE Energy minister backs cap-and-trade despite auditor general’s concerns. Ontario's energy minister expressed confidence in the coming cap-and-trade program Thursday, despite concerns it will cost billions while achieving minimal greenhouse gas reductions. "I'm very optimistic that it's going to do what it needs to do, which is to reduce greenhouse gases… http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6997343-energy-minister-backs-cap-and-trade-despite-auditor-general-s-concerns/ AIR POLLUTION Air pollution becomes Israel-Palestinian wedge issue. For years, residents of central Israel have been complaining about air pollution from Palestinian factories in the nearby West Bank. Now that authorities have finally cracked down, shutting a group of the worst offending charcoal plants in one notorious town, Palestinians complain that hundreds were thrown out of work by their military occupiers. http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/4055bc623a174acca5b3c079e0d8138b/air-pollution-becomes-israel-palestinian-wedge-issue Health officials order Paramount metal plants to stop emissions or suspend operations. In a rare intervention, county health officials Thursday ordered two Paramount metal-processing plants to stop emissions of hexavalent chromium or shut down operations contributing to high levels of the cancer-causing air pollutant. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health directed Aerocraft Heat Treating Co. and Anaplex Corp. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-paramount-health-directives-20161201-story.html Shell ties in bonuses to reinforced emissions strategy. Royal Dutch Shell plans to link part of its executive bonuses to greenhouse gas emissions and conduct more active screening of future investments to further efforts to reduce the energy group's carbon footprint, its CEO told Reuters. The new initiative by the Anglo-Dutch group comes in response to mounting pressure from investors to adapt to an expected flattening in oil… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-shell-emissions-idUSKBN13Q4OA CLIMATE CHANGE Scientists have long feared this ‘feedback’ to the climate system. Now they say its happening. At a time when a huge pulse of uncertainty has been injected into the global project to stop the planet’s warming, scientists have just raised the stakes even further. In a massive new study published Wednesday in the influential journal Nature, no less than 50 authors from around the world document a so-called climate system… https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/11/30/the-ground-beneath-our-feet-is-poised-to-make-global-warming-much-worse-scientists-find/?utm_term=.21ba8634b75b Trump could face the ‘biggest trial of the century’ — over climate change. A few weeks ago, a federal judge in Oregon made headlines when she ruled that a groundbreaking climate lawsuit will proceed to trial. And some experts say its outcome could rewrite the future of climate policy in the United States. The case, brought by 21 youths aged 9 to 20, claims that the federal government isn’t doing enough to address the problem of climate change to protect their planet’s future… https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/01/trump-could-face-the-biggest-trial-of-the-century-over-climate-change/?utm_term=.8434884c2178 Great Barrier Reef Threatened by Climate Change, Chemicals and Sediment. Climate change and the flow of farm chemicals and coastal sediment into the waters that wash over one of Australia’s most significant nature areas, the Great Barrier Reef, pose the biggest threats to its survival, according to a government report to Unesco released early Friday. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/01/world/australia/great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching.html?_r=0 82 major cities are meeting this week to talk about how to limit the worst effects of climate change. Bangkok and Miami could be underwater in a matter of decades if sea levels keep rising. Cape Town could see severe food shortages because of drought. In Mexico City, which gets so smoggy in the spring that parents keep their children indoors, hotter temperatures could make the pollution even worse. Global warming poses an existential threat to many of the world’s cities. http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-garcetti-20161130-story.html Is climate change causing more extreme tornado outbreaks? Climate models predict that conditions just right for tornado outbreaks should be increasing with rising temperatures, but do the data agree? As global temperatures warm, climate scientists expect to see more tornadoes reaching their long, swirling bodies down to Earth. But the data isn't exactly cooperating in a straightforward manner. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/1202/Is-climate-change-causing-more-extreme-tornado-outbreaks Quitting UN climate change body could be Trump's quickest exit from Paris deal. Lawyer on president-elect’s transition team says leaving UNFCCC is ‘most practical way’ way to quit agreement, a process that normally takes four years. The US should completely quit the United Nations forum to tackle climate change in order to quickly exit the Paris climate agreement, according to a conservative lawyer who is part of Donald Trump’s transition team. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/02/trump-break-from-paris-climate-deal-unfccc-exit Researchers still don't know if warming causes tornadoes. It's still an open question whether climate change is causing an outbreak in the number of tornadoes. The number of tornadoes during outbreaks, which can last up to three days, has steadily risen for the last 60 years. Previous studies have found that climate change is exacerbating the outbreaks and making them more intense. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/12/02/stories/1060046532 Energy shift set, but U.S. influence at risk — McCarthy. U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy argued today that the Donald Trump administration won't be able to stop a shift to cleaner energy, but she cautioned the United States could miss out on opportunities to lead global climate change efforts. "I'm not suggesting there isn't concern, but what I know about the energy market right now is that the vast majority of investments are going into clean energy… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/12/02/stories/1060046586 Military experts warn warming could cause another refugee crisis. Leading military figures are concerned that shifting weather patterns might spark a massive refugee crisis in the coming decades. Pointing to displacement and conflict that have already been attributed in part to climate change — including Europe's ongoing migration crisis… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/12/02/stories/1060046524 Mayors worldwide to act on climate, whatever Trump does. Leaders from 90 world "megacities" meeting in Mexico City this week are sending a message that they plan to act on climate change — whatever national leaders do. The sixth C40 Mayors Summit is occurring one year after the landmark conference in Paris, at which nearly 200 countries agreed to take steps to limit warming to well below 2 degrees… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/12/02/stories/1060046549 DROUGHT Enthusiasm for Calif. drought package drying up. California House Republicans are losing hope that they will get language passed to increase water pumping to farmers and cities by the end of the year as part of the comprehensive energy bill, and one lawmaker is looking for a chance to tag the language onto another vehicle. The Senate and the House appear to be in the final stages of negotiating the energy bill… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060046538/search?keyword=california FUELS Death of Castro could free Cuba to produce biofuels. The death of Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro, a fierce critic of biofuels like ethanol, has raised hopes among industry experts that some of Cuba's vast tracts of fallow land may soon be used to ease its dependence on fuel imports. Castro branded the use of food crops to produce ethanol "a sinister idea" that would result in millions more humans dying of "thirst and starvation." http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-castro-ethanol-idUSKBN13Q5O6 Advanced Biofuels Targets Unlikely to be Met. Biofuels blending targets are spelled out in legislation and enforced by EPA standards, as is well known. However, current policies face significant pressures for change, the Government Accountability Office says and describes “several factors” that are combining to make it unlikely that there will be enough advanced biofuels produced in the US to meet the rising mandates in current law. http://kticradio.com/agricultural/advanced-biofuels-targets-unlikely-to-be-met/ VEHICLES Volkswagen Truck & Bus to invest 420 mln euros in Brazil. Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) said its truck and bus unit would invest 420 million euros ($446.5 million) in Brazil over the next five years to offer new products, modernize its plan in Resende and develop connectivity services. "I am confident that the Brazilian economy has bottomed out and will recover again in the next few years,"… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-brazil-idUSKBN13Q583 W RECALL VW finance arm's profit up on higher demand for diesel cars. Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) financing arm expects to post record earnings in 2016, it said on Friday, thanks to increased demand for diesel cars, a sign that the company's emissions-cheating scandal has not deterred customers. Operating profit at Volkswagen (VW) Financial Services may exceed 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) for the first time… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-financing-idUSKBN13R144?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews VW's penance for cheating takes shape with California wish list. California’s regulator that played a key role in busting Volkswagen AG for cheating on emissions tests laid out a detailed list of options for how the automaker will have to spend $800 million toward advancing cars that don’t pollute the air. Volkswagen’s choices for the investments it’s required to make over the next 10 years include installing electric car chargers… http://www.autonews.com/article/20161202/OEM11/161209971/vws-penance-for-cheating-takes-shape-with-california-wish-list California Outlines How It Wants To Spend Volkswagen’s $800 Million Diesel Emissions Settlement. California’s Air Resources Board has presented a list of options on how Volkswagen can spend $800 million as part of the recovery from its diesel emissions cheating scandal. The wish list came via a presentation on its website Thursday showing how the automaker can spend the $800 million share out of a total $14.7 billion settlement with the U.S. government and California. http://www.hybridcars.com/california-outlines-how-it-wants-to-spend-volkswagens-800-million-diesel-emissions-settlement/ GREEN ENERGY Europe’s green energy policy is a disaster for the environment. The European Union’s proposals for revising its renewable energy policies are greenwashing and don’t solve the serious flaws, say environmental groups. The EU gets 65 per cent of its renewable energy from biofuels – mainly wood – but it is failing to ensure this bioenergy comes from sustainable sources, and results in less emissions than burning fossil fuels. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2114993-europes-green-energy-policy-is-a-disaster-for-the-environment/ MISCELLANEOUS Southern California air board appoints executive, declines to reconsider beach bonfire rules. Southern California’s air quality board formally appointed former industry consultant Wayne Nastri as executive officer Friday in a vote of confidence in the powerful agency’s new leadership. Nastri was hired as interim head of the South Coast Air Quality Management District eight months ago after Republicans seeking a more business-friendly approach gained a majority of seats on its board and fired his predecessor. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-air-board-executive-20161202-story.html ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Climate refugees or migrants? Either way, there are more. As European governments struggle to respond to the large-scale influx of migrants into their countries, one subsection of refugees remains neglected: those displaced by climate change. Experts believe that the combination of drought, rising sea levels, extreme weather events and food shortage could increase the number of climate refugees in coming years. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/12/02/stories/1060046529 OPINION Is Florida’s climate change model — denial at the Capitol, frantic action at the beach — in store for the U.S. under Trump? When Floridians narrowly voted for Donald Trump on Nov. 8, they might as well have elected to drown themselves. Rising seas and accelerating storms are inundating this low-lying state, but a majority of its citizens still chose a presidential candidate who calls climate change a hoax. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-helvarg-florida-climate-change-denial-and-action-20161202-story.html Trump is a threat to the Paris agreement. Can states like California defend it? There’s no point hiding from it – Donald Trump’s election should give us all concern for our future and the future of our children. The chances of successfully mitigating climate change and holding global temperature increases to below a manageable 1.5 degree rise has nosedived. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/21/trump-threat-paris-agreement-california-climate-change BLOGS A Glimmer of Good News for the Climate: EPA Affirms Fuel Efficiency Standards. On Wednesday, the EPA proposed maintaining its global warming emissions standards for passenger vehicles out to 2025. These standards were finalized in 2012 to protect public health, reduce global warming emissions and fossil fuel use, and save consumers money at the pump. http://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-cooke/epa-vehicle-standards EPA says emissions too high at four Texas power plants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has notified the state of Texas that it needs to take action to reduce pollution in six counties. where coal-fired power plants are located and sulfur dioxide emissions exceed federal recommendation. Sulfur dioxide is a product of burning coal and other fossil fuels used to make electricity. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2016/12/01/epa-says-emissions-too-high-at-four-texas-power-plants/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.