Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 12:15:35 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 1-5, 2010 From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 1-5, 2010. 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. State Air Board Must Clean Its Own House. The California Air Resources Board recently threw out a tainted study about the health effects of diesel truck emissions after it was disclosed that the author of the report had lied about his academic credentials. CARB officials had known since December 2008 that the researcher had falsified his credentials, but did not tell board members. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/03/state-air-board-must-clean-its-own-house/ CARB Provides More Funding. The California Air Resources Board on Dec. 31 announced an additional $8 million in compliance assistance funding that, combined with recent $3 million in funding, will partly pay for more than 1,200 retrofits and more than 100 new trucks working the Port of Oakland. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=84090 http://www.kcbs.com/Extension-to-Be-Announced-for-Trucker-Emissions-St/6029498 Where the Action Is on Climate. Even as many members of Congress resist as too hard or too costly the steps necessary to address global warming, American cities and states — the largest of which have carbon footprints bigger than those of most nations — have quietly been making serious commitments to curb emissions. Instead of finding reasons to do nothing, Congress should build on these actions to fashion a national response to climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/opinion/04mon2.html 2010 Trends: Counties Ramping Up Emissions Efforts. North Bay actions to meet state and local goals in the next five to 10 years for putting a lid on human-caused climate change are poised to heat up this year. Transportation-related emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for climate change account for half or more of such emissions in the Bay Area, according to regional air-quality officials. Second to that are calculated emissions from energy use in homes and businesses. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/17280/counties-ramping-up-emissions-efforts/ Tips For Reducing Wood Stove Emissions. Many north state residents turn to cozy fires in wood stoves and fireplaces to beat back winter's chill. The fact is evidenced by smoky spires rising up around Shasta and Tehama counties on clear, cold winter days. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/jan/02/tips-for-reducing-wood-stove-emissions/ 11 States to Adopt California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Eleven states plan to adopt California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), according to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, reports China View. The announcement was made nearly a year to date after the 11 states revealed plans to develop a regional “Low Carbon Fuel Standard” to reduce the carbon content in fuels used in vehicles and buildings. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/04/11-states-to-adopt-californias-low-carbon-fuel-standard/ Truckers Take a New Hit. We can all breathe easier, thanks to a clean-air regulation that went into effect today. But the same thing can't be said for refrigerator-truck owners, who have been forced to cough up $4,000 to $15,000 per truck to comply with the new law. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14102170 Grant Funds Bring Truckers Up To Code. The California Air Resources Board and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said today that they're providing an additional $3 million in grants for truckers and small businesses statewide to comply with tough new emissions standards that go into effect on Friday. Posted. http://www.kgoam810.com/Article.asp?id=1643292&spid=15884 Oakland Mayor Helps Craft Deal To Keep Oakland Truckers Working. The Oakland Mayor's office has pulled off a New Year's miracle by bringing together state and local agencies and out-of-work truckers to craft a deal that lets the drivers keep working for two weeks, even if their rigs lack new diesel filters that were required by state law on Jan. 1. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14116845 http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14116845 http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14119201 CLIMATE: White House May Issue Order To Expand NEPA. The Obama administration may soon issue an executive order adding climate change to the list of factors federal agencies must take into account when evaluating projects and policies. Environmentalists have pushed for the expansion of the 40-year-old National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which currently requires agencies to consider environmental factors such as land use, biodiversity and air quality. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/01/04/2 Reno Agencies Try To Stem Rodeo Pollution. Reno, Nev.—Officials in Reno are beginning to make plans to trap and treat animal waste from the annual Reno Rodeo in June. The Truckee Meadows Water Authority is putting up $75,000 from its Truckee River Fund, while the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority is chipping in $10,000. Reno city officials will put in $15,000 worth of staff time. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14119195 Groundbreaking Plan To Tighten Reviews Of Toxic Air Pollution Stirs Debate Over Development. Suppose a builder pitches a 100-condominium development in Richmond within 1,000 feet of Interstate 80. Under proposed air-quality guidelines, for the first time in the U.S., if extra cancer risk meets a specific threshold, the developer would be told to study the potential health effects of the freeway pollution on the people who would live in the homes. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14107259 Your Turn: Don't Mix Science, Politics. Climate change needs voter support, writes Scott Woolpert, professor of environmental politics at Saint Mary's College. The problem is, mixing science with politics is like mixing facts and fiction, you can no longer tell one from the other. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14101596 Your Turn: Must Work Together On Fixing The Climate. California should be proud of its pioneering laws aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and Supervisor Ken Yeager is right that California needs to make sure these laws reach their full potential ("Climate change shifting how Bay Area land-use decisions are made," Dec. 19). The best way to succeed is for everyone to work together. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14101603 Bad Year For Biofuel Ends On A Dour Note. Oklahoma City -- An alternative fuel for diesel engines is off to a shaky start this year though it emits fewer pollutants and cuts down on petroleum use because it's made from environmentally friendly waste and vegetable oil. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/01/AR2010010101045.html With Help From Sweden, 4 Northern Virginia Families Are 'Climate Pilots'. If Americans really take the plunge and enter a carbon-constrained world, it might look a little like the Stokes family's home in Falls Church. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/01/AR2010010101987.html Pope Urges Lifestyle Changes To Save Environment. Vatican City (Reuters) - Pope Benedict used his traditional New Year address on Friday to call on people to change their lifestyles to save the planet, saying environmental responsibility was essential for global peace. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/01/AR2010010100540.html?hpid=sec-religion On Issues Like Global Warming And Evolution, Scientists Need To Speak Up. The battle over the science of global warming has long been a street fight between mainstream researchers and skeptics. But never have the scientists received such a deep wound as when, in late November, a large trove of e-mails and documents stolen from the Climatic Research Unit at Britain's University of East Anglia were released onto the Web. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123101155.html Small-Scale Solar Plan Clashes With Big Energy. When it comes to renewable power, Californians tend to think big. Big wind farms sprawl across our hills. Big solar power plants will soon blanket acres of desert. Big new power lines will bring that electricity to our cities. This, Bill Powers insists, is exactly the wrong approach. He wants us to think small. Posted.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2010/01/04/MNBU1B492N.DTL Putting Ideology Over Science. George F. Will ["What an asteroid can't quell," op-ed, Dec. 31] once again proved that he is not one to let logic get in the way of ideology. "The discovery, two decades ago, of a bed of dinosaur fossils on Alaska's North Slope suggests that temperatures may have been warmer long ago, before there were humans beings to blame for that," he wrote, implying that humans are not to blame for current global warming. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/03/AR2010010301748.html Blog California Climate Law Faces Opposition. Four years after California’s Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed off on the nation’s furthest-reaching global-warming law, a campaign is heating up to keep it from taking effect. In the latest salvo, Dan Logue, a Republican assemblyman, has announced that he will start collecting signatures next month in support of a November 2010 ballot initiative that would suspend the law until California’s unemployment rate drops below 5.5 percent. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/california-climate-law-faces-opposition/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 11:02:41 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 5th, 2010 From: sponedal@ARB.CA.GOV January 5th, 2010. California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 5, 2010. 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. Truckers Scramble To Qualify For $11 Million In New Grant Money During Two-Week Reprieve. Hundreds of anxious truckers lined up after work Monday to renew their grant applications for diesel trucks and filters now that an extra $11 million has been found to help them comply with new strict air regulations that took effect Friday. More than 1,300 drivers who previously were denied grants when a $22 million fund ran dry were given a two-week extension to keep hauling cargo at the Port of Oakland while they secure new grants and line up the extra financing needed to pay for the equipment. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14121203?source=rss http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14121203 Ports Celebrate Clean Truck Program Anniversary. Long Beach - A steady stream of clean trucks has taken over local roadways during the past year following a sweeping and controversial ban on less environmentally friendly trucks by port authorities that has spurred talk of a revolution within the trucking industry at major ports across the country. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14121493 Air Board, Port Truckers Agree On Upgrading. A last-minute deal between California air pollution regulators and Port of Oakland truckers Monday will allow hundreds of big rigs to operate at the port for two weeks while they work to meet stricter requirements on diesel emissions that officially took effect for the new year Friday. The truckers had planned a work stoppage at the Oakland facility to protest regulations passed in 2007 that prohibit large diesel trucks made before 1994 from operating at the state's ports and rail yards and require pricey filters on trucks made between 1994 and 2003. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/05/BAML1BDGHJ.DTL&type=printable New Lawsuit Restarts Tug Of War Over Calif. Ports. Environmental groups have sued to block an arrangement between the Port of Long Beach, Calif., and the American Trucking Associations that ended litigation last year over the port's clean trucks program and an associated labor component. Attorneys at the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club last week moved to block the agreement, calling it illegal under state and local law. In briefs filed in California Superior Court for Los Angeles County, the groups said the "backroom" deal would exclude the public and short-circuit the environmental review. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/01/05/14/ On The Waterfront: Port Runs Into Legal Trouble on Clean Trucks Enforcement. The Port of Long Beach just can't seem to get itself out of legal jams these days. Weeks after approving a deal with the trucking lobby over enforcement measures in its Clean Trucks Plan, the port is being sued by a coalition of environmental and community groups who believe the agreement violates local, state and federal laws. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14121488 Pot Shots Continue To Fly Over Port Programs. Pot shots over port programs continue to fly, with the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club alleging in a lawsuit that the American Trucking Associations and the Long Beach Harbor Commission are reversing air clean-up efforts in a “backroom agreement” and the ATA crying foul and saying the claims are “baseless and inaccurate.” Posted. http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/1/5/Potshotscontinuetoflyoverportprograms.aspx Truckers Get Break From Rules. Hundreds of truckers who haul goods at the Port of Oakland will be able to continue working there for the next two weeks under an agreement that postpones new pollution rules for them. The Oakland Mayor's Office helped broker a deal Saturday that gives 1,300 truckers more time to comply with stricter diesel emissions standards that went into effect Jan. 1. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100105/BUSINESS/1051022/1036&template=printart http://www.modbee.com/state/story/994419.html Ethanol Group Sues California over Emission Standards. Ethanol makers sued California over the state’s low-carbon fuel standards, charging that the regulation will hurt the industry and the nation’s need for more diversified transportation fuels, Bloomberg News reported. Posted. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/lmtbase.aspx?storyid=667 Happy New Smog Alert! Air quality officials declared the new year's first "spare the air alert" for Tuesday, banning indoor and outdoor fires throughout the Bay Area. "Wood smoke poses serious health risks and is particularly harmful to children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems," said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14121622 Opinion: Smoke And Mirrors. A recent commentary by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District claimed that wood fires are the leading source of particulate matter pollution (size less than 2.5 micrometers) in the Bay Area. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14120680 San Rafael Remains In County Energy Alliance. The San Rafael City Council signed off Monday night on countywide plans to go into the energy business. The council unanimously reaffirmed its participation in Marin Clean Energy, an initiative of the Marin Energy Authority that would compete with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Mayor Al Boro recused himself, saying he owned stock in PG&E. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14123958 Trash To Gas: Landfill Energy Projects Increasing. Livermore, Calif.—Hundreds of trash trucks across California are rumbling down city streets using clean fuel made from a dirty source: garbage. The fuel is derived from rotting refuse that San Francisco and Oakland residents and businesses have been discarding in the Altamont landfill since 1980. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14124816 C.I.A. Is Sharing Data With Climate Scientists. The nation’s top scientists and spies are collaborating on an effort to use the federal government’s intelligence assets — including spy satellites and other classified sensors — to assess the hidden complexities of environmental change. They seek insights from natural phenomena like clouds and glaciers, deserts and tropical forests. The collaboration restarts an effort the Bush administration shut down and has the strong backing of the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/science/earth/05satellite.html?pagewanted=print Path From Climate Summit Unclear for Many. When presidents and prime ministers departed the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen last month, they left behind a vast legal tangle that experts have barely begun to unravel. A half-dozen edicts that world leaders handed down -- dealing with everything from verifying carbon emission cuts to mobilizing billions of dollars for poor nations -- require formal enactment rulings from the parties to the U.N. climate conference. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/04/04climatewire-path-from-climate-summit-unclear-for-many-3832.html South Africa Wants To Cut Emissions, But Lacks Policies To Match Its Rhetoric. Slashing emissions in coal-dominated South Africa will require an overhaul of national policies as well as significant funding, a new study finds. South Africa surprised nations in the run-up to climate talks in Copenhagen last month when it offered to curb the growth of carbon dioxide emissions 34 percent by 2020 and 42 percent by 2025 with financial support. The goal, leaders said, would be to have the country's emissions peak between those years and start to decline in absolute terms by 2035. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/05/1 Green Car Summit Coming to Capitol Hill. The Washington Auto Show (WAS) and Green Car Journal will host the third annual Green Car Summit(TM) on Monday, January 25, sharing important insights from industry and environmental leaders including Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, and Dr. Alan Lloyd, President of the International Council on Clean Transportation. Dr. Lloyd formerly served as Secretary of CalEPA and Chairman of the California Air Resources Board. Posted. http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/health-care/green-car-summit-coming-capitol-hill/# EPA Report: Shipyard Project Minimizing Dust. For years, critics of the plan to redevelop the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard have said the project is kicking up toxic dust and causing residents to have nosebleeds, headaches and other health problems. But a draft of a federal report obtained by The Chronicle found the project has effective safeguards in place to minimize asbestos exposure. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/05/MNS91BDFIJ.DTL&type=printable Another Spare The Air Day Called For Tuesday. Late nights and early mornings are pretty cold in these parts lately, but burning wood in a fireplace is not a heating option because a Spare The Air Day has been called for Tuesday, banning people from burning wood for heat indoors or outdoors unless that is your only heat source. The alert for Napa County and the entire Bay Area is being called by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, indicating air quality in the entire region should be unhealthy. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2010/01/05/news/local/doc4b42a414b7bb6035510065.prt City Council To Consider Chico Wood-Burning Ban. Chico — The Chico City Council will consider moving forward with a mandatory no-wood-burning policy at tonight's meeting, a ban that could potentially go into effect by November of this year. Following the Butte County Air Quality Management District Board's failure to pass a wood-burning ban in September, a resident came before the City Council asking for a city ordinance restricting wood-burning on certain winter days. Due to a high level of air pollution linked to smoke from wood burning, the Air Quality District was considering the ban in an effort to clean up Chico's air during peak pollution times. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_14124347?source=rv New Plant Proposed In Calif. A Paris nuclear engineering firm and a group of Central Valley investors announced last week they hope to build one or two nuclear power plants near Fresno, Calif. Environmentalists doubt that the agreement, which is expected to be finalized in March, will lead to anything. California has a 30-year-old law banning the construction of nuclear power plants unless the state can certify that the federal government has devised a plan for the permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/04/7 Greenhouse Gas Rules Would Be Mixed Bag For Microchip Makers. Microchip makers such as Texas Instruments are among those with the most to gain from regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, but they are also among those with the most to lose. The company expects that a cap-and-trade law or carbon tax would increase demand for its microchips, used in products such as solar panels, smart meters and energy-efficient household appliances. But the process of manufacturing those chips also places Texas Instruments among the nation's larger emitters of greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/05/5 Western Lakes Warming Faster Than Atmosphere -- Study Several large lakes in California and Nevada are warming about twice as quickly as the surrounding air, according to a new NASA study, suggesting that climate change could affect those marine environments sooner and with greater impact. The study, by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., was based on 18 years of data from satellite sensors. The lakes included in the study were California's Lake Tahoe, Clear Lake, Lake Almanor and Mono Lake, as well as Nevada's Pyramid Lake and Walker Lake. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/05/6 BLOG The Geology of Climate Change. By now I am sure it is obvious from my last couple blogs and this one, I am working on a theme. Physics, Chemistry and now the Geology of Climate Change. The not so radical idea is that we might turn to these major scientific organizations to see if they have released statements on the most important issue to ever face the human race. And they have. And if you study these, they all say the same thing. Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/01/the-geology-of.html The Endangered Climate Act Of 2010. The Endangered Species Act, as written and as restored by the Obama administration shortly after coming in to office, effectively requires federal agencies to study the effects of proposed projects on endangered species. The administration is now poised to expand the National Environmental Policy Act to require government agencies to consider projects' effects on the climate. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?&entry_id=54544 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 11:16:36 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 6, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 6, 2010. 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. Top GOP Candidate In Calif. Would Suspend Climate Law. San Francisco -- The leading Republican candidate to replace Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor of California is sticking by her promise to suspend the state's global warming law for one year if elected in November, a campaign aide said yesterday. Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, intends to make suspension of A.B. 32 a prominent part of her pitch to focus on job creation heading into the June 8 GOP primary, when she will face off against state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Rep. Tom Campbell. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/01/06/3/ Schwarzenegger To Propose Spending $500 Million For Worker Training. The funding is part of a five-pronged plan aimed at helping recession-battered California. But legislative Democrats and Republicans may find some parts hard to agree on. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today will lay out plans to spend $500 million on worker training in an effort to create 100,000 jobs, along with other measures to stimulate the economy, as a centerpiece of his policy agenda for his final year in office. Schwarzenegger is set to announce the proposal this morning in his last State of the State address to lawmakers, in an attempt to stem the bleeding of jobs in a state that had a November unemployment rate of 12.3%. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget6-2010jan06,0,7994393,print.story Fake Fireplace Logs Can Be Better For The Environment Than Real Wood. You'll forgive the Lantern for starting this column with a bit of sensible home-heating advice: A log burning in the hearth may be festive, but it's a terribly inefficient source of energy. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/04/AR2010010402838.html U.S. Scrapped More Cars Than Bought New Ones. Washington (Reuters) - Americans scrapped more automobiles than they bought last year as the ragged economy reduced demand and some major cities expanded mass transit service, according to a new report. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010502127.html No Cap-And-Trade Consensus In Sight, Bingaman Says. A bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is unlikely to pass Congress this year, the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said yesterday. There's no agreement on the details of a cap-and-trade system, said panel Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.). If Congress doesn't move forward, emission reductions will be forced by federal regulators, ultimately driving up utility rates, he said. Until consensus is reached, Bingaman is pushing renewable energy technologies by expanding a $2.3 billion manufacturing tax credit. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/06/7 HECO Inks Contract For Renewable Biodiesel. Honolulu -- Hawaiian Electric Co. says it has taken an important step in its efforts to create a clean energy economy for Hawaii. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010502860.html Letters: Spare the Air Not Worth The Money. I was angered when I read your article in last Tuesday's Times reporting that 46 people were caught illegally using their fireplaces on Christmas day. According to your article 16 communities were chosen to be patrolled by the smoke police. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14120706 PostCarbon. New research led by the U.S. Geological Survey provides more evidence that the Arctic will be ice-free in the summertime within a matter of decades. Former vice president Al Gore provoked a flap a couple of weeks ago in Copenhagen when he suggested there was a 75 percent chance summer sea ice in the Arctic would disappear within five to seven years, and the scientist whose research he cited said there's no way to predict that outcome with such precision. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/04/AR2010010402845.html Environmentalists Sue Long Beach Over Truck Deal. Long Beach, Calif. -- Environmentalists are suing the port of Long Beach over its decision to settle a federal lawsuit challenging its authority to regulate trucking in and around the port. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010501308.html Chico City Council Rekindles Burning-Ban Effort. Chico -- The Chico City Council will pursue a mandatory no-wood-burning ordinance, reigniting a Butte County Air Quality District effort that failed last fall. In September, a proposal came before the air quality board to prohibit the use of older wood-burning stoves on days when wood smoke pollution is high. The ordinance failed, despite studies by the California Air Resources Board indicating Butte County and Chico fail to meet state and federal air quality standards. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_14131798 Blogs California School District Goes Solar In 2010. Whether or not you believe that climate change will bring us all to the brink of extinction or whether or not you think renewable energy is too complicated or too expensive, renewable energy projects continue to get funding. Which in my opinion is a good thing. Seriously, I’m curious as to why the government worries itself over allegedly monopolistic behavior by the technology industry and then it turns around and supports policies that reinforce policies that encourage a veritable monopoly on energy sources by the oil and gas industry. Posted. http://blogs.zdnet.com/green/?p=9600 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 12:02:55 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 7, 2010 From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 7, 2010. 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. California Air Board, Port Truckers Strike Deal on Diesel Emissions Rules. Averting a possible shutdown, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Port of Oakland truckers agreed to a last-minute deal that included additional funding to help the truckers comply with stricter requirements on diesel emissions that officially took effect on Jan. 1 and a deadline extension that allow hundreds of big rigs to operate at the port for two weeks while they work to meet the new regulations, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/01/07/california-air-board-port-truckers-strike-deal-on-diesel-emissions-rules/ EPA Replacing Bush Smog Limit With Stricter Rule. The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed stricter health standards for smog, replacing a Bush-era limit that ran counter to scientific recommendations. The new limits -- which are presented as a range -- will likely put hundreds more counties nationwide in violation, a designation that will require them to find additional ways to clamp down on pollution or face government sanctions, most likely the loss of federal highway dollars. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/us/politics/AP-US-EPA-Smog.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/07/AR2010010701926.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/science/earth/08smog.html http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/01/07/1 http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14141322 Does Your Money Manager Worry About Climate Change Risk? The odds are 50-50. Most money managers overseeing trillions of dollars in investments are ignoring many risks that climate change poses to the assets they operate for corporations, governments and other institutions, according to a new analysis. Nearly half of the asset managers surveyed, or 44 percent, said they don't consider emerging climate risks a financial threat to their clients' money. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/07/1 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/07/07climatewire-does-your-money-manager-worry-about-climate-25295.html Global Climate Funding Remains Undefined – Clinton. America's contribution to $100 billion in annual global climate change funding by 2020 may not be over and above existing foreign aid, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton indicated yesterday. The promised money -- which Clinton announced at the U.N. climate summit in Denmark last month and pledged the United States would take a lead role in mobilizing -- was a key element in the final global warming accord that world leaders approved. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/07/5 India to Combat Climate Change Without Waiting for Funds. India will go ahead with its plans to combat climate change without waiting for global finance as nations prepare for fresh talks after failing to agree on a binding global treaty at Copenhagen last month. “We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do,” Jairam Ramesh, environment minister in the world’s fourth-biggest polluter from burning fossil fuels, said in an interview in New Delhi today. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aJPeXhdTRfdc# Google Sets Sights On Interstate Power Market. Google Energy wants to get into the business of interstate power trading as part of a quest to become carbon neutral and to control the costs of operating giant data hubs across the country. The Internet behemoth in late December requested permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to sell wholesale electric power at market-based rates. Google said it plans to operate in the nation's organized power markets by purchasing electricity and reselling it to wholesale customers. In doing so, it can manage its electricity costs on a grand scale. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/01/07/3 Upside Of A Recession. Don’t let naysayers complain about the slump! Why such negative press for the recession? Except for the 15.4 million Americans unemployed—up from 7.5 million two years ago—and the 7.1 million properties foreclosed since January 2008, the recession has done a ton of positive stuff. The recession is good for the environment. It must be, because the California Air Resources Board said so at a seven-hour hearing on diesel emissions standards in early December. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1348166 EPA Enforcement-Related Penalties Plummeted in Fiscal 2009. U.S. EPA during the first year of the Obama administration saw deep declines in the amount of penalties assessed against polluters and pounds of pollution slashed through enforcement activities compared with the previous year, according to data released by the agency last month. In fiscal 2009, EPA enforcement required polluters to invest more than $5 billion on cleanup and emission controls, a drop from about $11.8 billion the previous year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/01/05/05greenwire-epa-enforcement-related-penalties-plummeted-in-83306.html?pagewanted=print NRDC Sues Long Beach CA to Overturn Port Settlement. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) announced it was filing suit against the City of Long Beach CA to overturn a settlement with the American Trucking Associations (ATA) that ended litigation over the Port of Long Beach truck concession plan. Long Beach settled the lawsuit after the US District Court of Appeals declared the concession plan illegal. Posted. http://bulktransporter.com/management/shippers/nrdc-sues-long-beach-0106/ What's Behind The Trash-To-Gas Fad? Hundreds of trash trucks across California are rumbling down city streets using clean fuel made from a dirty source: garbage. The fuel is derived from rotting refuse that San Francisco and Oakland residents and businesses have been discarding in the Altamont landfill since 1980. Posted. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/06/tech/main6064003.shtml Study: U.S. Biofuels Policies Flawed. The federal government’s push to promote ethanol to diversify the country’s energy sources and increase energy security is a waste of taxpayers’ dollars, according to a new policy paper by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy that was supported by a research grant from Chevron Technology. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/01/04/daily51.html Scientists Find Dramatic Increase In Arctic Leakage. Methane release from the Arctic seabed is higher than expected, scientists say. Researchers from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, reported that methane seepage from the East Siberian Shelf "looks stronger than it was supposed [to be]," between 100 and 1,000 times higher than normal background levels. High concentrations of the gas contribute to rising temperatures, and a rapid rise in atmospheric methane in the past may have led to the mass extinction of species. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/07/7 UCSB Professors Disappointed By Climate Change Gathering. Although there was little consensus among the countries that attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen last month, four UC Santa Barbara environmental professors who attended were in agreement that the gathering was a disappointment at best, and a failure at worst. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jan/06/ucsb-professors-disappointed-by-climate-change/ Report Takes Aim At U.S. Ethanol Policy. The federal biofuels policy is expensive, ineffective from an energy security standpoint and environmentally damaging, according to a think tank policy study that urges Congress to revise ethanol targets to more "achievable" levels. The study, published by the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, focuses primarily on corn-based ethanol and cites a host of problems with current production models. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/01/07/7 Air Board Puts Off Vote On Groundbreaking Development Guidelines. The Bay Area's air pollution board decided Wednesday to wait three months before voting on cutting-edge development review guidelines to limit global warming gases and toxic air pollution. The guidelines — the first of their kind in the nation — are so complex and far-reaching that the public as well as city and county officials need more time to study them, members of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board agreed. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14135362 http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14139939?nclick_check=1 'Frozen Gore' Sculpture Fuels Debate In Alaska. Fairbanks, Alaska—Another two-ton ice sculpture of former Vice President Al Gore is back in front of a Fairbanks liquor store. "Frozen Gore" is a dig at Gore's beliefs about climate change. The first statue went on display last year. This year's version is hooked up to the exhaust of a pickup truck to make it appear Gore is spouting hot air. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/celebrities/ci_14133515 Experts: Cold Snap Doesn't Disprove Global Warming. Beijing had its coldest morning in almost 40 years and its biggest snowfall since 1951. Britain is suffering through its longest cold snap since 1981. And freezing weather is gripping the Deep South, including Florida's orange groves and beaches. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14135042 Harris: Startup Gets Funding For New Kind Of Wind Turbine. A drive through Altamont Pass, where one of the world's largest wind farms sprouted in the 1980s, is a consistent source of wonder. The sight of nearly 5,000 wind turbines still seems like an otherworldly invasion of robots performing an oddly static technological ballet. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/columns/ci_14136302 Arlington Task Force Will Develop A Plan To Create An Energy-Efficient Community. Arlington County's new Community Energy and Sustainability Task Force will tackle how to reduce Arlington's carbon footprint through county, state and federal actions, but individuals also have work to do. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010601450.html 'Intense Immersion in Climate Science'. Among the thousands of people who participated in last month's United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen was a Cherry Valley resident. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_E_ewood07.46ba754.html Enviro Group Plans Senate Call-In on Climate Bill. An environmental group today announced plans to flood Senate offices with calls urging action on climate legislation. 1Sky asked supporters to sign up for the Jan. 12 effort. "Our path forward in 2010 is very clear -- we must show the U.S. Senate that public support exists to pass climate legislation for green jobs, the climate, and our future," 1Sky said on its Web site page regarding the call-in. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/01/06/06greenwire-enviro-group-plans-senate-call-in-on-climate-b-46668.html Whatever Happened To Global Warming? Beijing had its coldest morning in almost 40 years and its biggest snowfall since 1951. Britain is suffering through its longest cold snap since 1981. And freezing weather is gripping the Deep South, including Florida's orange groves and beaches. Whatever happened to global warming? Posted. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/07/tech/main6067800.shtml Liberals Have No Shame. The San Jose Mercury News editorial, which appeared in The Reporter ("Obama must lead cap, trade law effort," Jan. 5), is a prime example of the unmitigated arrogance of the liberal left and the government in this country. Liberals have no shame. Their masthead of climate change, the East Anglia Climate Research Unit, has been shown to be an outright fraud. Their response: "The data was bit off but the science was correct." Posted. http://www.thereporter.com/opinion/ci_14139914 Cities Want Input On Mandatory Recycling. Two San Mateo County cities are asking commercial businesses how best to craft a mandatory recycling ordinance in hopes of getting ahead of state requirements that could begin as early as this year. Both San Mateo and San Carlos kicked off a pilot project last summer to introduce the idea of mandatory commercial recycling and are ready now to move it toward permanence. Posted. http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=122404 Op-Ed: Killian's City Hall Round Up. On Tuesday, the Oakland City Council convened this week for the first meeting of 2010. It was a full agenda of issues. One of the more pressing issues is the Oakland Port truckers’ compliance with the rules from the California Air Resources Board. The state has mandated that diesel trucks built prior to 1994 must be replaced. Trucks built after 1994 must have a soot scrubbing filter to reduce emissions. Posted. http://www.theoakbook.com/MoreDetail.aspx?Aid=3633&CatId=8 BLOGS Q&A: Google’s Green Energy Czar. As Google’s resident “green energy czar,” Bill Weihl is charged with pursuing the company’s stated goal of making renewable energy, through a mix of internal research and external investments, cheaper than coal. Since 2007, Google has invested more than $45 million toward that end. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/qa-googles-green-energy-czar/ Warming Goes Global. While we've been hearing about Global Warming for decades, its "globalness" has been debated. Some have argued that one continent--Antarctica--did not seem to be warming like the rest of the planet. That all changed last year with two new reports. Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/01/warming-goes-gl.html Carbon Market Grew as Prices Fell in 2009. In spite of the global economic slowdown, the market for trading carbon dioxide jumped by 68 percent last year compared with the previous year, but the value of the market remained roughly unchanged after carbon prices fell. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/carbon-market-grew-as-prices-fell-in-2009/ You Probably Won’t Hear Much About This Global Warming News. The theory - unproven and contrived as it is - of catastrophic manmade global warming all hinges on the supposed evils of CO2 building up in the atmosphere to a point that heats the earth like a pressure cooker. Unfortunately, the theory assumes - among other unwarranted assumptions - that CO2 builds up in the atmosphere. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/06/you-probably-wont-hear-much-about-this-global-warming-news/15639/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:26:41 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 11, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 11, 2010. 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. Environmental Groups Try To Block Parts Of California's Green Building Code. The Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council are among six groups waging a last-minute campaign to derail some of the rules, saying they aren't tough enough. Environmental groups are mounting a last-ditch effort to derail key elements of the state's first-in-the-nation green building code -- a major initiative of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-building11-2010jan11,0,1841989.story States Want Delay on Emission Rules. A growing number of state regulators are urging the Obama administration to slow the rollout of proposed federal rules curbing industrial greenhouse-gas emissions, saying the administration's approach could overwhelm them with paperwork, delay construction projects and undercut their own efforts to fight climate change. Some state regulators are calling on the EPA to go slowly with its new emissions rules. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126317107565923971.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLEForthNews Of Individual Liberty and Cap and Trade. SOME people oppose measures to limit greenhouse gases because they believe that global warming is a myth. These denialists may have a little extra spring in their step during the current cold snap, but their influence has been steadily waning. The biggest remaining obstacle is disagreement over the legitimacy of proposed solutions. At the heart of attempts to curb carbon dioxide emissions are two related proposals: taxation of those emissions and a system of tradable emission permits, also known as cap and trade. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/business/economy/10view.html?scp=1&sq=Robert%20H%20Frank&st=Search California Cap-and-Trade Revolt. A ballot measure would suspend the law until joblessness falls. Could Californians finally be serious about turning around their sputtering economy? One hopeful sign is a ballot initiative that would repeal the Golden State's version of a cap-and-trade carbon tax. This feel-good law to reduce the state's carbon footprint was enacted with great hoopla by the Democratic legislature and Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 when the state's economy was growing and the jobless rate was 5%. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703580904574638153342723572.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_AboveLEFTTop Job Creation Takes On New Importance in Climate-Change Fight. If the public has to choose between creating jobs and spending billions to scrub invisible heat-trapping gases from the sky, jobs will win. That's why the campaign to combat climate change is morphing, at least politically, into an economic-development drive with an environmental twist. Many billions of dollars are being spent on clean energy, even amid the recession. One key to combating climate change will be increasing that investment so the economy keeps growing but coughs out less carbon. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126316299869923853.html Calif. Cap-And-Trade Proposal Calls For 100% Auction. A key set of recommendations for California's greenhouse gas cap-and-trade system is due to be adopted today. The Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee meets today in Sacramento to vote on a set of 13 recommendations covering allowance allocation, how to spend the revenues, and ways to ease the economic effect on low-income households. The committee, appointed by the state EPA in May 2009, includes some of the country's best-respected economists and environmental policy experts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/11/3 Small Businesses See Devil In Details Of EPA Emissions Rule. Advocates for small businesses are accusing U.S. EPA of failing to properly assess the effects that its proposed "tailoring" rule for greenhouse gases will have on smaller emission sources. EPA is expected early this year to unveil the final tailoring rule, part of a broader suite of greenhouse gas regulations. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/11/1 Opinion: Meg Whitman's Climate Change Strategy. In what may be a risky political move, the GOP candidate for governor has come out strongly against the state's law on regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Although a 12.3% unemployment rate and $20-billion budget deficit ensure the economy will dominate California's race for governor, Republican front-runner Meg Whitman has guaranteed that the environment will also be a high-profile issue in the campaign. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-robertstrounstine11-2010jan11,0,434932,print.story Valley Dairies Go Green, Harness Methane For Energy -- And Cash. The battle against global warming may turn out to be a boon for a California industry long targeted by environmentalists -- dairies. Some dairy farmers have been so successful in reducing air pollution from animal waste that they are earning revenue from other industries that need help meeting their own emission goals. Those transactions are tied to a controversial idea called "cap-and-trade," a system that lets companies meet air-pollution requirements by getting credit for reductions that other companies achieve. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1775722.html Farm Bureau Fires Back Against Climate Bill's 'Power Grab'. The largest U.S. farm group will "aggressively" fight back against any attempts to change the landscape of American agriculture -- including the farm bill or animal rights campaigns, American Farm Bureau Federation Bob Stallman said yesterday. In a fiery speech that kicked off the powerful farm lobby's four-day convention in Seattle, Stallman said farmers and ranchers must unite to respond to "misguided, activist-driven regulation." Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/11/11climatewire-farm-bureau-fires-back-against-climate-bills-93758.html?pagewanted=print Kyoto To Copenhagen: Why UN’s Glacial Global Warming Talks Need Overhaul. Some specialists are calling for an overhaul of the UN global warming process, which yielded only modest progress in Copenhagen. Copenhagen, Denmark — Take 45,000 participants, complex global-warming issues, and negotiators from more than 190 countries. Add a last-minute dash of presidents, premiers, and prime ministers, and what do you get? Evidence at the recent Copenhagen climate talks that the whole process is overdue for an overhaul, according to several specialists. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2010/0111/Kyoto-to-Copenhagen-Why-UN-s-glacial-global-warming-talks-need-overhaul Letter: Get Rid Of Rogue State Agency. The worst people of 2009: The California Air Resources Board/Butte County Air Resources Board. This agency is unelected and earns each $100,000 a year, with consent of the Legislature, has a history of polluting the air, ground, water and burned cars. They did this with MTBE. They mandated it be added to gasoline. They also ordered diesel trucks to change their engines again to the tune of $30,000 a truck. Posted. http://www.orovillemr.com/opinion/ci_14163450 Street Corners Vs. Cul De Sacs. REAL estate agents often chant the mantra “location, location, location,” which essentially means “find a home in a well-kept neighborhood with good schools and a low crime rate.” Some may cite a fourth factor, “walkability,” a concept supported by self-styled “new urbanists” who advocate denser cities designed for the pedestrian and mass transit as much as for the car. In their ideal neighborhood, you could walk to a bookstore and then to an ice cream shop, and your children could walk to school, probably unescorted. (It sounds like so many movie depictions of America in the 1950s.) Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/business/10every.html?scp=1&sq=street%20corners&st=cse Governor's Agenda for 2010 Bad News for Environment. Governor Schwarzenegger's latest budget proposal again uses the state's fiscal crisis as an excuse to gut California's landmark environmental and public health protections. Here are three of his worst proposals: First, he calls for allowing agency bureaucrats to revoke judicial oversight of the environmental review process for various development and transportation projects. That means these projects would essentially receive a free pass to violate California's premier environmental law - the California Environmental Quality Act - because there would be no mechanism to ensure compliance. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=print/7318 How Green Is My Campus? Colleges woo students with environmental initiatives. Seattle -- Need to get to Seattle University? There's a green transit pass for that. Need to meet somebody when you're there? Try the new eco-friendly gathering space. Eating in the cafeteria? The disposable forks are biodegradable, made from corn. Leftovers? There's composting, both off-site and on. Trouble getting home? Try car-pooling, van-sharing or something called maxi pool. Seattle U. is typical of many universities across the country that are trying to win the hearts and minds - and tuition checks - of students by becoming greener than their peers. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/702/v-print/story/2452858.html Corona Measuring Carbon Footprint. Corona joins a host of California cities measuring their carbon footprints to comply with a state law aimed at halting global warming. The city recently set aside $250,000 to measure the amount of greenhouse gas emissions it produces and to prepare a climate action plan.The state Global Warming Law, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, requires carbon emissions to be cut by the year 2020 to match 1990 levels. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_W_wemissions10.3f04c7d.html Architects Plan 'Amphibious Landscape' For New York City. New York -- What would New York's waterfront look like after a sea level rise of 2 feet or more? Most officials paint a nightmare scenario -- huge swaths of expensive real estate permanently flooded, with frequent storms and the resultant storm surge routinely forcing mass evacuations every few years. But several architects are now painting a more positive picture, and their visions for a post-climate-change new New York have city planners interested. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/11/1 U.K. Expands Its Commitment To Massive Offshore Wind Power. London -- The U.K. government has announced the winners of the next major expansion round of offshore wind power as part of its ambitious plans to more than quintuple the amount of wind-driven electricity generation within a decade and help slash the nation's carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/11/2 Energy Department to Offer Funding for Vehicle Fuel-Efficiency. Washington -- The Obama administration on Monday will announce more than $187 million in grants for nine projects to improve fuel efficiency in heavy-duty trucks and passenger cars, the latest in a series of efforts to create jobs through clean-energy investments. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu will use a Cummins Inc. facility in Columbus, Indiana, as the backdrop to announce the winning projects. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126322414525424725.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_news EPA Anti-Smog Initiative Means More Regs For Truckers? Washington -- While some truckers congratulate themselves for being early adopters of new emission-busting diesel engines, additional stringent air-quality rules could be around the bend for many more U.S.-bound carriers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed to tighten health standards for smog, a move that could lead to more state and local regulations of trucking. Under the EPA's new smog proposal, the agency wants to set the "primary" standard for ozone, between 0.060 and 0.070 parts per million. Existing ozone standards are set at 0.075 parts per million, mandated in March 2008. Posted. http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=23125 Editorial: More Money For Port Truckers But Still Far Too Little. AS SOME had prayed he would, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums has come to the aid of hundreds of truck drivers who stand to lose their livelihoods because of strict new state air regulations that took effect Jan. 1. Dellums has helped to secure another $11 million to help truck drivers purchase filters that are now required for any vehicles manufactured between 1994 and 2003 that deliver cargo to California ports. The mayor is to be applauded for helping to bring about a more humane outcome to a crisis that resulted as a result of the stricter air quality standards. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/sanmateo/ci_14151333 Prius Hybrid Tops Japan's Car Sales In 2009. Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius was Japan's best-selling car last year, the first time a hybrid has topped annual sales. The Japan Automobile Dealers Association reported nearly 209,000 Prius cars sold in 2009, with buyers willing to wait up to six months for deliveries. Hybrids make up about 10 percent of new vehicle sales in Japan. The Prius' success indicates a shift toward a widespread acceptance of green technology in Japan, boosted by tax breaks and a government cash-for-clunkers program set to continue through September 2010. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/11/7 Volkswagen Hybrid Coupe Tests U.S. Reaction To Styling, Technology And Previews New Jetta At Detroit Auto Show. Volkswagen introduced a gasoline-electric hybrid coupe in Detroit Monday that it says is meant to gauge reaction to both the styling and the idea of a premium-price VW gas-electric two-door compact. The look -- you might have to stare long to see the nuances the designers say are there -- is to be "the new face of VW," multiple execs said. Translated: We hope you like it because the hybrid telegraphs the appearance of the new Jetta coming this summer and the mid-size Passat replacement due next year. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/01/vw-hybrid-coupe-tests-us-reaction-to-new-styling-technology-at-detroit-auto-show/1 You Can Thank Arthur Rosenfeld For Energy Savings. He has been a driving force in making the state a global leader in efficiency. This week, the 83-year-old nuclear physicist will leave his post on the California Energy Commission. When octogenarian Arthur H. Rosenfeld vacates his utilitarian office at the California Energy Commission this week, one of his final tasks might seem of little consequence: He'll turn off the lights. But that simple act -- some would say compulsion -- has transformed California into a world leader in energy efficiency. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rosenfeld11-2010jan11,0,4565872,print.story BLOGS Gas Pains: The Problems with a Gas-Fired Bridge to Clean Energy. Natural gas is often seen as the “bridge fuel” to a clean-energy future—it’s abundant, reliable, and has about half the emissions of coal. Today, a couple of reminders of just how tricky it can be to really make that gas-powered energy revolution a reality. In California, state regulators are concerned that new emissions rules from the Environmental Protection Agency could actually “retard” the state’s efforts to clean up its energy mix, The Wall Street Journal reports today. http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2010/01/11/gas-pains-the-problems-with-a-gas-fired-bridge-to-clean-energy/tab/print/ “Green" Cement Captures CO2. Cement is a major component of concrete, the world's most widely used man-made material, an integral part of roads, bridges and buildings. But making cement requires heating limestone and other materials to very high temperatures, a process that releases into the atmosphere large amount of carbon dioxide, or CO2, a leading cause of global warming. Brent Constantz is working to fix that problem with an environmentally-friendly cement that actually captures CO2 and locks it away. Posted. http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Green-Cement-Captures-CO2-80919747.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:47:18 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 12, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 12, 2010. 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. California Ties Cash to Energy. California might start paying people to cut their energy use. On Monday, a state panel proposed that the lion's share of new fees California plans to impose on greenhouse-gas emissions should be returned to consumers in the form of tax cuts or annual dividend checks that eventually could exceed $1,000 for a family of four. The proposal is part of an effort to find the best uses for proceeds from a carbon allowance auction. The panel argues that higher prices will drive consumers to use less of the fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126325739326825569.html#mod=todays_us_page_one Calif. Will Consider Fund To Offset Future Tax Increases With Auction Revenues. California air regulators will consider putting the revenue from auction of greenhouse gas emissions credits into a general fund to offset future tax increases, in line with recommendations yesterday from a key economic committee. In Sacramento yesterday, the Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee voted to send its 13 recommendations on the allocation of carbon credits and the revenues from their sale to the state's Air Resources Board. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/12/2 US Grants $187m For Fuel Efficiency Research. Washington -- The Obama administration announced on Monday funding for nine projects designed to significantly increase fuel efficiency in heavy trucks and passenger vehicles, with more than half the money coming from the $787 billion stimulus package. Energy Secretary Steven Chu detailed the projects during a ceremony in Columbus, Ind., home of Cummins Inc., which is to receive nearly $40 million to develop a more efficient and cleaner diesel engine, a more aerodynamic long-haul truck cab and trailer, and a fuel cell that would deliver auxiliary power to reduce engine idling while the vehicle was not on the road. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/11/national/w030405S71.DTL&type=printable Committee Rejects Greenhouse Gas Bill Postponement. Sacramento - An attempt to delay California's mandate to reduce greenhouse gases was rejected Monday by an Assembly committee. Assembly Bill 118 - by Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Marysville, and co-authored by several others, including Assemblyman Bill Berryhill, R-Ceres - would have suspended climate change law AB32 until the state's unemployment rate is 5.5 percent for a full year. AB32 requires reducing greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020. Some in the business community fear it will cost the state dearly. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100112/A_NEWS/1120316 The Climate is Changing. The rise of Tony Abbott is part of a worldwide reconsideration of the costs of cap-and-trade. When I say the climate is changing, I do not mean, as many people do, that man-made global warming is destroying Planet Earth. I mean that the politics of climate change is changing rapidly all over the globe. Al Gore's moment has come and gone. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703652104574651610217495546.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines As Senate Bill Languishes, Lobbyists Press EPA On Carbon Regs. Skeptical about the prospects of climate legislation in the Senate, energy companies and environmental groups have shifted their lobbying efforts toward U.S. EPA. Energy businesses want to stop EPA from proceeding with its plan to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, a move expected to come in March. If the agency does decide to impose restrictions, industry wants them delayed until 2012 or later. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/12/1 Energy-Only Option Tests Senate's Cap-And-Trade Backers. Advocates for Senate climate legislation are pushing back against calls to abandon a mandatory cap on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in favor of a stand-alone energy bill that some say has a better chance of passing in an election year. For starters, President Obama's top energy adviser insisted yesterday that the administration's goal remains a "comprehensive bill" that touches on all corners of the energy and climate debate, including the controversial cap-and-trade program that most Republicans have labeled as an energy tax. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/12/2 Group Calls For Federal Agencies To Frame Rules For Carbon Offsets. Federal agencies need to put rules in place immediately on carbon offsets to ensure that any mandatory climate bill down the road operates smoothly from the start, according to new recommendations from a coalition of think tanks, environmental groups and businesses. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/12/4 Early Emission Cuts May Be Crucial To Long-Range Climate Change Abatement, Study Says. A new study aims to help scientists and policymakers understand how midterm emissions cuts will ultimately affect longer-term efforts to blunt the effects of climate change. "We basically wanted to look at what are the implications of meeting any particular midcentury emissions target for what you can actually achieve in the long term?" said lead author Brian O'Neill, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, whose work appears in this week's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/12/5 U.S. Chamber Urges Obama, Congress To Rethink Climate Push. U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue urged Washington lawmakers today to rethink proposed climate regulations and other policies that he charged would raise costs for businesses and slow recovery from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. "Congress, the administration and the states must recognize that our weak economy simply could not sustain all the new taxes, regulations and mandates now under consideration," Donohue said during his annual "State of American Business" speech at the chamber's Washington headquarters. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/12/4 Pope Denounces Failure To Forge New Climate Treaty. Vatican City -- Pope Benedict XVI denounced the failure of world leaders to agree to a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen last month, saying Monday that world peace depends on safeguarding God's creation. He issued the admonition in a speech to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican, an annual appointment during which the pontiff reflects on issues the Vatican wants to highlight to the diplomatic corps. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/11/international/i023818S59.DTL&type=printable Warming, Land Use Threaten Butterflies In Calif. – Study. California's butterflies are dying at an alarming rate, especially at sea level, due to the combined might of land development and climate change, according to research to be published this week by a scientist at the University of California, Davis. Art Shapiro, a veteran ecology professor who has been collecting butterfly data in California for 34 years, is set to release a study this week through the National Academy of Sciences that he says offers major new insight into how an indicator organism is reacting to climate change. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/12/7 Will the Senate Castrate the Clean Air Act Next Week? After the failure of the Copenhagen global warming talks, attention has returned to the Senate, where cap-and-trade legislation is languishing. For months, many proponents argued that we needed to pass legislation -- no matter how compromised -- to produce momentum for the Copenhagen talks. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-kieschnick/will-the-senate-castrate_b_419288.html?view=screen Stimulus Aids Firms With Blemished Pasts. Stimulus funds in California are flowing to firms that have previously been fined for environmental damage or accused of fraud. Though many companies in the country face lawsuits at one time or another, the government should do a better job of considering a firm's past when awarding the grants, reformers say. "It is very upsetting that the government doesn't do more due diligence before it hands money out," said Laura Chick, California's inspector general for stimulus funds. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/12/24 County To Grapple With Pluses, Drawbacks Of Solar Gold Rush. Kern County's reliable relationship with the sun has become an attractive lure for companies who want to convert sunlight to electricity here. This year county planners will be able to process 12 photovoltaic solar power plant projects that, together, would cover thousands of acres of Kern County land. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x113239587/County-to-grapple-with-pluses-drawbacks-of-solar-gold-rush Ford Says It Will Sell An Electric Focus Next Year. The automaker also wins the North American Car of the Year and Truck of the Year awards for the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Ford Transit Connect, respectively, at the Detroit auto show. Ford Motor Co. unveiled what it boasted was a "world-beating" next-generation Ford Focus at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday and announced its intentions to sell an all-electric version of the vehicle starting next year. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ford-focus12-2010jan12,0,4624506,print.story Biggest Loser In Bay Area Transit Debacle May Be The Environment. In the war over the future of public transit in the eco-obsessed Bay Area, the biggest casualty could prove to be the environment. Without a doubt, air quality inventories show that the best way to cut greenhouse gases in the region is by removing cars from the road. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14166899 Valley Clean-Tech Gets $260M Jolt. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of new clean-tech jobs should be created in the Silicon Valley in the wake of the Obama administration's award of $2.3 billion in tax credits for manufacturing projects that both stimulate economic recovery and help curb greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14170077?nclick_check=1 http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14170077 Editorial: More Money For Port Of Oakland Truckers But Still Far Too Little. AS SOME had prayed he would, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums has come to the aid of hundreds of truck drivers who stand to lose their livelihoods because of strict new state air regulations that took effect Jan. 1. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14161527 Environment At Risk As Public Transit Falls Out Of Favor. In the war over the future of public transit in the eco-obsessed Bay Area, the biggest casualty could prove to be the environment. Without a doubt, air quality inventories show that the best way to cut greenhouse gases in the region is by removing cars from the road. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14171005 Murkowski And Her Lobbyist Allies. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is likely to postpone offering an amendment (pdf) next week that would bar the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act, according to sources familiar with the matter. Posted. http://views.washingtonpost.com/climate-change/post-carbon/2010/01/murkowski_and_her_lobbyist_allies.html Can East Coast Rocks Save The Climate? Buried volcanic rocks along the coasts of New York, New Jersey and New England could help lock away the carbon dioxide emitted by coal-fired utilities and other sources, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011103368.html At Detroit Auto Show, The Hot Cars Use The Least Energy. The 2010 North American International Auto Show, which opened for previews Monday, is more subdued than in years past and reflects the diminished sales of the U.S. industry. But there were still cars that caught people's attention, mostly by catering to the new taste for fuel efficiency. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011201237_pf.html Study Predicts Big-City Dwellers Will Give Electric Cars An Early Push. Electric vehicles could become a larger presence in the streets of New York, Shanghai and Paris in the next five years than elsewhere. According to independent research conducted by McKinsey & Co., the cars could make up more than 15 percent of new vehicles sold by 2015 in some mega-cities. The early buyers of electric vehicles will be enthusiastic greens willing to undergo some inconvenience to help the environment, the study says. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/12/3 Toyota Introduces New Hybrid Concept Car. In a step toward expanding its alternative-fuel vehicle options, Toyota yesterday unveiled the FT-CH, a new hybrid compact car that is smaller, lighter and more fuel-efficient than the Prius. The concept car, which has no official date for sale to consumers, may be part of a family of hybrid cars marketed under the Prius name, the company confirmed. The car was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/12/10 Little: Obama's Move to Reduce Carbon Emission Not Legal. It appears the President Obama has decided he alone can dictate emission standards for America's autos under "cap and trade." He reportedly supports proposals requiring limited carbon emissions without any involvement from Congress. Posted. http://www.paradisepost.com/opinion/ci_14167383 Blogs Energy Department Awards $187 Million for Development of Efficient Cars and Trucks. The United States secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, announced Monday that the government was giving $187 million to nine projects to improve fuel efficiency in heavy duty trucks and passenger vehicles. Mr. Chu made the announcement at the headquarters of Columbus, Ind.,-based Cummins, Inc., which is receiving $53 million for two projects: improving Class 8, or so-called “super trucks,” by developing a cleaner diesel engine; and developing new technology for powertrains for passenger vehicles. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/energy-department-awards-187-million-for-development-of-efficient-cars-and-trucks/?scp=4&sq=climate%20change&st=cse Should a Climate Bill Even Try to Fight Sprawl? The potential for a cap-and-trade climate bill to set aside significant amounts of money for reforming local land use and transportation planning is often touted by Democrats, environmental groups, and this particular Streetsblogger. But what does Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board and administrator of the state's landmark effort to cut emissions by changing development patterns, think of the idea of tackling sprawl via climate legislation? Posted. http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/01/11/should-a-climate-bill-even-try/ California Cap-And-Trade: A Political Gamble? It may be no accident that an advisory committee to the California Air Resources Board today recommended that 75% of an expected $20 billion in annual revenue from the state's proposed global warming measures be kicked right back to state residents. "Household friendly" is the way the announcement put it. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/cap-and-trade-california.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Last-Minute About-Face on Green Building. California is poised to pass the first mandatory green building code in the nation today, and green building groups that have long supported such a move have come out against it. They object to the governor's rejection of a simple one-size-fits-all mandatory code in favor of a two-tier ranking system that green builders and other environmental groups say will create opportunities for developers to wrap themselves in the green flag without actually meeting industry standards. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=55068 Climate Question? A UCI Scientist Answers. We’ve been inviting readers to send us their questions about climate change, and seeking answers from climate scientists at UC Irvine. Michael Prather, who specializes in climate modeling and for years has been an author of reports from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, answers a question about greenhouse gases from Jim Craig (blog name Jack Kreg). Posted. http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/11/climate-question-a-uci-scientist-answers/18397/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:16:24 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 13, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 13, 2010. 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. California Panel Considers Money From Climate Rules. San Francisco — Offering an early glimpse of how California might manage a central element of its ambitious greenhouse-gas law, a state committee has recommended that residents receive cash or tax breaks resulting from auctions of emission allowances to industries and other polluters. Under the proposal, described by the committee as a “household friendly” approach, Californians would receive 75 percent of the proceeds from emissions auctions, either in tax decreases or checks sent directly to residents. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/science/earth/13emissions.html?ref=us&pagewanted=print State Adopts Greenest Building Codes In U.S. Sacramento -- Newly constructed hospitals, schools, shopping malls and homes in California will be some of the greenest in the world, after a state commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the most stringent, environmentally friendly building code standards of any state in the nation. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/13/MNDR1BH9SA.DTL&type=printable http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/12/state-adopts-mandatory-green-building-code/18515/ http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2010/01/13/California-mandates-greener-buildings/UPI-23331263398689/ http://www.legalnewsline.com/news/224975-california-adopts-mandatory-green-building-code Biomass Seen Fueling California Economic Revival. California could tap the energy stored in wood, garbage, plants and animal waste to fuel a job creation engine that could pull the state out of its economic doldrums, biomass energy advocates said Tuesday. So far, though, the engine has barely crept out of the station, said James D. Boyd, vice chairman of the California Energy Commission. "(Biomass) is a treasure sort of waiting to be discovered," he said. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/business/v-print/story/2457556.html Biobutanol Firm Aims To Compete With Ethanol In 4 Years. Having launched its first pilot facility yesterday with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger looking on, California startup Cobalt Technologies is the latest in a growing number of biofuel ventures banking on biobutanol as an attractive ethanol alternative. Like ethanol, biobutanol can be fermented from plant sugars, either food grains or cellulosic plant parts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/13/2 Governor Touts Jobs Plan At New Biofuel Plant. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used the opening of a new biofuel plant in Mountain View Tuesday to pitch his plan for keeping and creating jobs, saying California can't afford to lose its burgeoning green-tech industry to other states. Schwarzenegger toured a new pilot plant built by Cobalt Technologies, which makes biobutanol from wood scraps. Within the next two years, Cobalt plans to build a full-scale plant to mass-produce its fuel - exactly the kind of facility Schwarzenegger said California needs. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/13/BUC11BH76G.DTL&type=printable Contentious Plant Closure Gets Final Approval. San Francisco -- San Francisco's last polluting power plant will be shuttered by the end of this year - ending a decade of debate over what to do with the Mirant Corp.'s Potrero Hill plant, one of the dirtiest in California. City officials and the plant's owners reached an agreement last summer to shutter the 40-year-old fossil fuel plant on the southeastern waterfront. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/13/MN1L1BH8VK.DTL&type=printable California Panel Nixes End To Reduced Emissions, Voters Still Could Get Say. A bill to suspend implementation of the much ballyhooed California greenhouse gas law has hit a brick wall. However, the issue is likely far from over. The Assembly Natural Resources Committee voted 6-3 Monday, Jan. 11, to reject a bill – AB118 – that sought to put on hold the nearly four-year-old law that is intended to cap greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Jan10/011110/011210-05.htm Going Green, Environmentally And Financially. Philadelphia -- If Charles Szoradi could figure out how to power a car or even a light bulb with his caffeine-free personal pep reservoir, he just might achieve his goal of ending America's energy-hogging ways. But for now, the 43-year-old Philadelphia environmental entrepreneur is gaining widespread acclaim and recognition as he presses the case for going green in more conventional ways. In the process, he's trying to make some money. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/702/v-print/story/2458215.html Bill to Overturn AB 32 Global Warming Law Defeated. On Monday, the Assembly Natural Resources Committee rejected AB 118, legislation that would have overturned California's landmark global warming law that has enjoyed broad bipartisan support. Not only would AB 118 have jeopardized public health and the environment, it would have imposed economic harm at a time when California is already struggling to regain our financial footing. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/7331 As Senate Climate Bill Languishes, Lobbyists Press EPA on Carbon Regs. Skeptical about the prospects of climate legislation in the Senate, energy companies and environmental groups have shifted their lobbying efforts toward U.S. EPA. Energy businesses want to stop EPA from proceeding with its plan to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, a move expected to come in March. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/01/12/12greenwire-as-senate-climate-bill-languishes-lobbyists-pr-15488.html Group Claims Stolen E-Mails Show Risk In Accepting Climate Change Science. A major trade group for the insurance industry is warning that it is "exceedingly risky" for companies to blindly accept scientific conclusions around climate change, given the "serious questions" around the extent to which humans cause atmospheric warming. The assertion was made in a letter to insurance regulators, who will administer the nation's first mandatory climate requirements on corporations in May. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/13/1 OPINION: A Smoking Dragon In Sheep's Clothing. New Delhi — China presents itself as a schizophrenic power: a developing country on select international issues, but in other matters a rising superpower with new muscular confidence that supposedly is in the same league as the United States. At the recent Copenhagen climate-change summit, China was the former: It loudly emphasized its membership in the developing world and quietly used poor countries, especially from Africa, to raise procedural obstacles in the negotiations. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/opinion/14iht-edchellaney.html?pagewanted=print Dirty Air: Utah Officials Urge Limit on Kids' Play. Salt Lake City -- Schools in parts of Utah kept students inside for sports and recess Tuesday after soaring pollution levels prompted state health warnings on driving and outdoor activity. Highland Park Elementary students with respiratory problems were kept inside for morning recess and no one was allowed outside for lunch recess, Principal Sue Parker said. Most students don't seem to mind, but teachers have to make an adjustment to their plans, she said. ''It's a drag,'' she added. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/12/us/AP-US-Air-Quality-Utah.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print Report Links Vehicle Exhaust to Health Problems. Exhaust from cars and trucks exacerbates asthma in children and may cause new cases as well as other respiratory illnesses and heart problems resulting in deaths, an independent institute that focuses on vehicle-related air pollution has concluded. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/health/research/13exhaust.html Nipomo Mesa Pollution Study Slated For Release in February. County air pollution control officials say a much-anticipated study linking the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area to high particulate pollution on the Nipomo Mesa will be released to the public in early February. Posted. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/986862.html Port Truckers Get Three More Weeks to Find Loans. More than 800 Port of Oakland truckers who renewed grant applications last week to buy diesel trucks and filters are getting a few more weeks to line up additional financing, the California Air Resources Board announced Tuesday. Truckers who are eligible for the new grants and need extra time to get loans may continue to work at the port until Feb. 16 as long as they have a radio frequency identification tag. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14175789 Energy-Only Option Tests Senate's Climate Bill Backers. Advocates for Senate climate legislation are pushing back against calls to abandon a mandatory cap on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in favor of a stand-alone energy bill that some say has a better chance of passing in an election year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/01/12/12greenwire-energy-only-option-tests-senates-climate-bill-b-4157.html County Of Marin Reaffirms Support For Marin Clean Energy. The county of Marin Tuesday became the seventh member of the Marin Energy Authority to reaffirm its commitment to the Marin Clean Energy initiative, which will put the jurisdictions in competition with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. as a retailer of electricity in Marin. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14174958 Dem Candidate Promotes Energy In Bid For Utah Gov. Salt Lake City -- Democrat Peter Corroon launched his gubernatorial bid Tuesday by saying Utah should become energy independent within 10 years by investing in renewable energy. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011202490.html NH Officials: Ag Has Key Role In Saving Energy. Concord, N.H. -- A state official told a gathering of farmers Tuesday that they will play a big part in the push for energy efficiency as climate change affects New Hampshire. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011202840.html Texas Town Welcomed Drilling, Now Fears Pollution. DISH, Texas -- Like thousands of other Texans living atop one of the country's most productive natural gas fields, folks in this tiny town were giddy when drillers started offering up the fat checks. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011202674.html BLOGS Q&A: Hong Kong’s Air-Pollution Problem. EPA Thick smog hangs over Hong Kong. Air pollution reached dangerous levels one of every eight days in 2009, according to news reports. The air pollution in Hong Kong reached “life threatening” levels on average one in every eight days in 2009, The South China Morning Post reported in an article that was picked up widely by other news media last week. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/qa-hong-kongs-air-pollution-problem/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:22:20 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 14, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 14, 2010. 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. Editorial: Air Pollution a Regional Issue. Our view: Punishing Butte County for bad air that drifts up from the south makes little sense. It's hard to argue with the federal government's desire for cleaner air. Who doesn't want cleaner air, especially during the hot summer months? But the new guidelines being considered by the Obama administration seem unrealistic to us — especially when Butte County is being punished for a smog problem that drifts up from the south. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/ci_14185501 Emissions Rules Tightened For Bay Area Businesses. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced yesterday it has approved stricter emissions requirements for certain polluting businesses that build, expand or modify facilities within the nine-county district. To comply with the rules, some businesses will need to cut their emissions by more than half, district spokeswoman Ana Sandoval said. Among the businesses typically subject to the requirements are gas stations, crematoriums, refineries and dry cleaners. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/14/17 Fontana-Based Burrtec Fined For Emissions Violations. The California Air Resources Board announced Wednesday that Fontana-based Burrtec Waste Industries paid thousands of dollars in fines for emissions violations in 2005 and 2006. The board investigation showed that Burrtec failed to inspect its diesel vehicles, according to a board news release. Posted. http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_14182868 California Approves Standard ‘Crippling’ U.S. Ethanol (Update1). California regulators approved a carbon fuel standard yesterday that the U.S. ethanol industry says will bar domestic forms of the fuel from being used in the nation’s largest fuel-consuming state. The state’s Office of Administrative Law yesterday approved the implementation of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, or LCFS, which aims to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601072&sid=aA.cvSQfaoXs# Insane Air Board's New Role: Tire Nazis. I read the proposed rules and I think the concerns of the California New Car Dealers Association are spot-on: CARB is proposing to require every repair dealer to check the inflation of every tire during repair to improve mpg for all vehicles which, in theory, is meritorious. However (the) regs. CARB’s pushing through (released this week and subject to a 15 day comment period) ... provides that the only times that consumers may decline a check and inflate service—Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/13/insane-air-boards-new-role-tire-nazis/ Gas Industry Pressing Senate For Climate Concessions. Help for coal and renewable power in climate legislation could hurt natural gas, an industry official said yesterday as the fuel continued its quest to gain political standing. Natural gas will be caught in a "squeeze play" if there are subsidies for coal, solar, wind and other green sources and natural gas is ignored, Skip Horvath, president and CEO of the Natural Gas Supply Association, said at the U.S. Energy Association's annual State of the Energy Industry Forum. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/14/1 Not in Anyone’s Backyard. Protect the environment or create renewable energy? A new bill shows they're far from the same thing. You can't blame California for not being ambitious. In 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger set the bold goal that by 2020, a third of the state's power would come from renewable sources. Not bad for the nation's most populous state and among the world's top 10 largest economies. At the time, it was a target miles ahead of any other state, and a fairly risky one at the beginning of a would-be global recession that would drive the Golden State deep into the red. Posted. http://www.newsweek.com/id/230681/output/print Stricter New Smog Limit Would Hit Rural Areas, Too. Washington - Hundreds of communities far from congested highways and belching smokestacks could soon join big cities and industrial corridors in violation of stricter limits on lung-damaging smog proposed Thursday by the Obama administration. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14187069 Commentary: Bad Science Could Trash Economy. Even if the economy gets out of this recession and is not soon worsened again by the federal government’s debt accumulation, don’t breathe easy because here comes the Environmental Protection Agency with a plan to strangle it with fresh annual costs that could ultimately be as high as $90 billion. Posted. http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/01/14/opinion/doc4b4eaf7690b4d955909157.txt EPA Crackdown On Smog Could Hit Local Businesses, Like Surfboard Makers. Santa Cruz - New smog standards proposed by the Obama Administration could put surfboard makers, autobody shops and other homespun businesses under the nose of regulators as the Monterey Bay air district, not home to many big polluters, is forced to squeeze smaller venues to win federal compliance. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14183690 Air Regulators Give Break To Oakland Truckers. Oakland, Calif.—State air regulators have granted another extension for Port of Oakland truckers who are applying for grants to comply with new diesel emissions standards. Stricter diesel rules, which require expensive truck upgrades, went into effect Jan. 1. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14182276 Colo. Federal Lab Gets Funds For Biofuels Work. Denver -- A consortium led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will receive up to nearly $34 million in federal stimulus funds to work on ways to make fuel from plant materials that can be used in existing pipelines and refineries. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011303789.html Airing The Debate On New Ozone Rules. Napa County may have an easier time meeting strict proposed regulations for ozone pollution than other Bay Area counties. The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week it wants the new standards for acceptable amount of ozone, a form of oxygen that is a pollutant, to be between 0.060 and 0.070 parts per million. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_65a97516-0020-11df-897c-001cc4c03286.html Blogs California Might Give Pollution Permit Cash Back to the People. California is pushing ahead with a new system to regulate carbon emissions. Come 2012, utilities, refineries, and other industrial polluters won't be able to pollute for free. They'll have to have permits. California is planning to auction those permits off, and that will bring in somewhere between $2 billion and $22 billion for the state between 2012 and 2020. Posted. http://www.good.is/post/california-might-give-pollution-permit-cash-back-to-the-people Small Firms Slam E.P.A. Clean Air Revisions. Small business owners are claiming that the revised greenhouse gas regulations proposedrecently by the Environmental Protection Agency to curb emissions would be financially burdensome for them. The E.P.A. has a rule known as the “tailoring rule,” meant to cushion the financial impact of emissions control on small businesses, primarily by excluding them from having to purchase Clear Air Act operating permits. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/small-firms-slam-epa-clean-air-revisions/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:29:14 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 14, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 14, 2010. 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. Editorial: Air Pollution a Regional Issue. Our view: Punishing Butte County for bad air that drifts up from the south makes little sense. It's hard to argue with the federal government's desire for cleaner air. Who doesn't want cleaner air, especially during the hot summer months? But the new guidelines being considered by the Obama administration seem unrealistic to us — especially when Butte County is being punished for a smog problem that drifts up from the south. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/ci_14185501 Emissions Rules Tightened For Bay Area Businesses. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced yesterday it has approved stricter emissions requirements for certain polluting businesses that build, expand or modify facilities within the nine-county district. To comply with the rules, some businesses will need to cut their emissions by more than half, district spokeswoman Ana Sandoval said. Among the businesses typically subject to the requirements are gas stations, crematoriums, refineries and dry cleaners. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/14/17 Fontana-Based Burrtec Fined For Emissions Violations. The California Air Resources Board announced Wednesday that Fontana-based Burrtec Waste Industries paid thousands of dollars in fines for emissions violations in 2005 and 2006. The board investigation showed that Burrtec failed to inspect its diesel vehicles, according to a board news release. Posted. http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_14182868 California Approves Standard ‘Crippling’ U.S. Ethanol (Update1). California regulators approved a carbon fuel standard yesterday that the U.S. ethanol industry says will bar domestic forms of the fuel from being used in the nation’s largest fuel-consuming state. The state’s Office of Administrative Law yesterday approved the implementation of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, or LCFS, which aims to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601072&sid=aA.cvSQfaoXs# Insane Air Board's New Role: Tire Nazis. I read the proposed rules and I think the concerns of the California New Car Dealers Association are spot-on: CARB is proposing to require every repair dealer to check the inflation of every tire during repair to improve mpg for all vehicles which, in theory, is meritorious. However (the) regs. CARB’s pushing through (released this week and subject to a 15 day comment period) ... provides that the only times that consumers may decline a check and inflate service—Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/13/insane-air-boards-new-role-tire-nazis/ Gas Industry Pressing Senate For Climate Concessions. Help for coal and renewable power in climate legislation could hurt natural gas, an industry official said yesterday as the fuel continued its quest to gain political standing. Natural gas will be caught in a "squeeze play" if there are subsidies for coal, solar, wind and other green sources and natural gas is ignored, Skip Horvath, president and CEO of the Natural Gas Supply Association, said at the U.S. Energy Association's annual State of the Energy Industry Forum. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/14/1 Not in Anyone’s Backyard. Protect the environment or create renewable energy? A new bill shows they're far from the same thing. You can't blame California for not being ambitious. In 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger set the bold goal that by 2020, a third of the state's power would come from renewable sources. Not bad for the nation's most populous state and among the world's top 10 largest economies. At the time, it was a target miles ahead of any other state, and a fairly risky one at the beginning of a would-be global recession that would drive the Golden State deep into the red. Posted. http://www.newsweek.com/id/230681/output/print Stricter New Smog Limit Would Hit Rural Areas, Too. Washington - Hundreds of communities far from congested highways and belching smokestacks could soon join big cities and industrial corridors in violation of stricter limits on lung-damaging smog proposed Thursday by the Obama administration. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14187069 Commentary: Bad Science Could Trash Economy. Even if the economy gets out of this recession and is not soon worsened again by the federal government’s debt accumulation, don’t breathe easy because here comes the Environmental Protection Agency with a plan to strangle it with fresh annual costs that could ultimately be as high as $90 billion. Posted. http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/01/14/opinion/doc4b4eaf7690b4d955909157.txt EPA Crackdown On Smog Could Hit Local Businesses, Like Surfboard Makers. Santa Cruz - New smog standards proposed by the Obama Administration could put surfboard makers, autobody shops and other homespun businesses under the nose of regulators as the Monterey Bay air district, not home to many big polluters, is forced to squeeze smaller venues to win federal compliance. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14183690 Air Regulators Give Break To Oakland Truckers. Oakland, Calif.—State air regulators have granted another extension for Port of Oakland truckers who are applying for grants to comply with new diesel emissions standards. Stricter diesel rules, which require expensive truck upgrades, went into effect Jan. 1. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14182276 Colo. Federal Lab Gets Funds For Biofuels Work. Denver -- A consortium led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will receive up to nearly $34 million in federal stimulus funds to work on ways to make fuel from plant materials that can be used in existing pipelines and refineries. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011303789.html Airing The Debate On New Ozone Rules. Napa County may have an easier time meeting strict proposed regulations for ozone pollution than other Bay Area counties. The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week it wants the new standards for acceptable amount of ozone, a form of oxygen that is a pollutant, to be between 0.060 and 0.070 parts per million. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_65a97516-0020-11df-897c-001cc4c03286.html Blogs California Might Give Pollution Permit Cash Back to the People. California is pushing ahead with a new system to regulate carbon emissions. Come 2012, utilities, refineries, and other industrial polluters won't be able to pollute for free. They'll have to have permits. California is planning to auction those permits off, and that will bring in somewhere between $2 billion and $22 billion for the state between 2012 and 2020. Posted. http://www.good.is/post/california-might-give-pollution-permit-cash-back-to-the-people Small Firms Slam E.P.A. Clean Air Revisions. Small business owners are claiming that the revised greenhouse gas regulations proposedrecently by the Environmental Protection Agency to curb emissions would be financially burdensome for them. The E.P.A. has a rule known as the “tailoring rule,” meant to cushion the financial impact of emissions control on small businesses, primarily by excluding them from having to purchase Clear Air Act operating permits. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/small-firms-slam-epa-clean-air-revisions/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:01:32 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for From: sponedal@ARB.CA.GOV January 19 2009. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE Butterflies struggling with climate change and development. It doesn't take much to send a butterfly fleeing. Just a several-degree rise in average temperatures over three decades led to a dive in the number of the colorful, fluttering insects thriving in the brisk environs of the high Sierra Nevada, according to a new study from UC Davis. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14217108 http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14217108 US, UN officials see hope for binding climate deal. UNITED NATIONS—The nonbinding Copenhagen Accord is at a critical moment that will decide whether it becomes a mandatory treaty for cutting greenhouse gases, the top U.S. climate official said Thursday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14194583 Senate Not Seen Passing Climate Bill In 2010. U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan said on Tuesday he did not think the Senate would pass climate change legislation this year, but instead would focus on separate energy legislation that would require more electricity supplies to be generated from renewable sources and expand offshore drilling into the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/19/us/politics/politics-us-senate-climate.html Silicon Valley Rocks Climate World With New Breed of Software. Only a few years ago, businesses wanting to track their greenhouse gas emissions had few choices. Their main option was a simple spreadsheet with pages and pages of numbers. Now, companies and governments can turn to software that allows them to input emissions data, analyze it in fancy charts and receive recommendations on how to cut heat-trapping gases from operations large and small. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/19/19climatewire-silicon-valley-rocks-climate-world-with-new-19922.html Editorial: Reacting to EPA extortion. The battle to combat global warming may face a significant setback in Washington this week. Moderate Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, wants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to back off its threat to enforce greenhouse gas regulations. We hope she's successful. The EPA recently declared that greenhouse gases are a threat, giving the agency authority to regulate them. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/epa-229755-climate-warming.html VEHICLES Going 'green' puts electric car dealer in the red. BERKELEY — Even in one of the greenest cities in America, Green Motors couldn't survive. Berkeley, a city which for years has held high ranks on environmental organization's annual lists of eco-conscious do-gooders, was ranked as the second greenest city in the United States last year by MSN.com. It was the first city to ban plastic foam, the first city to ask residents to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, and the first city to offer help with solar financing. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14202270 Waste Hauler Is Fined $307,200 for Emissions Violations. The California Air Resources Board fined Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc. $307,200 in November for emissions violations during 2005 and 2006. An ARB investigation showed Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc. of Fontana failed to properly inspect its diesel vehicles, the board said. Posted. http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/articles/2010/01/14/business/doc4b4f4d9930b1d956316477.txt http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Jan10/011110/011410-04.htm Oakland Truckers Get More Time To Find Retrofit Funding. The California Air Resources Board has given some Oakland area truckers another three weeks to line up funding for diesel filters and to access Port of Oakland terminals before new air quality rules kick in. Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1157 AIR QUALITY Green Q&A: How eco-friendly is the fashion industry? Q Can you enlighten us on the environmental impact of the fashion industry? As I understand it, the industry overall is no friend to the environment. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-living/ci_14184406 County’s Green Efforts Lagging. An environmental report issued yesterday raised questions about why San Diego County lacks a comprehensive push to address concerns that have bubbled for decades, including lackluster recycling, coastal water pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/19/countys-green-efforts-lagging/ Cupertino's Lehigh Cement Permit Renewal on Hold for New EPA Standards. A permit renewal that outlines all federal regulations for the Lehigh Cement Plant's operation is on hold as regulatory officials wait to add tough new federal emission standards to the voluminous operating permit. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14193540?nclick_check=1 ENERGY Schwarzenegger plans to exempt 'green' tech manufacturing equipment from sales tax. To strengthen "green" manufacturing in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has introduced a plan to make businesses that make clean technology exempt from paying sales tax on their equipment. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14219650 Green Firms Balk at Coalition's Lobbying Effort. An organization representing some of California's biggest carbon polluters is working to alter the state's landmark law to curb global warming, while claiming to represent several "green" environmental companies that have since left the coalition after learning of its recent actions. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/18/MNJP1BHODT.DTL#ixzz0d4uhmCO4 Calif. Scientist Fostered Simple Method to Save Energy: Use Less. When octogenarian Arthur H. Rosenfeld vacates his utilitarian office at the California Energy Commission this week, one of his final tasks might seem of little consequence: He'll turn off the lights. But that simple act - some would say compulsion - has transformed California into a world leader in energy efficiency. Posted. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/environment/story/989371.html http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2010/jan/14/bc-env-calif-energyla-_-business-1650-words/?business&business-wire FUELS California Toughens Up Biofuel Standards. Californian regulators this week approved tough new standards governing the carbon intensity of bioethanol that will force producers to account for the lifecycle emissions that result from the production of biofuels. The Californian Air Resources Board (CARB) said the new Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) will reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in California by an average of 10 per cent by the year 2020, by forcing bioethanol producers to measure the emissions that result from the production, transportation, and land use changes associated with biofuels. Posted. http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2256188/california-firms-biofuels Turning Grease Into Green Fuel. A local company that produces green-friendly biodiesel from used fryer grease and vegetable oil could become the latest casualty in the healthcare battle. The U.S. Senate, having finally passed its version of healthcare reform on Christmas Eve, adjourned for the year, leaving myriad tax issues still on the table – including a critical tax credit extension for biodiesel producers. Without it, producers can't make a profit and the industry staggers. Posted. http://www.sandiego.com/green/turning-grease-into-green-fuel LETTERS Letters: Halt carbon law. f there is any state government activity that should be stopped to meet the $20 billion budget shortfall, it is the implementation of AB32, The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14183102 Letters: Tax money wasted. Funding for the Air Quality District should be rescinded or at the very least dramatically reduced. Sixty inspectors, driving 60 cars around the Bay Area looking for a smoking fireplace and industry smoke stacks is a criminal waste of dollars when everyone is searching for ways to reduce a $20 billion state shortfall. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14192635?nclick_check=1 BLOGS Cap-and-Trade Proceeds for Residents? A California family of four could receive more than $1,000 every year if a proposal floated by state officials is approved. The recommendation, adopted by the state Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee last week, would send money from the state’s new cap-and-trade program back to residents. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/cap-and-trade-proceeds-for-residents/ Carbon Credit Cash for Californians? A key advisory committee is suggesting(PDF) that Californians should collect as much as 75 percent of the allowances from selling pollution allocations under California’s Climate Change Proposal. When the state starts auctioning pollution allowances from the cap & trade law, officials expect to bring in $5 billion a year between 2012 and 2014, and then $12 billion starting in 2015, the report said. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?p=6730 Arnold Schwarzenegger on Obama: The year in energy policy. On Tuesday night, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will join a panel, along with former Secretary of State George Shultz, to talk about President Obama's first-year record on energy policy. The moderated question-and-answer session is part of an Energy Task Force conference at Stanford's Hoover Institution, a conservative think-tank. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/arnold-schwarzenegger-barak-obama-energy-policy.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:44:21 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 20, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 20, 2010. 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. California May Pull Out Of Fuel Economy Standard. Automakers worry about state-by-state regulations. Washington -- California officials have threatened to pull out of a historic compromise with U.S. automakers and the Obama administration for a 35.5 m.p.g. fuel economy standard by 2016 unless federal regulators side with the state on two key disputes. Posted. http://www.freep.com/article/20100120/BUSINESS01/1200327/1331/California-may-pull-out-of-fuel-economy-standard Calif. 'Cool Cars' Rules May Hurt Cell Phone Coverage. Washington -- The wireless phone industry says California's "cool cars" standards could impact 911 and other mobile phone calls in some areas. In comments to California's Air Resources Board, the trade group representing the nation's largest cell phone companies, warned California that its planned requirements to force automakers to block solar heat from vehicle interiors could degrade cell phone signals. Posted. http://www.detnews.com/article/20100119/NATION/1190410/1020/NATION/Calif.--cool-cars--rules-may-hurt-cell-phone-coverage Coalition's Lobbying Efforts May Conflict With Green Firms. An organization fighting California's climate legislation is representing both major carbon polluters and several green businesses. The AB 32 Implementation Group, represented by public relations firm Woodward & McDowell, claims to be a coalition of interests focused on global warming regulations. The organization has been campaigning to undermine the state's 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act, which mandates a 25 percent reduction in emissions by 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/19/5 Hundreds Of Port Of Oakland Truckers Who Followed Rules Still Rejected At The Gates. Oakland — Homan Huang pulled up his rig to the TraPac terminal at the Port of Oakland before 9 a.m. Tuesday to pick up a container and take it to Napa. Two hours later, he had been turned away at the gate and was instead stuck in a creeping line of hundreds of drivers, all waiting to find out why a tiny radio transmitter was not working. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14224506 http://www.joc.com/node/416120 Port Of San Diego Requires Truck Registration. Truck drivers who don’t regularly haul loads to and from the Port of San Diego may not be aware of a new requirement going into effect this week. The Port of San Diego is requiring trucking companies that haul to and from the port to register truck owner information into its eModal computer system. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Jan10/011810/011910-02.htm U.S. Bound By Obama's Copenhagen Emissions Pledge -- U.N. Official. The United Nations will hold President Obama to his promise that the United States will reduce carbon emissions even if the Senate cannot pass climate legislation, U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer said this morning. In his first public comments since the Copenhagen climate summit last month that produced a nonbinding promise from major-emitting countries to cut greenhouse gases, de Boer noted that Obama vowed the United States will slash carbon about 17 percent below 2005 levels in the coming decade. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/20/3 Sen.-Elect Brown's Win Adds More Question Marks to Senate Climate Debate. An already tough climb to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation in the Senate just got a bit tougher with Republican Scott Brown's upset victory yesterday in Massachusetts. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/20/20climatewire-sen-elect-browns-win-adds-more-question-mark-48190.html The Folly Of Carbon Emission Reduction Laws. Months ago, when you reported that manmade global warming would cause flooding of the entire Napa Valley by 2100, I started to write to you, but instead I satisfied myself with a hearty laugh. However, I was appalled when I read in the Jan. 10 issue that the county is “seeking to reduce its carbon footprint” and has spent $75,000 to comply with the absurd state law that requires carbon emissions to be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_ed2aa58e-057d-11df-8b43-001cc4c002e0.html Murkowski 'Leaning Toward' Disapproval Resolution Against EPA Climate Regs. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) will likely move forward with a formal resolution to block U.S. EPA's climate regulations, rather than force a vote on an amendment to limit the agency's regulatory authority, she said today. Murkowski, ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said she is "leaning toward" forcing a vote soon on a disapproval resolution that would effectively veto the Obama administration's "endangerment finding" that links man-made greenhouse gases to global warming -- a legal precursor to regulations on everything from cars to power plants. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/20/1 Senate Not Seen Passing Climate Bill In 2010. Washington (Reuters) - The Senate is unlikely to pass climate change legislation this year after going through the contentious health care debate, and will focus on a separate energy bill that has more bipartisan support, a key Democratic senator said on Tuesday. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/19/AR2010011901883.html U.N. Climate Chiefs Apologize For Glacier Error. The U.N.'s leading panel on climate change has apologized for misleading data published in a 2007 report that warned Himalayan glaciers could melt by 2035. In a statement released, Wednesday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said estimates relating to the rate of recession of the Himalayan glaciers in its Fourth Assessment Report were "poorly substantiated" adding that "well-established standards of evidence were not applied properly." Posted. http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/01/20/glacier.himalayas.ipcc.error/ http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14228521 Obama Steadily Rewriting Environmental Policy. Though little noticed by a public focused on the recession and health care, over the past year the Obama administration has steadily rewritten a host of the country's environmental policies, from gas mileage to endangered species. President Obama's actions came after methodically reversing many of the policies of the George W. Bush administration. The changes, mostly accomplished through executive order, have won lofty praise from environmental groups. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/20/8 Obama Admin Releases $190M For 'Green Jobs' The Labor Department released $190 million of grants today to train workers for "green" jobs, such as installing wind turbines, brewing biofuels and retrofitting drafty homes and office buildings. The State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants are part of a $500 million investment authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that President Barack Obama signed 11 months ago (Greenwire, June 25, 2009). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/20/17 Global Warming Threatens Bengal Tiger – Study. Climate change could decimate the world's Bengal tiger population as its habitats succumb to rising sea levels, according to a study led by the World Wildlife Fund. The royal Bengal tiger is an inhabitant of the Sundarbans, a low-lying mangrove forest on the border of Bangladesh and India. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/20/3 http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14229050 2000s Warmest Decade On Record, Government Reports. Washington—The 2000-2009 decade was the warmest on record, easily surpassing the previous hottest decade—the 1990s—researchers said Tuesday in a report providing fresh evidence that the planet may be warming at a potentially disastrous rate. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14223648 Central Valley’s Annual Wood-Stove Change-Out Begins. For the fourth year, residents of the San Joaquin Valley can tap a financial incentive to swap their older wood stove for a cleaner-burning one. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District sponsors the program. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=14158 Paramount's Walmart Goes Solar. Walmart's Paramount store is among three completed solar power projects from a companywide expanded solar initiative announced on Earth Day 2009. The initiative will nearly double Walmart's solar energy use in California, adding solar installations at 10 to 20 Walmart facilities over the next 12 months. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_14224585 Expanding Use of Wind Power Feasible, but May Be Costly. Wind could replace coal and natural gas for 20 or 30 percent of electricity supplied in the eastern two-thirds of the United States by 2024, according to a study released Wednesday by the Energy Department, but doing so would require a reorganization of the power grid and a significant increase in costs. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/business/energy-environment/21wind.html Big Boost In Wind Power Doable But Complicated In Eastern U.S. – Study. The eastern United States could get 20 or even 30 percent of its electricity from wind by 2024, but it would cost up to $175 billion and wouldn't take a big bite out of greenhouse gas emissions without a price on carbon, according to a study by released today by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Energy Department lab examined four scenarios for wind development and concluded all would need significant new transmission capacity and the transformation of electric grid's operation and market. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/20/4 NYC To Address PCB-Contaminated Caulk In Schools. New York—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New York City announced a pilot program Tuesday to address the problem of potentially hazardous PCBs in construction materials in some city schools. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14224176 Alabama Hybrid Car Plant Gets Italian Designer. Montgomery, Ala.—A former Chinese carmaker planning a hybrid car assembly plant in Alabama has lined up a veteran engineering and design firm while still trying to put together $1.5 billion in financing for the project. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14222521 Editorial: Avoiding A Trap On Climate Change. EVER SINCE his inauguration a year ago, President Obama has tried to motivate Congress with a strong ultimatum: Pass climate-change legislation, or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will use its authority under the Clean Air Act to curb carbon emissions without your input. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/19/AR2010011904430.html Toyota In Argentine Lithium Deal For Hybrid Car Push. Sydney/Tokyo (Reuters) - A sister company to Toyota Motor Corp secured a lithium supply deal in Argentina on Wednesday that could help the world's largest automaker keep its lead in gasoline-electric hybrid cars. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012000500.html Blogs John Coleman's Climate Change Conspiracy Theory. A new NASA temperature analysis to be officially released this week shows that 2009 tied with 2007 for the second warmest year in the 130 years of global thermometer records. The analysis, which was distributed by top NASA climate scientist James Hansen and published on the realclimate.org Web site on Sunday, also shows that 2009 was the warmest year on record for the Southern Hemisphere. In a separate analysis, the U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) found that 2009 tied with 2006 for the fifth warmest year on record. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/01/a_new_nasa_temperature_analysi.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:58:37 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 21, 2010 From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 21, 2010. 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. Calif. Supreme Court Upholds Development Emissions Rule. San Francisco -- The California Supreme Court declined to hear an industry group's challenge to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's indirect-source emission rules. The California Building Industry Association had disputed the district's right to impose fees if developers failed to mitigate their projects' air pollution. The rules govern nitrogen oxides and particulate matter generated by new development. Mitigation measures include developing closer to transit stops, including bike paths, or increasing buildings' energy efficiency. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/21/17 Calif. Backs Off Threat To Fuel Rules. Board says it's committed to 35.5 m.p.g. Washington -- California officials backed away Wednesday from a threat to scuttle a compromise on national fuel economy standards if the Obama administration didn't make two changes to federal rules. In a statement on the California Air Resources Board's Web site, its chairwoman Mary Nichols said the agency was "fully committed" to the national plan for a 35.5 m.p.g. average by 2016. Posted. http://www.freep.com/article/20100121/BUSINESS01/1210434/1322/Calif.-backs-off-threat-to-fuel-rules http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2018241920100121?type=marketsNews **U.S. Vote Dims Hopes For Stronger World Climate Pact. Singapore/Oslo - Hopes for stronger world action in 2010 to curb climate change have dimmed after the U.S. Democrats lost a key Senate seat to a Republican opposed to capping emissions, experts said on Wednesday. The election of Republican Scott Brown, an opponent of cap and trade, to the Senate after the death of Democrat Edward Kennedy dims prospects for U.S. action. Once Brown takes office, Democrats will have 59 seats in the Senate and the Republicans 41. Posted. (Complete story at end of page) http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60J3N920100120 Brown Is A 'Blank Slate' On Climate, Drawing Concern And Optimism. Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown has taken largely a back-seat role in his state's energy and climate debates but supported key environmental initiatives when voting in the Legislature, according to state officials, environmental advocates and state records. The Republican state senator who won a special election Tuesday was not heavily involved in Massachusetts issues related to renewable power, energy efficiency, greenhouse gases or other high-profile energy topics as part of a state Legislature that passed a major global warming bill in 2008, several sources said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/21/1 Chu Defends Slow Pace Of 'Green' Stimulus. Federal funds have been slow to filter down to states and local agencies, Energy Secretary Steven Chu acknowledged yesterday. Speaking to the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., Chu assured the about 250 local leaders that federal stimulus dollars will reach their targets. But, he said, mayors must ensure that the investments turn into jobs. "The federal government follows in your footsteps," Chu said. Chu also called for greater investment in research and development. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/21/7 Calif.'S 'Cool Car' Rule Could Inhibit Cell Signals. A rule currently being prepared by the California Air Resources Board to limit the solar heat that streams into cars could have the side effect of reducing the quality of cell phone signals, a trade group representing the nation's largest wireless carriers says. California's "cool cars" regulation, which could lower air conditioning use and therefore reduce CO2 emissions, "significantly and negatively affects wireless device and network performance in a number of situations, ….Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/21/8 Port Of Oakland Trucker Strike Averted. Dellums tells drivers aid may be coming. Oakland — A planned strike Wednesday by frustrated Port of Oakland truckers was narrowly averted when Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums appealed to the drivers for patience. The Northern California Rail and Port Truckers Association had called for the work stoppage after hundreds of drivers were prevented from entering the port's marine terminals Tuesday, the deadline to comply with new state air-quality rules. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14233580 Oakland Gate Operations Improve Wednesday. Second day of clean-truck program runs smoother. Gate operations at Oakland marine terminals were smoother Wednesday as the port's clean-truck program entered its second day. "There were a lot fewer problems at the marine terminals and diagnostic center," said Bruce Wargo, speaking for the Oakland Marine Terminal Operators Association. Terminal operators turned back a number of trucks on Tuesday when the port began enforcing a ban on pre-1994 trucks. Posted. http://www.joc.com/print/416156 Copenhagen’s Climate Deal Is at Risk, a U.N. Official Says. Washington — Just a month after world leaders fashioned a tentative and nonbinding agreement at the climate change summit meeting in Copenhagen, the deal already appears at risk of coming undone, the top United Nations climate official warned on Wednesday. Facing a Jan. 31 deadline, major countries have yet to submit their plans for reducing emissions of climate-altering gases, …. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/science/earth/21climate.html?pagewanted=print UPS Deploys Natural Gas Trucks in Fresno. Shipping company UPS deployed 16 new green trucks to Fresno today as part of its goal of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering its carbon footprint. The trucks, powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), join 900 similar vehicles already used by the company in the U.S., Germany, France, Chile and Brazil. UPS first began deploying the clean-burning trucks in 1989 resulting in 95 percent lower particulate emissions than diesel engines and 75 percent lower carbon monoxide emissions. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/environment/3675-ups-deploys-natural-gas-trucks-in-fresno Climate Conference Ignored Overpopulation. During the Copenhagen conference in Denmark, leaders from around the world addressed climate change, carbon footprints and ways to solve the dilemma. However, they failed to address the core issue: human overpopulation. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/21/climate-conference-ignored-overpopulation/ Study Links Asia To Smog Component In Western US. Grants Pass, Ore. -- Ozone blowing over from Asia is raising background levels of a major ingredient of smog in the skies over California, Oregon, Washington and other Western states, according to a new study appearing in Thursday's edition of the journal Nature. The amounts are small and, so far, only found in a region of the atmosphere known as the free troposphere, at an altitude of two to five miles, but the development could complicate U.S. efforts to control air pollution. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012002447_pf.html Murkowski Wins Dem Support On EPA Bill. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is joining forces with Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski in an effort to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases. Lincoln, a politically vulnerable senator who comes from a manufacturing state that leans Republican, warned that “heavy-handed EPA regulation, as well as the current cap and trade bills in Congress, will cost us jobs and put us at an even greater competitive disadvantage to China, India and others.” Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31797.html Opinion: Climate Change Camp Experiencing A Cooling-Off Period. Global warming's heyday of 2006 and 2007 is long gone. With temperatures dropping recently, skepticism may be rising. Climate change just isn't what it used to be. Case in point: The number of otherwise intelligent people who are saying that all the cold weather (in the East) and rain (here at home) are causing them to lose faith in the gospel of global warming. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-daum21-2010jan21,0,6630778,print.column Don't Punish Producers. This is in response to the Jan. 17 article, "Group's 'green' facade crumble." Thank God for polluters. If we didn't have polluters -- I call them producers -- we wouldn't have an economy. They are the goose that lays the golden egg. For too long we've been passing laws and regulations that either put them out of business or drive them out of the state. Thank God for the AB 32 implementation group. It's high time that producers united in an effort to save our state from excessive environmental regulations. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x113240571/Dont-punish-producers Kettleman City Landfill Growth Sparks Suit. A group of Kettleman City residents is going to court to try to stop the expansion of a hazardous-waste landfill that they suspect has caused birth defects. People for Clean Air and Water, a group of Kettleman City residents, and Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice said Wednesday the county's environmental review of the project was flawed and a permit for the expansion should be thrown out. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/265/story/1790305.html Bio-Coal: An Innovative Solution For Producing Clean Energy From Beetle Kill. It would be hard to think of an economic problem that couldn’t be solved if industry, government, finance, politicians, and environmentalists all agreed on the solution. Currently, there are two big problems in the Intermountain West begging for just such a comprehensive solution. They are what to do with millions of acres of dead lodgepole pine trees killed by beetle infestation, and how to reach the goal of cleaner coal-generated electricity production. Posted. http://www.deltacountyindependent.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12991:bio-coal-an-innovative-solution-for-producing-clean-energy-from-beetle-kill&catid=34:delta&Itemid=347 Retail Giant Completes Major Solar Electric Installation. Walmart has completed its largest solar power project at its Apple Valley distribution centre in southern California. The 5300 ground-mounted solar electric panels cover 7 acres and have total capacity of 1 MW. The facility is part of a solar power pilot project that Walmart first announced in May 2007, to purchase solar PV systems for 22 Walmart stores, Sam’s Club locations and distribution centers in California and Hawaii. Posted. http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/6616/retail-giant-completes-major-solar-electric-installation/ 20 Percent Wind Power By 2024 Possible But 'Challenging' – Study. Wind power could supply more than 20 percent of electricity demand for the nation's eastern grid in 2024 if a large overlay of new transmission lines is built and grid operations are reorganized to share wind energy widely across the region, according to the most detailed study of the issue to date, led by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/21/3 http://www.sanluisobispo.com/environment/story/996585.html Blogs Smog in the Western U.S.: Blame China? Ozone from Asia is wafting across the Pacific on springtime winds and boosting the amount of the smog-producing chemical found in the skies above the Western United States, researchers said in a study released Wednesday. The study, published in the journal Nature, probes a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists in the last decade: Ground-level ozone has dropped in cities thanks to tighter pollution controls, but it has risen in rural areas in the Western U.S., where there is little industry or automobile traffic. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/ozone-smog-air-pollution-greenhouse-gases-china-pollution-owen-r-cooper-kathy-law.html Climate Change Bill Is in Doubt. As Democrats on Capitol Hill and the White House contemplated the fallout of the special election results in Massachusetts on Tuesday, proponents of major climate change legislation said they would persist in their efforts to win passage of a bill this year, despite a hostile political environment. Posted. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/climate-change-bill-is-in-doubt/ White House Not Backing Down On Climate. A senior White House official on Thursday said the Obama administration is continuing to press Congress to endorse cap-and-trade legislation, deflecting calls to back a more limited package of energy measures that omits mandatory greenhouse gas cuts. Posted. http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/77255-white-house-official-cap-and-trade-has-strong-support-on-capitol-hill **U.S. vote dims hopes for stronger world climate pact * Raises questions about Kyoto pact follow-up * Risks of Doha-type stalemate in climate talks * Knock-on risks in Australia, Japan, Canada * Hoyer says cap and trade "not dead" (Adds California official in paragraphs 6-7) By David Fogarty and Alister Doyle SINGAPORE/OSLO, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Hopes for stronger world action in 2010 to curb climate change have dimmed after the U.S. Democrats lost a key Senate seat to a Republican opposed to capping emissions, experts said on Wednesday. The election of Republican Scott Brown, an opponent of cap and trade, to the Senate after the death of Democrat Edward Kennedy dims prospects for U.S. action. Once Brown takes office, Democrats will have 59 seats in the Senate and the Republicans 41. The bill needs 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles. Backers of the existing international Kyoto Protocol, which obliges all industrialized nations except the United States to cut emissions until 2012, will be more reluctant to take on tougher new goals for 2020 unless Washington also joins in. U.N. climate talks in Mexico in November are meant to build on a weak "Copenhagen Accord" worked out last month by nations including the United States that sets a goal of limiting warming to no more than 2 Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial times. But the Mexico meeting will be undermined if the United States, the top emitter behind China, has not set caps on carbon emissions. That might dash hopes for a Kyoto successor from 2013 and mean a system of domestic pledges instead. "We can't afford climate to be a dysfunctional regime like trade," said Nick Mabey, head of the E3G climate think-tank in London. He said there were risks talks would stall, like the inconclusive Doha round on freer world trade launched in 2001. Mary Nichols, the top official implementing California's state climate change law, told Reuters that state and regional climate change efforts could now take center stage in the United States. "We've been feeling ever since Copenhagen that the focus was going to be on regional efforts for the coming year, regardless of what happened in the Massachusetts election," she said in a telephone interview. Many nations have been sitting on the fence before deciding firm carbon policies, waiting for U.S. legislation. President Barack Obama wants to cut emissions by 4 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, or a 17 percent cut from 2005 levels. Countries are supposed to propose carbon-cutting policies under the Copenhagen Accord by Jan. 31. U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the legislation might have to be split in two to ensure that less controversial parts encouraging use of alternative energies can pass. Tougher elements limiting emissions could then be handled separately. "I don't believe that cap and trade is dead," he said. MOMENTUM Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, said U.S. willingness to act had built since ex-President George W. Bush took office in 2001 and said Kyoto would cost jobs and wrongly omitted carbon curbs by poor nations. "I don't think that any political development in the United States means turning back nine years on the climate change agenda," he said. Many Americans were concerned, for instance, with energy security and hoped for jobs in a greener economy. But some experts said failure to pass U.S. legislation could have a knock-on in countries such as Australia, Japan or Canada which are considering stronger action beyond 2012 that aims to avert ever more heatwaves, droughts, floods and rising sea levels. "2009 was fairly disappointing and 2010 could be another year of slow policy development to those trying to launch their own cap and trade schemes," said Trevor Sikorski, director of carbon markets research at Barclays Capital. Still, he predicted the value of global carbon markets would grow in 2010 -- boosted by an increase in prices even though the growth of trading volume would slow. "The issue of cap and trade does not necessarily go away. I expect banks will continue low-key capacity building as there is no downside if a market doesn't develop by 2011 or later," said Garth Edward, head of environmental products at Citi. "They'll keep building the franchise," he said. The European Union sees itself as a leader in combating climate change, and has set a goal of cutting emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, or 30 percent if others join. "We need global cooperation and progress will only be possible with internationally binding commitments -- but for everyone," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the Bundestag lower house of parliament on Wednesday. The Pacific island of Tuvalu fears rising seas could wash it off the map. Ian Fry, who represents Tuvalu in U.N. talks, said U.S. carbon caps had to be passed by mid-year or would be put back into 2011 because of November elections that cover about a third of the Senate seats. Environmental activists saw only bad news from the Senate. "On the international front, China is constantly looking to the U.S. on climate bills ... This is definitely bad news. It doesn't bring new confidence to international negotiations," said Ailun Yang of Greenpeace in Beijing. (With extra reporting by Michael Szabo in London, Pete Harrison in Brussels, Bappa Majumdar in New Delhi, Ralph Jennings in Beijing, Madeline Chambers and Paul Carrel in Berlin and Peter Henderson in San Francisco; Editing by Jon Boyle and Cynthia Osterman ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:58:25 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 22-25, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 22-25, 2010. 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. Asian Smog Is Crossing Over To Western U.S., Study Finds. Ozone from Asia is wafting across the Pacific on springtime winds and boosting the amount of the smog-producing gas found in the skies above the western United States, researchers say in a new study. The study, published in the journal Nature, looks at a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists in the past decade: Ground-level ozone has dropped in U.S. cities thanks to tighter pollution controls, but it has risen in rural areas in the West, where there is little industry or automobile traffic. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/local/story/1019557.html CARB Deadline On Drayage Truck Funding Coming Feb. 5; Work Group Held. Oakland, Calif. — Drayage trucks that service the Port of Oakland and which got an extension under the Proposition 1B (eligible for funding) criteria must have a financing option and have a retrofit vendor, with documentation provided by Feb. 5, the West State Alliance reminds port drivers. Posted. http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/1/25/CARBdeadlineondrayagetruckfundingcomingFeb5workgroupheld.aspx CARB Says It Has Issued 100 Reefer Citations In New Year. The California Air Resources Board says rumors about further delays of the enforcement for its reefer regulation are untrue. In fact, the air quality agency says it issued about 100 tickets during the first two weeks of January alone. CARB began enforcement of in-use performance standards on Jan. 1, 2010, for all model year 2002 and older reefers – or transportation refrigeration units – as the agency calls them. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Jan10/011810/012210-04.htm Opposition Growing to California's Global Warming Law. Sacramento – Survey results released yesterday show increasing opposition to California’s landmark global warming legislation that is currently being implemented by the California Air Resources Board. When initially asked if voters support AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, that aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020, 58 percent of those surveyed were somewhat or strongly in favor of the regulations and 27 percent were somewhat or strongly opposed. Posted. http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/137966 Another Big Speech Looms, But Climate Activists Want Action. A leading congressional Democrat said President Obama needs to "lay the prestige of the presidency on the line" in his State of the Union address Wednesday and in the months to come on climate change. "I think the president needs to underscore that climate and energy reform is a priority for 2010, as specifically as possible," said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who has been working to build a global warming compromise in the Senate, where legislation remains stalled after passage in the House last year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/25/25climatewire-another-state-of-the-union-speech-looms-but-86243.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/25/2 Editorial: The Clean, Green Desert. It's an environmental catch-22. California needs to meet its aggressive goals for renewable-energy production, but solar and wind farms require lots of space. The farms' land gobbling can conflict with one of Californians' most cherished values: the preservation of pristine wilderness and animal habitat. As the state gets serious about increasing its renewable-energy portfolio, there's going to be tension. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is learning that the hard way. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/25/EDP21BL21N.DTL Senators Want to Bar E.P.A. Greenhouse Gas Limits. Washington — In a direct challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority, Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, introduced a resolution on Thursday to prevent the agency from taking any action to regulate carbon dioxide and other climate-altering gases. Ms. Murkowski, joined by 35 Republicans and three conservative Democrats, proposed to use the Congressional Review Act to strip the agency of the power to limit emissions of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/science/earth/22climate.html?ref=todayspaper Past Decade Warmest on Record, NASA Data Shows. Washington — The decade ending in 2009 was the warmest on record, new surface temperature figures released Thursday by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration show. The agency also found that 2009 was the second warmest year since 1880, when modern temperature measurement began. The warmest year was 2005. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/science/earth/22warming.html?ref=todayspaper Climate Change Camp Experiencing a Cooling-Off Period. Global warming’s heyday of 2006 and 2007 is long gone. With temperatures dropping recently, skepticism may be rising. To their way of thinking, it’s fine and good to be bellyaching about rising sea levels when it’s 100 degrees outside. It’s easy to remember to carry around your reusable tote bag when drought begets parched hillsides, which beget wildfires, which beget air that smells like rotisserie chicken minus the chicken. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100124/OPINION/100129772/1042?Title=Climate-change-camp-experiencing-a-cooling-off-period Conditions Improving For Ethanol Producers. Pacific Ethanol, other companies gearing up to boost capacity to meet expected increase in demand. Idled ethanol plants, such as the one operated in Idaho by Pacific Ethanol Inc., are coming back on line as the industry’s survivors bet on a recovery. Sacramento-based Pacific Ethanol and other ethanol firms are placing their bets largely because of improving market conditions as well as the federal renewable-fuel standard, which requires oil companies to expand their ethanol purchases every year for the next dozen years. California’s low-carbon fuel standard also could boost demand. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/01/25/story7.html?b=1264395600^2774701&t=printable A New Heavyweight Among Hybrids. TESTED: Caterpillar D7E WHAT IS IT? A diesel-electric bulldozer. HOW MUCH? Base price is $560,000; as tested, $600,000. Loading up with options like a heated seat, rear camera, rock guards, GPS tracking device and autopilot blade controls can run the sticker to $650,000. WHAT MAKES IT RUN? A 9.3-liter 6-cylinder Caterpillar turbodiesel, rated at 235 horsepower and 719 pound-feet of torque, bolts to a 480-volt generator. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/automobiles/autoreviews/24DOZER.html Fremont Considers New Green Requirements. Fremont — Not even global warming can come between Fremont and the automobile, but the city is beginning to debate green initiatives that could affect where residents eat and the resale value of their homes. One idea under consideration would require that homes be brought up to the latest environmental and energy efficient standards at the point of sale. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14241641 Judge Rules Bay Area "Ghost Fleet" Violates Pollution Laws. Sacramento — A federal judge has found that a fleet of rotting warships anchored near San Francisco Bay is in violation of federal and state pollution laws. Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. ruled in U.S. District Court in Sacramento today that the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet was in violation of the federal Clean Water Act. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14241638 Fight Over Kettleman Landfill Headed To Court. Kettleman City, Calif.—The fate of expansion plans for California's largest hazardous-waste landfill in Kettleman City that some blame for causing birth defects is headed to court. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14240891?nclick_check=1 Port of Oakland Trucker Strike Averted. Oakland — A planned strike Wednesday by frustrated Port of Oakland truckers was narrowly averted when Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums appealed to the drivers for patience. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_14233580 Energy Efficiency To Shine In 2010. Solar and wind power may get the headlines and attention, but green-tech experts say 2010 will be dominated by energy efficiency, the mundane but critical process of cutting the amount of gas and electricity that homes and offices use. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_14241691 China To Rich Nations: Hand Out Climate Money Now. New Delhi—Brazil, China, India and South Africa called Sunday for developed countries to quickly begin handing over the $10 billion pledged in Copenhagen to poor countries to help them deal with the effects of climate change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14259061 Scientists Create Model Of Monster 'Frankenstorm'. Los Angeles—Think the recent wild weather that hammered California was bad? Experts are imagining far worse. As torrential rains pelted wildfire-stripped hillsides and flooded highways, a team of scientists hunkered down at the California Institute of Technology to work on a "Frankenstorm" scenario—a mother lode wintry blast that could potentially sock the Golden State. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14259247 Stop Eating Meat and Save the Planet? Delegates arriving at the gates of the climate conference in Copenhagen last month were met by women in furry animal suits holding placards showing pictures of lambs, cows and pigs and warning, “Don’t Eat Me.” Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/business/energy-environment/25iht-green25.html?scp=2&sq=climate%20change&st=cse Sunflower DNA Map Could Produce Plants For Fuel. Sioux Falls, S.D. -- A $10.5 million research project aimed at mapping the DNA sequence of sunflowers could one day yield a towering new variety for both food and fuel. Researchers envision crossbreeding a standard sunflower with the Silverleaf species out of Texas to produce a hybrid with bright yellow flowers bursting with tasty seeds and thick stalks filled with complex sugars that can be turned into ethanol. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/22/national/a000055S18.DTL&type=printable California’s Burning Secrets. In past years our elected officials have warned that the smoke from the burning of forests in the Amazon and elsewhere causes air pollution, climate change, destruction of our environment, drought, increasing health problems, and other maladies. We decry the decimation while sitting smugly in our own states, counties, towns, and rural communities here in the United States, pretending that smoke pollution only happens in other nations, not our own. Posted. http://www.newswithviews.com/Peterson/rosalind123.htm Feds To Set Government Wide GHG Target. The Obama administration will cut its own greenhouse gases in what a White House official described yesterday an "ambitious" plan to reduce the federal government's emissions by 2020. With more than 500,000 buildings and 600,000 vehicles and providing a range of goods and services, the federal government is the nation's single largest energy user. But the total level of emissions is still unknown. The cuts will be measured against a 2008 baseline and, experts said, will mark the first time the government gets a real gauge on its carbon footprint. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/22/5 Calif. Nuclear Revival? A French Company Rolls The Dice. Correction appended. San Francisco -- Conventional wisdom says California is a lousy place to bet on new nuclear power. In Berkeley, the city government won't buy services of any kind from a company that refuses to sign a "nuclear free" disclosure. In Sacramento, a moratorium against new reactor construction has held since 1976. And statewide, energy developers have a hard enough time securing permits for massive power plants run by renewable energy, much less finding enough political daylight to launch a multibillion-dollar nuclear project. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/22/1 Algae Growth Has Significant Environmental Impact – Study. Growing algae for use in biofuels has a greater environmental impact than sources such as corn, switch grass and canola, researchers found in the first life-cycle assessment of algae growth. Interest in algae-based biofuels has blossomed in the past year, sparking major investments from Exxon Mobil Corp. and Dow Chemical Co., and it has gained steam on Capitol Hill, as well. But the nascent industry has major environmental hurdles to overcome before ramping up production, according to research published this week in Environmental Science and Technology. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/22/8 Blogs Global Warming: Ballot Initiative Would Curb California Efforts. So what happens if California delays the implementation of its landmark global warming law, Assembly Bill 32? The state's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office has done the math on Measure 94, a proposed ballot measure, and assessed the fallout. Its verdict? The measure would cripple but not completely dismantle the state's efforts to slash its greenhouse gas emissions; it could lead to bigger short-term profits for some businesses, but dampen investments in clean technology and green jobs. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/global-warming-ab-32-measure-94-climate-change-schwarzenegger.html To Save Sea Life, Power Plants Face Tough New Rules. The massive cooling towers would rise like a row of silos along Intertate 5, the domes of the San Onofre nuclear plant facing them across eight lanes of traffic. That’s the nightmare scenario suggested by officials at Southern California Edison, the nuclear plant’s owners and operators, if they are forced by a state environmental agency to abandon the plant’s ocean-water cooling system. The system’s screened pipe can suck in two billion gallons of seawater a day to condense steam heated by the plant’s two nuclear reactors, though the seawater never makes contact with nuclear material. Posted. http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/23/to-save-sea-life-power-plants-face-tough-new-rules/18929/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:01:15 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 26, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 22-25, 2010. 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. Asian Smog Is Crossing Over To Western U.S., Study Finds. Ozone from Asia is wafting across the Pacific on springtime winds and boosting the amount of the smog-producing gas found in the skies above the western United States, researchers say in a new study. The study, published in the journal Nature, looks at a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists in the past decade: Ground-level ozone has dropped in U.S. cities thanks to tighter pollution controls, but it has risen in rural areas in the West, where there is little industry or automobile traffic. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/local/story/1019557.html CARB Deadline On Drayage Truck Funding Coming Feb. 5; Work Group Held. Oakland, Calif. — Drayage trucks that service the Port of Oakland and which got an extension under the Proposition 1B (eligible for funding) criteria must have a financing option and have a retrofit vendor, with documentation provided by Feb. 5, the West State Alliance reminds port drivers. Posted. http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/1/25/CARBdeadlineondrayagetruckfundingcomingFeb5workgroupheld.aspx CARB Says It Has Issued 100 Reefer Citations In New Year. The California Air Resources Board says rumors about further delays of the enforcement for its reefer regulation are untrue. In fact, the air quality agency says it issued about 100 tickets during the first two weeks of January alone. CARB began enforcement of in-use performance standards on Jan. 1, 2010, for all model year 2002 and older reefers – or transportation refrigeration units – as the agency calls them. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Jan10/011810/012210-04.htm Opposition Growing to California's Global Warming Law. Sacramento – Survey results released yesterday show increasing opposition to California’s landmark global warming legislation that is currently being implemented by the California Air Resources Board. When initially asked if voters support AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, that aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020, 58 percent of those surveyed were somewhat or strongly in favor of the regulations and 27 percent were somewhat or strongly opposed. Posted. http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/137966 Another Big Speech Looms, But Climate Activists Want Action. A leading congressional Democrat said President Obama needs to "lay the prestige of the presidency on the line" in his State of the Union address Wednesday and in the months to come on climate change. "I think the president needs to underscore that climate and energy reform is a priority for 2010, as specifically as possible," said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who has been working to build a global warming compromise in the Senate, where legislation remains stalled after passage in the House last year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/25/25climatewire-another-state-of-the-union-speech-looms-but-86243.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/25/2 Editorial: The Clean, Green Desert. It's an environmental catch-22. California needs to meet its aggressive goals for renewable-energy production, but solar and wind farms require lots of space. The farms' land gobbling can conflict with one of Californians' most cherished values: the preservation of pristine wilderness and animal habitat. As the state gets serious about increasing its renewable-energy portfolio, there's going to be tension. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is learning that the hard way. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/25/EDP21BL21N.DTL Senators Want to Bar E.P.A. Greenhouse Gas Limits. Washington — In a direct challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority, Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, introduced a resolution on Thursday to prevent the agency from taking any action to regulate carbon dioxide and other climate-altering gases. Ms. Murkowski, joined by 35 Republicans and three conservative Democrats, proposed to use the Congressional Review Act to strip the agency of the power to limit emissions of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/science/earth/22climate.html?ref=todayspaper Past Decade Warmest on Record, NASA Data Shows. Washington — The decade ending in 2009 was the warmest on record, new surface temperature figures released Thursday by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration show. The agency also found that 2009 was the second warmest year since 1880, when modern temperature measurement began. The warmest year was 2005. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/science/earth/22warming.html?ref=todayspaper Climate Change Camp Experiencing a Cooling-Off Period. Global warming’s heyday of 2006 and 2007 is long gone. With temperatures dropping recently, skepticism may be rising. To their way of thinking, it’s fine and good to be bellyaching about rising sea levels when it’s 100 degrees outside. It’s easy to remember to carry around your reusable tote bag when drought begets parched hillsides, which beget wildfires, which beget air that smells like rotisserie chicken minus the chicken. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100124/OPINION/100129772/1042?Title=Climate-change-camp-experiencing-a-cooling-off-period Conditions Improving For Ethanol Producers. Pacific Ethanol, other companies gearing up to boost capacity to meet expected increase in demand. Idled ethanol plants, such as the one operated in Idaho by Pacific Ethanol Inc., are coming back on line as the industry’s survivors bet on a recovery. Sacramento-based Pacific Ethanol and other ethanol firms are placing their bets largely because of improving market conditions as well as the federal renewable-fuel standard, which requires oil companies to expand their ethanol purchases every year for the next dozen years. California’s low-carbon fuel standard also could boost demand. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/01/25/story7.html?b=1264395600^2774701&t=printable A New Heavyweight Among Hybrids. TESTED: Caterpillar D7E WHAT IS IT? A diesel-electric bulldozer. HOW MUCH? Base price is $560,000; as tested, $600,000. Loading up with options like a heated seat, rear camera, rock guards, GPS tracking device and autopilot blade controls can run the sticker to $650,000. WHAT MAKES IT RUN? A 9.3-liter 6-cylinder Caterpillar turbodiesel, rated at 235 horsepower and 719 pound-feet of torque, bolts to a 480-volt generator. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/automobiles/autoreviews/24DOZER.html Fremont Considers New Green Requirements. Fremont — Not even global warming can come between Fremont and the automobile, but the city is beginning to debate green initiatives that could affect where residents eat and the resale value of their homes. One idea under consideration would require that homes be brought up to the latest environmental and energy efficient standards at the point of sale. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14241641 Judge Rules Bay Area "Ghost Fleet" Violates Pollution Laws. Sacramento — A federal judge has found that a fleet of rotting warships anchored near San Francisco Bay is in violation of federal and state pollution laws. Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. ruled in U.S. District Court in Sacramento today that the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet was in violation of the federal Clean Water Act. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14241638 Fight Over Kettleman Landfill Headed To Court. Kettleman City, Calif.—The fate of expansion plans for California's largest hazardous-waste landfill in Kettleman City that some blame for causing birth defects is headed to court. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14240891?nclick_check=1 Port of Oakland Trucker Strike Averted. Oakland — A planned strike Wednesday by frustrated Port of Oakland truckers was narrowly averted when Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums appealed to the drivers for patience. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_14233580 Energy Efficiency To Shine In 2010. Solar and wind power may get the headlines and attention, but green-tech experts say 2010 will be dominated by energy efficiency, the mundane but critical process of cutting the amount of gas and electricity that homes and offices use. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_14241691 China To Rich Nations: Hand Out Climate Money Now. New Delhi—Brazil, China, India and South Africa called Sunday for developed countries to quickly begin handing over the $10 billion pledged in Copenhagen to poor countries to help them deal with the effects of climate change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14259061 Scientists Create Model Of Monster 'Frankenstorm'. Los Angeles—Think the recent wild weather that hammered California was bad? Experts are imagining far worse. As torrential rains pelted wildfire-stripped hillsides and flooded highways, a team of scientists hunkered down at the California Institute of Technology to work on a "Frankenstorm" scenario—a mother lode wintry blast that could potentially sock the Golden State. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14259247 Stop Eating Meat and Save the Planet? Delegates arriving at the gates of the climate conference in Copenhagen last month were met by women in furry animal suits holding placards showing pictures of lambs, cows and pigs and warning, “Don’t Eat Me.” Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/business/energy-environment/25iht-green25.html?scp=2&sq=climate%20change&st=cse Sunflower DNA Map Could Produce Plants For Fuel. Sioux Falls, S.D. -- A $10.5 million research project aimed at mapping the DNA sequence of sunflowers could one day yield a towering new variety for both food and fuel. Researchers envision crossbreeding a standard sunflower with the Silverleaf species out of Texas to produce a hybrid with bright yellow flowers bursting with tasty seeds and thick stalks filled with complex sugars that can be turned into ethanol. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/22/national/a000055S18.DTL&type=printable California’s Burning Secrets. In past years our elected officials have warned that the smoke from the burning of forests in the Amazon and elsewhere causes air pollution, climate change, destruction of our environment, drought, increasing health problems, and other maladies. We decry the decimation while sitting smugly in our own states, counties, towns, and rural communities here in the United States, pretending that smoke pollution only happens in other nations, not our own. Posted. http://www.newswithviews.com/Peterson/rosalind123.htm Feds To Set Government Wide GHG Target. The Obama administration will cut its own greenhouse gases in what a White House official described yesterday an "ambitious" plan to reduce the federal government's emissions by 2020. With more than 500,000 buildings and 600,000 vehicles and providing a range of goods and services, the federal government is the nation's single largest energy user. But the total level of emissions is still unknown. The cuts will be measured against a 2008 baseline and, experts said, will mark the first time the government gets a real gauge on its carbon footprint. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/22/5 Calif. Nuclear Revival? A French Company Rolls The Dice. Correction appended. San Francisco -- Conventional wisdom says California is a lousy place to bet on new nuclear power. In Berkeley, the city government won't buy services of any kind from a company that refuses to sign a "nuclear free" disclosure. In Sacramento, a moratorium against new reactor construction has held since 1976. And statewide, energy developers have a hard enough time securing permits for massive power plants run by renewable energy, much less finding enough political daylight to launch a multibillion-dollar nuclear project. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/22/1 Algae Growth Has Significant Environmental Impact – Study. Growing algae for use in biofuels has a greater environmental impact than sources such as corn, switch grass and canola, researchers found in the first life-cycle assessment of algae growth. Interest in algae-based biofuels has blossomed in the past year, sparking major investments from Exxon Mobil Corp. and Dow Chemical Co., and it has gained steam on Capitol Hill, as well. But the nascent industry has major environmental hurdles to overcome before ramping up production, according to research published this week in Environmental Science and Technology. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/22/8 Blogs Global Warming: Ballot Initiative Would Curb California Efforts. So what happens if California delays the implementation of its landmark global warming law, Assembly Bill 32? The state's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office has done the math on Measure 94, a proposed ballot measure, and assessed the fallout. Its verdict? The measure would cripple but not completely dismantle the state's efforts to slash its greenhouse gas emissions; it could lead to bigger short-term profits for some businesses, but dampen investments in clean technology and green jobs. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/global-warming-ab-32-measure-94-climate-change-schwarzenegger.html To Save Sea Life, Power Plants Face Tough New Rules. The massive cooling towers would rise like a row of silos along Intertate 5, the domes of the San Onofre nuclear plant facing them across eight lanes of traffic. That’s the nightmare scenario suggested by officials at Southern California Edison, the nuclear plant’s owners and operators, if they are forced by a state environmental agency to abandon the plant’s ocean-water cooling system. The system’s screened pipe can suck in two billion gallons of seawater a day to condense steam heated by the plant’s two nuclear reactors, though the seawater never makes contact with nuclear material. Posted. http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/23/to-save-sea-life-power-plants-face-tough-new-rules/18929/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:19:43 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- **CORRECTION** Newsclips for January 26, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 26, 2010. 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. California Aims For Permit Auction In Cap-And-Trade. Top climate regulator aims for 100 percent auction goal. Los Angeles - California is aiming to auction off all its permits to emit greenhouse gases -- rather than give them away -- in its cap-and-trade program, but how quickly it will reach that target is still unclear, the state's chief climate regulator said on Monday. "That's the goal," said California Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols, referring to the goal of 100 percent auction of permits. "The question is when do you begin and how quickly do you ramp up," Nichols told Reuters on the sidelines of an environmental conference in Los Angeles. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2519704320100125 EPA Sets A New Standard For A Pollutant Found Near Heavy Traffic. The Obama administration on Monday set a new health standard for short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant that's particularly harmful to people with respiratory illnesses who live near freeways and other busy roadways. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_W_pollution26.37e6dc8.html Diesel Emission Rules Still Under Question. The California Air Resources Board hinted last month that it is willing to relax the implementation of emission reduction standards at its' April meeting. So between now and then, some truckers are trying to keep the heat on. “If they only get 30,000 miles on the truck, it's not prudent, but a third as much as a truck getting 100,000 miles," said Skip Brown with Delta Construction. Posted. http://www.kcbs.com/Diesel-Emission-Rules-Still-Under-Question/6202057 New Anti-Smog Restrictions Could Warm Planet. The Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to tighten the ozone standard for smog will have an unfortunate side effect: Because of a quirk of atmospheric chemistry, those measures will hasten global warming. There's no question that smog is a hazard that deserves attention. Lydia Wegman of the EPA says the new ozone limits would have significant health benefits. Posted. http://www.wbur.org/npr/122626662 Air Quality Board to Be Briefed On Wood-Fire Issue. A briefing on the city of Chico's movement toward mandatory wood fire rules next winter will be presented Thursday to the Butte County Air Quality Management District board. No formal action is being asked of the board. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14269075 Implementation Group Looking For Real Solutions. A more accurate headline for the Jan. 17 article, "Group's 'green' facade crumbles" would have been "Attempted smear of climate change watchdog group fails miserably." The AB 32 Implementation Group represents almost 200 diverse stakeholders, including the Kern County Taxpayers Association, who are constructively engaged in the public process of crafting policies that will help achieve the goals of California's Global Warming Solutions Act without bankrupting the families and businesses already struggling to survive a prolonged recession and record-high unemployment. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x113241035/Implementation-Group-looking-for-real-solutions Mojave Desert Air Quality District Opposes Climate Change Law. Fearing California climate change regulations will cripple an already-floundering economy, regional air quality officials agreed Monday to oppose the state mandate to reduce greenhouse gases. The Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District Governing Board unanimously voted to send a letter to Sacramento urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to suspend and the state Legislature to repeal Assembly Bill 32. Posted. http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/law-16937-air-mojave.html If Polls Say 'Yes' to a Climate Bill, Why Do Lawmakers Say 'Maybe'? If one were to judge the fate of climate legislation based solely on public polling, it would appear that it is only a matter of time before the bill easily cruises through Congress and arrives on the president's desk. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/26/26climatewire-if-polls-say-yes-to-a-climate-bill-why-do-la-41121.html Can You Build A Global Climate Pact Out Of 12 Paragraphs? Climate change leaders from the United States, Mexico and the European Union said yesterday that they want a legally binding global warming agreement by the end of the year, but raised more questions than answers about what it might look like. One thing, though, appears certain. The Copenhagen Accord -- the three-page blueprint that world leaders produced in Denmark last year -- is nowhere near complete enough to be fashioned into a climate treaty." There must be a next stage," said U.S. deputy climate envoy Jonathan Pershing. "Twelve paragraphs do not make for an adequate and comprehensive agreement." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/26/3 Climate Policy Pushes Electric Cars, But It's Not The Driver. Carmakers shared different visions yesterday of how quickly battery-powered cars will take off, but they didn't mention a carbon price as a major factor. Whether they represented startup companies, industry groups or major auto companies, executives at a congressional summit yesterday pointed to other factors -- technology improvements, government incentives and consumer consciousness -- as the main drivers of the electric car, with climate policy getting nary a mention. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/26/4 Pentagon To List Warming As A 'Destabilizing' Force – Report. When the Pentagon unveils its quadrennial defense review next week, the planning document is expected to describe a disordered global security picture that will for the first time identify climate change as a factor likely to destabilize weak governments, researchers close to the process said yesterday. Christine Parthemore and Will Rogers, in a preview of the review published by the Center for a New American Security yesterday, said their interactions with the drafters of the review indicate that the Pentagon has started to take global warming seriously as a national security threat. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/26/5 Intel Tops Expanding EPA 'Green Power' List. Computer chip maker Intel Corp. tops a list of companies and local governments that have agreed to spend more money on "green power" projects designed to cut carbon dioxide emissions from household electricity use. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel yesterday announced it has increased its stockpile of renewable energy credits by 10 percent, an effort that now includes 51 percent of the company's total electricity use. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/26/6 Scientists Pinpoint Molecule That Removes CO2 From Air. Researchers have discovered a complex molecule containing copper atoms that can suck carbon dioxide directly from the air. The research, published in Science, highlights the molecule as an attractive way to capture CO2 and combat global warming. In addition to removing CO2, the molecule creates useful chemical byproducts and can return to its original state to repeat the process. But the method is impractical for large-scale climate engineering, according to the researchers. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/26/7 Limited Climate Change Data Could Affect Understanding Of Warming. Climate scientists may be underestimating the amount of warming in the Canadian Arctic because they have been working with a declining number of samples from weather stations across the region, according to Canada's environment agency. The number of local stations included in the global database of surface temperatures culled by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from the World Meteorological Organization's raw data has dropped off in recent years, potentially affecting scientists' understanding of climate change in critically sensitive regions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/26/8 Model Predicts Wetlands' Methane Impact On Warming. Scientists have developed a model for predicting methane emissions from wetlands, which may improve understanding of climate change. Atmospheric methane accounts for some 20 percent of greenhouse gas heating. Scientists have solid knowledge of methane levels produced by landfills, livestock and fossil fuels, but wetlands -- which are responsible for 70 percent of methane emissions from natural sources -- are poorly understood. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/26/9 The Ozone Hole Is Mending. Now for the ‘But.’ That the hole in Earth’s ozone layer is slowly mending is considered a big victory for environmental policy makers. But in a new report, scientists say there is a downside: its repair may contribute to global warming. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/science/earth/26ozone.html Marin Voice: No Green Light for Energy Plan. NORTH BAY Leadership Council's members are committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and fighting global warming. Our members are installing solar panels, building new buildings that are LEED certified, conserving energy and water, reducing waste, recycling, and showing leadership on how to make business more sustainable. The greening of business operations, supply chains, facilities and more is today's reality. Posted. http://www.marinij.com/opinion/ci_14269118 Global Warming Ranks Last As A Top Priority: Pew survey. Among 21 social and economic issues, global warming ranks last as a top priority to Americans, who view it as increasingly less urgent, according to an annual survey released Monday by the Pew Research Center for People & the Press.r Just 28% of the 1,504 adults surveyed consider "dealing with global warming" a top priority, down from 38% three years ago. "Such a low ranking," Pew reports, "is driven in part by indifference among Republicans: just 11% consider global warming a top priority, compared with 43% of Democrats and 25% of independents." Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/01/pew-survey-fewer-americans-see-global-warming-and-environment-as-priorities/1 Methane Causes Vicious Cycle In Global Warming. Carbon dioxide is the gas we most associate with global warming, but methane gas also plays an important role. For reasons that are not well understood, methane gas stopped increasing in the atmosphere in the 1990s. But now it appears to be once again on the rise. Scientists are trying to understand why — and what to do about it. Methane gas comes from all sorts of sources including wetlands, rice paddies, cow tummies, coal mines, garbage dumps and even termites. Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122638800&ps=cprs Letters To The Editor: 'Green' Success Just Beginning. Re "Competition strong to lure green tech" (Page A1, Jan. 18): Jim Downing's story should erase any shred of doubt about the value of California's global warming laws in rebuilding our economy. Downing notes how government incentives have played a large role in growing the green tech industry. Federal funding has greased the wheels for job growth in Sacramento, because of local initiative in meeting the statewide renewable energy and efficiency standards. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/2488938-p2.html Editorial: Sacramento In Denial. Even Congress Figures Out Green Regulation’s Downside. The U.S. Labor Department report last week on December unemployment included still more grim news for California. The state had the nation’s biggest losses, with a net decline of 38,800 positions. Yet its unemployment rate stayed steady at 12.4 percent for a perverse reason: 106,000 state residents gave up looking for work. Contemplating the depth of the recession, California’s most popular politician last week had the common sense to change her mind on a related big issue: how to regulate the emissions believed to cause global warming. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/26/sacramento-in-denial/ Opinion: Implementation Group Looking For Real Solutions. A more accurate headline for the Jan. 17 article, "Group's 'green' facade crumbles" would have been "Attempted smear of climate change watchdog group fails miserably." The AB 32 Implementation Group represents almost 200 diverse stakeholders, including the Kern County Taxpayers Association, who are constructively engaged in the public process of crafting policies that will help achieve the goals of California's Global Warming Solutions Act without bankrupting the families and businesses already struggling to survive a prolonged recession and record-high unemployment. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x113241035/Implementation-Group-looking-for-real-solutions California's Best Climate-Smart Small Businesses Recognized. Sacramento - The California Air Resources Board announced the winners today of the state's first program to recognize small businesses that have demonstrated exceptional success in saving money while cutting their greenhouse gas emissions. ARB Chairman Mary Nichols, ARB Small Business Ombudsman La Ronda Bowen, and President of the California Small Business Association Betty Jo Toccoli recognized 21 recipients of the Small Business of the Year award, and six recipients of the Small Organization of the Year award at a public ceremony held at 3 PM in the Byron Sher Auditorium at the Cal/EPA building in Sacramento. Posted. http://members.whattheythink.com/news/index.cfm?id=41811# Climate Campaigner Shifts From Skeptic to 'Agnostic,' Urges Caution. London -- At the age of 52, Israeli-born Benny Peiser has become something of an institution in the combat-prone world of climate change politics. He is welcomed warmly by the skeptics and is rejected with equal fervor by the mainstream environmental movement. Peiser's CCNet climate news service has become required reading in recent years -- not least of all to find out what the skeptics are saying -- with close to 8,000 subscribers, including many U.S. scientists. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/26/26climatewire-climate-campaigner-shifts-from-skeptic-to-ag-61610.html?pagewanted=print Air Quality Board To Be Briefed On Wood-Fire Issue. Chico — A briefing on the city of Chico's movement toward mandatory wood fire rules next winter will be presented Thursday to the Butte County Air Quality Management District board. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14269075 Protecting Children From Harmful School Bus Diesel Emissions. Millions of school children across the nation ride on buses every day that use diesel fuel, exposing them to dangerous pollutants and serious health hazards. Part of Jim Blubaugh's job as head of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Clean Diesel Campaign is to clear the air by reducing emissions from thousands of diesel-fueled school buses, and in the process protect children from the noxious exhaust fumes. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/25/AR2010012500970_pf.html Asthma Sufferers Choke On New Smog Standards. New emissions standards are not strong enough to protect Chicagoans with asthma, a leading environmental health expert is warning. The EPA on Monday set a new air quality standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations. Cook County has the highest average hourly nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations measured in the United States, posing a major health threat to everyone, especially people who have lung disease. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-5328-Chicago-Page-One-Examiner~y2010m1d26-Asthma-sufferers-choke-on-new-smog-standards BLOGS Global Warming Science Settled? Try Scuttled. Posted. What with ClimateGate, the infamous hockey stick, the inflated sea-level/hurricane/drought predictions, to mention just a few, and now the fact that the zealots completely made up the idea of Himalayan glaciers melting away in 25 years, even the Chinese say it’s time to get real. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/25/global-warming-science-settled-try-scuttled/16315/ Global Warming Scam Exposed, Momentum Turning. Remember just the other day when it was revealed that the entire basis for global warming zealots’ prediction of the Himalayas glaciers melting by 2035 was plucked from an interview given to a popular magazine and had not a shred of scientific basis? Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:45:28 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 27, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 27, 2010. 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. California Northern Railroad Converts To Green Locomotives. New Locomotives Cut Emissions, Fuel. Historically, massive locomotives have been the antithesis of quiet, environmentally friendly machines. But the Davis-based California Northern Railroad Co. has converted its locomotive fleet to environmentally friendly GenSet N-ViroMotive locomotives, which have lower emissions, emit less noise and are more fuel-efficient than standard locomotives. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/business/story/2492052.html Ventura Gets First Plug-In Hybrid Electric School Bus In Southern California. The Ventura Unified School District will put the $200,000, state-of-the-art bus into service this week. It's expected to achieve 30% better fuel economy than a conventional bus. Major automakers are readying a wave of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles for consumers, but one local school district is already taking advantage of the technology. The Ventura Unified School District unveiled a $200,000, state-of-the-art, plug-in hybrid electric school bus Tuesday, the first in Southern California. The bus will start hauling students this week and replaces a polluting, 1977 model. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-electric-bus27-2010jan27,0,6990748,print.story Climate, Energy Programs Could See Boosts Despite Budget Freeze. Climate change and clean energy programs, which the Obama administration has championed, are expected to remain priorities at U.S. EPA and the Energy Department in the president's fiscal 2011 budget request despite a request to freeze non-military discretionary spending for the next three years. In an effort to make a dent in the federal deficit, the White House announced its plan yesterday to freeze non-military, discretionary spending for the next three years. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/01/27/27greenwire-climate-energy-programs-could-see-boosts-despit-7681.html?pagewanted=print Courts Become Battlefield Over Climate Change. The tiny village of Kivalina, Alaska, does not have a hotel, a restaurant or a movie theater. But it has a very big lawsuit that might affect the way the nation deals with climate change. Kivalina, an Inupiat Eskimo community of 400 perched on a barrier island north of the Arctic Circle, is accusing two dozen fuel and utility companies of helping to cause the climate change that it says is accelerating the island's erosion. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/27/MN891BO2GK.DTL&type=printable http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/business/energy-environment/27lawsuits.html?scp=2&sq=environment&st=cse Climate Law Delay Would Jolt Economy, Hurt Clean Tech – Analysis. Suspension of California's climate law this November would mean a positive jolt to the state economy in the near term followed by a delay in new energy technology investment, says an audit being circulated this week in Sacramento by a bipartisan group of government analysts. The study from the state's Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), which is charged with advising the attorney general on legislation, was required by law as a first step toward placing on the statewide ballot an effort to halt A.B. 32 until the economy recovers. It was sent to Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) yesterday. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/27/2 EPA's Jared Blumenfeld Promises Accountability. The happy days are over for polluters and those who would exploit resources in downtrodden inner-city communities, Indian reservations and San Francisco Bay, the new regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency declared Tuesday. Jared Blumenfeld, who took over the federal post this month, vowed during a news conference to make "revolutionary" changes that will end EPA invisibility and reconnect the agency to the citizens, whose health and livelihoods are at stake. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/27/BA591BNU5G.DTL&type=printable Iceland Leads Environmental Index as U.S. Falls. A new ranking of the world’s nations by environmental performance puts some of the globe’s largest economies far down the list, with the United States sinking to 61st and China to 121st. In the previous version of the Environmental Performance Index, compiled every two years by Yale and Columbia University researchers, the United States ranked 39th, and China 105th. The top performer this year is Iceland, which gets virtually all of its power from renewable sources — hydropower and geothermal energy. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/science/earth/27index.html EPA To Investigate Cluster Of Birth Defects In Kettleman City, Calif. Some residents blame a nearby toxic waste dump for health problems. U.S. says the study shows the Obama administration's commitment to environmental justice. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that it plans to investigate a cluster of facial birth defects and other health issues among migrant farm workers in the impoverished California enclave of Kettleman City as part of the Obama administration's pledge to shift the agency's attention toward issues of environmental justice. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-toxic27-2010jan27,0,4862438,print.story. Business Groups Call for Action on Emissions. Washington—The debate over how the U.S. should control emissions of greenhouse gases is heating up again, with some business groups calling for congressional action despite reluctance among many lawmakers to move on a broad climate bill in an election year. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704905604575027680736562068.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond No "Scaling Back" On US Cap-And-Trade - Sen. Kerry. Washington, - Senator John Kerry, a key U.S. lawmaker trying to craft a cap-and-trade bill, denied a report on Wednesday that advocates of this plan to curb climate change were scaling back their efforts. Posted. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKN2716573920100127 Editorial: Carbon monoxide Mandate Makes Sense. A bill mandating carbon monoxide detectors in all one-and-two family homes stands out in the current session of the State Legislature because it is a measure certain to save lives across Wisconsin. Of the plethora of acts and resolutions that will be debated and discussed this year, few can make that claim with as much certainty. Posted. http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20100127/OSH0602/1270386 Green Spaces (Lawns) Are Not So Green: University Of California Study. Those verdant green lawns in parks, athletic fields and -- gasp! --your front yard may do more environmental harm than good, says a new study by University of California-Irvine researchers. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/01/green-spaces-are-not-so-green-after-all/1 BLOGS Clean Energy's Prominent Place in the State of the Union. While few people outside the White House ever know what will be in the final version of the State of the Union before the president takes the dais, I remain confident that on Wednesday night, President Obama will say that clean energy investments can generate jobs and keep America competitive. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frances-beinecke/clean-energys-prominent-p_b_437567.html Kerry: Climate Change Supporters Must Match Tea Party Intensity. Climate change advocates must match the intensity of conservative “tea party” activists, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said Wednesday. “I want you to go out there and to start knocking on doors, and talking to people and telling people, ‘This has to happen,’ ” Kerry said in a speech at a climate and energy forum hosted by labor, farm and environmental groups. Posted. http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/78241-kerry-match-tea-party-intensity-in-fight-for-climate-legislation Is Climate-Change Litigation the New Asbestos? Back in October, LB colleague Nathan Koppel offered up this post on a Fifth Circuit decision allowing a lawsuit brought by Hurricane Katrina victims. The plaintiffs’ allegation: That oil and coal companies emitted greenhouse gasses that contributed to global warming that, in turn, caused a rise in sea levels, adding to Hurricane Katrina’s ferocity. Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/27/is-climate-change-litigation-the-new-asbestos/ TRU Blue: CARB Citing Reefer-Unit Violators. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) began enforcing the Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU) Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) in-use performance standards this month. According to a news release, CARB inspectors issued nearly 100 citations for violations of the TRU ATCM in the first part of this month. CARB adopted its Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) for TRUs and TRU generator sets on February 26, 2004. The Board is “fully committed to fully enforcing all aspects of the TRU ATCM,” CARB noted. Posted. http://fleetowner.com/green/archive/tru-blue-carb-0127/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:03:43 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newclips for January 28, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 28, 2010. 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. Obama Eager to Help Advance Climate Bill. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he wants to advance a climate bill that has been stalled in the U.S. Senate, but he did not say it had to include a cap-and-trade market for emissions blamed for warming the planet. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/28/us/politics/politics-us-obama-cleanenergy.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=carbon%20emissions&st=cse http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012801473.html Climate Change: Lead, Follow Or Get Out Of The Way. The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday, Jan. 27: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving forward with plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. At the same time, Congress - a leading source of hot air - is debating a resolution that would strip the EPA of its authority to act. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/world/story/1026431.html#ixzz0dvMcJpl7 SEC To Require Disclosure Of Climate Change Risks. A politically divided Securities and Exchange Commission voted on Wednesday to make clear when companies must provide information to investors about the business risks associated with climate change. The commission, in a 3 to 2 vote, decided to require that companies disclose in their public filings the impact of climate change on their businesses -- from new regulations or legislation they may face domestically or abroad to potential changes in economic trends or physical risks to a company. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012704502_pf.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703410004575029303322357276.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection EU Backs Climate Change Report Despite Flaws. Brussels — The European Union says it has "full confidence" in a key United Nations climate change study after its authors apologized for mistakes. The EU has based an ambitious and costly plan to turn into a low-carbon economy on dire warnings of global warming from a 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a panel of scientists affiliated with the United Nations. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2010-01-27-eu-climate-change-report_N.htm U.K. University in Climate Controversy Broke Law, Officials Say. The British university at the center of a controversy over stolen emails on climate change research broke the law by failing to comply with requests for raw data, U.K. authorities said. But the institution won't be prosecuted because the statute of limitations has expired. The U.K.'s Information Commissioner’s Office, the ICO, said the emails show requests made to the University of East Anglia under the Freedom of Information Act were "not dealt with as they should have been under the legislation." Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704194504575031022338013284.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Global Warming To Trigger More Warming. Oslo - Climate change caused by mankind will release extra heat-trapping gases stored in nature into the atmosphere in a small spur to global warming, a study showed. But the knock-on effect of the additional carbon dioxide -- stored in soils, plants and the oceans -- on top of industrial emissions building up in the atmosphere will be less severe than suggested by some recent studies, they said. "We are confirming that the feedback exists and is positive. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60Q51V20100127 Federal Agencies Prepare To Shrink Greenhouse Gas Footprints. The costs of greenhouse gas emissions cuts will guide how aggressively the Obama administration sets the federal government's first-ever reduction targets, agency officials and a top White House official said yesterday. After scouring their operations for fuel and energy saving options in response to President Obama's October executive order, 35 federal agencies reported their targets for the year 2020 to the White House in early January (ClimateWire, Jan. 22). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/28/7 Output Of Super-Warming Gas Grows, Despite Efforts To Curb It. Emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas have grown rapidly since the 1990s despite an international effort to curtail output, a new study finds. Researchers led by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Stephen Montzka say the world emitted roughly 13,500 metric tons of HFC-23 annually between 2006 and 2008 -- a rate that's about 50 percent higher than it was in the 1990s. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/28/10 Harsh Winter A Sign Of Disruptive Climate Change, Report Says. This winter's extreme weather -- with heavy snowfall in some places and unusually low temperatures -- is in fact a sign of how climate change disrupts long-standing patterns, according to a new report by the National Wildlife Federation. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012800041.html Grass-Fed Beef Has Bigger Carbon Footprint. Red meat has a bad reputation among the green-minded for its emissions of heat-trapping gases that exacerbate climate change. Fertilizer derived from fossil fuels is required for growing grain to feed cattle, and cows' digestion produces large amounts of the potent greenhouse gas methane, which is 25 times more heating than carbon dioxide. Posted. http://news.discovery.com/earth/grass-fed-beef-grain.html Truckers Clean Up Their Act. Truckers at the Port of Oakland are scrambling to clean up their rigs this month. If they can't show they've taken steps to reduce pollution from their trucks' diesel engines, they'll soon be out of work. Some truckers say the new state rules are too expensive, especially at a time when revenues are down. But treating health problems caused by diesel soot may be even pricier, as Amy Standen reports. Posted. http://www.kqed.org/quest/radio/truckers-clean-up-their-act Calif. Recipient of $2.25B In High-Speed Rail Funds. High-speed rail projects in California, Florida and Illinois are among the big winners of $8 billion in grants to be announced today by the White House. California will recieve $2.25 billion to begin work on an 800-mile-long, high-speed rail line tying Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area to Los Angeles and San Diego. The route will include stations in Fresno and a South Valley location. Work will include purchasing right-of-way, building track, signaling systems and stations and completing environmental reviews. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/government/3754-calif-recipient-of-225b-in-high-speed-rail-funds http://www.fresnobee.com/state/story/1799849.html Livermore Lab Scientists Report Promising Step Toward Fusion. Lawrence Livermore Laboratory scientists achieved a critical milestone in the lab's five-decade pursuit of fusion ignition, according to a study published online today in the journal Science. In a series of experiments which began last summer and concluded in early December, scientists at the lab's National Ignition Facility consistently achieved a critical first step for generating fusion ignition. The multibillion-dollar facility officially opened in May 2009. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14280777 China Sets Up Energy Agency Headed By PM. Beijing—China has set up a government agency headed by Premier Wen Jiabao to better coordinate energy policy, as world's second-largest power consumer faces growing domestic demand and struggles with shortages. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14283349 Social Forum Leftists Decry Climate Talks Failure. Porto Alegre, Brazil—Activists at the World Social forum say world leaders' failure to forge a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen shows the planet's most powerful nations are incapable of setting important global policy. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14285823 http://www.fresnobee.com/world/story/1799195.html EPA To Visit Calif. Town With Birth Defect Cluster. San Francisco, Calif.—Dozens of people chanted and held signs outside the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in San Francisco to draw more attention to a cluster of birth defects in a town near the largest toxic waste dump in the West. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14278369 http://www.fresnobee.com/updates/story/1798736.html Letters: California Failing. I have been paying close attention to California since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. I have watched California's politician’s worm and weasel their way around the will of the people. In the mid-1980s, we stopped building nuclear power plants. We haven't added a new oil refinery since 1981. We can no longer fish, farm, log or mine without environmentalist's heads exploding. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14280024 Neighbors Of Toxic Dump Rally In San Francisco. San Francisco—Residents of a California farm town near the largest toxic waste dump in the West gathered in San Francisco to protest outside the offices of the Environmental Protection Agency. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14279963 Kawneer Works on Carbon Footprint. Kawneer Company, Inc. of Visalia has a new program to help its employees and others in Tulare County become part of the solution to global climate change – and reduce their energy bills. Posted. http://www.valleyvoicenewspaper.com/vv/stories/2010/vv_kawneer_0384.htm BLOGS Lawsuits Battle Clear-Cutting In Sierra Nevada And Cascade Ranges. Will clear-cutting forests increase global warming? That's a contentious issue as California, which is seeking to slash its carbon footprint, wrestles over rules to manage the state's private forests. Today, the Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based environmental group, filed lawsuits against the California Department of Forestry in seven California counties to halt logging plans for 5,000 acres across the Sierra Nevada and Cascade regions. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/clear-cutting-forests-climate-change-sierra-nevada-global-warming.html Fremont-Based Solyndra Signs Belgium Solar Deal. That’s one way to go international: Fremont, Calif.-based solar company Solyndra Inc. has some of its cylindrical photovoltaic systems installed on rooftop sites in Belgium, the company said today. The project, involving 1.928 megawatt-peak of generation capability on 10 rooftops owned by a large food retailer in 10 cities, was completed in just two months and is the largest project ever for Solyndra. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/fremontbased-solyndra-signs-belgium-solar-deal-.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:36:17 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 28, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 28, 2010. 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. Obama Eager to Help Advance Climate Bill. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he wants to advance a climate bill that has been stalled in the U.S. Senate, but he did not say it had to include a cap-and-trade market for emissions blamed for warming the planet. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/28/us/politics/politics-us-obama-cleanenergy.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=carbon%20emissions&st=cse http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012801473.html Climate Change: Lead, Follow Or Get Out Of The Way. The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday, Jan. 27: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving forward with plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. At the same time, Congress - a leading source of hot air - is debating a resolution that would strip the EPA of its authority to act. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/world/story/1026431.html#ixzz0dvMcJpl7 SEC To Require Disclosure Of Climate Change Risks. A politically divided Securities and Exchange Commission voted on Wednesday to make clear when companies must provide information to investors about the business risks associated with climate change. The commission, in a 3 to 2 vote, decided to require that companies disclose in their public filings the impact of climate change on their businesses -- from new regulations or legislation they may face domestically or abroad to potential changes in economic trends or physical risks to a company. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012704502_pf.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703410004575029303322357276.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection EU Backs Climate Change Report Despite Flaws. Brussels — The European Union says it has "full confidence" in a key United Nations climate change study after its authors apologized for mistakes. The EU has based an ambitious and costly plan to turn into a low-carbon economy on dire warnings of global warming from a 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a panel of scientists affiliated with the United Nations. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2010-01-27-eu-climate-change-report_N.htm U.K. University in Climate Controversy Broke Law, Officials Say. The British university at the center of a controversy over stolen emails on climate change research broke the law by failing to comply with requests for raw data, U.K. authorities said. But the institution won't be prosecuted because the statute of limitations has expired. The U.K.'s Information Commissioner’s Office, the ICO, said the emails show requests made to the University of East Anglia under the Freedom of Information Act were "not dealt with as they should have been under the legislation." Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704194504575031022338013284.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Global Warming To Trigger More Warming. Oslo - Climate change caused by mankind will release extra heat-trapping gases stored in nature into the atmosphere in a small spur to global warming, a study showed. But the knock-on effect of the additional carbon dioxide -- stored in soils, plants and the oceans -- on top of industrial emissions building up in the atmosphere will be less severe than suggested by some recent studies, they said. "We are confirming that the feedback exists and is positive. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60Q51V20100127 Federal Agencies Prepare To Shrink Greenhouse Gas Footprints. The costs of greenhouse gas emissions cuts will guide how aggressively the Obama administration sets the federal government's first-ever reduction targets, agency officials and a top White House official said yesterday. After scouring their operations for fuel and energy saving options in response to President Obama's October executive order, 35 federal agencies reported their targets for the year 2020 to the White House in early January (ClimateWire, Jan. 22). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/28/7 Output Of Super-Warming Gas Grows, Despite Efforts To Curb It. Emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas have grown rapidly since the 1990s despite an international effort to curtail output, a new study finds. Researchers led by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Stephen Montzka say the world emitted roughly 13,500 metric tons of HFC-23 annually between 2006 and 2008 -- a rate that's about 50 percent higher than it was in the 1990s. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/28/10 Harsh Winter A Sign Of Disruptive Climate Change, Report Says. This winter's extreme weather -- with heavy snowfall in some places and unusually low temperatures -- is in fact a sign of how climate change disrupts long-standing patterns, according to a new report by the National Wildlife Federation. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012800041.html Grass-Fed Beef Has Bigger Carbon Footprint. Red meat has a bad reputation among the green-minded for its emissions of heat-trapping gases that exacerbate climate change. Fertilizer derived from fossil fuels is required for growing grain to feed cattle, and cows' digestion produces large amounts of the potent greenhouse gas methane, which is 25 times more heating than carbon dioxide. Posted. http://news.discovery.com/earth/grass-fed-beef-grain.html Truckers Clean Up Their Act. Truckers at the Port of Oakland are scrambling to clean up their rigs this month. If they can't show they've taken steps to reduce pollution from their trucks' diesel engines, they'll soon be out of work. Some truckers say the new state rules are too expensive, especially at a time when revenues are down. But treating health problems caused by diesel soot may be even pricier, as Amy Standen reports. Posted. http://www.kqed.org/quest/radio/truckers-clean-up-their-act Calif. Recipient of $2.25B In High-Speed Rail Funds. High-speed rail projects in California, Florida and Illinois are among the big winners of $8 billion in grants to be announced today by the White House. California will recieve $2.25 billion to begin work on an 800-mile-long, high-speed rail line tying Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area to Los Angeles and San Diego. The route will include stations in Fresno and a South Valley location. Work will include purchasing right-of-way, building track, signaling systems and stations and completing environmental reviews. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/government/3754-calif-recipient-of-225b-in-high-speed-rail-funds http://www.fresnobee.com/state/story/1799849.html Livermore Lab Scientists Report Promising Step Toward Fusion. Lawrence Livermore Laboratory scientists achieved a critical milestone in the lab's five-decade pursuit of fusion ignition, according to a study published online today in the journal Science. In a series of experiments which began last summer and concluded in early December, scientists at the lab's National Ignition Facility consistently achieved a critical first step for generating fusion ignition. The multibillion-dollar facility officially opened in May 2009. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14280777 China Sets Up Energy Agency Headed By PM. Beijing—China has set up a government agency headed by Premier Wen Jiabao to better coordinate energy policy, as world's second-largest power consumer faces growing domestic demand and struggles with shortages. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14283349 Social Forum Leftists Decry Climate Talks Failure. Porto Alegre, Brazil—Activists at the World Social forum say world leaders' failure to forge a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen shows the planet's most powerful nations are incapable of setting important global policy. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14285823 http://www.fresnobee.com/world/story/1799195.html EPA To Visit Calif. Town With Birth Defect Cluster. San Francisco, Calif.—Dozens of people chanted and held signs outside the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in San Francisco to draw more attention to a cluster of birth defects in a town near the largest toxic waste dump in the West. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14278369 http://www.fresnobee.com/updates/story/1798736.html Letters: California Failing. I have been paying close attention to California since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. I have watched California's politician’s worm and weasel their way around the will of the people. In the mid-1980s, we stopped building nuclear power plants. We haven't added a new oil refinery since 1981. We can no longer fish, farm, log or mine without environmentalist's heads exploding. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14280024 Neighbors Of Toxic Dump Rally In San Francisco. San Francisco—Residents of a California farm town near the largest toxic waste dump in the West gathered in San Francisco to protest outside the offices of the Environmental Protection Agency. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14279963 Kawneer Works on Carbon Footprint. Kawneer Company, Inc. of Visalia has a new program to help its employees and others in Tulare County become part of the solution to global climate change – and reduce their energy bills. Posted. http://www.valleyvoicenewspaper.com/vv/stories/2010/vv_kawneer_0384.htm BLOGS Lawsuits Battle Clear-Cutting In Sierra Nevada And Cascade Ranges. Will clear-cutting forests increase global warming? That's a contentious issue as California, which is seeking to slash its carbon footprint, wrestles over rules to manage the state's private forests. Today, the Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based environmental group, filed lawsuits against the California Department of Forestry in seven California counties to halt logging plans for 5,000 acres across the Sierra Nevada and Cascade regions. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/clear-cutting-forests-climate-change-sierra-nevada-global-warming.html Fremont-Based Solyndra Signs Belgium Solar Deal. That’s one way to go international: Fremont, Calif.-based solar company Solyndra Inc. has some of its cylindrical photovoltaic systems installed on rooftop sites in Belgium, the company said today. The project, involving 1.928 megawatt-peak of generation capability on 10 rooftops owned by a large food retailer in 10 cities, was completed in just two months and is the largest project ever for Solyndra. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/01/fremontbased-solyndra-signs-belgium-solar-deal-.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:31:57 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 29, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 29, 2010. 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. Nations Take First Steps on Copenhagen 'Accord' The United States has officially promised the world that it will reduce global warming pollution about 17 percent below 2005 levels in the next decade. Now the question is whether President Obama can deliver. In an announcement yesterday, U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern submitted America's target to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change as part of a Jan. 31 deadline negotiated in Copenhagen last year. In doing so, Stern made a point of noting that the final figure could change depending on the outcome of U.S. legislation. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/29/29climatewire-nations-take-first-steps-on-copenhagen-accor-35621.html?pagewanted=print Gov't Told To Cut Own Greenhouse Gases 28 Percent. Washington—President Barack Obama says the federal government will reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent in the next decade—an ambitious goal that exceeds targets for the country as a whole. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14294356 http://www.fresnobee.com/news/national-politics/story/1801864.html U.S. Submits Emissions-Reduction Target To U.N., With Caveat. The United States will promise the international community that it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions about 17 percent below 2005 levels in the coming decade, State Department climate envoy Todd Stern has announced. The target will be submitted to the U.N. climate regime as part of a Jan. 31 deadline President Obama helped negotiate in Copenhagen last year. The announcement comes just a day after Obama publicly pushed Congress to complete global warming legislation -- and includes the caveat that the final U.S. target will be delivered "in light of enacted legislation." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/print/2010/01/28/1 Obama Puts Government On Low-Carbon Diet. President Obama ordered the government today to reduce energy use -- cutting everything from the electricity used in office buildings to the petroleum used in fleet vehicles -- in an effort to slash its greenhouse gas emissions 28 percent by 2020."As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient," Obama said in a statement. "Our goal is to lower costs, reduce pollution, and shift federal energy expenses away from oil and towards local, clean energy." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/01/29/1 Obama Budget Request Shouldn't Include Cap-And-Trade Revenue – Kerry. This story was updated at 6 p.m. to include a statement from Sen. Kerry's office. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) warned the Obama administration today not to account for the funding raised by a controversial cap-and-trade program when it submits its annual budget request to Congress on Monday. Obama last year proposed in his fiscal 2010 budget that a cap-and-trade program would raise some $650 billion over 10 years via a full auction of emission credits, with the money going to pay primarily for middle-class tax cuts and development and deployment of clean energy technologies. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/print/2010/01/28/2 Carbon Traders and Clean-Tech Companies Heartened by State of the Union. It was music to the ears of carbon traders and clean-energy company executives to hear President Obama urge Congress to pass energy and climate change legislation that places a cost on greenhouse gas emissions. "To create more of these clean-energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives," Obama proclaimed in his first State of the Union address. "And yes," he said, "it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America." Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/28/28climatewire-carbon-traders-and-clean-tech-companies-heart-2348.html?pagewanted=print U.S. May Lag In The Global Race To Create Clean Energy Jobs, Supporters Say. President Obama's focus in the State of the Union message Wednesday on lifting employment this year overshadowed his campaign for clean energy jobs in the future. "Jobs must be our No. 1 focus in 2010" was one of his top applause lines. With unemployment stuck at 10 percent, he seemed to have no practical or political choice. His administration's investment in "green" job creation, although unprecedented, is too small by itself to jump-start a stagnant, debt-burdened economy, economists said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/29/4 Environmental Group Sues California To Halt Logging. Will Clear-Cutting Forests Increase Global Warming? That's a contentious issue as California, which is seeking to slash its carbon footprint, wrestles over rules to manage the state's private forests. The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based environmental group, this week filed lawsuits against the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in seven California counties to halt logging plans for 5,000 acres across the Sierra Nevada and Cascade regions. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-clear-cutting29-2010jan29,0,885503,print.story Biofuel Advance Made In Bay Area, Researchers Say. Researchers in Emeryville have engineered a microbe that produces biodiesel fuel directly from plant waste and grasses, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Nature. The development was hailed as a major milestone in a federal initiative to develop new forms of transportation fuels to ease the country's dependence on foreign oil and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14288753 Study: Researchers Create Microbe That Turns Plant Waste Into Biodiesel Fuel. Walnut Creek, Calif. -- Researchers have engineered a microbe that produces biodiesel fuel directly from plant waste and grasses, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Nature. The development was hailed as a major milestone in a federal initiative to develop new forms of transportation fuels to ease the country's dependence on foreign oil and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/green/story/1801199.html Slowdown in Warming Linked to Water Vapor. Climatologists have puzzled over why global average temperatures have stayed roughly flat in the past decade, despite a long-term warming trend. New research suggests that lower levels of water vapor in the stratosphere may partly explain the anomaly. The study, appearing in the journal Science, points out that the concentration of water vapor in the stratosphere has dropped about 10% in the past decade, triggered by unexplained cooler temperatures at certain high altitudes above the tropics. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704194504575031404275769886.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14287123 Opinion: Copenhagen's Moment Of Truth. Sunday is the deadline for governments to submit national targets and action plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On Sunday, we will learn if world leaders meant what they said when they agreed last month to act collectively to stabilize Earth's overheating climate. Having failed to complete a legally binding agreement at the chaotic Copenhagen summit, world leaders instead endorsed what they said would be a "politically binding" agreement -- the Copenhagen accord -- that calls on countries to submit national targets and action plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-lash29-2010jan29,0,4786585,print.story http://www.fresnobee.com/green/story/1801796.html Climate Change: Lead, Follow Or Get Out Of The Way. The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday, Jan. 27: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving forward with plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. At the same time, Congress - a leading source of hot air - is debating a resolution that would strip the EPA of its authority to act. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, says she wants to prevent "federal bureaucrats" from enacting regulations that would destroy jobs. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/846/v-print/story/2496276.html Bin Laden Blasts US For Climate Change. Cairo—Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden has called for the world to boycott American goods and the U.S. dollar, blaming the United States and other industrialized countries for global warming, according to a new audiotape released Friday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14293312 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jan/29/osama-bin-laden-climate-change/print Watchdog: UK University Hid Climate Data. London—The University at the center of a climate change dispute over stolen e-mails broke freedom of information laws by refusing to handle public requests for climate data, Britain's data-protection watchdog said Thursday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14287976 Caltrain Gets Lift From Federal Stimulus Funds. Caltrain may prove to be one of the biggest benefactors of the $2.25 billion stimulus grant bestowed upon the state high-speed rail system Thursday. The news will provide an essential lift for Caltrain, which expects to use the money to electrify its system. With electric cars and rails, the system can run far more commute-time trains, which will be cheaper, faster, safer and more eco-friendly. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14289277 EPA Change May Mean Impact Fees. Tehama County's air regulation problems may worsen in 2011. The county is already out of compliance for both ground-level ozone, also known as smog, and particulate matter. But the Environmental Protection Agency is considering knocking down its permitted ozone levels even further, to somewhere between 0.070 and 0.060 parts per million, instead of the existing 0.075. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14294050 SPIN METER: US Jobs Picture Mixed For Rail Grants. Washington—President Barack Obama is pitching his $8 billion high-speed rail program to Americans as a jobs generator that will revitalize the domestic rail industry. But the full picture is more complicated. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14284867 Frank Schiavo, San Jose State's 'Green' Pioneer, Dead At 70. A beloved retired professor dubbed the "messiah of the environment'' for being green before being green was cool died this week at his solar-paneled San Jose home, stunning the many students and friends he had made over the years. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_14288138 EPA Probes Its Actions In Town With Toxic-Waste Dump. The federal agency's internal investigation will run concurrently with a state and local inquiry into health and environmental issues facing Kettleman City, Calif. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched an internal investigation into its permitting and oversight in a San Joaquin Valley farming community dominated by a hazardous-waste facility, agricultural pesticide spraying and truck exhaust that may be contributing to health problems including severe birth defects. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-toxic29-2010jan29,0,7746026,print.story Study Shows White-Roofed Buildings Can Drive Down Emissions And Urban Temperatures. White roofs can significantly cool down buildings, make cities more pleasant and reduce the impact of global warming by saving on energy costs, according to a new study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. "Our study shows that white roofs are effective at reducing heat islands and decreasing daytime temperature," said Keith Oleson, lead author of the study to be published in Geophysical Research Letters. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/01/29/7 Hot Deal: Switch To Gas Logs, Get $125. The region’s smog-control agency is offering a $125 rebate to homeowners who convert their wood-burning fireplaces to gas. The program, meant to reduce air pollution from wood smoke, proved so popular that it sold out in December after 5,000 people used it to convert their fireplaces. The program was recently expanded by the South Coast Air Quality Management District to cover an additional 2,500 homeowners. Posted. http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/28/hot-deal-switch-to-gas-logs-get-125/19159/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 11:34:37 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for January 29-February 1, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for January 29-February 1, 2010. 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. Firm Is On A Mission To Cut Diesel Emissions. Phillip Roberts' disgust for soot inspired him to start a business that aims to make older engines run cleaner. For product presentations, Phillip Roberts sometimes carries along a petri dish filled with black grit, just in case people don't believe the story about his Long Beach condominium balcony and the catalyst for the creation of his small business. ¶ The grit is a daily gift of air pollution that comes with his otherwise spectacular view of the Port of Long Beach, on the horizon just beyond the Queen Mary. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-engine-dirt1-2010feb01,0,74946,print.story Budget Proposes $47 Million for EPA to Regulate CO2. Washington—The Obama Administration proposed giving the Environmental Protection Agency an additional $47 billion in its 2011 budget to fund plans to regulate greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. The administration said $4 million would pay for a new rule requiring firms to report their emissions and $43 million would go toward new regulatory initiatives the EPA is preparing. In the absence of legislation from Congress to cut greenhouse gases, the agency is drafting rules to regulate emitters across the economy. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107204575039130355226858.html?mod=WSJ_PersonalFinance_Investing Obama's Budget Pushes Clean Technologies, Cuts Fossil Fuel Incentives. President Obama's $3.834 trillion budget, to be released today, proposes to inject billions more dollars in clean energy research while slashing federal fossil fuel subsidies, according to White House officials. The fiscal year 2011 budget will include $6 billion for clean energy technologies, mostly focused on research, development and demonstration, the White House said. While sending more cash to priority areas, Obama is also seeking a three-year non-military discretionary spending freeze. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/01/3 Environmental Group Sues California To Halt Logging. The Center for Biological Diversity suit alleges a state agency OKd clear-cutting on 5,000 acres without properly analyzing carbon emissions and climate consequences. Will clear-cutting forests increase global warming? That's a contentious issue as California, which is seeking to slash its carbon footprint, wrestles over rules to manage the state's private forests. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-clear-cutting29-2010jan29,0,885503,print.story Reader Rebuttal: Global warming law. As an energy efficiency specialist who has spent three decades working in the field of energy, it troubles me that a vocal chorus of critics of clean energy and energy efficiency are now actively working to dismantle California's historic energy security and climate law, Assembly Bill 32 ["Freeze global warming regulations" Editorial, Dec. 18]. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/energy-231743-california-clean.html GOP: Jobs Or Trees? You Pick. The GOP wants you to choose between jobs and trees this year, and it's betting you'll vote for the paycheck. Republican lawmakers are submitting a pack of "job-generating" bills in the Legislature, some of which would roll back regulation. "It's easy to be green when you've got food on the table," GOP Assembly-man Bill Berryhill of Ceres said. "Most of these things were passed in the good times. We're in a different time now." Posted. http://www.modbee.com/local/v-print/story/1030864.html Dan Walters: Is California Green Tech Salvation Or A Pipe Dream? As California imposes tough new emission rules – particularly on business – to reduce its carbon footprint, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger insists that "cleaning the environment, fighting global warming … it's also great for the economy" by fostering green technology. A few days earlier, his Employment Development Department had announced that the state's unemployment rate in December was 12.4 percent, with employers having eliminated 38,800 jobs in just one month. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/walters/v-print/story/2503406.html http://www.modbee.com/opinion/walters/story/1030683.html#ixzz0eIpxrGVB http://www.fresnobee.com/1148/story/1804437.html 'Climategate' Resonates In Bid To Delay Calif.'S Climate Law. Berkeley, Calif. -- The case of the pilfered climate e-mails could affect elections as skeptics use it to turn the public against science-based policies, researchers said last week at a panel here on the topic. University of California, Berkeley, economics professor Maximilian Auffhammer, one of the scientists whose work was disparaged in the e-mails from the University of East Anglia, said the episode could have impacts far beyond the damage done to individual scientists' reputations. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/01/4 Obama's $3.8T Plan Includes Cap-And-Trade Placeholder. President Obama's fiscal 2011 budget unveiled today banks on Congress passing legislation to cap greenhouse gases despite continued uncertainty that such a bill can make it across the finish line. The president's $3.8 trillion spending plan calls for lawmakers to set up a "comprehensive market-based climate change policy" that would curb heat-trapping emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, followed by midcentury cuts of more than 80 percent. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/02/01/1 Major Polluters Reaffirm Commitments To Accord. The United States, China and the European Union have all signed on to the Copenhagen Accord, writing to the United Nations before yesterday's deadline to formally reaffirm their intention to combat global warming. The United Nations plans to publish today a list of commitments by participating countries, which also include Australia, Indonesia, Canada, Japan and India. While the total number of participating countries has not yet been announced, it is expected to include at least 51 countries producing a substantial majority of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/02/01/11 SF Could Have Tougher Smoking Ban. San Francisco Supervisors take the first step toward tightening a smoking ban this afternoon. Supervisor Eric Mar wrote the legislation increasing the smoking ban. "California State Air Resources Board to Stanford University studies have shown that second hand smoke is a serious toxin that causes coronary heart disease, increased asthma and lots of horrible effects," Mar said. Posted. http://www.kcbs.com/SF-Could-Have-Tougher-Smoking-Ban/6256062 Suppliers That Don't Manage CO2 Could Lose Clients. Suppliers that fail to manage their greenhouse gas emissions could lose clients, said a report published on Monday. Some 56 percent of large firms would in the future deselect suppliers for failing to meet criteria on managing carbon emissions, according to a survey by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/02/01/business/business-uk-carbon-suppliers.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=carbon%20emissions&st=cse UN Says Nations' Greenhouse Gas Pledges Too Little. The goals set by the world's biggest polluters for emissions rollbacks will likely fall short of what many scientists say is necessary to avoid the disastrous effects of global warming. The climate adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the U.S., China and the European Union were among the 50 nations to have submitted plans in keeping with a United Nations deadline to do so before Monday. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/24hour/topstories/story/1031007.html#ixzz0eIsBoGUT http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100201-710195.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLEHeadlinesAsia The EPA's House of Cards Covering Global Warming. When the Environmental Protection Agency declared greenhouse gases a danger to the public health, they told us they based their science primarily on three sources. Although the EPA claims to have contributed to the research, their primary sources are the U.S. Global Climate Research Program (USGCRP), the National Research Council, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-9111-SF-Environmental-Policy-Examiner~y2010m1d31-The-EPAs-house-of-cards-covering-global-warming Federal Employees Weigh In On Obama's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan. The Obama administration's drive to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 28 percent by 2020 will mean less driving -- if federal employees have a say. An end to trucking scrap metal halfway across the country is a start, thinks Sierra Army Depot employee Robert Ives. Every week, he sees 16 or more semi trucks leave his California depot to move the metal, destined for recycling, to Oklahoma's McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. To save fuel, he thinks the material should instead go to a local facility. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/01/6 Carbon Trade Analysts See Flat Market Ahead. New York -- The global carbon market will grow by a third in value terms as prices recover to their pre-economic crisis levels, but activity will stay flat as traders take a wait-and-see approach to international climate talks, a prominent market research firm is forecasting. The total volume of trading in carbon emission allowances and offset credits will expand this year by about 5 percent above 2009 volumes, or to about 8 billion tonnes' worth of greenhouse gases measured in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), Oslo-based Point Carbon predicts in a new forecast report. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/01/7 Scientists Want Residents To Help Collect Data. Wanted: citizen scientists to help collect data on the effects of global warming on plants and animals in the Santa Monica Mountains. A recruiting drive for the project was held Saturday in Thousand Oaks in the form of a lecture given by Susan Mazer, an evolutionary biology professor at UC Santa Barbara, and Brian Haggerty, a doctorate candidate at the university who is studying evolutionary ecology. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jan/30/scientists-want-citizens-to-help-collect-global/ Obama Ups Administration's Ante For Nuclear Power Plant Incentives. A White House proposal to triple the size of the $18.5 billion loan guarantee program for nuclear reactors has sent the electric power industry the clearest signal yet that President Obama wants to match his rhetoric with government money. In its 2011 budget proposal to be released today, the Obama administration is expected to propose increasing to $54 billion a loan guarantee program that could finance the construction of seven nuclear plants, according to industry cost estimates. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/01/5 http://www.modbee.com/business/story/1029974.html UK Scientist: Climate Docs Maybe Stolen By Spies. London -- Britain's former chief science adviser says the theft of climate e-mails from the University of East Anglia in southern England may have been the work of spies. David King says the theft of the e-mails last year was "an extraordinarily sophisticated operation." In an interview with The Independent newspaper published Monday, King says the timing of the e-mails' publication online suggested the hack was intended to destabilize the U.N. talks on tackling climate change held last year. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/01/AR2010020100497_pf.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14309197 Marcie Ellis: Snowstorms Reveal A Silent Killer. With the recent storms battering California comes a sober reminder of a silent killer lurking among us. Carbon monoxide poisoning is reportedly responsible for the recent death of a Mt. Shasta man, and sent several other local residents to the hospital. The victims were apparently using gas generators to heat their homes during a prolonged, storm-related power outage. The appliance may not have been properly vented, creating a toxic level of carbon monoxide (CO). Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/feb/01/marcie-ellis-snowstorms-reveal-a-silent-killer/?print=1 Schwarzenegger Orders Investigation Of Kettleman City Birth Defects. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed state public health and environmental officials Friday to visit Kettleman City to conduct "a thorough investigation" into the causes of birth defects in the San Joaquin Valley farming community. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14301368 EPA Change May Mean Impact Fees. Tehama County's air regulation problems may worsen in 2011. The county is already out of compliance for both ground-level ozone, also known as smog, and particulate matter. But the Environmental Protection Agency is considering knocking down its permitted ozone levels even further, to somewhere between 0.070 and 0.060 parts per million, instead of the existing 0.075. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14294050 New Mexico Rancher Cooking Up Plan To Store Co2 Emissions Into The Ground. Rancher Jack Chatfield sees untapped value in the spaces that lie beneath New Mexico's dusty landscape. But he said the state needs to first decide who owns them. Scientists are looking at underground fissures and caverns as places where carbon dioxide emissions captured from fossil fuel power plants can be stored. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14301852?nclick_check=1 An Electric Boost for Bicyclists. Jiang Ruming, a marketing manager, owns a van, but for many errands, he hops on a futuristic-looking contraption that lets him weave rapidly through Shanghai’s messy traffic. He rides an electric bicycle. Half a world away, in San Francisco, the president of that city’s board of supervisors, David Chiu, uses an electric bike to get to meetings without sweating through his suit. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/business/global/01ebike.html?scp=4&sq=global%20warming&st=cse Toxic Waste From Tijuana Subject Of New Probe. Central California Site Where Material Taken Under Investigation. Members of the Environmental Health Coalition, community residents and government environmental officials from both sides of the border commemorated the cleanup of the Metales y Derivados toxic site in Tijuana on Jan. 28, 2009. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/01/toxic-waste-from-tijuana-subject-of-new-probe/ Silicon Valley Makes Big Push Into Solar And Smart-Grid Technologies. Cleantech's vast ecosystem includes a dizzying array of emerging technologies, from green building materials to electric vehicles, lighting and wind power. But as Silicon Valley reinvents itself as a global center of clean technology, two sectors — solar power and "smart" upgrades to the electric grid — already are reshaping the valley and changing the way energy is produced and used. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14241380 http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14241380 http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_14225614 Eye on the Environment: Fresh Is Better; Local Fresh Is Best. What do you get when you combine care for one’s family, an understanding of the role of fresh food in human health, and a concern for environmental sustainability? You get a Ventura County-based, local-food project called Locavore Lite 2010. Strictly speaking, a locavore is a person who eats food grown or raised locally. In real life, a Locavore is one who pays attention to where food comes from and procures local food whenever possible. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jan/30/fresh-is-better-local-fresh-is-best/ Do Rings Of Herbie The Elm Have Age, Climate Data? Yarmouth, Maine—Herbie, the giant American elm tree, is giving his trunk over to science. Since the tree was felled two weeks ago, scientists from Columbia University, the University of Maine and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have contacted the Maine Forest Service about examining Herbie's trunk to see what can be learned about the tree's age and about the climate over the years. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14306288 BLOGS Maybe Carbon Dioxide Is Not The Only Factor Affecting Weather And Climate. That’s the thought I had as I read this Wall Street Journal news story headlined, “Slowdown in Warming Linked to Water Vapor.” The lead sentence reads, “Climatologists have puzzled over why global average temperatures have stayed roughly flat in the past decade, despite a long-term warming trend.” The first thought that occurred to me was: Well, maybe it wasn’t an eternal long-term warming trend. We know from history that weather sometimes gets colder and sometimes gets warmer; Posted. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Maybe-carbon-dioxide-is-not-the-only-factor-affecting-weather-and-climate-83213002.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 11:25:59 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 2, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 2, 2010. 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. Wind Energy Job Growth Isn't Blowing Anyone Away. Despite record growth in generating capacity, the industry is creating few employment opportunities overall. America's wind energy industry enjoyed a banner year in 2009, thanks largely to tax credits and other incentives packed into the $787-billion economic stimulus bill. But even though a record 10,000 megawatts of new generating capacity came on line, few jobs were created overall and wind power manufacturing employment, in particular, fell -- a setback for President Obama's pledge to create millions of green jobs. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-jobs2-2010feb02,0,6161723,print.story U.S., China, Others Join Copenhagen Accord On Climate. Each nation determines its own target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The United States, China and dozens of other countries accounting for nearly 80% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions have signed onto a voluntary agreement to curb climate change. If the countries make good on their pledges, they will dramatically reduce the emissions scientists’ link to global warming, but not enough to hold temperatures to levels scientists say are needed to minimize risks of drought, flooding and other catastrophic effects. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-climate-accord2-2010feb02,0,5524696,print.story New Friday Deadline Looming For Port Of Oakland Truckers. Port of Oakland truckers are facing another deadline: They have until Friday to line up financing to pay for diesel filters or new trucks to comply with the state's strict air quality rules that went into effect Jan. 1. Drivers who are not able to purchase the new equipment will not be able to haul cargo at the Port after Feb. 15, but organizations who are offering low-cost loans to pay for the filters say they have received fewer applications than they expected. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14313087 Obama Budget Proposal Pushes Climate Regulations Forward. Both climate regulatory and climate adaptation programs won cash infusions in President Obama's budget proposal yesterday, despite a tough budget year that saw overall cuts at environment, natural resource and land management agencies. Environmentalists said the budget underscored the administration's seriousness about its climate change agenda, even when the programs were not linked directly to clean energy and jobs initiatives. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/02/02climatewire-obama-budget-proposal-pushes-climate-regulat-71125.html?pagewanted=print Renewables in Vogue at Obama's DOE. Nuclear, solar and wind power are the popular kids in the Energy Department schoolyard this year, while oil, gas and coal have been sent to detention. When he sent his proposed spending plan to Congress yesterday, President Obama recommended subsidizing new nuclear plants with loan guarantees and shoveling more money at wind and solar research. But when the administration's budget cutters got to the oil patch, they found a target-rich environment with plenty of programs and tax breaks they wanted to cut. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/02/02greenwire-renewables-in-vogue-at-obamas-doe-46954.html?sq=methane%20gases&st=cse&scp=2&pagewanted=print Heating Up. John Benoit brought at least one thing with him from his days in the Legislature to his new position as a Riverside County supervisor: His opposition to AB 32. The bill, known as the Global Warming Solutions Act, was passed in 2006 and aims to roll back the state's greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Benoit, who voted against the bill when he was in Sacramento, asked that his colleagues on the board send a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urging him to suspend AB 32's implementation until the state reaches 6 percent unemployment. Benoit said the law hurts the economy. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_W_polnote01.25977c4.html Study: Trees Are Growing Faster Because Of Climate Change. Forests in the eastern United States are growing faster than in the past and climate change appears to be a primary reason, a new study finds. More than 90% of the trees analyzed grew two to four times faster than predicted, according to the 22-year-long study published in Tuesday's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/02/study-trees-are-growing-faster-because-of-climate-change/1 Feinstein, States Support Funding Boosts for EPA's Greenhouse Gas Regs. Battle lines were drawn yesterday as the chief Senate architect of the U.S. EPA spending bill and state regulators backed a White House proposal to ramp up funding for programs to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and congressional opponents vowed to fight the agency's efforts. "I would support it," Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said yesterday of President Obama's suggested $43 million boost for EPA programs to limit greenhouse gases in fiscal 2011. "There's no question about greenhouse gas in my mind." Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/02/02climatewire-feinstein-states-support-funding-boosts-for-97854.html?sq=cap%20and%20trade&st=cse&scp=6&pagewanted=print BLOGS Converting Coal Plants to Biomass. Converting coal plants to burn wood chips and other biomass is a cost competitive way to reduce reliance on coal, a new study suggests. Coal-powered generating stations retrofitted to run on a mixture of coal and dried wood pellets can produce cost-competitive, emission-reduced electricity even without the advent of a cap-and-trade system, according to a new biomass life cycle analysis published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/converting-coal-plants-to-biomass/?pagemode=print Big Companies Push More Suppliers To Track Emissions. New York -- The number of corporations pushing greenhouse gas emissions reporting and reduction strategies onto their suppliers is quickly growing and will likely triple in the next five years, according to a new survey by a U.K.-based nonprofit. But even as major manufacturers become more interested in tackling climate change, firms further down the supply chain are still far behind and need to catch up quickly, warn analysts with the Carbon Disclosure Project. The group compiles corporate carbon emissions data and advocates for action on climate change. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/02/7 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 12:07:52 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 3, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 3, 2010. 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. Suit Seeks To Halt New Low Carbon Fuel Rules. STANDARD CALLED UNCONSTITUTIONAL. The oil and trucking industry sued to block California's new carbon fuel regulations Tuesday, saying the rules will raise costs but do little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Fresno, lobbyists for oil refiners, truckers and other groups charged that the state's "low carbon fuel standard" is unconstitutional. While not as well known as AB 32, the state's landmark climate-change legislation, the fuel standard is an important element of California's attempt to fight global warming. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/business/v-print/story/2508969.html http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-low-carbon-fuels,0,7774015.story http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/02/BAB71BRKEK.DTL http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14319801 http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1806919.html Picarro Analyzers To Monitor Calif. Emissions. Picarro Inc., maker of gas analyzers for use in emissions monitoring, announced Wednesday that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has purchased seven of its gas analyzers to help quantify emissions of greenhouse gases in the state. The Sunnyvale Company’s analyzers will be used by CARB to measure methane emissions as part of the fulfillment of a mandate under California State Law AB 32, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. Posted. http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/02/01/daily46.html?t=printable http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/business/energy-environment/03emit.html http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/02/03/california-adding-emissions-measurement-network/ http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/california-aims-to-verify-statewide-greenhouse-gas-emissions-estimates/?pagemode=print http://cleantech.com/news/5590/california-measure-emission-picarro http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9DKO89O4.htm Obama Kicks Biofuel Strategy Into Higher Gear. The president will outline a new effort to increase the nation's use of crop-based fuels. An earlier plan, mired down by the financial crisis and other factors, wasn't up to snuff, officials say. Washington. The Obama administration today will unveil a revamped strategy to ramp up the nation's use of biofuel in hopes of fixing a government effort that officials admit has fallen short in its attempts to wean cars and trucks away from fossil fuels and move toward ethanol, biodiesel and other crop-based fuels. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-obama-biofuel4-2010feb04,0,1504013,print.story Letter: California Is Killing The Diesel Truck. In 2008, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) passed sweeping regulations concerning commercial diesel trucks with a gross rating of 14,500 pounds and greater. These regulations go in effect this year for fleets; individual owners have four more years. Full-sized diesel pickup trucks are included. If you have a 2009 or older diesel pickup truck, it has an “expiration date.” Models from 2007 to 2009 can operate in California until 2023. Posted. http://www.hidesertstar.com/articles/2010/02/03/editorial/doc4b6939b8728b6347747716.txt Measure B Dealt Crushing Defeat In Alameda. Alameda — Voters have overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that would have cleared the way for the massive redevelopment of the former Alameda Naval Air Station. Nearly 85 percent of them said "no" Tuesday to what SunCal Companies suggested as the future of the former base. SunCal proposed to build about 4,500 new housing units and 3,182,000 square feet of commercial space, as well as a new ferry terminal, library and school at the site. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14321596 UPDATE: Alon CEO:Refining Utilization Near Bottom At About 80%. New York -Alon USA Energy Inc. (ALJ) Chief Executive Jeff Morris said Tuesday the refining industry is hovering at a cyclical bottom, though more plant closures could be ahead. "I am cautiously optimistic that utilization is near the bottom," Morris said at the Credit Suisse Group Energy Summit in Vail, Colo. Industrial demand is showing signs of a slow recovery and should boost demand for diesel, which is used for transporting goods. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100202-713262.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines OPINION: Time To Ban This Health Threat: Leaf Blowers. ‘‘Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment to cut down particulate matter,” recommends the California Air Resources Board. Why? Simply put, leaf blowers kill. “Approximately 65,000 premature deaths from cardiopulmonary causes may be attributable to particulate air pollution each year,” according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. That's only people. Leaf blowers also kill bees, butterflies, insects, plants and wildlife. They are hazardous to human health and to the ground itself. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100202/OPINION/100209903/1350&Title=GUEST-OPINION-Time-to-ban-this-health-threat-Leaf-blowers&template=printart EPA On Track To Release Automobile, 'Tailoring' Rules In March. Arlington, Va. -- U.S. EPA's air chief said today the agency would roll out greenhouse gas emission standards for automobiles and the "tailoring" rule for the heat-trapping gases next month after considering a raft of public comments. "We are furiously ensuring that we get the light-duty vehicle out and ready in March," Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy told an agency advisory panel at a meeting here. "There is no hesitation about that. It will be happening. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/02/03/3 http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/02/02greenwire-industry-enviro-groups-try-to-sway-epa-on-smog-2229.html?pagewanted=print EPA Faces Lawsuits Over Pesticide Harms, Soot. San Francisco, California - The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity has put the U.S. EPA on notice that it intends to sue the agency for failing to adequately evaluate and regulate nearly 400 pesticides harmful to hundreds of endangered species across the country as well as human beings. In a second letter notifying the agency of a separate intent to sue, the Center claims EPA has failed to meet deadlines for limiting soot and dust pollution. Posted. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2010/2010-02-02-091.html A New Health Care Plan For America - Clean Air. As federal lawmakers grapple with how best to bring decent health care to the tens of millions of Americans without it, the Environmental Protection Agency is bringing forth its own proposal to improve the public's health. Earlier this year, the EPA proposed a new standard that would reduce the amount of ozone - better known as smog - in the air. Smog is a silent killer, responsible for rampant rates of asthma, respiratory illnesses and reduced lung function. Californians will have the opportunity Thursday to publicly comment on the EPA's proposal. It is our communities' responsibility to ensure that the air we breathe is clean, clear and safe for future generations. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/03/ED3M1BRDG8.DTL&type=printable ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 10:46:48 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 4, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 4, 2010. 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. Trucking Firm Pulls Out Of Plan to Retrofit Trucks For Cleaner Air. Days before San Bernardino officials were set to ink a deal for cleaner trucks at a local rail yard, the trucking company partnering on the project has pulled out of the project. San Bernardino Associated Governments officials learned this week that J.B. Hunt Transportation was postponing the planned retrofit of 262 of the company's trucks from diesel engines to natural gas. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_W_sanbag04.45f3fcf.html West Marin Ranchers Hope To Turn Pasture Pollution Into Cow Power. West Marin ranchers are seeking ways to turn a source of greenhouse gas emissions into a renewable energy supply. That source is dairy cows, which produce about 3 percent of the methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide in the United States that researchers believe contribute to global warming. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14328030 Epa Official Tours West's Largest Toxic Dump. KETTLEMAN CITY, Calif.—The regional director of the Environmental Protection Agency is in Kettleman City to meet with residents worried that a cluster of birth defects could be linked to a nearby toxic waste dump. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14327313 EPA on Track to Release Automobile,' Tailoring' Rules in March. U.S. EPA's air chief said today the agency would roll out greenhouse gas emission standards for automobiles and the "tailoring" rule for the heat-trapping gases next month after considering a raft of public comments. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/03/03greenwire-epa-on-track-to-release-automobile-tailoring-r-57486.html Fran Pavley: There They Go Again With “Chicken Little” Attacks on AB32. When AB 32, California’s landmark global warming law, was being debated in the legislature, a coalition of polluters and their misguided allies opposed the bill. This week these same opponents, who have also fought against clean air and water quality laws, are unveiling an initiative to suspend AB 32, predicting the sky will fall if the law is implemented. They predict that thousands of Californians would lose their jobs, and it will crush small businesses. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yltualr2mo113c&xid=yltbem0bsehmlv&done=.yltualr2mol13c Penn State Panel Partially Clears Professor In Climate E-Mail Inquiry. A Penn State University panel on Wednesday cleared a climate professor of falsifying data, concealing information and misusing confidential information, but ordered a full investigation into whether he violated academic standards in researching global warming. Posted.http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-climate-emails4-2010feb04,0,389904.story http://www.fresnobee.com/green/story/1808232.html Climate Debate in Senate Keeps Coming Back to Limits on Power Plants. Key senators are studying whether power plants should be the guinea pig industry for the nation's first cap-and-trade system designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/04/04climatewire-climate-debate-in-senate-keeps-coming-back-to-9841.html Separating Fact from Fable on Climate Change. These pages have recently been graced by replies to a letter by David Biggar (“Climate science valid, despite Anglia affair,” Jan. 16). It is hard to know where to start when considering the collection of falsehoods, urban legends and half-truths that make up Joseph Sabella’s and Kevin Hangman’s letters on climate change and measures to combat catastrophic climate disruption. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_617fe376-112d-11df-a919-001cc4c002e0.html Administration Presses On for a 'Cap' on Carbon Emissions. The Obama administration's top climate adviser strongly defended a cap on emissions a day after the president suggested Congress might move an energy bill without such a cap in place. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/04/04climatewire-administration-presses-on-for-a-cap-on-carbo-27152.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/04/2 House Bill Would Prevent EPA Regulating Carbon. The lawmakers say Congress, not "unelected bureaucrats," should set environmental policy. Congress has squabbled for months over a comprehensive climate change bill. Some members say the best bet is to encourage renewable energy production. The Environmental Protection Agency cleared the way for regulation under air pollution laws a month ago, when it ruled that greenhouse gases endanger human health. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6124L720100203 $19 Million for New Energy Efficiency Projects in San Francisco. Energy efficiency may not have the glamor of solar power or wind power, but it’s also a critical and immediate solution to cutting pollution. Today, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced $19.2 million in funding for energy efficiency programs through the San Francisco Energy Watch program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Posted. http://cleantechnica.com/2010/02/04/19-million-for-new-energy-efficiency-projects-in-san-francisco/ Obama Pushes Energy Plan That GOP May Support. WASHINGTON—Looking for a political and policy victory, President Barack Obama on Thursday pushed energy proposals designed to attract allies and opponents alike, calling for increased ethanol production and new technology to limit pollution from the use of coal. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14323653?nclick_check=1 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020300609.html?hpid=politics California to Help In Purchasing Of Heavy-Duty Hybrid Trucks and Buses. A $20 million funding assistance program designed to spur the purchase of hybrid trucks and buses that reduce smog-forming pollution and address climate change has been started by the California. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=14305 http://www.auto-mobi.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15431&Itemid=50 http://www.ecoseed.org/en/general-green-news/green-politics/green-policies/americas/6090 Obama's Energy Policy: More Corn Ethanol, Clean' Coal. The Obama administration Wednesday announced plans to boost the use of biofuels - including more ethanol from corn - and speed up work on a plan to capture carbon dioxide from coal, now the biggest source of global warming pollution. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/national-politics/story/1808113.html http://www.modbee.com/politics/story/1034455.html#ixzz0eaMWt1z4 EPA Biofuels Guidelines Could Spur Production Of Ethanol From Corn. The nation's farmers got a big boost Wednesday when the Obama administration issued new biofuels guidelines that could open the way for large increases in the production of corn-based ethanol. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303804.html New Biofuels Regs Could Still Face Fight From Capitol Hill. New Obama administration biofuels regulations would give ethanol a larger share of the U.S. renewable fuels mix, but not enough to satisfy some farm-state lawmakers on Capitol Hill. U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson yesterday announced the new regulations for low-carbon fuels, which would implement the long-awaited renewable fuels standard that Congress included in the 2007 energy bill. The final rule is friendlier to ethanol than a proposal EPA floated last year, which incited bipartisan rage from Midwestern lawmakers, who thought the analysis was unfair to farmers and ethanol producers. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/04/04greenwire-new-biofuels-regs-could-still-face-fight-from-80948.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/04/3 Chronicle Printing Plant Wins Green Designation. The plant in Fremont where The Chronicle is printed has been awarded the LEED Silver certificate for its environmentally conscious design and features. Opened in July at a cost of more than $200 million, the four-story, 330,000-square-foot plant is owned and operated by Transcontinental Printing Inc. of Canada. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/04/BA3U1BS59M.DTL#ixzz0eaXlqxF2 State Is First In Eco-Friendly Building Codes. Even as the construction business continues to struggle, San Diego contractor Russ Earnshaw is embracing a landmark set of environmental codes in California that will raise the cost of new buildings, create more government oversight and increase industry competition once green practices become the norm. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/03/state-is-first-in-eco-friendly-building-codes/ Chamber Invites CARB, Air District Leaders to Expo. As you have seen or heard by now, the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce has secured two key speakers for our Energy and Clean Air Expo set for Tuesday, Feb. 16 at the Marriott/Convention Center. They are: Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board as a luncheon speaker, and Seyed Sadredin, director, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, as the morning kickoff speaker. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x807501074/Chamber-invites-CARB-air-district-leaders-to-expo Blogs Jerry Brown's global warming revenge? Backers of a proposed ballot initiative to suspend California's landmark global warming initiative are threatening to sue Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown over the cumbersome title and summary his office attached to their "California Jobs Initiative," reports our sister blog, PolitiCal. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/02/jerry-brown-global-warming-ab-32.html Hayward, California Will Get First Plant With Greenhouse Gas Limit. Hayward, California and Calpine will have the first the plant with a Greenhouse Gas limit, ending years of talks, battles, and controversy. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District approved a "Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit" which is the final federal regulatory approval needed for the Calpine energy plant to be built. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail?entry_id=56632#ixzz0eaO6Lzka Growing Pentagon Focus on Energy and Climate. The Pentagon released its Quadrennial Defense Review on Monday, a wide-ranging report laying out rising priorities for keeping the peace and, when needed, waging war. For the first time, the report — at the request of lawmakers — considered the significance of climate change for national security, both as a potential source of conflict and a factor in military operations. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/growing-pentagon-focus-on-energy-and-climate/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 11:55:27 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 5-8, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 5-8, 2010. 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. Viewpoints: EPA Must Tighten Up Controls On Smog. As a lung surgeon, I encounter the corrosive damage of smog in my patients on a daily basis. Smog burns lung tissue, making these essential membranes red and inflamed. As a physician I know the human costs are too high to delay reducing this threat any longer. Smog shortens the lives of people like my patients. Smog hits the most vulnerable people especially hard, including infants, children and teens, as well as adults with lung disease. As a Californian, I applaud the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to tighten the limits on ozone "smog" pollution. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/1190/v-print/story/2517246.html Effort Underway To Suspend California's Global-Warming Law. Conservatives propose an initiative that would delay curbs on greenhouse gas emissions until the state's unemployment rate drops to 5.5%, a level not seen since 2007. Republican politicians and conservative activists are launching a ballot campaign to suspend California's landmark global-warming law, in what they hope will serve as a showcase for a national backlash against climate regulations. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ballot-warming6-2010feb06,0,7996760,print.story http://www.modbee.com/business/story/1035964.html#ixzz0exrp9pqU http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14335987 California’s Smog Czar Touts Golden State’s Efforts to Create Sustainable Communities. Mary Nichols acknowledged it took some chutzpah for California's smog czar to lecture Vermonters about sprawl, pollution and land-use planning given the differences in how the two states have handled those issues. "I'm not even a planner," said Nichols, who delivered the sixth annual Norman Williams Distinguished Lecture in Land Use Planning and the Law at Vermont Law School on Feb. 4. "I'm an air pollution regulator who's struggled with local communities" to get their cooperation in tackling the Golden State's air, water and sprawl problems. Posted. http://www.vermontlaw.edu/News_and_Events/News/California%E2%80%99s_Smog_Czar_Touts_Golden_State%E2%80%99s_Efforts_to_Create_Sustainable_Communities.htm CARB To Hand Out $20 Million For Hybrid Trucks. The California Air Resources Board has launched a $20 million “funding assistance program” aimed at spurring the purchase of hybrid trucks and buses. As usual with most CARB grant programs – the program is restricted to vehicles to be used in-state only. CARB will hand out vouchers ranging from $10,000 to $45,000. The program is expected to put as many as 800 vehicles on the road. Vouchers will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. “Regardless of the size of their fleet, (each) is limited to a maximum of 100 vouchers,” a CARB statement read. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Feb10/020110/020510-03.htm Editorial: Backing Down On Climate Change. Washington appears to have lost its appetite for attacking the problem of global warming. If changes in the public mood and the party alignment of the U.S. Senate have stalled healthcare legislation, they may have thrown the highly anticipated climate bill under a bus. Even before Republican Scott Brown's stunning election to the Senate in traditionally Democratic Massachusetts last month, it was proving hard to corral moderate Democrats to support a bill capping greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate5-2010feb05,0,4351967.story New Calif. Power Plant Gets Greenhouse Gas Limits. San Francisco—A new power plant approved for the San Francisco Bay area will be built with strict federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions, the first such project in the nation, regulators said. Regulators called Calpine Corp.'s new plant in Hayward an important first step in federal efforts to use the existing federal Clean Air Act to help regulate the heat-trapping gases that contribute to climate change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14334108?nclick_check=1 http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/04/04greenwire-planned-calif-power-plant-would-be-nations-fir-73676.html Legally Binding? It's so 2009. Washington's climate policy analysts from environmental groups are quietly abandoning -- at least temporarily -- the once sacrosanct notion that nations must agree to legally binding emission targets. Several experts with ties to the Obama administration either personally or through their organizations said in recent interviews they don't view a new global treaty as likely or even desirable by the time countries meet in December for the next U.N. climate summit in Cancun, Mexico. Action is the new buzzword, it seems. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/08/1 NOAA Reorganizes With Eye Toward Assessing Effects of Climate Change. he National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched a new climate service today, a reorganization effort aimed at improving long-range assessments of climate change, sea-level rise and severe weather. The effort is aimed at providing long-term forecasts to assist fisheries managers, farmers, state governments, renewable energy developers, water managers and others. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/08/08greenwire-noaa-reorganizes-with-eye-toward-assessing-eff-30957.html?pagewanted=print Despite Millions In Tax Credits, Wind Energy Firms Aren't Hiring. Washington -- Despite the Obama administration's efforts to create jobs making wind turbines in America, some companies say that sluggish demand for wind energy is holding them back. The U.S. installed more wind power last year - 9,900 megawatts, or enough to power 2.4 million homes - than in any other year. The growth in wind farm installations in the U.S. was a product of federal stimulus spending. Nonetheless, wind equipment manufacturers cut as many as 2,000 jobs last year. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/702/v-print/story/2521171.html Viewpoints: Thicket Of Regulation Strangles Jobs. For all the rosy talk, California's new "green" jobs now account for less than 1 percent of the state's work force. Certainly we need these jobs and should be doing everything we can to nurture them. But pretending that they alone will pull California out of our current economic bog is naive. Growing thousands of green jobs while driving away hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs won't recapture our state's economic glory. We need both to reignite our economy. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/1190/v-print/story/2514710.html Opinion: Transit Bills Fight Climate Change. When President Barack Obama took office, he inherited some of the greatest challenges the nation has ever faced, with a potential economic collapse and climate crisis topping the list. He also faced a public that had placed its hopes in his ability to change the way America operates, from revitalizing the economy and reforming health care, to ending our expensive addiction to oil and reining in dangerous global warming pollution. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=AB5D7533-18FE-70B2-A83E1D43148F5A7C New Federal Climate Change Agency Forming. Washington—The Obama administration is proposing a new agency to study and report on the changing climate. Also known as global warming, climate change has drawn widespread concern in recent years as temperatures around the world rise, threatening to harm crops, spread disease, increase sea levels, change storm and drought patterns and cause polar melting. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14358072 FORUM: Climate Change Can Trip Temperature Extremes. The column by Richard Kirk ("Global warming drenching," Feb. 2) reeks of hostility to science and ignorance of the current state of scientific conclusions. He first jumps all over a few rare, isolated instances of scientific misconduct (none at American facilities such as NASA or NOAA) trying to discredit all science, even though the problematic actions were rectified by scientific protocols, without discrediting published peer-reviewed science. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/article_37bd696b-eda6-5955-9f70-7b315acc6498.html Buying Green: Cities and County’s Find Their Way. California’s 500-plus state government agencies purchase an average of $9 billion a year in products and services. From March 2007 to March 2008, that figure swelled to almost $11 billion with some major building projects underway; the next year, when the recession began, it shrunk to $8 billion. While the 2009 figures (March 2009 – March 2010) statistics are not yet available, the figure will probably be lower. Posted. http://www.green-technology.org/green_technology_magazine/buyingg.htm Earth, Wind And Wire: Going Beyond Solar Panels. Here's a look at three technologies that California residents are using to cut their energy bills and turn their homes into clean mini-power plants. Not long ago, people who wanted to generate their own green energy at home had to content themselves with rooftop solar panels. But new technologies -- and hefty government subsidies -- are now allowing homeowners to tap the wind, the Earth and other renewable sources in their own backyards. Call it the green evolution. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cover-beyond-solar7-2010feb07,0,38189,print.story Pesticide Regulations Improve V.C. Air Quality. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is pleased to announce that volatile organic compound pesticide emissions that contribute to smog in California dropped significantly in 2008, the first year restrictions on agricultural fumigant applications specifically targeting air quality were in effect. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/06/pesticide-regulations-improve-vc-air-quality/ Final Permit Approved For Hayward Power Plant. Hayward — Opponents of a 600-megawatt natural gas-fired facility at the Hayward shoreline vowed to appeal a final permit for the project approved Wednesday. While Calpine says that its Russell City Energy Center will be the first plant in the nation to abide by federal greenhouse gas limits, opponents say it would be anything but a victory for the environment. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_14337296 Rounds Says He Pushed For SD In Energy Meeting. Pierre, S.D.—Gov. Mike Rounds said Thursday he pushed for federal action that would help South Dakota develop ethanol plants and wind-generated electrical power when he met this week with President Barack Obama and top federal officials. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14335058 Socal Rejects $11 Million In Ethanol Funding. Los Angeles—A Southern California group has declined about $11 million in federal money that was earmarked to build ethanol fueling stations across the region. The Southern California Association of Governments rejected the stimulus funds Thursday. It says using more ethanol in Southern California would actually increase pollution because it must be trucked from farms in the Midwest. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14341610 Maritime Administration Knew Of Mothball Fleet Paint Pollution In 1997. The U.S. Maritime Administration knew in 1997 that paint falling off its obsolete ships anchored in Suisun Bay could cause toxic pollution, yet took no action for more than a decade while denying a problem existed, according to federal documents. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14345307 Inquiry On Tank Farm Touches Middle School. The regulatory agency overseeing an investigation of a former Carson oil tank farm has widened the probe to include Wilmington Middle School, where contractors have checked the soil and indoor air in search of possible contaminants. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14349476 Blogs Trucking and Oil Industries Protest Fuel Mandate in California. California’s new mandate for cleaner, low-carbon fuels is being met with resistance by the trucking and petroleum industries. Several groups came together Tuesday to jointly file a lawsuit against the state, claiming the mandate makes doing business prohibitively expensive and violates federal laws regarding interstate commerce. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/trucking-and-oil-industries-protest-fuel-mandate-in-california/ Tree Of The Week: A Balance Sheet. Urban trees are moneymakers. They return far more in value of benefits than they cost in maintenance. The publicly owned trees of our urban forest are major capital assets and a part of the commonly owned infrastructure, just like roads and utilities. Direct and indirect benefits of trees increase year after year, and their status should be regularly reviewed like any investment portfolio. It probably will not surprise you that aerial photographs of Los Angeles show that the wealthiest neighborhoods have the highest number of trees. On the positive side, studies show that trees generate clear social, psychological, environmental and economic benefits. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/02/tree-of-the-week-an-urban-forest-balance-sheet.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:02:25 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 9, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 9, 2010. 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. Venture Capital Favored Smaller Projects In 2009 – Report. New York -- Venture-capital investments into renewable energy and clean technology sectors fell last year as financiers pulled back during a steep recession, according to a survey by consulting giant Ernst & Young. But while the volume of capital declined significantly, the number of individual financing arrangements increased toward the end of the year as money flowed out of expensive projects into cheaper ones, analysts said. Overall, the amount of venture capital flowing into clean tech declined by 50 percent globally last year, to $2.6 billion. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2010/02/08/5 'Thicket Of Regulations' Is Killing Jobs, Fiorina Says. Colton - U.S. Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina used the CalPortland cement plant in Colton on Monday as a backdrop to criticize the "thicket of regulations" that she said is killing jobs in California. Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, is seeking the Republican nomination in June and fighting for the chance to take on incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., in the general election. The loss of jobs in California has been a Republican theme in both the U.S. Senate race and contest for California governor, with many of the candidates calling for streamlined regulations and tax cuts. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/politics/stories/PE_News_Local_W_fiorina09.429a247.html Thirdhand Smoke Forms Indoor Carcinogens, Lawrence Berkeley Lab Scientists Report. A common indoor air chemical reacts with residues of tobacco smoke clinging to clothing, skin and surfaces to form potent carcinogens, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory reported in a study published Monday. A few years ago, researchers began paying closer attention to the potential health effects of "thirdhand smoke," which is a thin layer of toxic substances from tobacco smoke that settles on surfaces long after cigarettes have been extinguished. The scientists, however, are the first to find that nitrous acid, an indoor air pollutant created by gas appliances, vehicle engines and tobacco smoke, reacts with nicotine found on surfaces. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14359831?source=rss Letter To Editor: Smoking Regulations Benefit The Public. Dear editor, with regard to the article published in the Register on Jan. 26 concerning the American Lung Association’s low grades for smoking laws in Napa County, it is important for the public to understand that Napa County residents have benefited from past legislation that has created smoke-free restaurants, bars, airplanes and workplaces. Clean indoor and outdoor air legislation has resulted in countless lives saved in California and around the world. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_9e6df5fe-1527-11df-b1e1-001cc4c002e0.html?print=1 Agency Will Create National Climate Service to Spur Adaptation. The Obama administration announced plans yesterday to create a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Service. The proposed entity would provide "user-friendly" information to help governments and businesses adapt to climate change, creating a central federal source of information on everything from projections of sea level rise to maps of the nation's best sites for wind and solar power. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/09/09climatewire-agency-will-create-national-climate-service-63603.html?pagewanted=print http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/09/1 http://www.examiner.com/x-25061-Climate-Change-Examiner~y2010m2d9-US-to-launch-new-climate-agency-amid-growing-doubts-about-the-theoryhttp://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/09/new-federal-office-would-study-global-warming/ Bolivia Expects 5,000 Foreigners At Climate Forum. La Paz, Bolivia—Bolivia's government says it expects thousands of activists, environmentalists and scientists to travel to the Andean nation for conference on climate change. Bolivia's foreign minister, David Choquehuanca, estimates roughly 5,000 foreigners will attend the event. The 3-day forum kicks off on April 20 in the city of Cochabamba. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14360804 China Releases First National Pollution Census. Beijing—China has revealed its most ambitious measure of what explosive development has done to its environment, saying Tuesday its first national pollution census has mapped nearly 6 million sources of industrial, residential and agricultural waste. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14362988 Global Warming A Threat For The Olympics? Vancouver, B.C. -- One morning last week, environmentalist David Suzuki looked across English Bay from his Vancouver home to Cypress Mountain, usually covered in snow this time of year but now left all but bare by a warm winter. "I've watched in horror as the snow has just melted away from Cypress Mountain," Suzuki said, referring to the 2010 Olympic Games snowboarding and freestyle skiing venue. The view from Vancouver, Suzuki and others say, provides a glimpse into the future for the Winter Olympics. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=233250 Palin Likens Global Warming Studies To 'Snake Oil'. Redding, Calif.—Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called studies supporting global climate change a "bunch of snake oil science" Monday during a rare appearance in California, a state that has been at the forefront of environmental regulations. Palin spoke before a logging conference in Redding, a town of 90,000 about 160 miles north of the state capital. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14361335 Skeptics Find Fault With U.N. Climate Panel. Just over two years ago, Rajendra K. Pachauri seemed destined for a scientist’s version of sainthood: A vegetarian economist-engineer who leads the United Nations’ climate change panel, he accepted the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the panel, sharing the honor with former Vice President Al Gore. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/science/earth/09climate.html Backing Down On Climate Change. If changes in the public mood and the party alignment of the U.S. Senate have stalled health-care legislation, they may have thrown the highly anticipated climate bill under a bus. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/national/story/1814470.html Editorial: Bipartisan Pushback on EPA Carbon Policing. Amid worldwide challenges to global warming theory, bipartisan opposition is forming in Congress as prominent Democratic voices join Republican critics of the Obama administration's pending greenhouse gas regulations. Two powerful Democratic committee chairmen – Missouri's Ike Skelton and Minnesota's Collin Peterson, of the House Armed Services and Agriculture committees, respectively – joined Missouri Republican Jo Ann Emerson in advancing a bill to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency's finding that greenhouse gases are dangerous, which empowered the agency to regulate the emissions. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/global-233244-epa-warming.html Carlsbad Desalination Greenhouse-Gas Plan Reaffirmed By CARB. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has reiterated its support for the energy minimization and greenhouse-gas reduction plan proposed by Poseidon Resources for the Carlsbad desalination project. In a letter to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) on 8 February 2009, the CARB says, "We do not believe there have been any changes to the project or the assumptions underlying Poseidon's GHG plan, which would change the positions expressed in our August 5, 2008 letter." Posted. http://www.desalination.biz/news/news_story.asp?id=5224&channel=0&title=Carlsbad+desalination+greenhouse-gas+plan+reaffirmed+by+CARB Corn Ethanol Gets Obama's Support. Score another one for the corn farmers. Corn ethanol has long been ridiculed as a vote-getting farmer-subsidy program that does little or nothing to help the nation reduce its dependence on foreign oil or cut its greenhouse gas emissions. But suddenly, corn doesn't look so bad, according to the Obama administration. EPA Chief Lisa Jackson said on Feb. 3 that after considering the latest science on crop yields, land use and ethanol-production efficiency, corn ethanol can be quite a good thing, after all. Posted. http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/08/corn-ethanol-obama-technology-ecotech-biofuels_print.html Dutton Seeks Independent. Review of State Air Board Actions. Sacramento – To help protect jobs, Senate Republican Leader-elect Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) has introduced Senate Bill 960, a measure that requires the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office to review regulations imposed by the California Air Resources Board. Under the legislation introduced by Senator Dutton, the LAO would determine the cost effectiveness and feasibility of implementing new regulations that have a cost of $10 million or more. Posted. http://www.inlandempire.us/rss/article.php?client=redfusion&id=20100208141603 What Is The U.S. Clean Energy Outlook After The Stimulus Money Runs Out? This is the year that the money will flow and jobs will grow from the Energy Department's $80 billion in seed money investments in clean energy. But what happens after the recovery funding is spent? On that question, expert opinion was divided at last week's RETECH 2010 conference, sponsored by the American Council on Renewable Energy. Some industry panelists said clean energy incentives are paying off already. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/09/2 Experts Say U.S. Should Follow Japan's Lead In Cutting Energy Use. Over the next decade, Japan will have to figure out how to cut more carbon from an economy that has picked nearly all the "low-hanging fruit" of energy efficiency. Now, some of its energy leaders are saying, the United States should follow Japan's lead and pick its own. A handful of Japanese researchers and executives stopped in Washington yesterday on their world tour to build ties on energy technology that can help the country meet ambitious new climate goals. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/09/5 San Francisco Launches $150 Million Energy Efficiency Program. San Francisco -- San Francisco residents will be able to pay for water conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy home improvements through their property taxes, under legislation Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) signed yesterday. "GreenFinanceSF" authorizes $150 million for energy-saving retrofits and installations, the largest such pool of money dedicated in the country. Homeowners will be able to finance up to $50,000 of projects per house. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/09/6 Citigroup, Gazprom in Pioneering Energy-Credit Deal in China. Beijing – Citigroup Inc. and OAO Gazprom closed a small but pioneering deal in China that could lay the foundation for a bigger nationwide market in carbon trading. Under the deal, the American bank and the Russian gas giant bought energy-intensity credits from three Tianjin heating utilities that had outperformed efficiency targets set by the port city near Beijing. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704820904575055131451492108.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_business Large Marin Energy Users Face Choice: PG&E Or More Renewable Energy. Some 9,200 customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have begun receiving notices from the Marin Energy Authority that they must "opt out" by contacting PG&E if they choose not to participate in the Marin Clean Energy program. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14360950 Explaining Alternative Energy Sources To Kids. Most of the energy we use in this country comes from sources far beneath the Earth's surface called fossil fuels. Petroleum (which is used to make oil and gasoline), natural gas and coal formed deep underground over hundreds of millions of years. These deposits were created as once-living plants and animals decomposed under high pressure and heat. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/08/AR2010020803569.html What Does $36B in Nuclear Loan Guarantees Buy Democrats? The Obama administration extended a helping hand to the nuclear industry last week by proposing to expand nuclear power loan guarantee authority by $36 billion, putting into action its long-stated support for the energy source. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/09/09greenwire-what-does-36b-in-nuclear-loan-guarantees-buy-d-66819.html GRAY: Getting A True Measure On Biofuels. Little noticed outside a small policy community, an issue has quietly arisen in recent years that, while seemingly technical, has the potential to derail the nation's attempts to address the issues of energy security and the environment. The issue is how or whether to count the effects of "indirect" land use — including as far away as Southeast Asia or Brazil — in determining the total greenhouse gas emissions from renewable fuels like ethanol, the very fuels that will enable us to reduce our dependence on imported oil. Posted. http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/09/gray-getting-a-true-measure-on-biofuels/ Tehama County To Expand Grants To Tractors. Starting in March, Tehama County farmers may be able to get a new tractor for a fraction of the cost. Tehama County Air Pollution Control District officials are readying an expansion to the local Carl Moyer grant program, which has long paid to replace the state's diesel engines with lower- or zero-emission alternatives. It's not so much as that it's a lot of pollution (from a given diesel engine) as it is the kind of pollution, Air Pollution Specialist Joe Sunday said. Diesel particulate emissions represent a significant cancer risk to the entire population. Posted. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ci_14365193 Carbon Monoxide Taking A Toll On Snowbound Without Power. The families were just trying to keep warm. Snowbound and without power in their homes, they turned to what seemed like a good alternative: gas-fueled generators. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/08/AR2010020803703.html Propane Distributer Launches Vehicle Conversion Effort. Propane is cheaper and burns cleaner than gasoline, but it powers just a small fraction of U.S. vehicles. A Santa Rosa company wants to change that by converting cars and trucks to run on the alternative fuel. “This is the biggest opportunity we've had — in terms of volume — in many years,” said Jeff Stewart, president of Blue Star Gas. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100208/ARTICLES/100209528/1350?Title=Propane-distributer-launches-vehicle-conversion-effort Blogs U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Says Pika Not Imperiled by Climate Change. The Obama administration has determined that the American pika, a small rabbit-like mammal, is not threatened by climate change. The decision underscores how the Endangered Species Act has become the latest battlefield in the fight over global warming. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-says-pika-not-imperiled-by-climate-change/ Keeping China (Relatively) Green. The blessings of a temperate climate make California the greenest place in America, but California is still a lot browner than China. When Matthew Kahn and I estimated household carbon emissions across American metropolitan areas, we found that the three areas with the lowest emissions were San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose. Carbon emissions in these places are still more than four times the emissions in the brownest Chinese city (Daqing) and 10 times as high as the household emissions in the average Chinese city. Posted. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/keeping-china-relatively-green/ Reality Check on Old Ice, Climate and CO2. Richard Alley’s name has been thrown around a bit by bloggers asserting that ice-core records from Greenland show that carbon dioxide has scant, if any, influence on climate. Dr. Alley, a glaciologist and climate scientist at Penn State, is a longtime contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, author of a nice history of ice and climate, “ The Two-Mile Time Machine,” and — as many Dot Earth readers are aware — a teacher with musical and terpsichorean talents (see the YouTube video below for his orbital dance explaining how ice-age cycles help show the amplifying power of greenhouse gases). Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/richard-alley-on-old-ice-climate-and-co2/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:26:47 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 10, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 10, 2010. 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. Climate Group Admits Mistakes. Some IPCC Officials Say the U.N.-Sponsored Group Must Improve Procedures for Reviewing Reports. Some top officials of a Nobel Prize-winning climate-science organization are acknowledging the panel made some mistakes amid a string of recent revelations questioning the accuracy of some of the information in its influential reports. Officials of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations-sponsored network of scientists whose reports strongly influence global policy on greenhouse-gas emissions, initially played down some of the allegations. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704182004575055703697897576.html#printMode Climate And Energy Issues Send Hordes To K Street. The number of companies and organizations hiring energy lobbyists reached record levels last year as major climate legislation worked its way through Congress. More than 1,700 groups and businesses turned to K Street in 2009 for help on energy, climate and nuclear issues, a jump from 1,331 in 2008, according to new data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. The numbers constitute a more than 70 percent increase from three years ago and include companies ranging from information technology giants to steel manufacturers. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/10/10climatewire-climate-and-energy-issues-send-hordes-to-k-s-21839.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/10/1 Misguided Opposition to AB32 and Cap and Trade. Whether or not Congress eventually approves the greenhouse-gas reduction agreements reached in Copenhagen late last year, California will soon have a cap-and-trade system in place. Unless voters here put a ballot initiative to the contrary on the November ballot and then pass it. Sponsors of this putative proposition call it the “California Jobs Initiative,” contending jobs will be lost in efforts to fight global warming by demanding lower industrial emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/09/misguided-opposition-to-ab32-and-cap-and-trade/ Commentary: AB 32 Is Killing Our Economy. Mike Rothschild is the Mayor Pro Tem in Victorville and a board member of the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District. I have served on the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD) board for its entire 17-year existence and as it chairman the first three years. I led the effort to separate MDAQMD from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the credit transfer bills. As the author of the resolution to repeal AB 32 (carbon emission standards), I am urging each city council and the San Bernardino board of supervisors for their support. Posted. http://www.publicceo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1175:commentary-ab-32-is-killing-our-economy-&catid=148:environmental-issues-broad Conservatives Mock Gore On Snowfall. With the nation’s capital buried in several feet of snow and the federal government brought to a halt by Mother Nature, conservatives are mocking former Vice President Al Gore and his crusade to curb global climate change. The vocal doubters of global warming frequently use any unseasonal snowfall or cold spell to mock Gore and the scientists who believe human actions are unnaturally warming the planet. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32783.html Opinion: Repealing Climate Bill Would Hurt Silicon Valley Economy. Our state's landmark climate bill — the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) — has put California squarely at the forefront of the fight against global warming by requiring the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. This is good for the environment, and, just as importantly, for the innovation economy and job creation. However, U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Granite Bay, and state Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Marysville, have launched a misguided initiative drive that could block the progress and promise of AB32. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_14368056?nclick_check=1 Editorial: Senate Offers Some Hope For Legislation To Combat Climate Change. CLIMATE CHANGE legislation, according to conventional wisdom, is all but dead for the year. It fell victim to Senate gridlock, yawning gaps between lawmakers over how and even whether to tackle the issue and President Obama's decision last year to place it third on his list of priorities, after the stimulus and health care. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/09/AR2010020903526.html Editorial: Global Warming Snow Job. Record snowfall illustrates the obvious: The global warming fraud is without equal in modern science. The fundamental problems exposed about climate-change theory undermine the very basis of scientific inquiry. Huge numbers of researchers refuse to provide their data to other scientists. Some referenced data is found not to have existed. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007 report that global warming activists continually cite invented a large number of purported facts. Posted. http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/10/global-warming-snow-job//print/ Challenged Back Home on His Right, McCain Stays Away From Climate Bill.Sen. John McCain once led the global warming debate on Capitol Hill, pledging to force repeated floor votes on cap-and-trade legislation until it passed. "Over time we will not be elected Miss Congeniality in the Senate, but we will win," the Arizona Republican said in April 2006. But McCain has gone on hiatus from the issue since losing the presidential election to Barack Obama. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/10/10climatewire-challenged-back-home-on-his-right-mccain-sta-91703.html?pagewanted=print China's Pollution Census Thorough, Not Public. Beijing - China has revealed its most ambitious measure of what explosive development has done to its environment, saying Tuesday that its first national pollution census has mapped nearly 6 million sources of industrial, residential and agricultural waste. The world's largest polluter also said its pollution levels might peak sooner than expected as China tries to balance economic and green concerns. The central government now has a year to use the census results to shape its next five-year environmental protection plan. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/10/MNO81BUQ23.DTL&type=printable 'Columbo' Fights Gas Emissions Law. As mismatches go, "Columbo" vs. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may not rank with David vs. Goliath, but California's environmental and energy policy would be dramatically altered if the little guy wins this fight. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/1148/story/1815594.html http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2525716.html FedEx Applies 'Environmental Philanthropy' to Move Traffic and Cut Emissions in Mexico City. Insurgentes Avenue runs 18 miles across Mexico City. It is one of the longest, most congested urban thoroughfares in the world. The city's decision in 2005 to carve out a bus lane in the middle of the avenue is seen as a marquee effort to promote public transportation and get pollution under control. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/10/10climatewire-fedex-applies-environmental-philanthropy-to-92542.html Asthma And Wood-Burning Stoves: A Heated Issue. The discussion regarding wood-burning fireplaces has been a heated issue (excuse the pun) in Napa County. On July 9, 2008, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board adopted Regulation 6, Rule 3, to limit emissions of particulate matter from wood-burning devices. Seventeen Bay Area counties and cities have adopted this regulation. Napa County and the city of Napa are not among them. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_760b50d8-15f0-11df-b2d0-001cc4c03286.html Biodiesel Firm Hopes Grant Will Fund Project. Chico - Nonprofits use Web site voting to earn dollars for their causes, but now a local Chico business hopes Pepsi's "refresheverything.com" could mean a new chapter. Springboard Biodiesel has hopes that daily voting on the Pepsi site could mean a $250,000 windfall for the company. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14371687 Feinstein, Boxer Call For Delay On Plans To Expand Central Valley Landfill. The senators seek a moratorium on the facility's growth until investigations into birth defects in Kettleman City are completed. Reporting from Kettleman City, Calif. California's two U.S. senators on Tuesday called for a moratorium on plans to expand the state's largest toxic waste landfill pending the completion of investigations into birth defects in the nearby farm workers' community of Kettleman City. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-toxic10-2010feb10,0,6902217,print.story State: Birth Defect Rate In CA Town Not Unusual. Fresno, Calif.—State health officials said Tuesday they found nothing unusual about the rate of infant birth defects in an impoverished San Joaquin Valley farm town located next to the West's largest toxic waste dump. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14365819 Uphill Fight for Landfill. Privately owned Forward Landfill, one of the busiest dumps in California, wants to nearly triple its available space despite objections from neighbors, farm advocates and pilots at nearby Stockton Metropolitan Airport. Forward disposed of 1.2 million tons of trash in 2008, ranking eighth among nearly 200 California landfills, state records show. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100210/A_NEWS/2100332/-1/a_news14 Company Hopes to Put SoCal's Power-Storage Problems on Ice. Ice Energy has a novel solution for the electricity challenges of the 21st century: Make Popsicles. Put another way, the company wants to freeze water at night in refrigerator-like boxes adjacent to commercial air conditioners and then thaw it during the day, when power demand is highest. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/09/09greenwire-company-hopes-to-put-socals-power-storage-prob-51420.html Work Starts In March On 'Green' Makeover Of Former Sentinel Building. Santa Cruz - Work is scheduled to begin in mid-March on a "green" makeover of the former Sentinel building for Ecology Action and Cruzio. Developer Joe Appenrodt, a partner in the consortium that bought 207 Church St. at an auction in September, put the price tag Tuesday at $4 million to $5 million. The building has been a downtown landmark since 1966. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14367027 World Ag Expo opens in Tulare. The rain may have muddied the grounds of the International Agri-Center in Tulare, but it did not seem to slow the thousands of visitors to the 43rd annual World Ag Expo. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/business/story/1814712.html Con Edison Calls For More Solar Energy Projects. New York -- Con Edison, a unit of Consolidated Edison Inc., on Tuesday filed a proposal with the state of New York calling for more funds for solar energy projects in New York City. In Con Edison's filing with the New York State Public Service Commission, it called for the development of 25 megawatts of solar energy resources in New York City by 2015. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/09/AR2010020902336.html Blogs The Distracting Debate Over Climate Certainty. Anyone tracking the decades-long fight over curbing greenhouse gases can see the tendency of the most passionate advocates on either side to try to build their cases around certainty. “There’s no longer any debate,” became a mantra in the post-Katrina surge of greenhouse campaigning, cresting after the 2007 publication of the fourth set of reports on warming from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/the-distracting-debate-over-climate-certainty/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:32:14 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 11, 2010 From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 11, 2010. 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. Drive to Delay Calif. Climate Law May Be Stuck in Neutral. An election-year push to suspend California's climate change law appears to be struggling amid rumors that supporters are having trouble raising enough money to gather the signatures needed to place the issue on the November ballot. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/11/11climatewire-drive-to-delay-calif-climate-law-may-be-stuck-5461.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/11/1 Arnold's Killin''Us. The Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District’s board of directors, charged with keeping the Victor Valley’s greenhouse gas emissions under control and our air as pollution-free as possible, sent a letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week, the gist of which was “Arnold, you’re killin’ us!” Actually, it’s not Arnold who’s directly doing the damage, but a bill passed back in 2006 by the state legislature (AB 32, full name of which is the Global Warming Solutions Act) which imposes regulations on emissions and whose goal is to reduce the “carbon footprint” of industries and businesses in the High Desert.” Posted. http://www.vvdailypress.com/common/printer/view.php?db=vvdailypress&id=17246 Palm Desert May Change Goal for Cutting Emissions. In 2007, the Palm Desert City Council set an aggressive goal of cutting the city's carbon emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. But the council could be setting its sights considerably lower today when it votes on a sustainability plan that would cut the city's carbon emissions 7 percent below 2008 levels in the next two years. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100211/NEWS01/2110318/Palm+Desert+may+change+goal+for+cutting+emissions Salinas-Based Rapid Harvest Fined $16,500. Salinas-based Rapid Harvest has been fined $16,500 by the California Air Resources Board for diesel emissions violations. James Ryden, the board’s enforcement chief, said that in 2005 the company failed to properly inspect its diesel vehicles. Posted. http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100210/NEWS01/100210012/1002/Salinas-based+Rapid+Harvest+fined++16+500 Climate-Change Debate Is Heating Up in Deep Freeze. As millions of people along the East Coast hole up in their snowbound homes, the two sides in the climate-change debate are seizing on the mounting drifts to bolster their arguments. Skeptics of global warming are using the record-setting snows to mock those who warn of dangerous human-driven climate change — this looks more like global cooling, they taunt. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/science/earth/11climate.html Evidence of Climate Change. To the Editor: Re “Researcher on Climate Is Cleared in Inquiry” (news article, Feb. 4): As the cloud of confusion and speculation sparked by the stolen university e-mail messages begins to clear, it is time to return our attention to the unequivocal scientific evidence of our changing climate. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/opinion/lweb11climate.html Op-Ed: Backing Down On Climate Change. If changes in the public mood and the party alignment of the U.S. Senate have stalled health-care legislation, they may have thrown the highly anticipated climate bill under a bus. Even before Republican Scott Brown's stunning election to the Senate in traditionally Democratic Massachusetts last month, it was proving hard to corral moderate Democrats to support a bill capping greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/climate-91669-bill-senate.html Cap-And-Trade Opposition Doesn't Shield W.Va. Reps From Anti-Coal Rap. Since last June, Republicans have been using a vote in favor of the House energy and climate bill as ammunition against vulnerable Democrats in the upcoming 2010 midterm election. But Republicans in West Virginia are going one step further and using the cap-and-trade bill to target two veteran Democrats who actually voted against the bill: Reps. Nick Rahall and Alan Mollohan. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/11/11greenwire-cap-and-trade-opposition-doesnt-shield-wva-rep-36562.html Logue Hot About Global Warming. Assemblyman Dan Logue is moving ahead with plans to put California's landmark global emissions legislation on the November ballot. Within the next two weeks, Logue said, teams of signature gatherers will begin setting up in front of stores and heavily traveled public spaces across the state to get enough support for his initiative, which Democratic state legislators rejected in bill form last month. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/jobs-91664-logue-state.html Finance Leaders Unveil $84B Jobs Bill, Include Energy Credits. Senators unveiled a bipartisan $84 billion draft bill today aimed at spurring a sputtering economy that includes extensions of several energy tax incentives and current highway law. The draft bill includes one-year extensions of existing tax credits for hybrid heavy trucks and biodiesel and renewable fuels, which were included in the House jobs bill. Added to those energy provisions in the Senate version are extensions for low-sulfur diesel fuel, production of fuel from coke or coke gas, and energy-efficient home upgrades. The bill also extends the current highway and transit law through the end of 2010. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/02/11/2 Sensible Rules for Ethanol. Despite pressure from farm state politicians, the Environmental Protection Agency has taken an important step to ensure that biofuels help rather than hurt the environment. Under new guidelines, biofuels produced at new facilities — including ethanol from corn, sugar, plants and other sources — must achieve at least a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional gasoline. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/opinion/11thu3.html Air Board: GHG Sniffers for Research, Not Enforcement. A companion radio piece to this post aired on The California Report Tuesday morning. Scientists in California have begun setting up a statewide network of monitors to track California's greenhouse gas emissions. Similar equipment has been in place for years as part of a continental network established by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But officials at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) say this new system will be the first of its kind. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/02/08/air-board-ghg-sniffers-for-research-not-enforcement/ Public Invited To Free Energy and Clean Air Expo. A new rule that passed in December 2009 requires employers of more than 100 in the Central Valley to encourage their workers to reduce the amount of miles traveled by vehicle. For examples, this could be through carpooling, alternative transportation such as bicycles and buses, or telecommuting. Posted. http://bakersfieldexpress.org/2010/02/11/public-invited-to-free-energy-and-clean-air-expo/ State And Local Governments Innovate To Cut Energy Waste. As federal policy to curb carbon emissions remains in limbo, a pack of state and local governments is experimenting with new ways to reduce energy waste. For many of them, fresh efforts to promote clean energy serve as a response to federal inaction. But there are also signs that Washington is watching them, hoping a new idea to snag energy savings will emerge. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/11/2 Arcata Council Approves Loan For Footprint Recycling. The Arcata City Council approved a loan to local biodiesel producer Footprint Recycling on Wednesday, but it is unclear if the vote was official. A loan of $20,000 with a 3 percent interest rate was set for approval before the council in a special meeting Wednesday morning to help Footprint Recycling recover from an oil spill last month, according to a city staff report. The site has been under a cease and desist order since the spill and has not been able to continue operations. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14379893 6 Treated For Carbon Monoxide Poisoning In Santee. Santee, Calif.—A San Diego County family is expected to recover after being hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning. A fire dispatcher says a Santee couple and their four children were taken to the hospital shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday after the man called 911 to report his family was ill. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14380855 Solar Power Comes To The Point Reyes National Seashore. A photovoltaic system that will produce approximately 16,000 kilowatt-hours annually has been installed at the Point Reyes National Seashore headquarters building in Olema. Installed by SunWize Technologies of Kingston, N.Y., the solar system will generate 33 percent of the electrical power consumed by administrative operations. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14374848 University Announces New Review Of Climate Science. London—The University of East Anglia says it will conduct a new review of the science published by its scandal-hit Climate Research Unit. The university says the prestigious Royal Society science academy will help find independent scientists to run the new inquiry. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14380827 GOP Legislators Aim To Cut Red Tape, Lawsuits To Boost Cailfornia Job Growth. California legislative Republicans said Wednesday they'll be rolling out their own bills over the next several weeks to try to spur private-sector job growth by cutting regulations on businesses and trying to reduce lawsuits. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/1148/story/1817078.html Utah House Tells Feds To End Emissions Moves. Salt Lake City -- The Utah House has passed a resolution questioning the science behind global warming and calling for federal officials to stop policies aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/641/story/1816313.html BLOGS Record Snowfall Provokes Debate Over Global Warming. With all this snow, people are yet again wondering what this means for climate change. While The Post ran a story about this question on Jan. 28 -- "Harsh winter a sign of disruptive climate change, report says" -- we thought it was worth pointing readers to a new posting that The New Republic has put up on this, "What The Snowpocalypse Tells Us About Global Warming." Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/02/record-snowfall-provokes-debat.html?wprss=44 Should Curbing Emissions Really Be About Green Jobs? American University is out with a study showing that the $2 billion of stimulus money that has gone to promoting American wind power has mostly found its way to overseas wind turbine makers. Cue the typical protectionist outrage about how, if we are to green the economy, we should make sure the jobs the effort creates stay here. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/02/should_curbing_emissions_reall.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:52:29 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 12-15, 2010 From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 12-15, 2010. 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. Unilever Fined for Polluting California Air With Deodorant Spray. Sacramento, California, February 15, 2010 (ENS) - A fragrant personal care spray designed to make men appear to be free of unpleasant body odor has polluted California air to the degree that the state has fined the brandowner's corporate parent more than $1 million. The California Air Resources Board announced Wednesday that it has penalized Conopco Inc. d/b/a Unilever $1.3 million for illegal consumer sales of AXE Deodorant Bodyspray for Men. Posted. http://www.ecofactory.com/news/unilever-fined-polluting-california-air-deodorant-spray-021510 The Continuing Climate Meltdown. It has been a bad—make that dreadful—few weeks for what used to be called the "settled science" of global warming, and especially for the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that is supposed to be its gold standard. First it turns out that the Himalayan glaciers are not going to melt anytime soon, notwithstanding dire U.N. predictions. Next came news that an IPCC claim that global warming could destroy 40% of the Amazon was based on a report by an environmental pressure group. Other IPCC sources of scholarly note have included a mountaineering magazine and a student paper. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703630404575053781465774008.html Lawsuits Roll In As EPA 'Endangerment' Deadline Looms. Critics of U.S. EPA's climate regulations are lining up to launch legal battles against the agency's "endangerment" finding amid a looming deadline for court challenges. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday petitioned a federal appeals court to reconsider EPA's determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare, a finding that paves the way for broad regulations of the heat-trapping emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/02/15/1 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jA2dG4270cgZ7r66PGn-u11l2Z8wD9DTDFSG0 Lack of Direction on Climate Change Hobbles Carbon Trading. London — Touted by its supporters as the best and cheapest way to fight global warming, carbon trading is losing momentum amid the uncertainty created by the failure of the Copenhagen summit meeting and President Barack Obama’s political troubles in the United States. Investors are steering clear of energy-saving projects meant to generate carbon credits, and traders in Europe are hunkering down through a period of consolidation that is disappointing to those who had hoped carbon markets would grow quickly into a $2 trillion-a-year business. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/business/energy-environment/15rentrade.html?sq=environment&st=cse&scp=2&pagewanted=print Conoco, BP, Caterpillar Leave Climate Coalition. ConocoPhillips, Caterpillar Inc. and BP America have left the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of more than two-dozen companies and environmental groups lobbying Congress to pass greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade legislation. BP America, a unit of London-Based BP PLC, Notified Fellow U.S. CAP Members Of Its Decision By Letter Today. Houston-Based Conocophillips Broke The News In A Press Release. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/16/16greenwire-conoco-bp-caterpillar-leave-climate-coalition-73582.html?pagewanted=print Opinion: Congress Should Postpone Climate Change Legislation, Seek Real Science First. The Climategate scandal is a textbook case of professional malfeasance that should give Congress reason to pause before agreeing to a binding international agreement that would hamstring the world economy in order to prevent the climate from changing. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/national/story/1047978.html Climate Change Facts: To the Editor: Re “U.N. Climate Panel and Its Chief Face a Siege on Their Credibility” (front page, Feb. 9): That fossil fuel industry-financed forces are continuing their campaign to undermine the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and its chief scientists should not distract us from what we know about our climate. Two physical findings stand out. In the last 50 years the world ocean has accumulated 22 times as much heat as has the atmosphere (data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce). Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/opinion/l14climate.html?sq=climate%20change&st=cse&scp=6&pagewanted=print Study Finds Traffic Pollution Can Speed Hardening Of Arteries. People living within 328 feet of an L.A. freeway were found to have twice the average progression of atherosclerosis -- thickening of artery walls that can lead to heart disease and stroke. Los Angeles residents living near freeways experience a hardening of the arteries that leads to heart disease and strokes at twice the rate of those who live farther away, a study has found. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/14/local/la-me-freeway-pollution14-2010feb14 New Leader Looks To Fire Up Sierra Club. Alameda – You could say that Michael Brune graduated to the big time in environmental politics when he learned the magical powers of the pound sign (#)and the numerals 8 and 0. When he punched those numbers into a telephone inside a Home Depot store in Atlanta in 1999, Brune suddenly found himself in full control of the building's intercom system. From atop this electronic bully pulpit, Brune's voice rolled across the cavernous store, reminding shoppers that Home Depot was, at the time, buying wood products from companies harvesting trees from rare and endangered old-growth rain forests. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/v-print/story/2535897.html Does the Huge China-Australia Coal Deal Square With the Copenhagen Accord?Environmental activists are attacking a $60 billion deal that will keep Chinese power stations supplied with Australian coal for at least the next two decades. Under the agreement announced last week, the Australian coal and iron ore mining company Resourcehouse will build a new mining complex to give China Power International Development 30 million tonnes of coal annually for the next two decades. Resourcehouse Chairman Clive Palmer called it the "biggest-ever export contract" for Australia, which is the world's leading exporter of coal. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/16/16climatewire-does-the-huge-china-australia-coal-deal-squa-78639.html?pagewanted=print Economics Improve For First Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Plants. Many cellulosic fuel producers are working with enzymes to break down tough, inedible plant parts, such as corncobs or switch grass, into simpler sugars that can be fermented to ethanol. Now enzyme companies say they are near to breaking down another tough obstacle: the cost of enzymes that will make the next generation of low-carbon fuels. The progress may help put cellulosic ethanol on course to compete commercially when the first large plants open next year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/16/2 Success & Service — UC Merced Professor Receives Grant For Ag Land, Biofuel Study. Elliott Campbell, a professor in the School of Engineering at the University of California at Merced, has received a $407,588, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation to study production of biofuels on abandoned agricultural lands. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/local/story/1047957.html Valley Dairies Will Try New Methane Process. State support of a new methane digesting project could help three Central Valley dairy farms treat their waste more efficiently. Officials from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Merced Irrigation District and a West Sacramento-based environmental engineering company as well as representatives of three dairies met at the World Ag Expo in Tulare this week to sign an agreement to pursue digester pilot projects at each of the dairies. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/ag/story/1046766.html Gauging Growth With Diesel Data. A survey that measures how much diesel fuel truck drivers are buying and where they're buying it is expected to offer insights about the strength of the economic recovery. The first look at the study released last week by UCLA economists shows no teeth in the economic recovery. In contrast, strong gross domestic product readings for the fourth quarter of 2009 suggested to some the national economy was moving forward. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/business/story/1049838.html A Variety Of Solutions Can Add Up To Benefit Farmers. On Jan. 28, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) met to consider amending the regulations concerning diesel engines used in water well drilling rigs. The CARB hearing was the culmination of work by me, the Assembly Agriculture Committee, the California Groundwater Association (CGA), and the results of the amendments to my AB 1416. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/community/story/1049901.html Cities Prepare for Life With the Electric Car. San Francisco — If electric cars have any future in the United States, this may be the city where they arrive first. The San Francisco building code will soon be revised to require that new structures be wired for car chargers. Across the street from City Hall, some drivers are already plugging converted hybrids into a row of charging stations. In nearby Silicon Valley, companies are ordering workplace charging stations in the belief that their employees will be first in line when electric cars begin arriving in showrooms. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/business/15electric.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print Uranga Loses Re-Election For AQMD Board Seat. Long Beach - City Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga has lost her re-election bid for the South Coast Air Quality Management District board. The vote last week by 40 of the 51 cities that are in the AQMD's Los Angeles County Western Region became official Wednesday. Rolling Hills Estates City Councilwoman Judy Mitchell got 31 votes, while nine cities, including Long Beach, voted for Uranga, AQMD officials said. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14384919 Burn-Ban Deadline Worries Vintners. Fresno — A long-awaited deadline for a ban on open-field burning in the San Joaquin Valley is coming June 1. But many vineyard owners say they can't afford to follow the rule. Alternatives in use on many types of valley farms, such as burning waste at a biomass energy plant, may not work on vineyards, where plant waste often is tangled in wires and wooden stakes. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/ag/story/1046763.html Your Turn: Bonfire Of The Inanities. First there was Tax Freedom Day, now there's Fireplace Freedom Day! This winter the mandatory fireplace burning restrictions established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) caused quite a kerfuffle. Over the past several months these pages have been flooded with public complaints about enforcement of the new mandatory burning rules, adopted to comply with state and federal air quality regulations. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14390539 Anne Marie Fuller: Think Twice Before You Light Up The Fireplace. AS I write this column, New York and others states back east are getting pounded by yet another harsh blizzard — making most of us thankful we live in Northern California. But even here, on these chilly winter days, it's often nice to stay warm by curling up and enjoying a soft, glowing fire in your own fireplace. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/columns/ci_14397189 Council's Vote Official On Footprint Recycling Loan. Footprint Recycling will be able to apply for the loan the Arcata City Council approved Wednesday after some speculation they would need to reconvene to make it official. The city council approved a loan of $20,000 with a 3 percent interest rate to aid biodiesel producer Footprint Recycling in recovering from an oil spill last month, according to a city staff report. The recycling facility was put under a cease and desist order after the spill and has not been allowed to continue its normal operations. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14388311 Green Entrepreneur Eyes Shut-Down Davenport Cement Plant. Davenport - The life of the century-old Davenport cement plant may not be over just yet. The entrepreneur behind Moss Landing's green cement business Calera Inc. says he'd consider expanding his operation to the shuttered facility in Davenport should the for-sale sign come up. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14392101 Energy Audit Sheds Light On Costly Appliances, Electronics. PG&E brought my family an unwelcome gift in mid-November: a SmartMeter. Since the Bay Area rollout last fall, these remotely read meters have come under fire. Consumers have complained that they do not accurately measure electricity usage, resulting in significantly higher utility bills. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/home-garden/ci_14359509 BLOGS Samsung Enters Solar Deal in California. European Pressphoto Agency Samsung’s first commercial solar plant in South Korea. The company’s American arm is expected to provide panels for plants in California. Samsung, the Japanese South Korean conglomerate best known to Americans for its televisions and cellphones, is jumping into the American solar business. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/samsung-enters-solar-deal-in-california/?pagemode=print San Francisco’s Electric Cars Proliferate. Jim Wilson/The New York Times The San Francisco Bay area is already a center of the nascent battery-charged economy. In Monday’s New York Times, Clifford Krauss and I wrote about the ways cities are preparing for the rollout of electric cars later year. West Coast cities like Portland, Ore.; Los Angeles; and San Diego are vying to become electric car capitals. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/san-franciscos-electric-cars-proliferate/?pagemode=print Global Warming and Weather Psychology. How does extreme weather affect the public’s understanding or misunderstanding of global climate change? Australian heat wave and dust storms last year, advocates of action on global warming were quick to link the weather to the longer term climate changes. But when there’s a cold snap or snowstorm, the skeptics have a field day, even if the climate scientists protest that it’s all part of the extreme weather patterns of global warming. Posted. http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/global-warming-and-weather-psychology/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:38:48 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 16, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 16, 2010. 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. Cost-Sharing Funds Available. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) plans to issue a rule by the end of 2010 that will require the replacement or retrofitting of older diesel motors in ag equipment such as tractors, harvesters, self-propelled spray rigs, forklifts and ATVs with cleaner burning motors. Posted. http://westernfarmpress.com/tree-nut-crops/cost-sharing-funds-0216/ Air Quality Regulators Reach Out To Business Community. An olive branch went out to Bakersfield's business community Tuesday as state air quality regulators took an opportunity to quiet suspicions that they're bent on quashing profits and costing people their jobs. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x914961373/Air-quality-regulators-reach-out-to-business-community $440M Of Stimulus For Calif EPA Projects In '09. El Cerrito, Calif.—Nearly $440 million in federal stimulus funds went into California environmental projects last year, including upgrades to the state's aging water infrastructure. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14411573 $517M Of Stimulus For Calif EPA Projects To Date. El Cerrito, Calif.—The Environmental Protection Agency is spending about $517 million in stimulus dollars to shore up the economy and create green jobs in California, a top federal official said Tuesday. Jared Blumenfeld, administrator for the EPA's Pacific Southwest region, made the announcement while touring a rain garden in El Cerrito that got stimulus funds to plant landscaping that removes chemicals from stormwater runoff that flows into the San Francisco Bay. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14417275 Defections Shake Up Climate Coalition. Three big companies quit an influential lobbying group that had focused on shaping climate-change legislation, in the latest sign that support for an ambitious bill is melting away. Oil giants BP PLC and ConocoPhillips and heavy-equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. said Tuesday they won't renew their membership in the three-year-old U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a broad business-environmental coalition that had been instrumental in building support in Washington for capping emissions of greenhouse gases. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704804204575069440096420212.html#mod=todays_us_page_one Oceano Dunes Ecosystem Needs Constant Care. Take 4,000 acres of wind-swept dunes, five-and-a-half miles of beach and numerous rare plants and animals and combine that with 2 million people and tens of thousands of trucks and off-highway vehicles a year. Posted. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/dunes/story/1031386.html British Airways To Buy Jet Fuel From City Waste. British Airways will start sourcing a small portion of its jet fuel from municipal waste from 2014, under a deal with U.S.-based biofuel company Solena Group, the two companies announced on Monday. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61F37520100216 Fuel-Stingy Hybrid Truck Means Bountiful Savings For California Food Bank. When Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo (CA) Counties delivers fresh fruits and vegetables to local neighborhood community centers with its new Kenworth diesel-electric hybrid tractor, the expected fuel savings could enable the food bank to provide an additional 14,000 meals annually. Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/2010-emissions/kenworth_hybrid_truck_helps_california_food_bank_save_0217/ Controversies Create Opening for Critics. The spate of recent controversies about climate research has given fresh voice to a group of scientists who question the mainstream view that human activity is warming the planet to dangerous levels. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704804204575069723794293584.html Opinion: Consensus or Con? This column was scoffing at global warming back when global warming was still cool. But even we have been surprised at the extent of the past three months' "meltdown" of global warmism, to use the metaphor that everyone seems to have settled on. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704804204575069551130098386.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_MIDDLETopOpinion The Continuing Climate Meltdown. It has been a bad—make that dreadful—few weeks for what used to be called the "settled science" of global warming, and especially for the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that is supposed to be its gold standard. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703630404575053781465774008.html Opinion: Global Weirding Is Here. Of the festivals of nonsense that periodically overtake American politics, surely the silliest is the argument that because Washington is having a particularly snowy winter it proves that climate change is a hoax and, therefore, we need not bother with all this girly-man stuff like renewable energy, solar panels and carbon taxes. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/opinion/17friedman.html?pagewanted=print Cement Industry Seeks A Voice As EPA Sets Its Climate Rules. Amid the recent flood of legal challenges to U.S. EPA's finding that greenhouse gases threaten human health and welfare was one from an industry that sees its future in the agency's hands. With the Obama administration pushing forward climate, energy and environmental policies and Congress wringing its hands, it is a time of regulatory uncertainty for many major energy users. The U.S cement industry -- one of the economy's most energy-intensive -- is a good example of a sector facing plenty. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/17/5 BLOGS States Bite Back Against Emissions Regulations, Even California. When automakers and the Obama White House announced agreement on a single national standard for emissions and fuel economy last May, the entire auto industry heaved a huge sigh of relief. The issue was settled, at least until 2016. Posted. http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1042686_states-bite-back-against-emissions-regulations-even-california AB 32 Opponents Vulnerable on Pollution's Health Hazards. Imagine if Toyota made this statement: "It has come to our attention that, due to faulty gas pedals, a small number of our cars have killed or injured a small percentage of our customers. However, to recall and repair our cars to address this problem would simply be too costly, especially in this difficult economy. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-kim/ab-32-opponents-vulnerabl_b_464050.html L.A. County Ranks 26th Of 56 In New Health Study; Orange County In Top 10. New county health rankings for every state in the country were released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/la-county-ranks-26-of-56-in-new-health-study-orange-county-in-top-10.html Cellulosic Fuel Gets Cheaper, Companies Say. Two of the world’s leading companies in the enzyme business, Novozymes and Danisco of Denmark, announced this week that they had found a way to produce enzymes that could reliably and affordably convert agricultural waste into so-called cellulosic ethanol. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/cellulosic-fuel-gets-cheaper-companies-say/ San Francisco’s Electric Cars Proliferate. In Monday’s New York Times, Clifford Krauss and I wrote about the ways cities are preparing for the rollout of electric cars later year. West Coast cities like Portland, Ore.; Los Angeles; and San Diego are vying to become electric car capitals. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/san-franciscos-electric-cars-proliferate/ Three Firms Quit Climate Lobby. Three influential multinational corporations have decamped from the United States Climate Action Partnership, a 3-year-old lobbying group. They cited mounting concerns over the direction of climate change legislation, particularly concessions to the politically influential coal sector. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/three-firms-quit-climate-lobby/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:35:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 18, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 18, 2010. 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. Board To Give Valley Air White-Glove Treatment. State air quality regulators are prepared to declare the Coachella Valley in compliance with a key national dust pollution standard. The California Air Resources Board, at a Feb. 25 meeting in Sacramento, will consider a staff recommendation to redesignate the valley from “nonattainment” to “attainment” for the national standard for PM10, dust particles 10 microns or less in diameter. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100218/NEWS07/2180310/1013/news07 CARB Fines California Company For Emissions Violations. Petaluma, Calif.-based Golden State Lumber has been fined $20,000 by the California Air Resources Board for failing to inspect its diesel trucks in accordance with the state's smoke emissions standards. "Diesel particulate matter is a hazard to all Californians," said Jim Ryden, ARB enforcement chief. "By taking steps to reduce soot emissions, companies that operate in the state help clean the air." As part of the penalty, Golden State Lumber employees responsible for compliance with the inspection program are required to attend diesel education courses and provide certificates of completion within one year. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=69459 U.N. Climate Chief Resigns. Washington — Yvo de Boer, the stolid Dutch bureaucrat who led the international climate change negotiations over four tumultuous years, is resigning his post as of July 1, the United Nations said on Thursday. In a statement announcing his departure, Mr. de Boer expressed disappointment that the December climate change conference of nearly 200 nations in Copenhagen had failed to produce an enforceable agreement to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that climate scientists say are contributing to the warming of the planet. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/science/earth/19climate.html?pagewanted=print http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14425532 http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100218-710972.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLEHeadlinesEurope http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/18/AR2010021801490.html The Winter Of Global Warming. The last few months have been cruel and wintry for global-warming true believers. The long storm began in November, when a leak of e-mails from Britain's University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit revealed that key global-warming scientists tried to stifle dissent, politicize peer-review, which led to revelations that the researchers had dumped much of the raw data used to bolster the alarmist argument. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/18/EDCV1C2BNJ.DTL&type=printable 3 Big Firms Quit Warming-Bills Lobbying Group. Washington - Two of the nation's largest energy companies on Tuesday quit the lobbying alliance that has been the major force shaping anti-global warming legislation in Congress and claimed that the leading climate change bills don't do enough for oil and natural gas. ConocoPhillips and BP joined machine manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. in withdrawing from the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, despite collaborating last year on a blueprint for capping carbon dioxide emissions blamed for contributing to global warming. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/17/BU0M1C2BG8.DTL&type=printable Export-Driven U.S. Growth May Hinge On Competition In Global Energy Markets. Global energy markets are ready to expand significantly, but the Pew Center on Global Climate Change says the U.S. economy only benefits from that growth if it joins Europe and Asia in the rush to invest in clean technology. The Pew Center is a policy incubator that supports adopting a national market-based approach to slashing greenhouse gas emissions. Integrating cleaner energy sources into the industrial economy and creating a financial market for carbon emissions permits and international clean energy projects top its agenda. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/18/2 A Warming World May Be More Fragrant, But There Are Drawbacks. A warming climate could lead to a more fragrant world, but it might disturb an intricate communication system used by plants, according to a review published recently in Trends in Plant Science. When Jarmo Holopainen grew white cabbages in a greenhouse in Finland, he found that over many years of sunlight and elevated levels of carbon dioxide, the plants' communication with the world was altered. Cabbages and most vegetation emit chemicals called biogenic volatile organic compounds, or BVOCs, that are mostly undetectable by humans. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/18/5 China Reasserts Emission Cuts Pledge. China has assured the United Nations in a new letter that it will work to meet its goal of slashing global warming emissions, but it stopped short of formally associating itself with the climate pact it helped craft last year in Copenhagen. The letter from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, released this week, is believed to be in response to a query from the U.N. climate secretariat asking Beijing and New Delhi leaders to clarify their positions on the so-called Copenhagen Accord. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/18/3 U.N. Emissions Board To Tackle Discord On Clean Energy. Regulators of the world's second-largest emissions market disagree about whether to disqualify renewable energy projects that accept subsidies from developing nations like China, according to the board's chairman. Clifford Mahlung, the new chairman of the Clean Development Mechanism's Executive Board, said the board will work to overcome the split among its members and ease the approval of projects like Chinese wind farms and hydro plants. "The board itself will have to make a decision -- they are not at one place," Mahlung said yesterday. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/18/8 EPA Chief Promises 'Clear Road Map' on Air Pollution Rules for Utilities. U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson today vowed to give electric utilities and their state overseers regulatory certainty with a host of forthcoming environmental rules. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/17/17greenwire-epa-chief-promises-clear-road-map-on-air-pollu-28677.html Business Groups Challenge EPA on Greenhouse Gases. Several prominent business groups have joined a growing list of organizations and states challenging the federal government's finding that climate-changing pollution from cars, power plants and factories is dangerous to people. The Environmental Protection Agency said in December that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger human health, setting the stage for future rules restricting such emissions. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/business/story/1052505.html Environmental Advocates Are Cooling on Obama. There has been no more reliable cheerleader for President Obama’s energy and climate change policies than Daniel J. Weiss of the left-leaning Center for American Progress. But Mr. Obama’s recent enthusiasm for nuclear power, including his budget proposal to triple federal loan guarantees for new nuclear reactors to $54 billion, was too much for Mr. Weiss. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/science/earth/18enviros.html 16 'Endangerment' Lawsuits Filed Against EPA Before Deadline. Industry groups, conservative think tanks, lawmakers and three states filed 16 court challenges to U.S. EPA's "endangerment" finding for greenhouse gases before yesterday's deadline, setting the stage for a legal battle over federal climate policies. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/17/17greenwire-16-endangerment-lawsuits-filed-against-epa-bef-74640.html Best, Worst California Counties For Healthy Living Ranked In Study. The healthiest place to reside in California is upscale Marin County. The least healthy is Del Norte County and other sparsely populated, rural areas in the northernmost reaches of the state. For the first time, researchers released health rankings Wednesday for more than 3,000 counties nationwide. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14420845 Livermore Could Be Site Of "Technology Gold Rush". Livermore — A new designation by the state could help transform the Livermore Valley into the next Silicon Valley. The region has been selected as one of six future "iHubs," or Innovation Hubs for Technology Development — part of a new program of the state's Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14420433 Forum On Children's Asthma In Spanish. Long Beach. The Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma is providing information in a Spanish language forum Saturday morning about the impact of air quality on health. They say a significant number of children have been diagnosed with asthma in Long Beach, where the quality of air impacts their ability to participate in outdoor activities in their community. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14421880 Opinion: TIMM HERDT: In California, Return To The Stone Age? It's an odd place to find wisdom, in a television commercial, but thanks to the people at Honda perhaps the most poetic expression of the rationale for developing alternative energy is now reaching a mass audience: "The Stone Age didn't end because people ran out of stones." Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/wo/story/1825932.html Nike, Starbucks Help Launch Push For Climate Change Bill. Nike and Starbucks helped launch a national campaign this week to urge Congress to pass climate change legislation this year. The "Race for American Jobs" campaign includes businesses, unions, youth groups and politicians hoping to pressure the Senate to approve a bill similar to one the House passed in June 2009. Speakers at the campaign launch, held Tuesday at Nike headquarters in Oregon, said the climate change legislation would create jobs, reduce dependency on foreign oil and give the American economy a leg up on China. "We are watching an opportunity that I think is unparalleled," said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/18/9 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:25:59 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 18-22, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 18-22, 2010. 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. AB32 Crunch Time. Will California Continue To Lead The Fight Against Global Warming? California is not well. It’s not exactly a failed state, but it’s far from the optimistic Golden State that once was—one that did impressive things, like building highways and aqueducts and universities that were the envy of the world. Here in his last year in office, the state’s governor has lost a bit of his luster, too. Arnold Schwarzenegger is unlikely to be remembered as a political reformer or an adept fiscal manager. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1372846 Calif. Fines For Emission Violations. The California Air Resources Board has penalized three state trucking companies a total of $43,000 for diesel truck violations. On Feb. 17, CARB announced it had fined Golden State Lumber $20,000 for failing to inspect trucks for compliance with state smoke emissions standards during 2007 and 2008. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=84676 http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Feb10/021510/021810-05.htm California’s Carbon Killers. California’s global-warming law contains dozens of programs, but most of the hard work will be done by a handful of major carbon-killing programs. Remember, the magic number is 174 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. That’s how much state regulators want to cut California’s greenhouse-gas emissions over the next 10 years. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1372848 Obama Mounts A Last-Ditch Attempt To Pass A 'Hybrid' Climate And Energy Bill. The White House is mounting a last-ditch effort to piece together an energy and climate change bill that has enough incentives for nuclear power, natural gas and the coal industry to muster the votes needed to pass it this year. As Democrats enter a turbulent and high-stakes political season, President Obama is striving for consensus on a path forward that can deliver substantial greenhouse gas emissions reductions and satisfy concerns in the Senate about energy security. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/22/1 Reprieve On New Diesel Rules. But Contractors’ Group Says It Is Too Little For Recession-Hit Industry. California – The California Air Resources Board said it plans to tentatively delay enforcement of diesel emissions standards on large fleets of off-road construction equipment that were supposed to start curtailing emissions in March. Board Executive Officer James Goldstene on Feb. 11 said the board “will take no enforcement action regarding compliance” with the regulation’s emission standards or requirements before authorization to do so is granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/18613/reprieve-on-new-diesel-rules/print/ Rockefeller And Coal-State Dems Challenge EPA Climate Move. A leading Senate Democrat wants to halt U.S. EPA's efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions until Congress acts independently on the issue. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) plans to introduce legislation suspending EPA's efforts to regulate greenhouse gases "to allow sufficient time for congressional consideration of the nation's larger energy policy and economic needs," according to a Friday release from his office. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/22/2 Schwarzenegger, Calderon propose relaxing environmental laws for development. Dozens of large developments across the state could be exempt from environmental regulations if a proposal intended to create jobs gets legislative approval during the upcoming budget debate. The initiative, backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assemblyman Charles Calderon, D-Industry, would exempt annually 25 projects from legal challenges under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Posted. http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_14439856?source=rss People's Faith In All Science Weakened By 'Climategate'. San Diego -- Recent controversies over e-mails stolen from a British climate research unit and mistakes by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have shaken the public's faith in all science, top researchers said this week. "There really is evidence that the corrosion that's taking place in public attitudes toward climate results has spread over to all science," said Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/22/3 Trucks To See First GHG Limits In June – EPA. Heavy-duty trucks and buses are next up on U.S. EPA's list of greenhouse gas emissions sources to control, according to the agency's new regulation tracking site. EPA intends to propose the first greenhouse gas emissions standards for trucks in June, several months after finalizing regulations for passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks in March, the site says. Truck manufacturers and environmental groups have been anticipating a proposal from EPA for the last several months. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/22/7 Creative Borrowing Spurs Commercial Retrofits. On the heels of San Francisco’s announcement last week that it plans to spend $150 million greening up homes, comes a new report that studies a slew of other innovative ways to finance energy efficiency improvements for all types of buildings. It’s no big surprise that the key to ramping up the energy efficiency industry and fostering technological advances is no-money-down financing so building owners can avoid the capital costs of retrofits. And that’s exactly what the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) is working toward. Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-02-19-creative-borrowing-spurs-commercial-retrofits/ Editorial: Climate Change. Yvo de Boer’s resignation on Thursday after nearly four tumultuous years as chief steward of the United Nations’ climate change negotiations has deepened a sense of pessimism about whether the world can ever get its act together on global warming. Mr. de Boer was plainly exhausted by endless bickering among nations and frustrated by the failure of December’s talks in Copenhagen to deliver the prize he had worked so hard for: a legally binding treaty committing nations to mandatory reductions in greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/opinion/22mon1.html?ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print Foundation For California Community Colleges Announces Program To Benefit Air Quality. The Foundation for California Community Colleges announced it has received up to $20 million in grant funding to launch a statewide program that will aim to improve California’s air quality. The program – called the Vehicle Repair, Retirement and Replacement for Motorists program or "VRRRM" – will bring clean air and fuel efficiency benefits to California consumers by repairing, retiring or replacing 17,000 polluting cars in California and removing more than 850 tons of pollutants from California’s airways over the next three years. Posted. http://lakeconews.com/content/view/12657/930/ Thomas Elias: Opposition to State Bill on Greenhouse Gas Misguided. Whether Congress approves the greenhouse-gas reduction agreements reached in Copenhagen last year, California will have a cap-and-trade system in place — unless voters put an initiative to the contrary on the November ballot and pass it. Sponsors of this proposition call it the "California Jobs Initiative," contending jobs will be lost in efforts to fight global warming by demanding lower industrial emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. Posted. http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100222/OPINION02/2220302/1014/OPINION/Thomas+Elias++Opposition+to+state+bill+on+greenhouse+gas+misguided EPA Budget Hearings to Serve as Battleground for Climate Policies. U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will defend the White House's request to increase funds for climate regulations when she testifies before House and Senate panels this week. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/22/22greenwire-epa-budget-hearings-to-serve-as-battleground-f-11853.html Whose Snow Job On Climate Change? In his Feb. 14 Outlook article on global warming, "Record snows on a warming planet," Bill McKibben suggested that the recent snow barrage in Washington could be related to global warming. This is plausible, as are most theories in climate science. But we should all be thankful that this statistically insignificant event has cooled the appetite for "legislative progress" on legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/20/AR2010022002941.html George Will: Global Warming Faithful Starting To Sweat. Washington Science, many scientists say, has been restored to her rightful throne because progressives have regained power. Progressives, say progressives, emulate the cool detachment of scientific discourse. So, hear now the calm, collected voice of a scientist lavishly honored by progressives, Rajendra Pachauri. He is chairman of the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 version of the increasingly weird Nobel Peace Prize. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/warming-235317-global-climate.html S.F. Clean-Energy Plan Could Fuel Higher Rates. San Francisco voters have rejected a dozen public-power proposals over the years, but that isn't stopping city officials from jumping into the "clean energy" business. The question is, at what cost? Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Board of Supervisors are steaming ahead with a clean-power plan that, according to the city's own estimates, could drive up rates for residential customers as much as 24 percent. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/22/BA2R1C4EIO.DTL&type=printable New Energy Technologies Are Coming That Will Shrink Our Use Of Fossil Fuels And Cut Emissions Of Greenhouse Gases. Just don't expect them anytime soon. Why the delay? After all, the computer revolution has shown how rapidly new innovations can be imagined, developed, brought to market and have an impact. But new energy technologies don't work that way—they can take years to gain just a toehold in the market, and 20 to 30 years to push aside existing products or techniques. That's partly because of the sheer size of the energy market. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703382904575059312029996750.html Biotech Firm Launches New Fuel Enzyme. A Danish biotechnology company on Tuesday launched a new enzyme which it said will make it possible to turn agricultural waste into biofuel at a competitive price. The breakthrough will allow the biofuel industry to produce cellulosic ethanol for less than two US dollars per gallon (around 37 euro cents per litre), Novozymes said in a statement. This cost would put the fuel on a par with petrol and conventional ethanol, the company said. Novozymes said the new enzyme, known as Cellic CTec2, breaks down cellulose in agricultural waste into sugars that can be fermented into ethanol, and could convert corn cobs and stalks, wheat straw and woodchips into fuel. Posted. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/biotech-firm-launches-new-fuel-enzyme-1906087.html The Boom Box (Video): An Energy Plant Box To Power Your Home. Two of these blocks can power an American home, while one will suffice for a European home. A stack of 64 can power a small business. What is this magical box and where can you get one? It's the Bloom Box, essentially a power plant in a box, and it claims to be the latest breakthrough in clean energy technology. You can't get one yet, but K.R. Sridhar, founder of Bloom Energy, says there will be one in every American home in five to 10 years. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/22/the-bloom-box-video-a-pow_n_471349.html What A Green-Collar Economy Means To Workers. Ian Kim directs the Green Collar Jobs Campaign for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland. It's a job title that didn't even exist a decade ago, but now the issue, long championed by the center, is front and center in the national economy - and Oakland, too. Last week, the city announced that it, the Ella Baker center and other cities and groups had won $40 million in federal stimulus grants for energy efficiency - and to help train under-skilled workers in that industry. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/21/BAK31C4DPK.DTL&type=printable Saving The Amazon May Be The Most Cost-Effective Way To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions. If the U.S. adopts a cap-and-trade program, companies facing carbon controls could meet part of their obligations by preserving Earth's largest tropical forest. An hour outside Manaus, the Amazon's biggest city, the blackened remains of a virgin forest smolder. Chain saws whine. And Jonas Mendes tosses logs, one after another, into his kiln. "I know it's wrong to cut down the trees," said Mendes, 48, sweat streaming down his neck and torso. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/21/business/la-fi-cover-amazon21-2010feb21 Clean Energy Is Mired In Politics. Uncertainty over proposals in Congress has firms holding off on investments. At a time when the U.S. economy is desperate for jobs and investment in future growth, a slew of clean-energy projects are on hold largely because of political stalemate in Washington. With President Obama's energy and climate proposals bottled up in Congress, business leaders say they cannot tell what direction government policy will take on a variety of issues, including new energy taxes, tougher emissions standards for factories and vehicles, and guaranteed markets for start-up wind and solar power plants. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-energy-invest22-2010feb22,0,1993754.story Former Calpers Officials Benefit From Fund's Clean-Tech Investments. When the former chief executive for CalPERS, Fred Buenrostro, moved the giant pension fund into the clean energy and technology sector three years ago, two of the businessmen who ultimately benefited were friends. Al Villalobos, a former CalPERS board member who was so close to Buenrostro that he hosted his wedding, will pocket $432,800 in sales commissions for helping Enlink Geoenergy secure investment money from one of a half-dozen smaller clean energy technology funds backed by CalPERS. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/02/22/v-print/2554369/former-calpers-officials-benefit.html California Science Panel Objects To Use Of Methyl Iodide. Fresno – A scientific panel has raised serious concerns about the use of methyl iodide on California farmland, saying the highly potent chemical poses significant health risks to workers and the general population. The report from the state-appointed group of experts comes as a blow to farmers and the makers of the fumigant – the Tokyo-based Arysta LifeScience Corp. – who have fought for more than a year to get the chemical approved in California. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/02/22/v-print/2554372/california-science-panel-objects.html BLOGS Urban Parks: A Global Warming Downer? Green is good — right? Not necessarily when it comes to lawns, according to a new study by University of California Irvine researchers. For the first time, scientists compared the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by ornamental turfgrass to the amount emitted in the irrigation, fertilizing and mowing of the same plots. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/02/lawns-turfgrass-soil-carbon-storage.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 States Bite Back Against Emissions Regulations, Even California. When automakers and the Obama White House announced agreement on a single national standard for emissions and fuel economy last May, the entire auto industry heaved a huge sigh of relief. The issue was settled, at least until 2016. Yesterday, however, the state of Texas filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals to suspend the EPA's 2012 tailpipe-emissions regulations, arguing that they threaten the Texas oil and gas industries and would "devastate our state's strong economy." Posted. http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1042686_states-bite-back-against-emissions-regulations-even-california Venture Capitalists: Move to Repeal California Climate Law Endangers a Job Creator. Perceptions of whether California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32, is going to save or destroy the California economy depends on who’s doing the talking. Opponents, like Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, say the measure is too expensive and will destroy jobs in California. In fact, she has made suspending the greenhouse gas reduction law a cornerstone of her campaign. She also suggests that California’s Environmental Quality Act, a model for environmental protection laws in other states, needs drastic reform. Posted. http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100222/venture-capitalists-move-repeal-california-climate-law-endangers-job-creator ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:23:43 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 23, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 23, 2010. 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. Despite A Peace Offering, Lawmakers Advance Plans To Limit EPA Climate Rules. Senate lawmakers intend to push forward efforts to curtail U.S. EPA's climate regulations, despite the agency's assurances yesterday that it will cautiously phase in controversial permitting requirements. Responding to recent concerns from moderate Senate Democrats, Jackson offered industrial facilities a reprieve this year from Clean Air Act obligations that could have kicked in as soon as next month. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/23/2 Why Global Warming Should Concern Us All, Central Valley Folk In Particular. As a concerned citizen, I always favor a healthy debate, but not a steady stream of tactical distractions that are designed to hide the truth, obscure the facts and divert attention away from the real issues. Unfortunately, that's what's happening in the debate about energy and global warming. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/community/x431719753/Why-global-warming-should-concern-us-all-Central-Valley-folk-in-particular CARB Forms Expert Workgroup On ILUC. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has appointed 30 people to an expert workgroup that will meet for the first time Feb. 26. The workgroup will look at, among other things, indirect land use change (ILUC) as included in the state’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). Notably, there is one ethanol producer representative from Poet LLC and a representative from enzyme-maker Novozymes. Posted. http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article-print.jsp?article_id=6387 Bloom Energy raises the curtain on its fuel cell technology. Bloom Energy, a Sunnyvale startup that has been working on a fuel cell that would allow homes and businesses to generate their own electricity, is raising the curtain on its technology this week. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_14450048 http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14450048?nclick_check=1 Group Petitions EPA To Reduce Soot Pollution. ANCHORAGE, Alaska—An environmental group petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday to reduce soot, saying it accelerates melting of glaciers and sea ice. The Center for Biological Diversity called for regulations to be implemented under the Clean Water Act. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14449256 http://www.modbee.com/2010/02/22/1059195/cummins-justice-department-settle.html http://fleetowner.com/management/news/cummins-epa-carb-parts-error-0223/ UN Climate Talks To Resume in April in Germany. Bonn, Germany—The United Nations says formal negotiations on an international treaty to control global warming will resume in Bonn in April, four months after the failed climate change summit in Copenhagen. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14453814 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/23/AR2010022301443_pf.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/02/22/1059199/group-petitions-epa-to-reduce.html Emissions Vows Not Enough To Avoid 2 Degree C Rise: U.N. Nusa Dua, Indonesia (Reuters) - Emission cuts pledges made by 60 countries will not be enough to keep the average global temperature rise at 2 degrees Celsius or less, modeling released on Tuesday by the United Nations says. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/23/AR2010022301124.html Girl Scouts Aim To Replace 63,000 Light Bulbs With Compact Fluorescent Models. How many Girl Scouts does it take to change 63,000 light bulbs? That may sound like a joke, but to the members of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital, it's no laughing matter. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/22/AR2010022204142.html Can Corals Gradually Adjust To A Warming Climate? San Diego -- For plants, animals and marine life whose environment changes, their options are stark and simple: Move, adapt or die. But when the marine life in question is a coral reef cemented to the ocean floor and the threat is climate change, the outlook appears grimmer, said scientists presenting new findings here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/23/4 Browner, Kerry Stay Upbeat On Cap And Trade In 2010. President Obama remains committed to passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation in 2010 despite calls from Senate moderates to wait until after the midterm elections, a top White House aide said today. "We want to do it this year," Carol Browner, the president's climate and energy adviser, told reporters following her appearance at a panel discussion hosted by The New Republic. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/02/23/2 Turf Grass Not Always A 'Green' Thing, Study Shows. UC Irvine Research Finds That The Greenhouse Gases Absorbed By Lawn Can Be More Than Offset By Earth-Unfriendly Maintenance Practices. Green is good, right? Not necessarily when it comes to lawns, according to a new study by UC Irvine researchers. For the first time, scientists compared the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by ornamental turf grass to the amount emitted in the irrigation, fertilizing and mowing of the same plots. It turns out keeping a lawn is not good for Mother Earth. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-parks-climate23-2010feb23,0,5154516,print.story E.P.A. Plans to Phase in Regulation of Emissions. Facing wide criticism over their recent finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public welfare, top Environmental Protection Agency officials said Monday that any regulation of such gases would be phased in gradually and would not impose expensive new rules on most American businesses. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/business/energy-environment/23epa.html?src=twr&scp=5&sq=air%20pollution&st=cse EPA's Gradual Phase In of GHG Regs Garners Qualified Praise From Senators. Facing mounting pressure from congressional lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, the Obama administration yesterday vowed to gradually phase in climate regulations for industrial sources. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/23/23climatewire-epas-gradual-phase-in-of-ghg-regs-garners-qu-50837.html?scp=7&sq=air%20pollution&st=cse Mojave Desert Solar Project Gets $1.37 Billion Nod From DOE. Brightsource Energy Inc., which develops utility-scale thermal solar power plants, landed $1.37 billion in loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Energy yesterday to build three utility-scale solar thermal power plants. The Oakland, Calif.-based concentrated solar power (CSP) company has proposed projects designed to generate a total of 400 megawatts of power, which would power about 140,000 homes. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/23/3 EPA Chief Goes Toe-To-Toe With Senate GOP Over Warming Science. U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson today defended the science underpinning pending climate regulations despite Senate Republicans' claims that global warming data has been thrown into doubt. "The science behind climate change is settled, and human activity is responsible for global warming," Jackson told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "That conclusion is not a partisan one. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/02/23/1 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/22/AR2010022204829.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:40:42 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 24, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 24, 2010. 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. Proposed Rules Could Make Smog Check Less Expensive And Time-Consuming For Most Motorists. Millions of California motorists could soon be saying so long to the iconic tailpipe test. Quicker and cheaper smog checks are being considered under a proposal unveiled Tuesday by state regulators. Hoping to take advantage of newer technology and to correct shortcomings — even fraud — that are letting a significant number of polluting cars remain on the street, the California Air Resources Board and the state Bureau of Automotive Repair want to make the most far-reaching changes to the smog check program in at least a decade. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_14457612?source=rss&nclick_check=1 http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100224/A_BIZ/2240309/-1/a_news05 http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=13104 http://www.kget.com/news/local/story/Smog-program-facing-possible-fraud/uzuFnJmFXU--7cH3zDvlqg.cspx Power Plant On The Path To Approval. A plan to turn a part-time power plant into one that runs most of the time has a preliminary OK from state regulators, and air pollution officials say the plant’s owner long ago worked to cut emissions to offset the fact that the converted plant could put as much as 53 times more smog over the skies of Tracy. Posted. http://www.tracypress.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Power+plant+on+the+path+to+approval%20&id=6446677 Carbon Pricing Sticks Out as Senate Climate Bill's Main Obstacle. Senate advocates of comprehensive global warming and energy legislation are stuck on a fundamental question: How should they structure the first-ever price on greenhouse gas emissions? Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/24/24climatewire-carbon-pricing-sticks-out-as-senate-climate-17764.html We Can't Afford To Suspend AB32. A proposed ballot initiative would suspend the California Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32. This pro-pollution measure is extremely short-sighted and would harm California's economy and atmosphere. If global warming continues unchecked, jobs will vanish as our winter snow pack shrinks drastically, levees fail, flooding increases; storm damage and water shortages will reduce energy supply while air conditioning demand soars. Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100224/OPINION_LETTERS/100229926/1025 Inland Solar Plant Project Gets Loan Boost From Feds. Plans to build California's first-large-scale commercial solar thermal power plant in nearly two decades overcame a major hurdle this week when the federal government conditionally committed $1.37 billion in loans for the project located in San Bernardino County near the Nevada border. Posted. http://www.pe.com/business/local/stories/pe_biz_w_brightsource24.3c89718.html CHESSER: World Cools Toward Warmists. The global-warming industry is getting several bailouts, none of which it wants. Last week, three major corporations - Conoco/Phillips, BP and Caterpillar - bailed out on the U.S. Climate Action Partnership lobbyist collaboration. Arizona bailed on the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) cap-and-trade plan. Posted. http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/24/world-cools-toward-warmists/?feat=home_headlines Required Recycling Decision Speeds Up. The San Carlos City Council could consider as early as April an ordinance requiring commercial businesses to recycle — a move favored by the Chamber of Commerce and touted by proponents as a way to get ahead of possibly stiffer state requirements. The council voted 4-1, with Councilman Matt Grocott in the minority, to direct city staff to craft an ordinance for its consideration. The language is expected back in April and, if accepted by the council, the new requirements could kick in 30 days later. Posted. http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=125672 EPA Chief Says New Auto Efficiency Standards Could Die. A widely supported deal to ramp up nationwide fuel economy standards and provide certainty for the flailing auto industry is at risk of falling apart, nine states and the U.S. EPA head warned yesterday. Should Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) succeed in her bid to end U.S. EPA's climate regulatory authority, a joint EPA and Transportation Department proposal to increase fuel economy standards to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 and set the nation's first-ever greenhouse gas standards would stall, they said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/02/24/3 Chevron, Environmentalists Must Wait For Ruling On Richmond Refinery Project. San Francisco — Chevron and their environmentalist critics on Tuesday finally got their day in state appellate court, duking it out over whether the oil company's plan to replace old equipment at its Richmond refinery could increase pollution and harm public health. The wait for a ruling could be as long as three months. "By talking in generalities, they misled the public," Will Rostov, the attorney representing a trio of environmental groups, argued in the state Court of Appeal in San Francisco. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_14455710 UN Weather Meeting Agrees To Refine Climate Data. Geneva—World weather agencies have agreed to collect more precise temperature data to improve climate change science, officials said Wednesday, as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged environment ministers to reject efforts by skeptics to derail a global climate deal. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14460767 http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14460767 Blogs Green Energy Firm Must Deal With 'Million Dollar Tortoises'. Oakland’s BrightSource Energy is a green tech startup backed by energy industry heavyweights and has a modest political operation of its own. So far, the company has obtained an enormous $1.37 billion loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy to build giant solar power plants in the Mojave desert. But before the electricity can begin pulsing, BrightSource must stay on the right side of both an endangered desert tortoise – and Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/green-energy-firm-must-deal-million-dollar-tortoises A Maker of Fuel Cells Blooms in California. Our colleague Todd Woody on the Green Inc. blog has an interesting blog post about Bloom Energy, a secretive fuel-cell start-up that was also the subject of an article Wednesday in The New York Times. loom’s energy servers, which cost as much as $800,000, have been quietly purchased by such companies like Google, eBay and Wal-Mart Stores, which are looking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/a-maker-of-fuel-cells-blooms-in-california/ Back to Basics on Climate and Energy. It’s time to get back to basics (as in the North Carolina State University chemistry class from the 1920’s pictured above). Once in a while I try to “review the bidding,” as my former editor Cornelia Dean liked to say when some big breaking story was threatening to overwhelm the newsroom. In this case, it’s not breaking news but a flood of allegations and attacks on 100 years of research pointing to a growing human influence on the earth’s climate. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/back-to-basics-on-climate-and-energy/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:03:12 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 25, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 25, 2010. This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with individual webites to view some of the following news articles. 'Widespread Fraud' In California's Smog Test Program. State aims to make major changes after finding that nearly a third of older cars fail roadside smog checks within a year of passing at test stations. Nearly a third of older-model cars stopped for roadside smog tests in Southern California failed them, despite having received a passing grade at inspection stations within a year, a state audit has found. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-smogtest25-2010feb25,0,3851885,print.story http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14468959 http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14468959 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/02/25/1836390/proposed-calif-law-aims-to-reduce.html Biagi Bros. Fined For Emissions Violations. Napa-based trucking firm Biagi Bros. was fined $14,400 this month by the California Air Resources Board for emissions violations during 2008 and 2009. An investigation by the state agency showed Biagi Bros., on Airpark Road south of Napa, failed to properly inspect its diesel-powered vehicles for excess emissions. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_043df668-21c1-11df-856a-001cc4c002e0.html?print=1 CEQA-Exemption Bills Stalled In Committee. Two bills backed by business groups, with the blessing of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, that would exempt some public and private developments from judicial review stalled Wednesday in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. In his State of the State address, Schwarzenegger proposed judicial review exemptions under the California Environmental Quality Act, saying that would speed job-producing construction. However, environmental groups and some labor unions opposed the proposal and lined up against the two bills during Wednesday's hearing. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/2010/02/ceqa-relief-bil.html Cummins to Pay $2.1 M for Diesel Engine Violations. Cummins Inc., a major motor vehicle engine company based in Columbus, Ind., will pay a $2.1 million penalty and recall 405 engines under a settlement agreement resolving violations of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department announced Feb. 22. Posted. http://eponline.com/articles/2010/02/25/cummins-to-pay-2.1-m-for-diesel-engine-violations.aspx CMTA's Anti-Jobs Misinformation Campaign on CARB's Cool Cars Program Misfires. Summary: On Thursday, the California Air Resources Board is scheduled to take final action on a process to enact federal standards making cars cleaner and more efficient. This will fulfill CARB’s commitment as part of a deal struck last May with nine of the world’s leading automakers, the two major automaker trade associations and the federal government. Posted. http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4149&ptid=9&theme=print Truckers Lose Bid For Injunction Against Port of L.A. The Port of Los Angeles' effort to reduce pollution and change the way cargo is hauled to and from its terminal gates survived another court battle Wednesday when a federal appeals panel refused to block one of the plan's most controversial provisions. Three judges from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request for an injunction against the port's plan to require all independent haulers to become employees of approved concessions or trucking companies. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-truckers25-2010feb25,0,6828579,print.story http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14463141 EPA Will Need Increased Climate Funding as Regs Ramp Up, Jackson Says. U.S. EPA will need increased funding for climate programs in future years as the agency moves forward on efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, Administrator Lisa Jackson said yesterday. "I would expect that the needs would continue to grow as we move into a world -- either through legislation, hopefully through legislation, but possibly also with regulation -- of increasing activity on climate change," Jackson told the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/25/25greenwire-epa-will-need-increased-climate-funding-as-reg-20989.html?pagewanted=print Obama Speech to Business Group Leaves Greenhouse Gas Issues Up in the Air. A speech by President Obama to top CEOs yesterday left some climate experts and energy industry lobbyists searching for stronger clues about White House policy preferences as members of the Senate struggle to come up with a fresh proposal for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. "If we decide now that we're putting a price on this pollution in a few years, it will give businesses the certainty of knowing they have time to plan and transition," Obama told corporate executives at a Business Roundtable meeting in Washington. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/02/25/25climatewire-obama-speech-to-business-group-leaves-greenh-89135.html?pagewanted=print Letter Of Editor: Green Jobs Help Kern. This is in response to Tom Creswell's Feb. 14 Forum article, "It's not that hot, and issue is solar, not CO2." Even as we watch a Winter Olympics suffering from a lack of snow and warm temperatures and a parched Central Valley where thousands are unemployed because of a lack of water, it is not surprising that some oil companies are still in denial about climate change. Let's be clear: scientists have plenty of data that prove CO2 emissions produced by humans are responsible for global warming. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x431720025/Green-jobs-help-Kern Reid Calls For Comprehensive Bill ASAP. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is urging Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to quickly write comprehensive climate and energy legislation to give the measure a chance of reaching the floor this year. Reid and Kerry met Tuesday in the Capitol to discuss strategy on a sweeping measure that is expected to include incentives for nuclear power and domestic oil and gas production, as well as some mechanism for pricing greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/02/25/1 Official: Climate Change Treaty Unlikely This Year. BALI, Indonesia—Industrialized and developing countries are not likely to reach a treaty this year on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which have sparked fears of weather-related disasters, the U.N. climate chief said Thursday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14468845 World Warming Unhindered By Cold Spells: Scientists. Singapore (Reuters) - The pace of global warming continues unabated, scientists said on Thursday, despite images of Europe crippled by a deep freeze and parts of the United States blasted by blizzards. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022500199.html Republicans Bash USDA's Investment in Climate Research. House Republicans yesterday lashed out against the Obama administration's proposal to ramp up funding next year for research on the effects of global warming on farmers. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/25/25greenwire-republicans-bash-usdas-investment-in-climate-r-94722.html China Has No Emissions Cap Plan For Now -- State Media. China's chief climate change negotiator says the country has no plans to cap its greenhouse gas emissions for the time being, state media reported today. Su Wei, who led China's negotiating team at the U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen in December, said yesterday that China "could not and should not" set an upper boundary on its greenhouse gas emissions right now because the country's economy is still growing, so its carbon emissions must be allowed to increase. The country is currently the world's biggest carbon polluter. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/02/25/6 A Data with Destiny. We have known for two years that the renewable fuel standard (RFS) would require biomass-based diesel, but there has been a great deal of uncertainty about how the program would treat the multitude of biodiesel feedstocks. The National Biodiesel Board has labored tirelessly for the past 24 months to ensure that sound science was the basis of discussion, and show all sustainable feedstocks are indeed viable alternatives to imported petroleum. Posted. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article-print.jsp?article_id=4046 Curbing Smokestack Emissions Tops EPA's 2011-2013 Enforcement Goals. Slashing smokestack pollution from the coal-fired power plants and other large sources will rank among U.S. EPA's top enforcement priorities over the next several years, the agency said yesterday. From 2011 to 2013, EPA said it plans to tackle air pollution from the largest sources, especially coal-fired utilities and the cement, glass and acid sectors. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/24/24greenwire-curbing-smokestack-emissions-tops-epas-2011-20-83812.html?pagewanted=print Bay Area Electric Car Dealerships Running Out Of Juice. In 2007, Marc Korchin thought he had found his mission in life: To benefit the environment and save his fellow Bay Area residents money by selling zero-emission all-electric cars. Two years later, after burning through his life savings, he was forced to close his Berkeley dealership. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14463373 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:06:50 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for February 26, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for February 26, 2010. This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with individual webites to view some of the following news articles. Calif. Moves To Mesh Vehicle Emission Rules With U.S. Rules. The California Air Resources Board voted yesterday to amend the state's vehicular emissions rules to combine them with the federal rules passed in May 2009. The amendments allow cars that meet the federal greenhouse gas standards for model years 2012 to 2016 to also comply with California's standards for each of those years. The federal standards are less stringent than California's from 2012 to 2015, but the two dovetail at 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile in 2016. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/02/26/3 http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9E3RTT80.htm California Harmonizes Greenhouse Gas Standard for Cars With Federal Standard. Sacramento, California - California today fulfilled its commitment to establish the nation's first greenhouse gas standard for passenger vehicles by allowing federal greenhouse gas standards to fully comply with California's standards for model years 2012 to 2016. The regulation adopted unanimously today by the California Air Resources Board allows cars that comply with the federal greenhouse gas standards for model years 2012 to 2016 to also comply with California's standards for each of those years. The two standards differ slightly, but reach the same levels by 2016. Posted. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2010/2010-02-25-091.html Baby Steps To Stem Greenhouse Gases. The failure of the Copenhagen talks, a key Republican victory in the Senate and the recession have all hurt the prospects for serious cuts in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Where does that leave us? Sarah Gardner reports. Bob Moon: Today, President Obama asked a gathering of top CEOs to support his economic agenda. And high on his list is global warming. Obama said putting a price on carbon pollution is a critical part of moving toward clean energy. Posted. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/02/24/pm-baby-steps/# Official: Climate Change Treaty Unlikely This Year. Bali, Indonesia -- Industrialized and developing countries are not likely to reach a treaty this year on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which have sparked fears of weather-related disasters, the U.N. climate chief said Thursday. Yvo de Boer, who announced last week he would resign July 1, said there was not enough time to recover from the disappointing summit in December in Copenhagen, where world leaders failed to agree on a legally binding climate pact. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022501762_pf.html 2 Key House Dems Move To Block EPA Regulatory Authority. Two top House Democrats introduced a measure yesterday aimed at blocking U.S. EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases, mirroring the controversial effort launched on the Senate side by Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski.The measure from Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson (Minn.) and Missouri's Ike Skelton was also co-sponsored by Missouri Republican Jo Ann Emerson. Their resolution aims to use the Congressional Review Act to effectively veto EPA's finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/02/26/1 Incentives To Rise For Home Solar Arrays. A new law will double the cap on how much energy customers can sell back to utilities. At least 10 times a day Andrew Kin clicks onto the Internet for the pure joy of watching his electricity meter run backward. The 30-year-old business consultant placed an array of rooftop solar panels on his Westwood duplex last fall, and thanks to a website provided by his installer he has watched his monthly electricity bills drop, in real time, from $50 to about $10. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-fi-solar-metering26-2010feb26,0,7775863.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fscience%2Fenvironment+%28L.A.+Times+-+Environment%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Clearing the Air at American Ports. The Teamsters union and environmental activists have formed an unlikely and outspoken alliance aiming to clear the air in American ports, and perhaps bolster the Teamsters’ ranks in the process. The labor-green alliance is getting under the trucking industry’s skin by asserting that short-haul trucking companies working in ports — and not the truck drivers, who are often considered independent contractors — should spend the billions needed to buy new, low-emission rigs that can cost $100,000 to $175,000 each. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/business/26ports.html?adxnnl=1&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1267207565-3WE97sF6yP7zu8PohaUMpQ Port Truckers Get New Rig-Fix Deadline. Oakland — There was a mad rush last fall to order and install new diesel filters in trucks that haul cargo at the Port of Oakland to comply with changes in air-quality rules that took effect Jan. 1. Now, another frantic race is expected to begin next week as air-quality officials issue new grant contracts and give several hundred drivers the chance to order and install filters by April 30 — the extension allowed by the state Air Resources Board. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14473545 Common Sense At Last / Bipartisan State Push For Job-Creating Regulatory Relief Is Welcome. For years, complaints about the state’s hostile business climate have gone unheeded by the Democrats who control the Legislature, who inexplicably disregard the fact that the vast majority of California jobs are in the private sector. Democratic lawmakers in America’s other megastates – Texas, New York and Florida – have a long record of joining in bipartisan efforts to spur growth, but not in the Golden State. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/26/common-sense-at-last/ Will "Going Green" Backfire? With nearly every politician - from city councils to state legislators, governors and congress - embracing green technology as the cause du jour, they don't realize that with every bill signed, they may be actually killing the industry. It's kind of like reverse psychology. Politicians will kill green jobs, businesses and technology because they are ramming it down the publics' throat, just like nationalized health care. And look at how great nationalized health care is being received... Posted. http://www.calwatchdog.com/2010/02/26/will-going-green-backfire/ Workshop On Diesel Pollution. San Andreas - The Calaveras County Farm Bureau and the California Air Resources Board are teaming up to offer a free workshop on rules intended to reduce pollution from diesel-powered trucks, buses and farm equipment. The workshop will be at 1 p.m. Monday in the Calaveras County Public Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road, San Andreas. The Air Resources Board is reaching out to the owners of fleets of agricultural vehicles. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100226/A_NEWS/100229907/-1/NEWSMAP Pesticide Regs Clean Valley's Air. Pesticide emissions that contribute to smog in California dropped significantly in 2008, the first year restrictions on agricultural fumigant applications specifically targeting air quality were in effect. In fact, the volatile organic compound pesticide emissions declined by an impressive 30 percent from 1990 levels in the San Joaquin Valley areas that do not meet federal air quality standards — all of Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties and part of Kern. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/02/25/v-print/1064637/pesticide-regs-clean-valleys-air.html Gustafson: Was EPA's Recent Ruling That Great For Corn Ethanol? On Feb. 2, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its regulations for the national Renewable Fuel Standard. The bottom line is that the EPA determined that corn grain ethanol reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 20 percent and qualifies it as a conventional biofuel. The ethanol industry hailed this finding as a significant victory and a new market opportunity, while the livestock sectors stated that not much was new. Turns out both are partially correct. Posted. http://www.farmforum.net/node/18088 Blogs Air in California Can Be Deadly. It’s not a question of whether people are dying from a type of air pollution known as fine particulate exposure, but how many. Those attacking the science behind the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) epic rulemakings on toxic diesels, however, won’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. Like climate change deniers, these groups continue to attack science with trumped up charges that defy the consensus of experts in the field. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dbailey/air_in_california_can_be_deadl.html KQED: On the Road to a National GHG Auto Standard. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced Thursday that the state has fulfilled its part of the May 2009 agreement set between auto manufacturers and two federal agencies that will establish the nation's first greenhouse gas emissions standard for cars...AB 1493 would not be affected by a suspension of AB 32, an issue Californians may be voting on soon. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/02/25/on-the-road-to-a-national-ghg-auto-standard/ I Guess The Chicken Littles Didn't Get The Memo. ...We've Got our own Weather Wombats calling out for you to attend a conference to further scam you out of your money and your job. They are on the move to stop the "California Jobs Initiative," the state anti-cap-and-trade ballot initiative. The ballot initiative would rollback the California cap-and-trade law (AB 32) pending a decline in state unemployment. Posted. http://vote29.com/newmyblog/?p=3358 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 10:20:15 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 1, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 1, 2010. 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 QUALITY Proposed Calif. Law Aims To Reduce Smog Test Fraud. A proposed state law would make sure vehicle smog tests aren't just smoke and mirrors. Legislation introduced this week by Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, would radically change the way the tests are conducted and potentially affect some 23 million California motorists. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9E3RTT80.htm http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=7298873 http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Random-Smog-Checks-Help-Clear-The-AIr-85424567.html http://www.kpsplocal2.com/news/state/story/Proposed-law-aims-to-reduce-smog-test-fraud/Pmd3MYfWvUOGx-Xa5C-PHQ.cspx http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=13104 Smog Test Changes Considered. A proposed state law may make smog tests quicker and cheaper, and possibly even lessen fraudulent results. But whether the bill will actually help the environment remains to be seen. Assembly Bill 2289 -- co-sponsored by the state Air Resources Board and the Bureau of Automotive Repair and introduced by Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park -- is slated to phase out tailpipe and treadmill inspections except for vehicles built before 1996. Posted. http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_14475740 'Widespread Fraud' In California's Smog Test Program. Nearly a third of older-model cars stopped for roadside smog tests in Southern California failed them, despite having received a passing grade at inspection stations within a year, a state audit has found. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/25/local/la-me-smogtest25-2010feb25 Woodland Smog Testers Skeptical Of New Rules. The managers of several Woodland smog check facilities are skeptical about potential changes to California emission regulations, as quicker and cheaper testing methods are being considered under a proposal unveiled by state regulators. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_14483357 OUR VIEW: Fighting Fraud At Smog Checks. In a state that has done such a remarkable job in recent decades cleaning its air of choking smog, it's not good news to find that up to a third of older cars that have passed mandated pollution checks actually fail them when re-tested at random on the streets. Posted. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_14488912 VEHICLES California Changes Vehicle Emissions Standards To Match Federal Rules. California has fulfilled its part in an agreement between auto manufacturers and two federal agencies announced by President Obama last May that will create the nation’s first greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/02/22/daily69.html http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2010/2010-02-25-091.html CARB Fines For Emissions. North Bay – The California Air Resources Board fined two North Bay companies last month for failing to comply with emissions standards for diesel-powered vehicles. Golden State Lumber in Petaluma was fined $20,000 after investigators found the company did not conduct mandated emissions tests between 2007 and 2008. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/18829/carb-fines-for-emissions/ CARB Underway With Training Seminars on New Vehicle Regs. The California Air Resources Board is underway with its free training seminars, which describe the requirements for the Truck and Bus regulation and the Heavy Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas regulation. The next seminar is scheduled for today, March 1, at Calaveras County Library in San Andreas, Calif. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=69543 Which Comes First, Hydrogen Fuel, Or Cars That Need It? It's a chicken-or-egg scenario when it comes to emerging fuel-cell technology allowing automobiles to be powered by hydrogen and emit little more than a trickle of water from the tailpipe. Posted. http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100228/GJNEWS_01/702289861/-1/FOSNEWS Biagi Bros. Fined For Emissions Violations. Napa-based trucking firm Biagi Bros. was fined $14,400 this month by the California Air Resources Board for emissions violations during 2008 and 2009. Posted. http://www.sthelenastar.com/articles/2010/02/27/news/saturday_update/doc4b880e32963a0182042549.txt On The Move: West Virginia Pursues ‘Anti-Idling’ Rules. A proposed rule to reduce the frequency of unnecessary idling of trucks continues to get attention in the West Virginia Senate. Even though drivers idling their trucks while sleeping or resting would be exempt from the rule, OOIDA says other concerns need to be addressed. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Feb10/022210/022610-03.htm CLIMATE CHANGE We Can’t Wish Away Climate Change. It would be an enormous relief if the recent attacks on the science of global warming actually indicated that we do not face an unimaginable calamity requiring large-scale, preventive measures to protect human civilization as we know it. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/opinion/28gore.html Mark Landsbaum: Arguing Global Warming With Arnold. We recently offered tips on "What to say to a warmer" for when Al Gore or a fellow global warming alarmist comes to dinner. This week, we suggest: "What to say to a warmist named Schwarzenegger," in case the Terminator drops by. California has the most destructive and costly global warming law in the nation, if not the world. In a perverse way, it's the governor's crowning achievement. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/-236562--.html Bay Area Air District Moves Ahead With Faster Phase-Out. Currently, cleaners in the Bay Area are under the statewide perc phase-out date plan adopted by the California Air Resources Board in 2007. The state mandate requires the removal of any perc drycleaning unit that is 15 years old or older as of July 1 this year. Each July 1 thereafter, any machine that became 15 years old in the previous year must be removed. Under this scheme, there will be no more perc drycleaning equipment in California by 2023. Posted. http://www.natclo.com/1003/west.htm What Gore Missed When He Broke His Silence. Politicians, such as former Vice President Al Gore, don't appreciate the role that transparency plays in science. But scientists trust others' results much more when they are actually able to examine the data themselves. Posted. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/03/01/john-lott-al-gore-climate-gate-op-ed-new-york-times/ ENERGY Supervisors Eye Solar Array Atop Shade Structure For Parked Cars. County leaders on Tuesday will decide whether to transfer $1.45 million to pay for a solar project in Fairfield that is estimated to bring in $500,000 in incentives and net the county $1 million in the next 20 years. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_14487129 BLOGS California “Cool Cars” Law Under Fire From Police. California’s “Cool Cars” law has been controversial ever since its adoption by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) last summer… but now things have been kicked up a notch with CARB seemingly sticking to their guns in a shoot out with the police… almost literally. Posted. http://gas2.org/2010/02/26/california-cool-cars-law-under-fire-from-police/ Air in California Can Be Deadly. It’s not a question of whether people are dying from a type of air pollution known as fine particulate exposure, but how many. Those attacking the science behind the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) epic rulemakings on toxic diesels, however, won’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dbailey/air_in_california_can_be_deadl.html How Should New York City Deal With Rising Sea Levels? Five Designers Duke It Out. How should a low-lying city like New York deal with the rising sea levels associated with global warming? Regardless of your political stance on global warming, we can all agree that rising sea levels threaten the highly populated urban areas that line our nations’ shores. Posted. http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/smart-takes/how-should-new-york-city-deal-with-rising-sea-levels-five-designers-duke-it-out/4632/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 11:48:20 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 2, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 2, 2010. 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. Study Points To High Cost Of Polluted Air. Foul, filthy air is wafting over California and making people sick to the tune of almost $200 million a year in hospital expenses, according to a Rand Corp. study released today. The pollution is jacking up health care costs, insurance premiums and jeopardizing the health of children, who suffer more from asthma attacks in smoggy areas, said researchers with the Santa Monica nonprofit policy research institute. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/02/BAR91C93N4.DTL&type=printable http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/02/v-print/2574938/rand-study-of-hospitals-puts-price.html http://www.palmbeachpost.com/health/u-s-pays-a-price-for-dirty-air-309351.html http://gantdaily.com/2010/03/02/pollution-costing-californians-millions-in-health-care-costs/ http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14496253 http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100302/Health-Impact-Project-announces-24150000-grant-to-examine-health-impacts-of-cap-and-trade-regulation.aspx Support For Solar: California Doubles Cap On Credits For Excess Power. California's solar industry is celebrating a ray of good news: the cap on so-called "net metering," which allows homes and businesses to earn credit for any excess solar power they generate, has been doubled. Currently, utilities give net metered customers a credit on their monthly bill if they generate more solar power than they use. The credit can be used to offset higher energy consumption at other times of the year, like the darker winter months. At the end of the year, any leftover credits are zeroed out. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_14492960?source=rss Clear The Air: Smog Check Fraud Costs Everyone. IN a state that has done such a remarkable job in recent decades cleaning its air of choking smog, it's disheartening to hear of widespread fraud in the smog check process. Last week, a report on California's smog-test program found that up to a third of older cars that have passed mandated pollution checks actually fail them when re-tested at random on the streets. The air is bad enough in Los Angeles and the Valley that the last thing it needs is a bunch of antiquated smoke-belchers tooling up and down the streets. Posted. http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_14494966 California to Examine Health Impacts of Landmark Cap-and-Trade Program. Health Impact Project Awards Grant to Conduct First Study of Its Kind on Climate Change Legislation. The Health Impact Project today announced the award of a $150,000 grant to the Oakland-based Public Health Institute to collaborate with the California Department of Public Health on a health impact assessment (HIA) of a proposed "cap-and-trade" regulation under California's 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act. Posted. http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/energy/california-examine-health-impacts-landmark-cap-trade-program/ Calif. May Ban Cos. From Using Ocean as Coolant. State water board regulators are mulling a plan to stop power companies from vacuuming the ocean for water to cool their machinery. Environmentalists said the practice destroys too much sea life, while utility advocates said the impact is minimal. Banning the practice would cost too much, jeopardize the reliability of the electricity grid and slow the state's transition to clean energy, supporters of the practice said. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14492167 Business-Backed Economist Backs Off His Anti-AB32 Study. In a stunning reversal, the economist who cited massive cost increases to consumers and small businesses in a study of California's global warming law is retreating from his much-criticized findings. The move comes in the wake of a new report by Stanford University economists criticizing the business-funded study as "very, very defective." Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/7498 Obama To Outline Rebates For Energy Efficiency. Washington - Consumers would collect on-the-spot rebates of $1,000 or more for buying insulation, water heaters or other equipment to make their homes burn energy more efficiently under a new rebate program to be announced by President Barack Obama . Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14497550 Opinion: The Earth Has Its Own Set Of Rules. Our view of nature is based on our human desire for more, and that economic model is broken. Early in our history it didn't make any difference how we viewed our environment. We could change it, and if we didn't like what we did to it, we could move and natural processes would soon obliterate whatever we had done. Over the years, models of our relationship to the environment have been based on religious views, with the world provided for us to dominate and subdue as described in Genesis, and philosophical views, seeing wisdom and virtue in nature as described by Thoreau. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mahall2-2010mar02,0,6899831.story Wood Stove Swap-Out Vouchers Burned In One Hour. That didn't last long. Vouchers to help local residents swap-out older woodstoves for newer, cleaner-burning models were snapped up Monday, most of them in the first hour the Butte County Air Quality Management District office was open. Senior air quality planner Gail Williams said in an e-mail that one woman spent the night in her car parked at the district office. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/oroville/ci_14496664 Sensing Devices Are Becoming More Adept At Detecting Toxins And Pollutants. Local boozers were breathing a bit easier yesterday following news reports that an audit by the Washington Metropolitan Police Department found some 80 percent of its "breathalyzer" alcohol monitors may have been giving faulty readings. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030102880.html Other Voices: Over-Regulation Stymies Job Growth. Californians are suffering. With thousands unemployed in a staggering economy, this is a difficult time for families. The cost of living is rising, and our state's unemployment rate has reached 12.4 percent, the third highest in the nation, with some areas as high as 18 percent. California has seen a mass exodus of jobs in recent years as businesses have fled the state's over-regulation, high taxation, and overall hostile job climate. Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100302/OPINION/100309986/1024 U.S. Auto Dealers Want EPA Carbon Authority Blocked (Update1). (Bloomberg) -- Congress should stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing carbon dioxide limits for new cars and trucks, the National Automobile Dealers Association said. The EPA’s proposed emission limits, which would be enforced through higher fuel economy standards, are “duplicative and wasteful,” the McLean, Virginia-based association said in a letter yesterday to Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who is trying to block the agency from regulating greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-02/u-s-auto-dealers-want-epa-carbon-dioxide-regulations-blocked.html 'Climategate' Scientist Admits 'Awful E-Mails,' but Peers Say IPCC Conclusions Remain Sound. The head of a British climate research unit under fire after thousands of stolen e-mails were made public last year said yesterday that he had "obviously written some very awful e-mails." But the scientist, Phil Jones, defended his work and that of the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit, which he headed, in testimony yesterday before a House of Commons panel. "You've only seen a tenth of 1 percent of my e-mails in this group," he told the Science and Technology Committee. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/02/02climatewire-climategate-scientist-admits-awful-e-mails-b-66224.html?pagewanted=print Letter to Editor: Ways to Respond to Climate Change. Re “We Can’t Wish Away Climate Change” (Op-Ed, Feb. 28): Al Gore’s thoughtful advocacy for meaningful action on climate change will no doubt bring the climate change “skeptics” out of the woodwork once again. Our inability to address the climate crisis is both an intellectual and a moral failure. In the 1950s, Sputnik threatened our national pride — and America responded with an intensified focus on science education, building a space program that accomplished wonders. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/opinion/l02climate.html?pagewanted=print Al Gore Returns To The Spotlight; Says Climate Science Errors Don't Matter. Former Vice President Al Gore had been conspicuously absent from the public eye recently. Following on the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit and new revelations of errors in key climate science reports, the Nobel Laureate was nowhere to be found. On Sunday he returned with an op-ed in the New York Times discussing the ‘attacks’ on the manmade climate change theory. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-25061-Climate-Change-Examiner~y2010m3d2-Al-Gore-returns-to-the-spotlight-says-climate-science-errors-dont-matter Correction: Climate Change May Extend Allergy Season: Study. (Corrects study duration to 26 years from six years in paragraph 2). Washington (Reuters) - Sneezing, congestion, and runny noses from hay fever may be lasting longer because climate change may be extending pollen seasons, doctors in Italy said on Monday. Pollen seasons as well as the amount of pollen in the air progressively increased during a 26-year study in Italy, the doctors told a meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in New Orleans. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62137020100302 Senate Climate Bill May Drop Cap And Trade. A compromise climate bill being developed in the Senate may drop controversial cap and trade legislation passed by the House. The last best hope to get a climate-energy bill through Congress this year may be to drop long-held "cap-and-trade" plans for an economy-wide price on carbon emissions and instead target just the utility, transportation, and industry sectors of the economy. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/284236 Arcelormittal Loses Court Challenge On Emissions. Brussels - The world's largest steel maker ArcelorMittal SA on Tuesday lost a legal challenge that sought to exempt it from the European Union's greenhouse gas cap-and-trade system. The EU's general court said the company could not annul the EU law that issues pollution permits to major carbon dioxide emitters and loads them with costs if they pollute more than allowed. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jCEOabJYJsQAYg73J484UgCf1S2AD9E6E6NG0 A Stink In Central California Over Converting Cow Manure To Electricity. Air-quality rules in the region leave dairy farmers facing costly changes to generators used to burn methane to produce power. Some have put their renewable-energy plans on hold. Reporting from Stanislaus County, Calif. — Central California is home to nearly 1.6 million dairy cows and their manure -- up to 192 million pounds per day. It's a mountain of waste and a potential environmental hazard. But for dairyman John Fiscalini, the dung on his farm is renewable gold: He's converting it into electricity. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/01/business/la-fi-cow-power1-2010mar01 Fire Up That, Um, Fireplace: Spare The Air Season Over. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has ended winter "Spare the Air" alerts for the season. The district's ban on burning wood during winter alert days was lifted Sunday. Air district officials, however, cautioned Bay Area residents that some burning restrictions still apply throughout the year, such as burning garbage or causing excessive visible smoke. Such activity could result in a fine. Posted. http://sfappeal.com/alley/2010/03/fire-up-that-um-fireplace-spare-the-air-season-over.php http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=126041 Barnidge: Berkeley Carries A Torch For Global Warming. GLOBAL WARMING theorists have received a chilly reception in recent months, and it's not hard to understand why. Begin with a wrenching economy that has consumed public attention. When you're fretting over the next mortgage payment, a two-degree temperature rise in the next 20 years probably is not your biggest worry. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/columns/ci_14492714 Complaints Surface Over Landfill Dumping. While recognizing it is a public safety necessity, Granada Hills residents and City Councilman Greig Smith questioned Monday whether there are health risks from the dumping of catch basin runoff in Sunshine Canyon Landfill. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14494832?nclick_check=1 L.A. Mayor Wants Surcharge To Pay For Green Energy. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is backing a plan to increase utility fees to pay for renewable energy sources. A survey commissioned by the mayor asked Department of Water and Power customers if they'd support a monthly carbon surcharge of $2.50 to help move the city off its dependence on coal power. Sixty-four percent of those polled said they would. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14491215 Richmond, Hayward are Green Cities. Richmond and Hayward are now members of a coalition of high-performing green cities lauded for taking steps to protect the environment. The two cities became members of Green Cities California on Monday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14492660 Climate Scientists Quizzed By British Lawmakers. London—Academics at a British climate research center at the center of a controversy about the science of global warming defended their work during cross-examination at Parliament on Monday, rejecting allegations that they manipulated climate data. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14492884 Blogs The Chamber of Commerce vs. Climate Science. The business lobby's challenge to carbon regulations probably won't convince a court of law. The court of public opinion is another matter. William Kovacs, the US Chamber of Commerce's vice president of environment, technology and regulatory affairs, last year famously called for a "Scopes monkey trial of the 21st century" on climate change. Kovacs was referencing the lightning-rod 1925 court case that made it illegal to teach anything other than divine creation in Tennessee public schools—and he wanted a similar public hearing in which climate science would be put on the stand. Posted. http://motherjones.com/print/47306 Oakland Sierra Club Hopes for 1,000 to Support Climate Action Plan. On March 30, Oakland will present an ambitious Energy and Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 36 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. The Sierra Club is part of the Oakland Climate Action Coalition. The club supports the city's targets, and wants to see them achieved in ways that "clean up air pollution, create local green-collar jobs, save residents money and improve public health." Posted. http://oaklandlocal.com/blogs/2010/01/oakland-sierra-club-hopes-1000-support-climate-action-plan California Braces for a Cleaner and Greener Future. When it comes to taking initiatives toward reducing the state’s carbon footprints, the State of California has always played pioneering role. The introduction of a new legislation keeps to this tradition. With an aim to help California become a leader in the green energy storage, Attorney General Jerry Brown and Assembly member Nancy Skinner introduced AB 2514. Posted. http://smart-grid.tmcnet.com/topics/smart-grid/articles/77199-california-braces-a-cleaner-greener-future.htm Turn Out the Lights. California has the seventh-highest energy costs in the nation, according to a new study. Last year the state was ranked 11th-highest. The study, prepared by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, an advocacy group, looks at gasoline and electricity. Posted. http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2010/03/turn_out_the_lights.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 10:00:46 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 3, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 3, 2010. 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. Texas Refiners Mum About Funding Push To Halt Calif. Climate Law. The money behind a campaign to suspend California's landmark climate law and place the proposed delay before voters in November is coming from a pair of refiners based in San Antonio, Texas, according to several well-placed sources in Sacramento. These sources said two refiners based in San Antonio -- Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp. -- are the sole funders so far behind a proposed ballot initiative that would bring a temporary halt to A.B. 32, which would cut greenhouse gases across California's economy to 1990 levels by 2020, starting in two years. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/03/1http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/03/03climatewire-texas-refiners-mum-about-funding-push-to-hal-73127.html Calif. To Link GHGs, Criteria Pollutants In New Exhaust Standards. California air regulators are combining tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions standards in hopes of spurring the "car of the future." The California Air Resources Board is proposing to combine the state's low-emission vehicle (LEV) standards, zero-emissions vehicle standards and greenhouse gas standards known as Pavley II. (Pavley I is the 2002 tailpipe emissions rule that the federal government adopted in May 2009; Pavley II will cover vehicles after the 2016 model year). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/03/2 Professor Honored for Environmental Leadership. John M. Peters, the Hastings Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, has been honored for his leadership in environmental health research that has influenced California public policy. At a luncheon held March 1 in the Edmondson Faculty Center, Peters received the 2009 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award from the California Air Resources Board. Posted. http://uscnews.usc.edu/health/professor_honored_for_environmental_leadership.html A Split Among Utilities Could Doom Renewed Climate Bill Effort. With a bipartisan group of senators driving for a climate bill compromise, chief executive officers from two large power companies in the Southeast yesterday shed some light on a split among utilities that publicly advocate for national emissions limits. Southern Co. CEO David Ratcliffe urged utilities to stand by an economy wide cap-and-trade approach that appears nearly dead in the Senate. The other CEO, James Rogers of Duke Energy, urged a significant change in direction on legislative strategy and public messaging to enable passage of a climate bill by next year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/03/3 EPA Authority Could Become A Pawn In A Larger Game. Some lawmakers want to bar U.S. EPA from writing any climate regulations -- even if Congress' own efforts fail. Others want the agency to push forward -- even if Congress is successful. Somewhere in the middle of this confusing situation, EPA's exact path forward could become a bargaining chip in a bigger game as a trio of senators tries to write a bipartisan climate bill with a hope for passage. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/03/4 IPCC Leaders Say Conclusions Were Not Undermined By 'Climategate' New York -- In spite of the spate of attacks in recent weeks challenging the conclusions of the reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the scientists behind the reports remain undeterred, three prominent IPCC report authors told reporters yesterday. The scientists confirmed that they and their colleagues have been personally attacked by climate skeptics for one error recently found in the report, regarding the timeline for glacier melt-off in the Himalayas. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/03/6 California Limits SF6, World's Most Potent Greenhouse Gas. The California Air Resources Board has adopted a measure developed with representatives of the electrical utilities that will limit and monitor the emissions of the greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride, SF6, from high-voltage electrical applications. Posted. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2010/2010-03-02-091.html Editorial: Getting Global Warming Right. Widely publicized errors in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report on global warming prompt the organization to tighten its standards. In its 2007 report on the effects of global warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that glaciers could vanish from the Himalayas by 2035. As has since been widely reported, with ill-disguised glee by many blogs and right-wing news outlets, this was a blunder. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-ipcc3-2010mar03,0,6601995.story Scientists Taking Steps to Defend Work on Climate. For months, climate scientists have taken a vicious beating in the media and on the Internet, accused of hiding data, covering up errors and suppressing alternate views. Their response until now has been largely to assert the legitimacy of the vast body of climate science and to mock their critics as cranks and know-nothings. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/science/earth/03climate.html Global Warming Debate. There have been several interesting climate-change articles published by The Californian recently, including Eric Holst's Feb. 23 "Why global warming should concern us all, Central Valley folk in particular." Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x379808702/Global-warming-debate Utilities Willing to Go First -- but Not Alone -- on Emission Limits. The heads of several prominent utilities say they would not necessarily object to the power sector being the first industry subject to carbon emission limits under proposed climate change legislation. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/03/03climatewire-utilities-willing-to-go-first----but-not-alo-10220.html Alameda County Gets Funding For Recharging Stations. Oakland — When the next generation of electric cars hits the market later this year, Alameda County officials are hoping to be fully charged. The county recently received an $84,760 grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for 40 electric vehicle charging stations in Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward and Dublin. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14499353 Solano County Supervisors Put Solar Project On Hold. County leaders put on hold -- for now -- a planned $1 million solar project in Fairfield. The Solano County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday pulled from its agenda a proposal to transfer $1.45 million from a heating and ventilation fund to pay for the project. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14503625 At Geneva Auto Show, The Hybrids Keep Rolling In. Geneva — Hybrid or hype? More automakers rolled out their newest hybrids, or announced plans to do so, at the Geneva Auto Show on Tuesday, presenting the question: Is the future now, or is this just attention-grabbing while the real powerhouse of the automotive world remains king combustion? Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14501730 France's Crumbling Sea Walls No Match For Ocean. L'aiguillon-Sur-Mer, France—The moon was full, the wind roared, the tide was high and people died by the dozens. After a wall of ocean water engulfed picturesque towns along France's Atlantic coast, residents, officials and experts are all asking why. Was it due to climate change? Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14504479 Senate Trio Hopes to Hit Pay Dirt With Carbon 'Fee' on Fuels. Key senators are weighing a request from Big Oil to levy a carbon fee on the industry rather than wrap it into a sweeping cap-and-trade system that covers most of the U.S. economy. If accepted, the approach -- supported by ConocoPhillips, BP America and Exxon Mobil Corp. -- could rearrange the politics of the Senate climate debate and potentially open up votes that may not be there otherwise. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/03/03climatewire-senate-trio-hopes-to-hit-pay-dirt-with-carbo-56291.html?pagewanted=print District Says No-Burn Days Improved Air Quality. The annual "Check Before You Burn" wood-burning season ended Sunday in Kern County with fewer no-burn days than last year and continued improvement in the valley's winter air quality, according to data released Tuesday by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x99322969/District-says-no-burn-days-improved-air-quality Smog-Check Crackdown Is a Healthy Development. In a state that has done such a remarkable job in recent decades cleaning its air of choking smog, it's disheartening to hear of widespread fraud in the smog check process. Last week, a report on California's smog-test program found that up to a third of older cars that have passed mandated pollution checks actually fail them when re-tested at random on the streets. Posted. http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_14501271 Lawsuit Says Fish Oil Supplements Contain PCB. Lawsuit says fish oil supplements contain PCB. An environmental group filed a lawsuit in San Francisco on Tuesday alleging that 10 types of fish oil or shark oil supplements contain a toxic industrial compound, and that manufacturers and sellers need to warn consumers. The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court by the Oregon group Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation and two individuals, claims that under California's Proposition 65, the makers and sellers of fish oil supplements are required to tell consumers that the pills contain the compound polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/03/BARO1C9RD3.DTL California Proposes First Renewable Energy Storage Requirements. Yesterday Attorney General Jerry Brown announced a completely new kind of renewable energy legislation, introduced by State Assembly member Nancy Skinner (D) – designed to add more renewable energy storage to the grid. Posted. http://cleantechnica.com/2010/03/02/california-proposes-first-renewable-energy-storage-requirements/ Senate Trio Hopes to Hit Pay Dirt With Carbon 'Fee' on Fuels. Key senators are weighing a request from Big Oil to levy a carbon fee on the industry rather than wrap it into a sweeping cap-and-trade system that covers most of the U.S. economy. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/03/03climatewire-senate-trio-hopes-to-hit-pay-dirt-with-carbo-56291.html?scp=4&sq=greenhouse%20gas&st=cse Blog Study: High Heat, Higher Hospital Admissions. Register file photo of high temperature reading at a Fullerton bank by Bruce Chambers. Higher temperatures bring a spike in hospital admissions for a variety of diseases in California, a new state study says — an effect that holds true even without heat waves, and one that could grow worse with global warming. Posted. http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2010/03/02/study-high-heat-higher-hospital-admissions/20625/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2010 10:11:31 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 4, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 4, 2010. 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. What Should Schools Teach About Global Warming? The teaching of climate change is under attack in some U.S. public schools. This week, South Dakota's legislature passed a resolution calling for the "balanced teaching of global warming." "Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant but rather a highly beneficial ingredient for all plant life," says the resolution, which passed with mostly GOP votes. It also says global warming is "a scientific theory rather than a proven fact" and a variety of "astrological" and other "dynamics" affect weather. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/03/what-should-schools-teach-about-global-warming/1 A Proposal To Search The Past For Adaptation Clues. Research on climate change today focuses mostly on the future, taking stock of how humans have influenced the planet and using computer models to project unwanted changes like warming temperatures or rising seas and ways we might avoid them. But a new report suggests that there's value in looking at not just how humans shape the climate, but how the climate shaped human development going back millions of years. "How we get here is relevant to where we are going as a species," says the analysis released yesterday by the National Academy of Sciences. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/04/2 Administration Panel Attaches Price Tags To Carbon Emissions. An Obama administration work group has settled on a broad spectrum of costs to society for allowing each new ton of carbon to be emitted into the atmosphere. It includes four dollar figures -- spanning from $5 to $65 for emissions in 2010 -- that represent the damages of not acting to stop those emissions. The numbers are set to inform a batch of future regulations: both climate and energy policies meant to lower greenhouse gas levels and other regulations that only have that side effect. The latter category could include plans to slash power plant emissions of other harmful air pollutants, for example. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/04/4 Carbon Market Players' Hope For U.S. Cap And Trade Sinks – Survey. Amsterdam -- The expectations of carbon market participants and experts that the United States would set up a cap-and-trade CO2 system by 2015 have fallen to a three-year low, a survey released at a conference here yesterday showed. Only 61 percent of the respondents in the survey by carbon market analysis firm Point Carbon said they believed the United States will have a cap-and-trade system by that year, down 20 percentage points from 2009. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/04/5 Canada Opens Session With Promise Of Jobs And 'Balanced' Climate Action. Canada opened a new session of Parliament yesterday with a Speech from the Throne that mentioned climate change after a long list of other issues, ranging from expelling hidden war criminals to enhancing oil production. The most punctuated message, however, centered on creating jobs, with the Queen's Canadian liaison, Governor General Michaelle Jean, recognizing that "unemployment continues to cast a long shadow" over the economic recovery. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/04/7 Draft Climate Bill Has No Industry Emissions Limits. A draft of a new Japanese climate bill does not include a limit on emissions by industry, signaling that the government may not go through with a promise to start a cap-and-trade system. The draft released by the Environment Ministry last month does not propose a mandatory emissions cap, nor does it specify what industries would be subject to a carbon tax starting in 2011. Japan does plan to start an emissions trading program, though there is no timeline for it. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/04/9 Focus On Clean Air, Not Climate, Ex-EPA Chief Whitman Says. Advocates of capping carbon emissions would fare better politically by framing their concerns in terms of energy needs and clean air rather than sounding off with warnings about climate change, a former U.S. EPA administrator said Tuesday. Christine Todd Whitman, EPA administrator from 2001 to 2003 and the Republican governor of New Jersey before that, said that global warming has become so "politically fraught" that it is no longer a useful point to bring up for those who seek to cap carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/04/10 Texas-Based Refiners Pledge To Fund Fight Against California's Global Warming Law. Valero and Tesoro have reportedly pledged as much as $2 million to help gather signatures for a ballot initiative to suspend the greenhouse-gas-cutting law until the jobless rate improves. Two Texas-based refinery giants have pledged as much as $2 million to fund signature gathering for a ballot initiative to suspend California's landmark global warming law, according to Sacramento sources. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-ballot4-2010mar04,0,7939184.story http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/03/1845386/texans-fight-california-pollution.html http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4167&ptid=9 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/03/03climatewire-texas-refiners-mum-about-funding-push-to-hal-73127.html http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/03/tesoro-valero-ab32/ http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/33069 http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/snog/blogs/post?oid=1380612 http://www.newsreview.com/chico/content?oid=1380661 http://vvandermeer.freedomblogging.com/2010/03/03/logue-getting-boost-from-texas-for-ballot-initiative/491/ Author Cites Food Production As Villain In Climate Change. The main culprit causing climate change isn't the Hummer; it's the hamburger. That's the message Anna Lappé, the author of "Diet for a Hot Planet," presented last week to a crowd of more than 100 regional gardeners and foodies at the annual Green Matters Symposium at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, which zeroes in on pressing environmental issues. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/03/AR2010030302065.html Air Quality Board Will Discuss Port Pollution in Long Beach on Friday. The region's top air-quality board will meet Friday in Long Beach to discuss, among other things, port anti-pollution measures. The hearing begins at 9 a.m. at Long Beach City Hall, 333 W. Ocean Blvd., where the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board will host its monthly forum. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_14507640 Dirty Air Boosts Hospitalizations. California's dirty air cost more than $193 million in hospital-based medical care from 2005 to 2007, as people sought help for conditions such as asthma and pneumonia that were triggered by elevated pollution levels. Researchers at the RAND Corporation estimated that exposure to excessive levels of ozone and particulate pollution caused nearly 30,000 emergency room visits and hospital admissions over the study period. Posted. http://www.cbs42.com/content/health/story/Dirty-Air-Boosts-Hospitalizations/fs9oIL3XhEC_DMHcvkCgQw.cspx Pacific Partners With Community To Pinpoint Green Goals. It was fitting that the latest forum in University of the Pacific's Beyond Our Gates series on Wednesday focused on the environment. After all, you don't have stray far off campus to understand the challenges. Pacific is the only four-year college within the legal boundaries of the fragile Delta. And it's located in the San Joaquin Valley, where air pollution settles thickly between the mountains. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100304/A_NEWS/3040325/-1/NEWSMAP Will U.S. Companies Be Shut Out of Clean-Tech Markets by China and Other Competitors? The United States must make long-term investments in clean energy development or risk being shut out of a $2.3 trillion industry, a new report by a liberal think tank has found. The study (pdf) released today by the Center for American Progress hails Germany, Spain and China as "early winners in the next great technological and industrial revolution" because each imposed policies to encourage low-carbon energy development. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/04/04climatewire-will-us-companies-be-shut-out-of-clean-tech-68154.html Graham's Cap-And-Trade Pronouncement Reframes Hill Debate. Is cap and trade really "dead"? After all, didn't Sen. Lindsey Graham say so? The South Carolina Republican's recent remarks -- or snippets of them -- have ricocheted around Capitol Hill and beyond in recent weeks, lending momentum to the notion that the congressional effort he is helping lead no longer plans to implement a system that requires companies to buy and sell emission credits. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/03/03greenwire-grahams-cap-and-trade-pronouncement-reframes-h-19532.html County Shelves Solar Project. Solano County leaders have put a hold -- for now -- on a planned $1 million solar project in Fairfield. The Board of Supervisors pulled from Tuesday's agenda a proposal to use $1.45 million from a heating and ventilation fund to pay for the project. "We have several concerns," Supervisor John Vasquez said after the meeting. "We're definitely concerned with the cost." Staffers recommended a transfer of funding from a heating and air-conditioning project at the county's Law and Justice Center -- the county jail in downtown Fairfield -- to pay for a 261-kilowatt solar array parking shade structure. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_14510692 California Drops 'Carbon Credits for Clearcuts'. California has withdrawn its carbon credit accounting protocols that counted clearing all life off of 40 acres at a time a good thing. The protocols, which the Center for Biological Diversity called "Carbon Credits for Clearcuts," were discarded in response to a letter from the environmental group, complaining that the policy violated the California Environmental Quality Act. Posted. http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/03/04/25251.htm Discrediting Climate Change. Dear editor, for those of us who doubt the theory of manmade global climate change, there is a new resource to be aware of. It is a series of videos created by John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel. It can be seen at www.kusi.com/weather/co1emanscorner/8153352.html. Despite this discrediting of the global warming theory — which we are told is an established scientific fact — it is unlikely that the United States will respond any differently. Entrenched economic and political interests have invested trillions of dollars in the global warming farce. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_d548da6c-273d-11df-a3cb-001cc4c03286.html Will U.S. Companies Be Shut Out Of Clean-Tech Markets By China And Other Competitors? The United States must make long-term investments in clean energy development or risk being shut out of a $2.3 trillion industry, a new report by a liberal think tank has found. The study released today by the Center for American Progress hails Germany, Spain and China as "early winners in the next great technological and industrial revolution" because each imposed policies to encourage low-carbon energy development. Japan, Denmark and South Korea, the authors predict, also will profit handsomely as the industry expands. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/04/1 Wood-Fire Snitching Way Up This Season. Complaints by Bay Area residents about neighbors lighting wood fires on no-burn nights rose 63 percent in the second season of a smoke rule, regional clean air regulators reported Wednesday. The number of people issued letters for suspected violations showed a more modest increase of 22 percent, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said in a report. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/03/1845293/complaints-about-wood-fires-on.html Marin Again Leads Bay Area In Bad-Air Complaints And Warnings. Marin once again led Bay Area counties in both the number of complaints received and warning letters issued regarding wood smoke on "Spare the Air" winter days, according to data released Wednesday by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14507569?nclick_check=1 Farmers Need More Government Support To Use Methane Digesters, Report Says. San Francisco -- Farmers may be susceptible to the water, temperature and seasonal changes posed by climate change, but they can take steps to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions, says a new report from University of California researchers. The report, by law professors at the UC Berkeley and UC Los Angeles campuses, was sponsored by Bank of America. The company has funded three reports so far on how climate change could create business opportunities. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/04/8 Automakers Roll Out Hybrids, But Motivations Remain Unclear. More automakers are placing their bets on the future of hybrid cars, with a stream of new model announcements at this year's Geneva Auto Show. Porsche opened the show this week with a hybrid version of the Cayenne S sport utility vehicle, followed by French group PSA Peugeot Citroen SA's announcement of a hybrid launch in 2012. Toyota also announced plans to have a hybrid in every model by 2020. That has left some in the industry wondering if automakers were just capitalizing on the trend. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/04/11 Eight Steps To A More Eco-Friendly Kitchen. Once upon a time, 30 or 40 years ago, the words "green kitchen" meant that your kitchen looked like the inside of an avocado. Now (thankfully) those words mean something quite different. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/02/AR2010030202932.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 11:36:49 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 8, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 8, 2010. 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 Resources Board Working Toward Cap And Trade Program. One of the top priorities of the state Air Resources Board this year is to design a cap and trade program to be implemented during 2011. Under the cap-and-trade program, an overall limit on greenhouse gas emissions emitted from certain facilities will be established. Facilities subject to the cap will be able to trade permits, allowances, to emit greenhouse gases, according to the ARB Web site. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14483544?nclick_check=1 Air Panel Proposes Tougher Regulations For Ports. Rules would allow officials to enforce ports' voluntary pollution reductions and impose fines for violations. Southern California air regulators proposed tougher rules Friday to ensure that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reduce their share of deadly emissions from ships, trains, big rigs and cargo-handling equipment, prompting harsh objections from harbor officials. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/06/local/la-me-aqmd6-2010mar06 Environmental Rules, Regulations Enter Into 2010. Numerous environmental rules and regulations have taken effect this year in California and plenty more are on the way. State officials have been working on measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, rules that may be pleasing environmental experts but upsetting to many Californian businesses. The largest piece of legislation is the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or AB 32, which created a multi-year program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14483541 California Moves Carbon Offset Goalposts. Related Documents. Read the Resolution. Carbon investors over the past two years have assumed the agency leading the development of California’s cap-and-trade rules would recognize certain offsets generated under the state’s voluntary scheme once reductions become mandatory, and more than 200 projects have enrolled under those protocols. Now, however, the state says it approved them in haste, and the status of all projects is up for review. Posted. http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=7472§ion=news_articles&eod=1 Hydrogen Dilemma. Which comes first, hydrogen fuel, or cars that need it? It's a chicken-or-egg scenario when it comes to emerging fuel-cell technology that allows automobiles to be powered by hydrogen and emit little more than a trickle of water from the tailpipe. Manufacturers need to commit funds to mass-producing the vehicles, but hydrogen fueling stations to fill those vehicles also are needed. A push to set up a hydrogen fueling infrastructure has been in development in California for more than four years as car manufacturers lease out test-model vehicles. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/weekend-drive/ci_14519592 Letter: No Room For Retreat On Clean Energy. Between 1995 and 2008, California's "green" businesses increased 45 percent in number and 36 percent in employment, according to NextTen, a nonpartisan think thank. California has more than 3,000 clean-tech businesses that account for 44,000 jobs. California's emerging clean-energy economy has attracted nearly $6.5 billion in capital investment in the last three years, says the National Venture Capital AssociationPosted. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/ci_14632901 Steps to Stop Carbon Trading and Emissions Offset Fraud. Recently, the cover of Harper’s Magazine featured a story on how easy it is to perpetrate carbon trading and emissions offset fraud. The article, by prominent investigative journalist Mark Schapiro, takes a hard look at ongoing practices in carbon markets and the rising tide of fraud that is tarnishing the sector. The fraud is hardly a surprise. Any asset market comprised of buying and selling non-physical, hard-to-measure goods is a con man’s dream. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/03/08/steps-to-stop-carbon-trading-and-emissions-offset-fraud/print/ Supreme Court Won't Review Decision That Closed EPA Emissions 'Loophole' The Supreme Court declined today to review a lower court's ruling prohibiting U.S. EPA from suspending normal emissions standards for major pollution sources during "startup, shutdown and malfunction" (SSM) periods. Environmental groups praised the court's decision not to grant review in American Chemistry Council v. Sierra Club, saying the policy struck down in 2008 had created a "loophole" for polluters. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/08/2 Murkowski Presses EPA For Details Of Emission Regs. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is pressing U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to offer more details about how and when the agency plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sources. The Alaska Republican, the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sent the letter on Friday asking for clarification about how EPA plans to interpret and implement the Clean Air Act. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/08/5 China May Run First Citywide Cap-And-Trade System By June. China may kick off its first citywide carbon cap-and-trade system by June to help rein in its emissions, according to an adviser on the program. Tianjin, a northeastern port city, plans to impose a mandatory limit on energy used to heat buildings in the first half of this year, John Shi, CEO of the carbon credit trader Arreon Carbon UK Ltd., said in an interview. Under the scheme, property managers who use energy below the limit will earn credits they can then sell, he said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/08/7 Another Government Regulator on the Loose. It happens so often it hardly raises a red flag anymore: Another government regulator praising his agency's efforts when his draconian rules had absolutely nothing to do with the results he presents. I am speaking of the March 3 article, "District says no-burn days yielding improved air quality." While reading, I succumbed to my gag reflex. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x1543187841/Another-government-regulator-on-the-loose Pesticide Regulation in State Beneficial, Officials Report. California pesticide regulators said initial steps to reduce air pollution caused by fumigant pesticides have had a positive impact. A draft report from the Department of Pesticide Regulation shows a drop in smog-producing emissions from all types of pesticides in 2008. That was the first year the agency implemented new regulations on farm fumigant applications intended to protect air quality in the state's smoggiest areas. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100308/A_BIZ/3080304 Organic Activists Protest San Francisco Compost. San Francisco — San Francisco wears its environmental consciousness like a green badge of honor. Residents separate and recycle their food scraps. Streets close to cars so people can walk and bike them. A city department even gives away "high-quality, nutrient-rich, organic bio-solids compost" to all takers. But hold on there. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14519943 Sen. Joe Simitian Reintroduces Legislation For Clean Power. State Sen. Joe Simitian is hoping three times is a charm when it comes to pushing power companies for more renewable juice. The senator, who represents part of Santa Cruz County, reintroduced legislation today that would require California energy providers to get 33 percent of their power from clean sources by 2020. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14513647 Alcatraz Island To Get Solar Panels. San Francisco—Alcatraz Island is going green. The National Park Service, which oversees the island, said Friday it will fund a project to put more than 1,000 solar panels on the main prison and laundry building. The panels are expected to provide 40 to 60 percent of the island's electricity and reduce the need for two aging diesel generators. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14525878 AQMD Cracks Down On Ports. Long Beach - Despite a landmark clean-truck plan and strict anti-smog measures aimed at ships and trains, air quality cops are considering "backstop" regulations to ensure port pollution doesn't grow in coming years. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14522399 Trucking Regulations To Hit In 2010. Manufacturers are not the only California businesses facing new regulations this year. The trucking industry is a prime focus in the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The Drayage Truck Regulation requires trucks servicing California's ports and intermodal rail yards to reduce particulate matter emissions by at least 85 percent beginning this year. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14483545 Methane Seen As Growing Climate Risk. Washington—Methane, a potent global warming gas, is bubbling out of the frozen Arctic faster than had been expected. Methane had become trapped in the permafrost over time and a warming climate is now resulting in its release, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14512868 Study in West Marin Fights Global Warming. Removing carbon dioxide from the air and burying it in soil could be a way to stop the effects of global warming, a process under study in West Marin. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14517322 Curbing Fraudulent Smog Checks. In a state that has done such a remarkable job in recent decades cleaning its air of choking smog, it's disheartening to hear of widespread fraud in the smog check process. A recent report on California's smog-test program found that up to one-third of older cars that have passed mandated pollution checks actually fail them when re-tested at random on the streets. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_14630478 Democrats to Turn Spotlight on Energy Efficiency Programs This Week. Democrats will turn the focus to energy efficiency standards and incentive programs this week with hearings in the Senate and House energy panels. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) is a champion for energy efficiency and has pushed stakeholders and focused his staff on improving standards across the board this session. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/08/08greenwire-democrats-to-turn-spotlight-on-energy-efficien-54735.html?scp=3&sq=air%20pollution&st=cse ECO:nomics: Creating Environmental Capital. One thing is certain in the race for a cleaner energy system: Nothing is going to be certain for quite a long time. In Washington last week, the Obama administration abandoned the long-running plan to bury nuclear waste below Nevada's Yucca Mountain, another potential barrier to new nuclear power plants in the U.S. Big questions loom about the viability of electric cars and of futuristic power plants that would shoot their greenhouse-gas emissions underground instead of skyward. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703391004575105903884123106.html#mod=todays_us_the_journal_report Fueling The Future: Fuel Cells Show Promise. Uses seen for more efficient power generation; companies hope to work out bugs. Fuel cells, which decades ago powered the moon mission, are quietly making their way into businesses and homes, and some see them as the future of power production. Instead of burning fuel to make heat that then drives a turbine, fuel cells use an electrochemical reaction similar to that inside a battery to make electricity. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/07/fueling-the-future/ Oil Companies Fund Stealth Attack on Clean Energy and Climate Law. On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that two Texas-based refinery giants have stepped forward to fund signature gathering for a ballot initiative to suspend AB 32, California's landmark clean energy and global warming law. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/7526 Marin Clean Energy — Pro: Program Offers Key Green Benefits. Marin Clean Energy is a Community Choice Aggregation program that is designed to serve Marin’s priorities. It allows electric consumers to choose non-polluting renewable energy, lower Marin’s greenhouse gas emissions, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, foster development of local green power generation and clean technologies and protect Marin homes and businesses from uncertain fuel prices. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/19050/marin-clean-energy-pro/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 10:57:53 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 9, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 9, 2010. 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. Legislative Analyst: California Greenhouse Gas Law Could Cost Some Jobs. The Legislature's nonpartisan analyst says California's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law could cost jobs in the near term, while its long-term impact is uncertain. But, Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor concluded in a letter released Monday, the overall impact of the law on the state's gargantuan economy "will probably be modest." The law, known as AB 32, would require the state by 2020 to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/09/v-print/2592865/legislative-analyst-california.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/09/1851867/legislative-analyst-california.html Dry Cleaning Usually Uses A Toxic Chemical, But The Safety Picture Is Unclear. I live around the corner from a dry cleaner, but there's also a "green" dry cleaner on the other side of town. Am I total jerk if I keep going to my regular spot? The problem with traditional dry cleaning is a liquid solvent called "perc," short for perchloroethylene. (Despite the moniker, dry cleaning isn't really dry; it just doesn't involve water.) Perc is what dissolves the gunk off your clothes. It's highly effective without being labor-intensive and, unlike the cleaning chemicals of old, it's not likely to burst into flames. That's why cleaners have been using it for the past 50 years. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030802310_pf.html EU Climate Chief: Global Deal Unlikely Before 2011. The European Union's climate change chief says a global deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions may not be possible before 2011. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard says it would be risky to expect a legally binding deal to emerge from the planned December U.N. climate summit in Cancun, Mexico. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/09/world/AP-EU-EU-Climate-Change.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=greenhouse%20gas&st=cse http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14639964 EPA Piecing Together Regulatory Framework for Greenhouse Gas Rules. U.S. EPA has submitted the first piece of its suite of greenhouse gas rules to the White House for review, a signal that the agency is on schedule to finalize its first regulations to curb the heat-trapping emissions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/08/08greenwire-epa-piecing-together-regulatory-framework-for-54302.html For Senators on the Fence on Climate, Everything's in Play. The fate of comprehensive energy and climate legislation rests in the hands of about 30 senators. The list includes coal and Rust Belt Democrats, Westerners and moderate Republicans. They bring several high-profile issues to the forefront that, if satisfied, offers several potential paths to the bill's lead authors looking for the magic 60 votes. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/09/09climatewire-for-senators-on-the-fence-on-climate-everyth-37932.html Jackson Says EPA Is Losing A Public Relations War Over Climate Regulations. Amid a pitched battle over her agency's planned climate regulations, U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said environmental regulators are losing a public relations war to industry lobbyists. "The people in my line of work have not done the best job in communicating our side of the debate. We've lost the messaging war," Jackson said yesterday at the National Press Club. The statement comes as Jackson faces bipartisan efforts in both chambers of Congress to either curtail or eliminate her agency's authority to tackle climate change. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/09/4 Women Hit By Climate Change Head To Capitol Hill. Washington (Reuters) - Women hit hard by the effects of climate change -- drought, floods, sea level rise and crop failure -- gathered on Monday to plan a Capitol Hill push for U.S. legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. 2http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030803492.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/03/09/5 Simitian Reintroduces 33% Renewable Energy Bill. State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) reintroduced legislation that requires all energy providers to buy 33 percent of their energy from clean, renewable energy sources by 2020. Senate Bill 722 provides a clear statutory directive for private and public utilities to reach 33 percent renewable energy use, and provides the flexibility necessary to acquire that energy in the coming decade. Posted. http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/144967 HORNER: The Wind-Energy Cover-Up. Barack Obama promised many things on his way into office. Key among these was transparency and a vow to banish lobbyists from insider roles in the policy process. Using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Competitive Enterprise Institute has confirmed that both promises are being aggressively violated. Posted. http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/09/covering-up-the-wind-energy-failure/ Governments Appear To Spend $500 Billion A Year To Subsidize Fossil Fuels. The world might be spending as much as $500 billion annually to subsidize fossil fuels, researchers working at the direction of President Obama and other leaders have found. But a draft report of the study, obtained by E&E, shows a heavy emphasis on the financial assistance that developing countries give to make energy more affordable to poor consumers. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/09/2 End PG&E's Chokehold. It's time to end PG&E's chokehold on Bakersfield and adopt the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program. How can our local Board of Supervisors not agree solar power is vitally necessary for homeowners? Why are they not creating a SCEIP-type program for Kern County? Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x1543187924/End-PG-Es-chokehold Western Govs Say States Best Regulate Coal Ash. Helena, Mont.—Western governors are telling the Obama administration that regulation of coal ash waste is best done by the states. The Western Governor's Association is resisting a move by the Environmental Protection Agency to reclassify coal ash as hazardous. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14636129 EPA Official Says Action Plan On BPA Is Near. Washington -- Responding to criticism that the Environmental Protection Agency delayed action on regulating the chemical bisphenol A, Administrator Lisa Jackson said Monday that her agency is planning to "finalize an action plan on BPA in the very near future." Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/09/1851938/epa-official-says-action-plan.html Post Carbon. Contrary to popular belief, young people are not more politically engaged on the issue of climate change than older Americans, according to a new climate poll conducted by researchers at American, Yale and George Mason universities. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030802308.html California Bill Promises to Fight Toxic Trash. A California Democrat has proposed a bill that would require manufacturers of hazardous products to create materials that are less toxic and easier to recycle. "Every time we use recycled materials to create a product, we save energy and reduce pollution from landfill," says First District Assembly member Wesley Chesbro, who introduced the California Product Stewardship Act. Posted. http://www.solidwastemag.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000363032 Blogs Counting ‘Outsourced’ Greenhouse Gas Emissions. One of the stickiest points in international climate change negotiations is how to account for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions produced to make goods that are then sold for export. Should the producing country be held to account for those emissions? Or does the consuming country bear some responsibility for counting those emissions? Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/counting-outsourced-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ What Happens to Transportation Reform if A.B. 32 Does Get Repealed? Last week, the New York Times broke the news that Texas based oil companies were funding the ballot initiative that would "temporarily" place the Greenhouse Gas reforms required by A.B. 32 on hold until California's unemployment rate reached 5.5%. When discussing the news with some of my friends, it was greeted with a yawn. After all, this is hardly the first time an out-of-state interest has placed a lot of money behind a ballot proposition, and A.B. 32 spends a lot more time promoting clean fuel than it does human powered transportation or transit. Posted. http://la.streetsblog.org/2010/03/08/what-happens-to-transportation-reform-if-a-b-32-does-get-repealed/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:01:56 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 10, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 10, 2010. 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. AB32 Plays On Economic Fears. Petitions are being circulated for a November ballot initiative that would undercut California's landmark legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Perhaps not surprisingly, it appears that the seed money for the petition drive is coming from two oil refiners, Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp., based in San Antonio. Each owns refineries in California, including the Valero facility in Benicia. The campaign to repeal Assembly Bill 32, signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007, is expected to play to fears that the changes in lifestyle and commerce required to slow climate change would have a negative effect on the economy. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/10/ED5Q1CD92B.DTL&type=printable California Climate Change Law May Cause Short-Term Job Loss And Energy Cost Increase. The independent and nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) in Sacramento says there will be some economic disruption and higher energy costs if the 2006 climate change law is implemented. Senator Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto), an opponent of the law, requested the analysis and accurately sums up its key findings. More jobs will be likely lost in the near term. Overall job impact in the long term is unknown. Posted. http://caivn.org/article/2010/03/10/california-climate-change-law-may-cause-short-term-job-loss-and-energy-cost-incre http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-jobs10-2010mar10,0,3395377,print.story http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14640825 California's Toxic Air Scare Machine. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA) sponsored a full-day scientific discussion and debate on February 26, 2010 at the California EPA hearing room in Sacramento. The unprecedented public meeting was held because of public outcry against the latest CARB air pollution regulations. Usually California Environmental laws and regulations are passed with little debate, after an inevitable scientific review process with written public comments that are received and filed but have no impact on agency actions. Posted. http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/03/californias_toxic_air_scare_ma.html California Analyst Sees Job Losses Under Climate Law. California's landmark global warming law likely will lead to modest job losses in the near future, according to a nonpartisan review that bolsters a growing Republican movement to shelve climate regulations until the economy recovers. The Legislative Analyst's Office determined that businesses will face higher electricity and fuel prices as well as costly investments to improve building and heating standards. However, it did not calculate average costs to businesses or say how many jobs might be lost. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_14644444 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/09/1852507/calif-analyst-sees-job-losses.html?storylink=misearch Obama Pushes Senators for Climate Bill. President Barack Obama made a renewed push for a long-stalled climate and energy bill Tuesday, urging lawmakers at a White House meeting to pass a comprehensive bill this year. Fourteen senators from both parties - including several who remain undecided on the climate bill - met for more than an hour with Obama, four Cabinet members and White House energy adviser Carol Browner. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/09/1852561/white-house-hosts-meeting-on-energy.html?storylink=misearch Global Warming Bill Said 'Job Killer'. Republicans are stepping up pressure on Governor Schwarzenegger to delay implementation of the global warming law. It would restrict greenhouse gas emissions. But, the non-partisan Legislative analyst said Tuesday it would cost more jobs in the short term, seriously affect certain businesses and increase the near-term prices of electricity, gas and other energy sources. Posted. http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=13301 Schwarzenegger Wants More Drilling, Less Greenhouse Gas. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday simultaneously defended the state's greenhouse gas reduction law and repeated his support of expanded oil drilling off the Santa Barbara coast. On Monday, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office concluded that AB 32, the landmark 2006 law that mandates cuts in greenhouse gas emissions would cost the state jobs in the near term, and have uncertain effects in the long term. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/10/1853218/schwarzenegger-wants-more-drilling.html DOE Chief Urges Energy Leaders to Accept Curbs on Greenhouse Gases. Energy Secretary Steven Chu told participants at a major energy industry gathering here today that they need to accept a limit on carbon pollution and start finding ways to meet it. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/09/09greenwire-doe-chief-urges-energy-leaders-to-accept-curbs-on-64.html Climate-Change Deniers Take A Lesson from Anti-Evolution Activists. The similarities between the anti-evolution movement and climate change-denial seem to get more numerous by the day. The latest is that South Dakota’s state legislature called for a “balanced” approach to teaching about climate change in schools. But it’s pretty obvious from the get-go that they are abusing notions of fairness to advance a rather unbalanced view of the enduring scientific consensus on climate change. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/03/climate-change_deniers_take_a.html Health and Life Insurers Grapple With Climate Effects. Biting bugs are buzzing northward and asthma has spread like a dust cloud, but there are deep divisions about how concerned health and life insurers should be about disease and death caused by climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/10/10climatewire-health-and-life-insurers-grapple-with-climat-40457.html Obama, Key Senators Make Their Pitch for Climate and Energy Bill. Closed-door talks extended to both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue yesterday as President Obama, key senators and industry officials searched for an elusive agreement on comprehensive energy and climate change legislation. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/10/10greenwire-obama-key-senators-make-their-pitch-for-climate-1362.html China Tells US to Do More on Climate Change. China told the United States on Wednesday to make stronger commitments on climate change and provide environmental expertise and financing to developing nations. At the same time, China said its own efforts to reduce energy intensity have been hampered by its economic recovery in the latter part of last year, which brought growth in heavy energy-consuming industries. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/10/1853361/china-tells-us-to-do-more-on-climate.html?storylink=misearch Editorial: Global Warming Challenge. The possibility of suspending California's Global Warming Solutions Act, a law unlikely to change temperatures but certain to wreak economic havoc, appears to have increased dramatically. Two large Texas-based refineries have pledged as much as $2 million to pay for signature-gathering to place an initiative on the November ballot that would suspend the global warming law if passed by voters, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing Sacramento sources. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/warming-238165-global-climate.html SANBAG Struggles To Find Fleet Willing To Shift To Natural Gas Trucks. San Bernardino transportation officials are pessimistic they will find a company to fulfill a federally-funded alternative fuel program, after the initial company pulled the plug on natural gas semi-trucks. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_W_sbhunt10.481af91.html Blogs California to Regulate ‘Most Potent’ Greenhouse Gas. C.A.R.B. The gas sulfur hexafluoride is commonly used in high-voltage transmission equipment. Starting in 2011, California will regulate emissions from electric utility equipment of the gas sulfur hexafluoride — commonly called SF6. It is typically used in high voltage transmission systems in circuit breakers, switches and insulation, according to a recent California Air Resources Board announcement. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/california-to-regulate-most-potent-greenhouse-gas/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:27:03 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 11, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 11, 2010. 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. Going Green Vs. Going Broke. Republicans say California can't afford its global warming law. But can we afford not to cut pollution? Will cutting carbon kill jobs in California? That's the premise of a November ballot initiative proposed by Republican lawmakers, whose cause got a boost this week from a report by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office that concluded the state's landmark global warming law might hurt employment. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate11-2010mar11,0,516481,print.story http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/10/10greenwire-calif-ghg-emissions-law-will-cost-jobs-in-shor-42737.html Climate Change Conversation Twisted In Media Of All Sizes. Less than a month after CNN proclaimed "Last Decade Was Warmest Ever," a headline in Britain's Daily Mail shouted that a top climate scientist had taken a "U-turn" and now "Admits: There Has Been No Global Warming Since 1995." Pity the poor reader, whipsawed in recent weeks by what appear to be conflicting signals on one of the most complex and momentous subjects of our time. Leading scientists reported their consensus that the Earth continues to warm. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/11/v-print/2599283/climate-change-conversation-twisted.html Calif. Regulator Says 'No' To Ratepayer Funding For Fuel Cell Projects. San Francisco -- An attempt by California's largest private utilities to use ratepayer funds to bankroll fuel-cell projects has been rejected by an administrative law judge at the state's Public Utilities Commission in a preliminary ruling on the matter. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and Southern California Edison Co. have separately asked the PUC for approval of a plan that would charge their customers for the capital costs associated with fuel-cell projects at several University of California and California State University campuses. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/11/6 U.N. Official Sees Limited Growth In Offset Market. Credits available to offset greenhouse gas emissions under a U.N. program will increase by only about a fifth this year, less than analysts have predicted, according to a member of the board overseeing the U.N. program. Shafqat Kakakhel, who serves on the nine-member Executive Board of the United Nations' Clean Development Mechanism, said the board expects to issue between 148 million and 152 million tons' worth of credits this year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/11/9 Questions About Research Slow Climate Change Efforts. State College, Pa. — The violent threats are not what bother Michael Mann the most. He's used to them. Instead, it's the fact that his life's work — the effort to stop global warming — has been under siege since last fall. That's when Mann suddenly found himself in the middle of the so-called "climategate" scandal, in which more than 1,000 e-mails among top climate scientists — including Mann — were obtained illegally by hackers and published on the Internet. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2010-03-10-warming_N.htm http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/un-launches-independent-review-of-international-panel-on-climate-change/19392773 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/10/AR2010031002891.html?hpid=topnews More Americans Say Global Warming Exaggerated: Poll. Washington (Reuters) - A growing number of Americans, nearly half the country, think global warming worries are exaggerated, as more people also doubt that scientific warnings of severe environmental fallout will ever occur, according to a new Gallup poll. The new doubts come as President Barack Obama is pressuring the Congress to produce legislation significantly cutting smokestack emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases blamed for climate change problems. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62A3TG20100311 Letter: Global Warming Hoax Exposed. Nearly 20 years after first theorized, scientists have now confirmed it was the impact of an asteroid on the Yucatan Peninsula that caused the mass extinction of dinosaurs. Happily, a similarly earth-changing drama has recently been witnessed by the entire planet — although mostly ignored by our inept, hopelessly compromised, mainstream media. I am referring, of course, to the long-overdue exposure of the global warming/climate change hoax — chronicled in many honest publications and by competent news organizations worldwide. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/ci_14653543 World's Top Scientists To Review Climate Panel. United Nations—At a tumultuous time in U.N.-led climate negotiations, one of the world's most credible scientific groups agreed Wednesday to plug the recent cracks in the authoritative reports of the United Nations' Nobel Prize-winning global warming panel. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14647715 The Buzz: Ted Costa, Who Pushed To Suspend AB 32, Now Opposes Effort. A leader in pushing for a ballot initiative to suspend Assembly Bill 32, California's landmark greenhouse-gas emissions law, said Wednesday he now opposes the effort and is willing to write a ballot argument against it. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/11/1854736/the-buzz-ted-costa-who-pushed.html Bay Area Workshop Seeks Ways to Reduce Emissions. Proposals for drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks for the nine-county Bay Area were discussed Wednesday at a packed workshop hosted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments. Posted. http://cbs5.com/environment/greenhouse.gas.emissions.2.1553874.html Air Cleanup Penalty $29M, But Who Pays? Businesses from Stockton to Bakersfield are on the hook for a penalty that will start at $29 million a year because the Valley missed an air-pollution cleanup deadline. The penalty will begin in 2012, unless the Valley manages to achieve the unlikely goal of just a few ozone violations over the next three years. Deciding how to pay it will be the biggest issue of the year for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, officials say. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/10/1854131/air-cleanup-penalty-29m-but-who.html Turning Smartphones Into Air Quality Monitors. Intel Labs is showing off technology that could make smartphones a lot smarter by integrating technology that monitors ambient air quality. As part of an annual Open House on Wednesday at the UC Berkeley campus, Intel Labs Berkeley is demonstrating the most tantalizing fruits of its research, including Common Sense, a technology that would allow consumers to collect and analyze environmental data and then share it over the Internet. "It's about air quality," said Anthony Joseph, director of Intel Labs Berkeley. Posted. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10466590-64.html Hong Kong Government Issues Warning as Air Pollution Rises. Hong Kong’s air pollution hit high enough levels today to prompt a government health warning to people with some heart and lung conditions, according to the city’s Environmental Protection Department. The government’s air pollution index exceeded 100 in two of the three roadside stations in the city. Readings higher than 100 mean people with illnesses including asthma and cardiovascular diseases may “notice mild aggravation of their health conditions” and they should “reduce physical exercise and outdoor activities,” the department said. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-11/hong-kong-government-issues-warning-as-air-pollution-rises.html Loss Of Power At Wilmington Refinery Fills Air With Smoke. The Tesoro oil refinery in Wilmington was working to resume operations Wednesday following a power outage that prompted the plant to activate its flares. After the disruption about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, residents reported seeing dark plumes of smoke billowing above the facility at 2101 E. Pacific Coast Highway. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14647378 Auto Firm Setting Sights On NUMMI. An electric car maker in the Bay Area has proposed a plan to build electric vehicles at Fremont's NUMMI plant — but the proposal faces mammoth hurdles, including getting $1 billion in financing. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14649734 Yolo-Solano District Makes Mower Exchange Offered. The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District is co-sponsoring two mower exchange events to help reduce air pollution from gas-powered mowers. There is a limited number of mowers, so it is on a first-come, first-served basis for both events. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14653685?nclick_check=1 Deforestation Conference To Turn Plans To Action. Paris—French President Nicolas Sarkozy will open a daylong conference Thursday of some 40 nations to start turning plans into action to save the world's forests and help rein in the noxious gases blamed for climate change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14647899 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/10/1854035/deforestation-conference-to-turn.html Pesticide Regulators Working To Help Air Quality in the San Joaquin Valley. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is pleased to announce that volatile organic compound pesticide emissions that contribute to smog in California dropped significantly in 2008, the first year restrictions on agricultural fumigant applications specifically targeting air quality were in effect. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/community/x1664564533/Pesticide-regulators-working-to-help-air-quality-in-the-San-Joaquin-Valley 'Cool Car' Rules Could Affect GPS. Some new so-called cool car rules from the state are making law enforcement hot under the collar. There are worries Wednesday night that the rules will hurt GPS technology. GPS is used extensively by the California Department of Corrections to monitor parolees statewide. Posted. http://www.kcra.com/news/22805469/detail.html Amcan Delays Emissions Law Discussion. The issue of climate change is warming up again in American Canyon, where a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Napa County won’t be touched for at least two months. The Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency commissioned a “climate action framework” a year and a half ago designed to outline plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions up and down Napa County under AB 32, a state law that calls for the reduction of pollution particles to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_f3f8c9c0-2cc6-11df-8b0d-001cc4c03286.html Blogs "Integrity Abuses" Charged In Initiative To Suspend California Climate Law. A bitter split among backers of the controversial November ballot initiative to suspend California's 2006 first-in-the-nation global warming law broke into the open Wednesday. Ted Costa, chief executive of People's Advocate, a Sacramento-based anti-tax group that was an original sponsor of the measure, told the Los Angeles Times that "big money interests have come in and shut out the people." Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/03/ab-32-ballot-initiative-global-warming-california-climate-change.html A Different Route to Corn-Based Fuel. Jack Huttner, the executive vice president of Gevo, a five-year old company in Englewood, Colo., would like to take over an ethanol plant and, using the same base ingredients that go into corn-based ethanol – corn and natural gas for fuel – manufacture a different molecule: isobutanol. The company is arguing that current ethanol plants are like old cellphones or laptops, in that they may still work, but newer equipment can do a better job. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/a-different-route-to-corn-based-fuel/?pagemode=print For Sooty Port Areas, Clean Affordable Trucks. Truck drivers in New Jersey and New York are now eligible for grants and low-interest loans for purchasing newer, cleaner trucks as part of a $28 million program to improve air quality. Drivers can apply to receive grants covering 25 percent of the purchase price of a new truck and for loans with a 5.25 percent interest rate on the remaining amount. Posted. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/for-sooty-port-areas-clean-affordable-trucks/?pagemode=print California Global Warming Law Defenders Strike Back. Days after the non-partisan California Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state would suffer job losses at least in the near term from a global warming law, (PDF) defenders are responding. The California Business Alliance for a Green Economy, made up of businesses that hope to profit from environmental technologies, issued a press release Tuesday saying that AB 32 is an “economic driver” for jobs and investment.” Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?p=8083 California Utility Regulators Not Quite Ready for Fuel Cells. While Google, Wal-Mart and other corporations have embraced fuel cells, California regulators have turned down requests from the state’s two biggest utilities to install the technology. In a preliminary decision, an administrative law judge with the California Public Utilities Commission found unwarranted an application from Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California to spend more than $43 million to install fuel cells that would generate six megawatts of electricity. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/california-utility-regulators-not-quite-ready-for-fuel-cells/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:09:26 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- News Clips for March 15, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV 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. Cool-Car Rules May Affect GPS. New Rules Require Special Windshield Coatings On New Cars. Sacramento, Calif. -- Some new so-called cool-car rules from the state are making law enforcement hot under the collar. There are worries that the rules will hurt global positioning system technology. GPS is used extensively by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to monitor parolees statewide. GPS ankle bracelet technology has been in the news since the arrest of parolee and accused kidnapper Phillip Garrido. Questions center on whether those devices could be compromised, resulting in a threat to public safety. Posted. http://www.kcra.com/news/22805469/detail.html Editorial: Landmark California Clean-Air Measure Deserves Fair Chance to Succeed. THERE IS a major battle brewing over whether to delay full implementation of Assembly Bill 32. That's the 2006 measure that requires California to limit its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, or about 30 percent below the level that would exist 10 years from now without AB 32. The California Air Resources Board, which will implement the measure, developed a plan in December 2008 to achieve emissions reductions. It is scheduled to take effect by 2012. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14651643?nclick_check=1 Editorial: Repealing AB 32 Would Be a Disaster for California. It's bad enough that state leaders who claim to represent the best interests of Californians are backing an attempt to suspend the state's landmark global warming law. Now, we've learned that a signature-gathering campaign for the effort is being financed by hundreds of thousands of dollars from two Texas oil companies. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_14675072 Editorial: AB 32 Foes Are Slick – And Predictable. Looking for hot air about global warming? You don't have to look very far. You can find it in columns by George Will and other pundits who dismiss the preponderance of scientific literature that global climate change is happening, and that human activities are contributing to it. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/14/2603820/ab-32-foes-are-slick-and-predictable.html#ixzz0iGUIQwYt Our View: ‘Green' Could Worsen State Job Climate. Putting his best foot forward, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed, "I'm absolutely convinced that AB32 will create more jobs than kill jobs." It may be the governor's first acknowledgement that his legacy legislation, Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, will, in fact, "kill jobs." Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/jobs-92699-governor-create.html Dust in the Wind. Opponents of off-roading in the Oceano Dunes are hailing a recent study as more ammunition in their campaign to shut down the off-highway vehicle park because it’s harming the health of Nipomo Mesa residents. But off-roaders are questioning the science of the study, saying the report is incomplete and ignores certain facts. The report is the second phase of a study of particulate air pollution on the Nipomo Mesa conducted for the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District. Posted. http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/article_069191da-2e6f-11df-ab48-001cc4c002e0.html EPA Rules on Bay Area Air. Bay Area transit planners have a new challenge after the region was found out of compliance with federal clean air standards. KCBS reports future highway and transportation projects will be affected. It has to do with particulate matter. Tiny particles that pose a significant health risk. Posted. http://www.kcbs.com/bayareanews/EPA-Rules-on-Bay-Area-Air/6568003 EPA Scientists Recommend Tougher Soot Standards. The latest science supports substantially tightening U.S. EPA's air quality standards for soot in order to safeguard public health and the environment, according to a draft report from agency scientists. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/12/12greenwire-epa-scientists-recommend-tougher-soot-standard-26448.html Group: Polluters Use Offsets To Avoid Carbon Cuts. Major European polluters are buying their way out of making big cuts to greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing carbon offsets that pay for environmental programs in developing nations, a nonprofit group said Friday. To avoid the high cost of becoming greener, power companies and steel makers are using offsets to meet emissions-reduction requirements, and thus undermining the EU's cap-and-trade program that would otherwise punish them financially for not cleaning up their operations, the group Sandbag said. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/11/1084294/group-polluters-use-offsets-to.html#ixzz0iGDlLyhF Agency Gives Electric Trucks the Green Light. Electrifying the delivery of strawberries, bread, packages and other items, a major state agency has approved zero-emission electric trucks made by a Stockton company. The California Air Resources Board on Thursday approved Electric Vehicles International's fully electric return-to-base trucks. The term refers to trucks that start out at a warehouse, deliver items and then return to the starting point, which electric trucks need to do so they can plug in and charge up overnight. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14657872 http://www.insidebayarea.com/california/ci_14657872 http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=14612 http://www.tirebusiness.com/subscriber/headlines2.phtml?cat=1204552929&headline=California+approves+electric+trucks+as+ZEVs&id=1268340217 Two Importers Of Motorcycles, Atvs Arrested. Two top executives at Ontario importer Goldenvale Inc. on Thursday were arrested and charged with illegally importing motorcycles, ATVs and related vehicles from China. Authorities arrested Goldenvale President and owner Kening N. Ma, 49, and vice President Shirley Hyunae Ji, 44, on a 70-count criminal complaint that alleges they profited from false certificates of origin. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/ci_14659123?source=most_viewed High Desert Residents Struggle With Wind Turbine Regulations. Oak Hills - When Gus Sansone decided to invest in a wind turbine for his home in 2001, he had no idea just how much money, and energy, he would be saving in the long run. He said he paid about $36,000 to have the 80-foot-tall turbine installed, but with state and federal rebates, the cost came out to just over $16,000. After six years, the turbine paid for itself, expedited by Southern California Edison rate increases and Sansone's switching over to an electric dryer and an electric baseboard heating system in his home. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/ci_14676339 AP Interview: Kerry: Energy Bill More about Jobs. Sen. John Kerry, hoping to win over wavering senators, said he is pushing environmental reforms to create jobs and spark energy independence, with climate benefits along "for the ride." In an interview with The Associated Press, the Massachusetts Democrat said legislation he's crafting with Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., will differ from a House-passed bill that embraces a so-called "cap and trade" approach to reduce pollution blamed for global warming. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/12/1085482/ap-interview-kerry-energy-bill.html#ixzz0iGC3XqLV Green Team Certifies First S.J. Business. About two years ago, Green Team San Joaquin began voluntary audits of about 400 county businesses to help make their practices environmentally sustainable. On Thursday, the team announced the first business to be officially certified: Stockton-based Premier Finishing. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100312/A_NEWS/3120318/-1/a_news14 Blogs Health Costs of California Air Pollution. Filthy air in California cost federal, state and private health insurers $193 million in hospital costs, according to a RAND Corporation study released last week. The report is the first to show how California’s failure to meet federal clean air quality standards is increasing hospital expenses and its impact on insurers, said John Romley, the study’s lead author and a RAND economist. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/health-costs-of-california-air-pollution/ Water Vapor Causing Global Warming. Some have argued that humans cannot be responsible for global warming because water vapor, not carbon dioxide (CO2) is a much more important greenhouse gas. These climate change doubters could correctly point out that CO2 "accounts for only one in every 4000 molecules in the air" while "water vapor accounts for one in every 20." They could also correctly state that CO2 "absorbs only a quarter as much energy from sunlight as water vapor, molecule for molecule" and conclude from this that "water vapor is responsible for the majority of atmospheric heating." Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/03/water-vapor-cau.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:44:39 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 16, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 16, 2010. 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. Give Clean-Air Measure A Fair Chance To Succeed. There is a major battle brewing over whether to delay full implementation of Assembly Bill 32. That's the 2006 measure that requires California to limit its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, or about 30 percent below the level that would exist 10 years from now without AB 32. The California Air Resources Board, which will implement the measure, developed a plan in December 2008 to achieve emissions reductions. It is scheduled to take effect by 2012. Opponents of AB 32 argue that it would cause severe economic damage to California and result in significant job losses. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/opinion/ci_14683699 Business Federation Backs Bill To Put Businessmen On State Board. The state branch of a national business lobbying group has thrown its support behind legislation to place two small business owners on the 11-member California Air Resources Board. The National Federation of Independent Business/California announced it’s backing Assembly Bill 2328, authored by Assemblyman Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks. The legislation, introduced last month and now in committee, would ensure that two spots now occupied by members of the public are taken by business owners instead, according to a NFIB/California news release. Posted. http://www.vvdailypress.com/common/printer/view.php?db=vvdailypress&id=17984 GOP Hopefuls Spar Over Immigration, Climate Change. Costa Mesa – In the first gubernatorial debate of the Republican primary, underdog candidate Steve Poizner sought Monday to establish himself as the true conservative of the race while rival Meg Whitman offered more moderate proposals on core GOP issues such as illegal immigration and the state's climate change law. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/16/2609676/gop-hopefuls-spar-over-immigration.html#mi_rss=Top%20Stories Opponents Using Employment Argument to Delay Greenhouse Gases Bill. How many jobs will be gained or lost by cutting California's greenhouse gas emissions? The answer is an unequivocal "unknown." And for many in San Joaquin County, where unemployment reached a record 18.4 percent in January, an unknown impact is unacceptable. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100316/A_SPORTS/3160326 Battle Over Calif. Emissions Law Takes Shape As Warring Parties Reveal Funding Sources. The campaign to put suspension of California's climate change law before voters in November started taking shape this week as warring parties revealed key sources of funding and traded barbs over the nature of their financial support. Opposing the climate law are a Texas-based refining company that operates in California and the anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/16/1 U.S. Climate Bill to Set Utility Cap - Trade: Senator. Compromise climate control legislation being developed in the U.S. Senate will use a cap-and-trade approach to reduce carbon emissions from utilities such as power plants, a key senator said on Monday. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/03/15/us/politics/politics-us-climate-usa-congress.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/15/AR2010031502666.html E.U. Eyes Higher Emissions Cuts. The European Union is set to impose the world's tightest restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. The bloc will support a proposal for a tougher E.U. target for cutting carbon dioxide, scrapping its original condition that the world must agree to a legally binding treaty on emissions before adopting a new target. The plan would raise the target greenhouse gas emissions cuts to 30 percent of 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/16/8 Planet Panel. Adapted from The Post's online climate-change discussion. With the recent discovery that methane is bubbling out of the Arctic faster than expected, how worried should we be about abrupt changes in climate such as this one? Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/15/AR2010031502099.html Group Ponders Environmental Issues. About 300 environmental professionals are in Palm Springs through Wednesday grappling with how to translate California's aggressive goals for reducing greenhouse gases and improving energy efficiency into policies and projects that work for their communities. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100316/NEWS07/3160301/1006/news01/Group+ponders+environmental+issues UN Climate Envoy Expects Dual-Track Negotiations. Amsterdam—Talks on a new global climate change accord, bogged down for years in contested negotiations among nearly 200 countries, will increasingly move outside the sluggish U.N. framework and focus on a streamlined group of countries, special U.N. envoy Gro Harlem Brundtland said Tuesday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14684075 White House Task Force Finds Gaps In Federal Global Warming Strategy. Washington -- Climate change has already wrought "pervasive, wide ranging" effects on the United States, and the federal government has "significant gaps" in its strategy to cope with those effects as they accelerate in the future, a White House task force will warn in a report on Tuesday. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/15/1860241/white-house-task-force-finds-gaps.html 29 Governors Call For A Huge Surge In Wind Energy. A majority of the nation's governors are calling on Congress and the Obama administration to boost wind energy through a national renewable standard and a revamp of the electrical grid. In its first ever set of recommendations, which it is releasing today, the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition calls for a new interstate transmission system of electricity lines, an extension of renewable tax credits for five years and $500 million in new research dollars for offshore wind. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/16/2 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/15/AR2010031502120.html Study: Corn Ethanol an 'Unattractive Compliance Option' for Carbon Mandates. The use of corn ethanol in place of gasoline causes enough carbon emissions from land-use changes to cancel immediate tailpipe benefits, according to research published last week that confirms a controversial earlier study. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/15/15greenwire-study-corn-ethanol-an-unattractive-compliance-19757.html On the Waterfront: New York Is On Board With LA Truck Plan. New York has formally joined Los Angeles in support of sweeping changes to America's port trucking industry and the working conditions of drivers. Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York-New Jersey, said Monday that Los Angeles's clean-truck model is the most reasonable long-term approach to tackle port pollution, safety and security risks. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14681383 Transit Officials Buy Muir Woods Buses. Shuttle service to Muir Woods got a boost this week as county transit officials bought two 35-foot biodiesel buses to replace two of the leased vehicles in the program's fleet. In addition, the Marin County Transit District board agreed on Monday that Golden Gate Transit will operate the service under a contract with the county district. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14679987 Butler: Electric Car, Solar System Combination Pays Nicely. I just sent in my modest, refundable deposit on a new four-door, all-electric sedan to be built by Tesla, so I guess that puts me firmly on the green bandwagon. Unfortunately, for those of you who are curious to hear how it all turns out, the delivery date for car "#1664" is the summer of 2012. Talk about delayed gratification. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_14680006 Port of West Sacramento Powered 100% by Solar Energy. A newly installed 637-kilowatt solar power system will supply the Port of West Sacramento with 100 percent of its electricity needs. It will cut the port’s energy costs by more than $20,000 annually and eliminate more than 34 million pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions over 25 years. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/03/15/port-of-west-sacramento-powered-100-by-solar-energy/ DWP Rates May Rise Between 8% And 28% To Pay For Mayor's Green Initiatives. The hike would pay for more aggressive conservation programs and a solar plan designed to create 16,000 jobs as well as cover the fluctuating price of coal and natural gas. Households that get their power from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power could see their electric bills go up between 8.8% and 28.4%, depending on where they live and how much energy they use, under a plan unveiled Monday by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/15/local/la-me-dwp-rates16-2010mar16 http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14681371 EDF Report Highlights Clean Freight Initiatives Congress Could Fund. A new report by the Environmental Defense Fund highlights several clean freight initiatives Congress could fund as part of the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill. The report, titled "The Good Haul," details 28 case studies, and calls for Congress to direct freight improvement funding to encourage clean freight solutions. Recently, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) vowed to take up a transportation reauthorization bill this year, and the EPW Committee has initiated a series of hearings on issues to be addressed in the bill. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=69722 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:36:30 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 17, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 17, 2010. 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. Setting Boundaries with the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Despite strong opposition, in January, California approved implementation of a low carbon fuel standard. The California Air Resources Board is now preparing biofuel producers for compliance and anticipates many challenges in ensuring fairness and accuracy. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2007 executive order called for a reduction of at least 10 percent in the carbon intensity of California's transportation fuels by 2020, while instructing the California Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate activities between the University of California, the California Energy Commission and other state agencies to develop policies to meet the 2020 target. Posted. http://ethanolproducer.com/article-print.jsp?article_id=6431 'Domes' Of Carbon Dioxide Harm Health In Urban Areas – Study. A running mantra through the climate debate is that global warming is global indeed. Now, however, a scientist has found that localized "CO2 domes" could increase urban smog and other air pollution problems. In a study published in Environmental Science & Technology, Stanford University professor Mark Jacobson estimated that the effect could cause the premature deaths of 50 to 100 people a year in California and 300 to 1,000 for the continental United States. By comparison, anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 people a year die in air pollution-related deaths. The finding, he says, could justify a regional or local approach to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/17/2 White House Finds Gaps Among Agencies On Climate Responses. There are "significant gaps" in the federal government's approach to adapting to unavoidable climate change, concludes a report released yesterday by an Obama administration task force. "Climate change is already affecting the ability of federal agencies to fulfill their missions," reads the analysis. "As a result of these changes, U.S. government interests, missions and operations must adapt to climate change and build resilience." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/03/17/6 Wyo.'S Crash Program To Develop 'Green' Coal. Casper, Wyo. -- In the summer of 2008, Wyoming's governor, Dave Freudenthal, went to California for meetings with state officials and utility executives. What he brought was, quite literally, a burning question. California was in the throes of putting together the nation's first cap on greenhouse gases, and it appeared that if a Democrat were elected president, there might soon be a federal law, as well. At stake was Wyoming's biggest industry -- coal production. Wyoming lawmakers worried that California would lead the nation to impose a ban on imports of out-of-state electricity if it were produced by coal-fired power plants. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/17/17climatewire-wyos-crash-program-to-develop-green-coal-18583.html?pagewanted=print Schwarzenegger Defends Effort To Reduce Greenhouse Gases. Governor: AB 32 Opponents Motivated By 'Greed' Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday defended a landmark law aimed at cutting greenhouse gases. The governor had been planning to spend time this year campaigning on behalf of a massive water bond on the November ballot, but it now appears he will have to spend time propping up AB 32, also known as the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The law, which has been labeled a job killer by critics, requires the California Air Resources Board to develop regulations and market mechanisms aimed at reducing California's greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. Posted. http://www.kcra.com/politics/22857879/detail.html Poll: Fewer People Worry About Warming. Former Vice President Al Gore's insistence on Monday that global warming was behind a spate of bad weather could fall on some very deaf ears. American's concerns over environmental worries are at the lowest level in two decades, according to a new Gallup poll. Posted. http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/17/poll-fewer-americans-worry-about-global-warming/ Clean Environment and Ag Partners, Farmers Told. Farmers can help ensure clean air and water while providing plenty to eat, according to a coalition working toward that goal. The group, the Northern San Joaquin Valley Partnership for Agriculture and the Environment, highlighted such efforts at a meeting last week. One speaker told of a grower-funded program that checks waterways for polluted runoff from farms. Another talked of the progress that has been made in applying pesticides safely. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/16/1090624/clean-environment-and-ag-partners.html#ixzz0iRmncViw The Big Ship-Out. If you've been breathing easier on the South Coast of late, it might have something to do with the big boats that travel through the Santa Barbara Channel or, more specifically, the lack of large vessels running through the channel these days. For a couple years now, the folks from the county’s Air Pollution Control District have considered the emissions from large shipping vessels motoring through our aquatic backyard to be public enemy number one in the local fight against human-caused air pollution. Posted. http://independent.com/news/2010/mar/16/big-ship-out/ Battle Over Calif. Climate Change Law Takes Shape as Warring Parties Reveal Funding Sources. The campaign to put suspension of California's climate change law before voters in November started taking shape this week as warring parties revealed key sources of funding and traded barbs over the nature of their financial support. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/16/16greenwire-battle-over-calif-climate-change-law-takes-sha-53612.html U.S. Chamber Petitions EPA to Reconsider Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce petitioned U.S. EPA yesterday for reconsideration of the agency's finding that greenhouse gases "endanger" public health and welfare, a determination that sets the stage for broad climate change regulations. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/16/16greenwire-us-chamber-petitions-epa-to-reconsider-greenho-18205.html Senate Climate Bill Authors Court Industry Group to Pre-empt Ad War. The lead authors of the Senate climate bill are courting key members of an industry coalition that once cheered on Dick Cheney's energy policies. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/17/17climatewire-senate-climate-bill-authors-court-industry-g-66026.html Renewable Energy Strong Despite Recession. A devastating recession slowed but did not stop the clean energy industry's growth in 2009, a report issued Tuesday found. Helped in part by government stimulus funding, the world spent $63.5 billion on wind farms and turbines last year, up 23.5 percent from 2008. The global biofuel market rose 29 percent, hitting $44.9 billion, according to the annual Clean Energy Trends report from the Clean Edge Inc. research firm. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/17/BU661CGJS9.DTL&type=printable Pacheco Grade School Embraces 'Cool Roof' Technology. pacheco — It doesn't look much different from flat roofs painted white to help ward off the sun's searing rays. But the white surface of the roof of Las Juntas Elementary School on Pacheco Boulevard isn't paint; it's an "engineered coating" designed by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory scientists to better deflect solar heat and light back into the sky rather than into the building. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14686831 http://www.contracostatimes.com/education/ci_14686831 Commentary: Owners Of Diesel Agricultural Trucks Must 'Use It Or Lose It'. It's "use it or lose it" time. That's how one Farm Bureau member described it to me last week, emphasizing the need for farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses to report diesel trucks that meet the agricultural provisions of a new air rule. The deadline is March 31 to file the forms with the state Air Resources Board. It's important for every farmer and rancher whose trucks qualify to report them. Posted. http://www.cfbf.com/agalert/AgAlertStory.cfm?ID=1501&ck=5CBDFD0DFA22A3FCA7266376887F549B ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:27:08 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 18, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 18, 2010. 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. An Oily Turn. Assemblyman Dan Logue has sold out to Big Oil polluters. Assemblyman Dan Logue’s effort to neuter AB 32, California’s landmark global-warming law, took an oily turn last week, when it was discovered that his and Rep. Tom McClintock’s effort to qualify an anti-AB 32 initiative for the November ballot had been taken over and was being bankrolled—to the tune of $2 million—by two Texas oil companies, Valero and Tesoro. They also happen to be two of the biggest polluters in California. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/chico/PrintFriendly?oid=1388495 Warming Bill Is Hardly A Job-Killer. There were no game-changers in Monday night's debate between Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner, the Republican candidates for governor. Whitman leads in the polls by about 30 points, and Poizner did nothing to alter the dynamic. That may be just as well. The statements Poizner made Monday about AB 32, California's global warming law, were alarmingly ill-informed. If he actually believes what he said, then he doesn't understand the state's economy, and he's not qualified to be governor. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_14697150 Aliso Viejo to Consider Policy to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Coming up at Wednesday's City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Evaluate development of a Climate Action Plan to provide city officials with policies on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The plan could enhance the city's competitive economic advantage over south Orange County cities and would help minimize the city's risk for potential litigation when the city updates or adopts major amendments to its general plan, according to a staff report. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-239769-plan-pass.html As Senate Trio Advances Climate Measure, Energy-Only Bill Remains a Possibility. Details emerged yesterday on a sweeping Senate energy and climate proposal just days after three senior Democrats huddled to discuss alternative ways to tackle the issue later this spring on the floor. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/18/18climatewire-as-senate-trio-advances-climate-measure-ener-84418.html Drive Started For Ballot Measure To Suspend State's Greenhouse Gas Law. A backlash against efforts in California and Congress to rein in greenhouse gas emissions is brewing in hard economic times. A coalition of businesses — including two Bay Area oil refiners — and an anti-tax group has begun a signature drive for a November ballot initiative that would suspend California's pioneering law to combat global warming until the jobless rate drops back to 2006 levels. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14698740?nclick_check=1 Early Butterflies Linked To Global Warming. Researchers say they have proven for the first time that man-made global warming is changing an animal's life-cycle. Butterflies are emerging in spring more than 10 days earlier than they did 65 years ago, and this shift is linked to climate change, reports a University of Melbourne-led study. "The work reveals for the first time, a causal link between increasing greenhouse gases, regional warming and the change in timing of a natural event," the Australian university said Wednesday about the findings. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/03/early-butterflies-linked-to-climate-change/1 South County Chambers Ask For No Immediate Action On Oceano Dunes Air Pollution Study. The Pismo Beach and Grover Beach city councils voted this week to ask the county Air Pollution Control District board not to take any action on a recent study on the particulate pollution caused by off-roaders at the Oceano Dunes state park. Posted. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/03/17/1070290/south-county-chambers-ask-for.html Report: Many Power Plants Emitting More Mercury. Many of America's coal-fired power plants lack widely available pollution controls for the highly toxic metal mercury, and mercury emissions recently increased at more than half of the country's 50 largest mercury-emitting power plants, according to a report Wednesday. The nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project reported that five of the 10 plants with the highest amount of mercury emitted are in Texas. Plants in Georgia, Missouri, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Michigan also are in the top 10. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/17/1091692/report-many-power-plants-emitting.html#ixzz0iXkhdMis Court Rejects Riverside Bid To Block LA Port Growth. An Orange County judge has ruled against Riverside's 2009 lawsuit seeking to block expansion of the Port of Los Angeles and force the port to help pay for transportation improvements the project would require. City officials said Wednesday they will appeal the decision. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_W_wport18.47b787a.html Woodland, Despite Attempts To Be Green, Blackened By PG&E's Use Of Dirty Energy. The city saw an increase in its overall carbon footprint during 2008, according to a report delivered to the Woodland City Council on Tuesday. The report, which was compiled by the city's Environmental Services staff, sought to measure 2008's emission levels and compare them with the baseline results collected in 2007. Ultimately, despite having consumed less energy in 2008, the levels of greenhouse gas emissions linked to Woodland were up from the previous year. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_14699698 Marin Energy Battle Plays Out Before State Commission. A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spokeswoman told the California Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday that the investor-owned utility is spending millions of dollars to pass Proposition 16 because it wants to protect California taxpayers. But Shawn Marshall, vice chairwoman of the Marin Energy Authority, told the commission that she and other critics of the initiative have their own name for the June ballot measure: "The monopoly protection act." Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14697545?nclick_check=1 Calif. Commission Staff Recommends Mojave Solar Thermal Project. BrightSource Energy's plan to build a solar thermal power plant in the Mojave Desert took a big step forward this week when staff at the California Energy Commission said they would support the proposal, despite some negative environmental impacts to the region. In two documents released yesterday, CEC analysts said coping with climate change and expanding renewable energy in the state should trump how the 392-megawatt facility and its soaring towers would hurt plants, wildlife, land and scenery in the Ivanpah Valley. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/18/6 Critics Take ARB Scientists To Task On Diesel Regulation. On February 26, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) held a symposium in Sacramento on the effects of PM2.5, a form of pollutant that is in part caused by diesel exhaust, on premature deaths. The symposium was intended to debate the science that buttresses the diesel regulations that truckers complain have cost many of them their jobs. ARB scientists faced off against critics of their work, facilitated by Jonathon Samet. Posted. http://www.martinezgazette.com/news/story/i667/2010/03/17/critics-take-arb-scientists-task-diesel-regulation Study Calls For More Prescribed Burns To Reduce Forest Fire Emissions. A new study offers a prescription to increase carbon storage in western U.S. forests: Use more controlled burns to prevent a completely scorched earth. Increasingly, forest managers are setting so-called "prescribed" fires to clear out underbrush and small trees that, if left to accumulate, can quickly escalate a single spark into a catastrophic blaze. Prescribed practices mimic the natural, smaller burns, caused by lightning or set by Indians that were all but eliminated by decades of unnatural fire suppression. Today, in many Western forests, piles of fuels are just waiting for a spark. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/18/2 Wall Street's Advice: Pass On Solar, Buy Coal. While clean energy may be the future, Wall Street is currently betting on a more reliable, if dirty, fuel: coal. Nearly four-fifths of analysts currently rate Peabody Energy Corp., the United States' largest coal producer, as a recommended investment, while First Solar Inc., the largest manufacturer of thin-firm solar panels, is recommended by 44 percent of analysts. More broadly, a global index of coal producers has risen 6.5 percent this year, while a similar solar index has dropped 17 percent. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/18/4 Blogs British Ads Ignore Uncertainties of Climate Change, Watchdog Agency Finds. Act on CO2 Posters like this one have been criticized by an advertising watchdog. Click image to see larger version. Other examples are here. A British advertising watchdog this week criticized a government poster campaign publicizing the dangers of climate change — the latest setback in efforts to raise awareness of the issue. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/british-ads-ignore-uncertainties-of-climate-change-watchdog-agency-finds/?pagemode=print Polluting Hair Products Yanked From Shelves. A variety of hair products that release pollution into the air must be removed from store shelves across California, state Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced Tuesday. The hair products are sold by a New York-based company, Pro’s Choice Beauty Care Inc., which state officials say is the largest distributor of hair and nail products in the nation. Posted. http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2010/03/16/polluting-hair-products-yanked-from-shelves/21155/ Major California Solar Project Moves Ahead. California regulators on Wednesday recommended that the state’s first new big solar power plant in nearly two decades be approved after a two-and-half-year review of its environmental impact on the Mojave Desert. The recommendation by staff members of the California Energy Commission — which still must be accepted by the commission board — comes three weeks after the federal Department of Energy offered the project’s builder, BrightSource Energy, a $1.37 billion loan guarantee to construct the 392-megawatt Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/major-california-solar-project-advances/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:58:30 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 19-22, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 19-24, 2010. 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. Ships Skirt Calif. Coast To Avoid Pollution Rules. Ventura, Calif. -- Cargo ships are avoiding the California coast because of tightened air pollution rules, causing problems for Navy missile tests. California Air Resources Board rules that went into effect last summer mandate that ships within 24 miles of the coast burn cleaner fuel. As a result, ships are staying farther at sea so they can burn dirtier, cheaper fuel. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/22/AR2010032201332_pf.html http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/22/2625039/ships-skirt-calif-coast-to-avoid.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14730443 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/22/1868405/ships-skirt-calif-coast-to-avoid.html http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/mar/21/cargo-ships-skirting-channel-islands-creating/ Ex-Signal Reporter Dies. People: Richard Varenchik covered cops beat and went on to work in public service. Former Signal crime reporter Richard Varenchik died in his Valencia home Thursday after an eight-month battle with skin cancer. He was 65 years old. Varenchik covered some of the most infamous crimes in the Santa Clarita Valley during the 1970s, including the so-called Vampire Van Killer, a man who murdered a female hitchhiker in July 1978. Posted. http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/26222/print.html Give Voters A Voice In Global Warming Policy. Voters should have a voice in the decision on how to best implement AB32, the state's global warming law. That's why the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is supporting the California Jobs Initiative, a November ballot measure which will adjust the timetable activating expensive AB32-related regulations. Moving ahead with AB32 at this point in time will do nothing to slow global warming, but it will cost Californians billions in higher taxes and more expensive energy at a time of record-high unemployment and a severe recession. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/22/EDME1CHAH4.DTL&type=printable PD Editorial: Clear The Air. Oil companies hide behind jobs in attack on climate change law. When it comes to climate change, Sonoma County gets it. Five years ago, the Board of Supervisors and all nine cities promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2015. It wasn't until a year later that the Legislature passed and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 32, a less ambitious law requiring a 25 percent reduction statewide by 2020. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100322/OPINION/100319331/1031/SPORTS07&Title=PD-Editorial-Clear-the-air&template=printart GM Plans To Roll Out Hydrogen Vehicles. General Motors Co. hopes to push more vehicles fueled by hydrogen, even as it plans to launch a battery-powered car later this year. Charles Freese, GM's executive director of global powertrain engineering, said that even though U.S. policy has pushed lithium-ion packs, hydrogen fuel cells are equally necessary to cut reliance on oil. At a briefing in Burbank, Calif., he said GM's new fuel-cell power system is lighter, smaller and cheaper than its previous model used in the Equinox wagon. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/19/9 Tokyo To Debut Cap-And-Trade Program. The city of Tokyo plans to launch Japan's first cap-and-trade program next month, requiring 1,400 businesses to reduce emissions by as much as 8 percent. The Japanese parliament will soon consider a national cap-and-trade bill after the Cabinet approved a draft proposal last week. Though some details of the cap-and-trade regime remain unclear, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has pushed for the plan as part of his pledge to reduce the country's emissions 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/19/8 Oakland Mayor Requests More Money For Truckers. A few hundred truckers who haul cargo at the Port of Oakland and were among the last to order new particulate filters for their rigs now have until June 30 to comply with strict new state air quality regulations that took effect Jan. 1. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14703041 Drive Started For Ballot Measure To Suspend State's Greenhouse Gas Law. A backlash against efforts in California and Congress to rein in greenhouse gas emissions is brewing in hard economic times. A coalition of businesses — including two Bay Area oil refiners — and an anti-tax group has begun a signature drive for a November ballot initiative that would suspend California's pioneering law to combat global warming until the jobless rate drops back to 2006 levels. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14705239 http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14698740 Bay Area Oil Companies Finance Initiative To Suspend Greenhouse Gas Control Law. Oil companies, including one Contra Costa County refiner, contributed the largest share of $966,000 raised for a petition drive to suspend the state's law to limit greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14705068 Verifying An International Climate Pact Will Take Years – Study. Even if world leaders sign a new climate treaty and begin cutting greenhouse gas emissions, it could be years before their progress can be independently verified, says a new National Academy of Sciences report. Current U.N. rules require countries to submit national emissions inventories, but the data are self-reported, not required regularly from all countries, and there are no independent data to verify it. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/22/3 Uses Of Federal Lands To Reduce Carbon Emissions Require New Policy – Study. A comprehensive public land management policy is needed to decide the uses of millions of acres of federal land in a future low-carbon economy, according to a paper released by Duke University. Public lands can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, but such efforts will require a new coordinated effort between government agencies that own the different parcels of land, according to the paper. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/22/4 Lawyers See U.S. Climate Trades Faltering Without A Federal Cap. Salt Lake City -- Environmental lawyers are finding it increasingly hard to advise clients on climate strategy in the absence of federal guidance. At the American Bar Association's Conference on Environmental Law last week, lawyers debated whether they should advise clients to purchase offsets as part of their sustainability plans or for trading purposes. Current low prices for offsets reflect both the economic downturn and the lack of federal greenhouse gas regulations. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/22/6 Valero Has Spent $500K So Far On Campaign Against Calif. Emissions Law. It's official: Petroleum refiner Valero Energy Corp. is the primary financier of a campaign to suspend California's climate change law. In documents filed with the California Secretary of State yesterday, the California Jobs Initiative confirmed that San Antonio, Texas-based Valero has contributed $500,000 to a budding drive that wants to ask voters in November whether they support delaying the law. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/19/3 Lawn Mowers Going 'Green'. With springtime comes the urge to garden, and the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District is sponsoring a mower exchange program that may help gardeners go a bit more "green." Swap your gas mower for a rechargeable one that reportedly produces no on-site emissions, which Yolo-Solano Air Quality officials say helps reduce air pollution from gas-powered mowers. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14708789 Water and Power Commissioners To Vote On Mayor's Carbon Surcharge. The Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners is expected to vote today on a carbon reduction surcharge proposed by the mayor to help fast-track the city's transition to clean, renewable energy. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14697223 Climate Change Cited As Mont. Leases Suspended. Billings, Mont.—A federal judge has approved a first-of-its-kind settlement requiring the government to suspend 38,000 acres of oil and gas leases in Montana so it can gauge how oil field activities contribute to climate change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14701830 Report: Many Power Plants Emitting More Mercury. Washington -- Many of America's coal-fired power plants lack widely available pollution controls for the highly toxic metal mercury, and mercury emissions recently increased at more than half of the country's 50 largest mercury-emitting power plants, according to a report Wednesday. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/17/1862842/report-many-power-plants-emitting.html Chevron Puts Solar Technologies To Test. Los Angeles -- On a dirt plot near Bakersfield where a massive refinery once churned out gasoline and asphalt, one of the world's largest oil companies is looking for something more green. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/21/1867782/chevron-is-putting-solar-technologies.html LA-Area Eco-Cruise Shows Tourists Pollution's Toll. Long Beach, Calif. -- A new cruise off the Southern California coast has sightseers trading whales and dolphins for smokestacks and oil. The Urban Ocean Boat Cruise, run by the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and Harbor Breeze Cruises, aims to show the environmental effects on coasts and harbors of fishing, industry and other human activities. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/21/1868064/la-area-eco-cruise-shows-tourists.html Wales, The Greenest Place On Earth. For two decades I've been exhausting my vocabulary seeking names for all the shades of green in the Welsh countryside. Pastures are Crayola green; windbreaks are jade; spring mosses are the chartreuse of an avocado's innards. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/18/AR2010031804977.html Public Support For Nuclear Power At New Peak. Washington (Reuters) - The majority of Americans who favor nuclear-generated electricity hit a new high this year, according to a poll on Monday that suggests growing support for President Barack Obama's aid to the nuclear industry. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/22/AR2010032201333.html Arctic Animals Doing Better, But Not Close To Pole. Washington -- The overall number of animals in the Arctic has increased over the past 40 years ago, according to a new international study. But critters who live closest to the North Pole are disappearing. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/17/AR2010031702297.html BLOGS Some Good News On Climate Legislation? The details dribbling out about the carbon bill that Lindsey Graham, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman are working on are more encouraging than I would've thought. That's partially a comment on the bill's potential quality and partially a comment on my low expectations. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/03/some_good_news_on_climate_legi.html California’s New $5,000 E.V. Rebates: Grab ‘Em Fast. The good news for California residents is that they can get a rebate of up to $5,000 if they buy a battery electric or plug-in hybrid car in the next few months. The bad news is that there’s not a lot to choose from because many of the vehicles, like the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Fisker Karma, won’t be available until the end of the year. By then the $4.1 million allocated in the innovative state program may be exhausted, but more cash is probably on the way. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/californias-new-5000-e-v-rebates-grab-em-fast/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:08:15 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 23, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 23, 2010. 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. Gas Tax Deal Comes With Goodies For California Home Buyers And Green-Tech Manufacturers. Sacramento — Moving swiftly to save hundreds of millions in state funding for public transit projects, the Legislature struck a deal Monday with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and approved millions in tax breaks for two groups whose fortunes are tied closely to the state's economic recovery: homebuyers and green-technology manufacturers. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14735681 Chevron Tests Solar Power Projects. An old refinery in Bakersfield and a rooftop in San Ramon have become unlikely test beds for Chevron Corp.'s quest to learn more about cutting-edge solar technologies. "We are looking at new and emerging technologies," said Mark Puccinelli, a project manager with Chevron Energy Solutions. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_14733668 On the Waterfront: International Maritime Organization is voting on clean-fuel laws. Four years after the Golden State began pushing for clean-fuel shipping regulations, the globe's governing maritime body is set to adopt rules affecting the entire U.S. and Canadian coastline. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14733493 Senate Climate Bill Compromises Frighten, Infuriate Some Enviro Groups. Environmentalists began 2009 optimistic about prospects for swift passage of legislation mandating U.S. reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. With President Obama in the White House and Democrats in firm control of Capitol Hill, many saw a strong lineup focused on taking action to curb global warming. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/22/22greenwire-senate-climate-bill-compromises-frighten-infur-27214.html Governor Trims Red Tape For Energy Projects. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday signed a state law that he and federal officials say will speed approvals for large-scale solar and wind projects, improving chances that they will meet a federal deadline to qualify for federal stimulus dollars. The law allows energy developers to pay fees to compensate for wildlife habitat destroyed during construction, rather than having to acquire replacement land. Posted. http://www.pe.com/business/local/stories/PE_News_Local_W_energy23.4828a00.html Letter: 'Deniers' Willing To Share Ideas. Two recent letter writers took issue with George Hoag's March 11 letter relating to "the global climate crisis hoax," stating that Hoag offers no evidence to support his claims, which they deem to be wrong. Two excellent reports are on the Internet: 1) The Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), and 2) Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide by the Oregon Institute. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/ci_14737636 Ione Plant's Green Conversion on Hold. A plan to create dozens of new jobs and generate electrical power by burning small-diameter wood waste from area forests is on hold until at least next year while Amador County officials study concerns over greenhouse gas emissions and traffic. Amador County will do a full environmental impact report on the Buena Vista Biomass Power project, which is converting a former coal-fired plant on Coal Mine Road near Ione to burn wood chips. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100323/A_NEWS/3230317/-1/a_news14 The Art of Energy Efficiency: California’s 30-Year Track Record. Whatever Arthur H. Rosenfeld decides to do with his time now that he has stepped down from the California Energy Commission, you can bet none of it will be wasted. As the godfather of energy efficiency, Art has dedicated himself to driving energy efficiency into the mainstream. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=ypuxl1t31s1x4m&xid=ypux6z3kjjhu0y&done=.ypuxl1t31slx4m Blogs In Response to California Fuel Regulation, Cargo Ships Chart More Precarious Routes. In an apparent effort to skirt a new clean-fuel regulation in California, an increasing number of ships traveling to and from one of the nation’s busiest port complexes — at Los Angeles and Long Beach — are abandoning a long-established shipping lane, choosing instead to travel along a riskier route that traverses a Navy weapons testing and training area. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/in-response-to-california-fuel-regulation-cargo-ships-chart-more-precarious-routes/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:35:52 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 24, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 24, 2010. 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. Climate Law Won't Hurt California Economy, Report Says. Many sectors will prosper under the greenhouse gas limits, an analysis by the state air board finds. A business group disputes the findings. California's overall economy will not suffer, and many parts of it will prosper under the state's landmark global warming law, according to an analysis by the California Air Resources Board that rebuts an industry-led ballot effort to suspend the regulations. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate24-2010mar24,0,3412638,print.story Opinion: A Flawed Cost/Benefit Study Of A Greener California. The Varshney/Tootelian analysis, often cited by foes of AB 32, overestimates the law's costs by a factor of 10. It also excludes the value of energy savings and neglects the effects of innovation. The stakes are huge when it comes to regulating the use of fossil fuels in California. We need serious, credible analyses in order to understand the economic effects of new laws and proposed legislation. Unfortunately, in California, one highly flawed estimate of costs to consumers and small businesses is distorting the debate. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-sweeney24-2010mar24,0,1112095,print.story Sanjay Varshney Responds to Criticism. Sanjay Varshney, dean of the College of Business Administration, and Dennis Tootelian, business administration professor, released a statement today defending their report on Assembly Bill 32. Varshney and Tootelian have been highly criticized for their report titled "Cost of AB 32 on Small Businesses." According to the report, AB 32 would cost California small businesses $182.6 billion in gross state output and $1.1 million in jobs. Posted. http://www.statehornet.com/news/sanjay-varshney-responds-to-criticism-1.1277279 CA Air District to CARB: Suspend Truck Rules, Other Climate Change Regs. A California air quality management district is asking the California Air Resources Board to suspend trucking and other regulations tied to the state’s 2006 climate change law. The Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District voted Monday, March 22, to formally request that CARB suspend several regulations developed under California Assembly Bill 32 – a 2006 law aimed at cutting the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Mar10/032210/032310-01.htm Opinion: Take A Global View Of Climate Change. The Senate is due to unveil a bipartisan climate and energy package soon. As lawmakers consider it, they must not lose sight of the vital connection between people and nature. Numerous studies — including last month’s Quadrennial Defense Review by the Penatgon — have detailed how the changing climate could affect people around the world, wreaking havoc on developing nations and punishing the poorest communities. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=8C7F6840-18FE-70B2-A814176476D07C7F California's Tire Pressure Law Expected To Save 75 Million Gallons Of Gas A Year. New laws governing accurate tire pressure are being introduced in California in a bid to increase fuel efficiency and road safety. The impending legislation gives weight to Obama’s claim during the elections that maintaining the right tire pressure could prevent the expansion of offshore drilling. Posted. http://motorage.search-autoparts.com/motorage/Industry+News/Californias-tire-pressure-law-expected-to-save-75-/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/662352?contextCategoryId=43145 Greenhouse Gas Workshop Set. Local government leaders from Southern California will gather at California Lutheran University Thursday for a workshop on the state’s new greenhouse gas regulations. The meeting will be the first step in drawing up the region’s response to Senate Bill 375, a law that aims to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Members of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, the Ventura Council of Governments and the Southern California Association of Governments — all drawn from city councils and other local government bodies — will attend. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/mar/23/greenhouse-gas-workshop-set/ Senate Climate Bill Details Still Unfinished. Washington (Reuters) - Senators negotiating a bill to address global warming fears and encourage the use of more alternative energy in the United States struggled over details on Tuesday as lawmakers approached a two-week break without a full legislative proposal yet in hand. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/23/AR2010032303247.html EPA Sharpens Corporate Carbon Disclosures. Corporations and industries can expect greater scrutiny of their carbon footprints under changes U.S. EPA proposed to its mandatory greenhouse gas registry yesterday. Beginning this year, companies must detail emissions from about 10,000 facilities representing some 85 percent of the nation's total carbon output, according to the greenhouse gas reporting regulation EPA completed in September. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/24/6 Refiner Warns Of Setbacks Under GHG Regulations. The U.S. refining industry will freeze investment in anything outside of maintaining operations if U.S. EPA regulates carbon pollution, warns the chief executive of Valero Energy Corp. Bill Klesse said regulation would increase costs for an industry already dealing with low margins and sinking demand due to the economic downturn. "Expansions will disappear. Improvements will disappear. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/24/7 'Climategate' Investigator's Green Business Ties Questioned. Climate skeptics have trained their sights on a member of the British House of Lords appointed to investigate the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit, saying his work for the low-carbon technology industry creates a conflict of interest. Lord Ronald Oxburgh, who will chair the panel examining allegations of faulty science within the climate center, also serves as chairman of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association and the wind energy company Falck Renewables. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/24/9 Senate Trio Launches Climate Push, With Some Empty Seats. As some senators were being sworn to secrecy about the details of an emerging climate bill, other lawmakers who could be key to passing the carbon-cutting measure attended other meetings -- and one walked his dog. The briefing marked one of the first presentations by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) on a legislative outline for their anticipated bill that would price carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/24/3 E.P.A. to Seek More Data on Emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed adding the oil and gas sector and facilities that inject carbon dioxide into the ground to the greenhouse gas sources that are required to report their annual emissions to the government. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/science/earth/24epa.html Ships From Polluting Mothball Fleet In Suisun May Go To South Pacific. Mothballed ships polluting Suisun Bay soon could be towed and scrapped at a South Pacific island once notorious for its sweatshops and inexpensive labor, according to a business plan filed there. A company in the Northern Mariana Islands has announced plans to bid on ship disposal contracts and, if successful, tow the aged vessels to the islands' biggest city, Saipan, for scrapping. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_14735685 Don't Risk 'Clean Energy' Future To Save Coal Jobs -- BP's CEO. The United States isn't going to get "beyond petroleum" anytime soon, but the chief executive of oil giant BP says it's time for the nation to start thinking beyond coal. The nation should not be trying to save coal jobs at the expense of cleaner fuel industries, Tony Hayward, head of BP PLC, told a Washington think tank audience yesterday, adding that there is no reason to keep building coal-burning power plants here. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/24/1 Nuclear-Energy Developer Has Eyes on Valley. Nuclear energy may not come to the San Joaquin Valley for years, but a French nuclear executive wants her company to be involved in making it happen. "I can see California will be among the first of many states to establish a clean energy park with both renewable [energy] and nuclear," said Areva CEO Anne Lauvergeon, whose company is one of the leading developers of nuclear power plants in the world. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/23/1870244/nuclear-developer-has-eyes-on.html#ixzz0j6qBhtHi Schwarzenegger Announces Actions to Preserve State Lands and Habitats, Renewable Energy Projects. New Program to Help Projects Capture Federal Stimulus Funds and Create Jobs, Clean Power and Green Investment in California. At the world’s largest operating solar plant, the NextEra Harper Lake Solar Electric Generating System (SEGS) facility in Hinkley, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a new joint program to make it easier to conserve land for endangered species and for developers to build renewable energy projects in California. Posted. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6939&Itemid=1 Capital Ranks No. 16 In Green Buildings. Sacramento ranks 16th on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest number of energy-efficient buildings. The list released Tuesday said Sacramento had 61 buildings with the EPA's Energy Star designation in 2009. Sacramento ranked just ahead of San Diego (58 buildings) and just behind Detroit (62). Sacramento ranked third among California cities. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/24/v-print/2629223/capital-ranks-no-16-in-green-buildings.html Marin Buildings Among Top Energy Savers. The San Francisco area, including Marin, ranked third among U.S. metropolitan areas with the most buildings that have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star designation, the EPA announced Tuesday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14741988 DOE Probing Alleged Violations Of Lamp Standard. The Energy Department launched an investigation yesterday into alleged violations of lighting efficiency rules by issuing subpoenas to three companies suspected of selling floor lamps that failed to meet federal standards. DOE has subpoenaed Target Corp., Adesso Inc. and Habitex Corp. for detailed information about the design, marketing and U.S. sales of torchiere lamps. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/24/5 Park Advocates Call For Tougher Smog Standards. Conservation groups are urging U.S. EPA to substantially toughen its smog standards to protect national parks as the agency prepares to finalize its reconsideration of the George W. Bush administration's policies. The Obama EPA in January proposed to tighten its health-based "primary" standard for ozone, or smog, and adopt a new "secondary" standard aimed at protecting vegetation and ecosystems (Greenwire, Jan. 7). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/24/3 GM To Unveil Prototype Of Segway-Powered Electric Vehicle. General Motors Co. will unveil a prototype pod-shaped electric vehicle at May's World Expo in Shanghai that it says will combat urban congestion, traffic accidents and pollution. The Electric Networked Vehicle, or EN-V, is an upright, two-wheeled pod powered by a Segway Personal Transporter. The vehicles are designed to be small and clean enough to solve growing problems of congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/24/9 Daryl Hannah And Her Ethanol-Powered 'Kill Bill' Car Appear In Downtown Santa Cruz. SANTA CRUZ — Daryl Hannah stopped downtown Tuesday at the community television studio, bringing with her the 1979 Pontiac Trans Am she drove in 'Kill Bill.' The actress and environmental activist appeared live with local ecologist David Blume on Community TV's live call-in show "Eco-Review" to promote ethanol as an alternative energy source. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14745579 Carbon Monoxide Suspected In 3 Deaths On NY Boat. Huntington, N.Y.—Police on Long Island say carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected in the deaths of two men and a woman found unconscious on a houseboat about 200 feet offshore. A Suffolk County Police spokesman says the three were found about 9 p.m. Tuesday in Huntington Harbor and taken to Huntington Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14745853?nclick_check=1 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/23/1870566/carbon-monoxide-suspected-in-3.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/24/AR2010032400024.html Disputed Isle In Bay Of Bengal Disappears Into Sea. New Delhi—For nearly 30 years, India and Bangladesh have argued over control of a tiny rock island in the Bay of Bengal. Now rising sea levels have resolved the dispute for them: the island's gone. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14747107 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/24/AR2010032400394.html Garbage Firms Clash Over Unrecycled S.F. Trash. The big-bucks matter of who gets to dispose of San Francisco's unrecycled trash five years from now boiled over unexpectedly Tuesday night when two garbage companies accused each other of misleading the city, citizens weighed in angrily and everyone pledged a fierce fight in the weeks or even years to come. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/23/BAFO1CKG3T.DTL#ixzz0j6tFaGP0 Clothing Makers Expand Recycling Efforts. Companies are reclaiming discarded materials and turning them into threads that are made into clothing. Most people wouldn't be caught dead wearing a shower curtain in public. Few would cover themselves in spent coffee grounds, or wrap their bodies in old fishing nets - at least knowingly. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/24/1870720/clothing-makers-expand-recycling.html Small California Town Fears Birth Defects Linked to Toxic Waste. Spring in California's San Joaquin Valley is seemingly idyllic, with rolling hills and miles of fruit orchards. But what's happening in the small town of Kettleman City has people scared. Posted. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/03/22/toxic.injustice/ Blogs Meg Whitman's Incoherent Stand on AB 32. When Meg Whitman came on my KOGO 600 AM radio show a few weeks back, she was conversant with and in agreement with the critique of AB 32 that I and lots of other people have offered for years. This critique starts with the point that forcing a switch to cleaner-but-costlier energy to reduce the emissions that are believed to contribue to global warming may make sense as a broad national or global strategy, but that it is economic suicide for a single state to pursue such policies. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/americas-finest/2010/mar/23/meg-whitmans-incoherent-stand-ab-32/ Ranking Cities on Building Efficiency. Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. took the top spots in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s ranking of cities with the most energy efficient buildings. Los Angeles was the star of the Energy Star rankings, with 293 buildings achieving the E.P.A. designation, according to the Top 25 list released Tuesday. The agency awards the Energy Star label to commercial buildings that rank among the top 25 percent in energy efficiency compared to similar structures. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/ranking-cities-on-building-efficiency/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:42:18 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 25, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 25, 2010. 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. Study: Clean-Air Plan Won't Hurt State Economy. Sacramento - California's ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gases will, if fully implemented, have a negligible impact on the state's economy over the next decade, according to an analysis released by the California Air Resources Board. The finding undercuts doomsday predictions of opponents who want to suspend the plan until the state's jobless rate improves and who are backing a November ballot initiative to do so. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/25/BABQ1CKOQV.DTL&type=printable http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/24/local/la-me-climate24-2010mar24 http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/03/24/business-financial-impact-us-california-greenhouse-gas-law_7462597.html?boxes=Homepagebusinessnews http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/03/22/daily46.html http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/new-carb-economic-analysis-ab32-0362.html http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/edf-review-confirms-findings-that-show-california-climate-change-plan-will-support-economic-growth-89051807.html http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2414731120100324?type=marketsNews http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14749552 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/03/assembly-republican-leader-reacts-angrily-to-new-air-board-study-.html http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/california-240870-jobs-air.html http://www.ktvu.com/news/22935507/detail.html http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EL81G80.htm Air Board: AB 32 Would Positively Impact Economy. California is expected to create about 2 million jobs by 2020, regardless of whether the state’s controversial climate change law is implemented. That’s according to one major finding of an eagerly anticipated economic analysis by the state Air Resources Board. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/03/22/daily46.html http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/Green-Economics/2010/0325/The-economic-impact-of-California-s-AB32-law-for-fighting-climate-change State's Economic Reanalysis Of Its Climate Law Finds Similarly Benign Results. California's second analysis of its climate change law, A.B. 32, has again found that the economy will be largely unaffected on a macro level, although emissions will be significantly lower as a result of the economic downturn. The updated analysis comes as California officials are seeking to calm industry opposition to A.B. 32, including a ballot initiative that would suspend it until unemployment falls to 5.5 percent from its current level of 12.2 percent (Greenwire, March 19). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/25/4 http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/03/25/air-regulators-latest-ab32-study-predicts-little-o/http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2414731120100325?type=marketsNews How Republicans Learned To Reject Climate Change. As climate change emerged as a top issue on the national scene a few years ago, it had one unusual quality: The response to it showed surprising signs of bipartisan support. Two or three years ago, Republicans such as Sen. John McCain and Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charlie Crist played nearly as prominent a role as Al Gore in advocating a robust regulatory response. No more. Climate hasn't yet become as partisan an issue as, say, health care and taxes. But it's getting there. Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125075282&ps=cprs Obama Aides Meet With Senate Dems to Map April Strategy for Climate Bill. President Obama's top aides huddled yesterday with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Democratic committee leaders to map out a strategy for cobbling together 60 votes on a comprehensive energy and climate change bill once lawmakers return next month from their spring break. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/25/25climatewire-obama-aides-meet-with-senate-dems-to-map-apr-50034.html Deniers: Denied. Critics who denounce global warming cited this winter’s snowpocalypse storms on the East Coast as evidence that climate change doesn’t exist. But new research by environmental scientists at UC Davis rebuffs their red herring—perhaps once and for all. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1390717 Sunk By Global Warming? Wave goodbye to this disputed island. India and Bangladesh have been trying to snatch from each other a tiny landmass that first surfaced in the 1970s in the Bay of Bengal. It has resubmerged, an apparent casualty of climate change. Global warming appears to have finally resolved a dispute that gunboats never could: An island midway between India and Bangladesh that became a catalyst for military threats in the 1980s is now submerged under the rising sea. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-disappearing-island25-2010mar25,0,2784791,print.story Tax Breaks For 'Green' Equipment Signed Into Law. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed legislation yesterday that grants manufacturers of green technology equipment a break on sales taxes. The bill, S.B. 71, applies to the manufacture of energy-efficiency, biomass, solar, wind and geothermal equipment. The exemptions run through Jan. 1, 2021, and are capped at $100 million annually. A sponsor of the bill, state Sen. Alex Padilla (D), said California is one of three states that does not provide such tax breaks to green manufacturers. "This places California at a competitive disadvantage when firms are considering whether to locate or expand in the state," Padilla said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/25/10 Wanted: Green Talent. Even without an energy bill out of Washington, a green economy is emerging in California. And once demand gets rolling, green growth could power the state's economic recovery. At that point, it won't be technology or political will or even money that is holding back the green boom. As paradoxical as it sounds with unemployment in double digits, the green economy is facing a talent shortage. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/25/ED3L1CKOT6.DTL&type=printable France Retreats On Plan To Tax Carbon Emissions. Paris - France backed down Tuesday from a plan to tax carbon dioxide emissions that had been a central plank of President Nicolas Sarkozy's push for a more prominent role in the global fight against climate change. The plan, begun by Sarkozy with much fanfare in September, has been on the back burner since being ruled unconstitutional in December. Sarkozy's government had insisted a reworked tax would nonetheless go into force by July. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/24/MNLU1CK4EC.DTL&type=printable L.A. Emissions Credits At Core Of Power Plant Issue. Late at night last September, while feuding lawmakers publicly and bitterly reached a multibillion-dollar deal – finally -- to allow Southern California air-quality regulators to resume issuing pollution credits, a hijacked bill emerged quietly from the Assembly and headed to the Senate. The obscure bill originally dealt with making college textbooks affordable for students. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yq0vvbrpufly5g&xid=ypz8vwzlhlhwjh&done=.yq0vvbrpug8y5g Carper Eyes Mid-April Markup For 3-Pollutant Bill. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said yesterday that he expects a mid-April markup of legislation to curb power plant pollution in the full Environment and Public Works Committee. Carper, the chairman of the Clean Air Subcommittee, and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) unveiled a bill last month that seeks steep cuts in electric utilities' emissions. The measure aims to cut power plants' soot-forming sulfur dioxide (SO2) by 80 percent by 2018, smog-forming nitrogen dioxide (NOx) by 50 percent by 2015 and mercury by 90 percent by 2015. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/25/3 State Gives Tracy Power Plant Green Light to Expand Production. State officials gave the nod Wednesday to expand a natural gas-burning power plant next to Tracy, an expansion that could tap into a proposal to build a solar power farm on 200 acres of city-owned land known as the Antenna Farm. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100325/A_NEWS/3250323 China Leads Major Countries With $34.6 Billion Invested in Clean Technology. China, Brazil and other developing countries are pouring billions of dollars into efforts to reduce carbon emissions and build up renewable energy markets, a trend that some experts say has turned the traditional climate change debate on its head. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/25/25climatewire-china-leads-major-countries-with-346-billion-15729.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/25/1 Governor's Conference On Renewable Energy Focuses On The Mojave Desert. Harnessing Mojave Desert sunshine and wind is a vital part of a national strategy to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, several speakers said Wednesday during a governor's energy conference at UC Riverside. Rainer Aringhoff, founding president of Solar Millennium, said ample sunshine makes the Mojave one of the best places in the world for solar plants. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_W_renewable25.45df2ba.html Navy And Marines Aim For A Leaner, Greener Fighting Machine. Laurel, Md. -- Going green and renewable doesn't just save money, it may save lives of U.S. soldiers, according to military leaders who argue that a push for energy efficiency and a move away from fossil-based fuels could strengthen America's military. "Every dollar spent on gasoline is a dollar that could be better spent on armor, or artillery, or machinery," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said, speaking here at a conference at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/25/3 Blogs A Physics Maven’s Take on Skeptical Science. I’ve been meaning to highlight a particularly interesting blog on climate, Skeptical Science, and finally have the chance. What’s appealing about it is the simple way its Australian creator, John Cook, has cast his journey. It’s basically a list of reference-laden responses to the many assertions made by one or another of the variegated camps rejecting the need for action to curb greenhouse gases. There is a conventional blog stream covering developments as they occur. But most useful, perhaps, in a world of information overload, is the basic litany of 101 (and counting) skeptics’ arguments and responses. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/a-physics-mavens-take-on-skeptical-science/?pagemode=print Look! Another Poll That Shows Guess What Ranks LAST? Global Warming. We’re shocked (of course, we’re not really shocked) to find that in the latest Field Poll that ranked 12 issues, global warming ranked dead last among Californians. We’ve lost track of how many polls show global warming ranking last. But it’s always nice to see another. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/03/24/look-another-poll-that-shows-guess-what-ranks-last-global-warming/19611/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:17:08 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Addendum to Newsclips for March 25, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV Addendum added to Newsclips for March 25, 2010. ADDENDUM: CARB Downplays AB32 Impact on Business http://kqed02.streamguys.us/anon.kqed/radio/tcr/2010/03/2010-03-25b-tcr.mp3 Will California's landmark greenhouse gas emissions law AB32 help the state's economy or hurt it? The state Air Resources Board has produced a study that says the effects will be limited, and most businesses will adapt. Posted. ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:23:00 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 29, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 29, 2010. 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. California's 'Cool Car' Rules Are Shelved. The state Air Resources Board halts a plan to require a clear, reflective glaze on windows amid complaints that it would interfere with monitoring of ankle bracelets and degrade cellphone signals. California officials Thursday abruptly halted a controversial effort to slash the carbon footprint of automobile air conditioning. “Cool car” rules would have required a clear, reflective glaze on vehicle windows as a way to block excessive sunlight and heat. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/26/local/la-me-cool-cars26-2010mar26 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ju6-tyPeiebb9-XT8dAZC0YcbnZAD9EMH4NO0 http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-03-25/bay-area/18970424_1_greenhouse-gases-ab32-energy http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14764492?nclick_check=1 http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-25/carbon-auctions-should-be-very-small-schwarzenegger-says.html http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/03/26/carb-halts-cool-car-rule/ http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/26/1103395/calif-nixes-rule-mandating-reflective.html http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/mar/26/calif-reverses-rule-mandating-reflecting-windows/ http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/26/report-california-scraps-cool-cars-legislation-automakers-l/ http://rumors.automobilemag.com/6626446/green/california-scraps-cool-cars-legislation-push-for-reflective-glass/index.html http://gas2.org/2010/03/26/california-drops-cool-cars-legislation-entirely-will-start-process-anew/ Sen. Collins Suggests Pairing 'Cap And Dividend' Bill With Energy-Only Measure. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said last week that a climate bill she co-sponsored with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) could be paired with energy-only legislation on the Senate floor. Collins told Clean Skies News on Friday that one way to move her "cap and dividend" climate measure forward would be to add it to the energy legislation approved last year by Sen. Jeff Bingaman's (D-N.M.) Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/29/2 State Legislators Ramp Up Campaigns Against EPA Rules. Illinois state Rep. Dan Reitz, a Democrat and a former coal miner, is worried that pending federal climate change rules will cripple the economy, and he wants Congress to step in and stop it. Reitz, who represents the 116th District in southern Illinois, launched his own assault against U.S. EPA climate rules when he introduced a resolution urging Congress to postpone greenhouse gas regulations for factories, power plants and other so-called stationary emission sources. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/03/29/1 Ships In U.S., Canadian Waters To Face Stricter Pollution Controls. To curb air pollution, large tankers, container ships and cruise boats will have to use low-sulfur fuels when passing through U.S. and Canadian coastal waters, under a proposal adopted by a United Nations rulemaking body Friday. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/26/AR2010032603735.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/26/1103755/new-rule-cuts-ship-pollution-around.html http://www.montereyherald.com/state/ci_14764548?nclick_check=1 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/26/1874233/new-rule-cuts-ship-pollution-around.html?storylink=misearch Tractor Regs Sow Seeds of Uncertainty. Regulations meant to reduce air pollution, the new engine-efficiency standards for diesel engines, have created a cloud of confusion among those responsible for following and those helping to implement the guidelines. The rules for farmers and truckers who operate on-road vehicles are put forth in a set of 2008 regulations. Posted. http://www.uniondemocrat.com/2010032699531/News/Local-News/Tractor-regs-sow-seeds-of-uncertainty http://www.uniondemocrat.com/2010032499502/News/Business/Truckers-farmers-faced-with-regulations Antioch Seeks Residential Input on Emission Planning. Communities throughout the state are taking steps to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, and this city is no exception. Antioch, though, may have more wiggle room to get green than most. A recently completed assessment of Antioch's greenhouse gas emissions shows that residential and commercial emissions comprised 44 percent of the city's 301,179 metric tons of pollutants, with the rest mainly from transportation, industrial and waste. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_14767880 Cluster of Birth Defects Brings Tests. A list of 28 chemicals known to cause birth defects was given by state officials to residents concerned about a rash of such defects here, and the officials said they would test for the chemicals in local air, water and soil. But residents attending a public meeting last week on the issue said they want the state to put a moratorium on processing an application to expand the Waste Management hazardous waste landfill near the town, which they suspect is the source of chemical contamination causing birth defects. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/28/1105223/cluster-of-birth-defects-brings.html#ixzz0ja2S0RNd Green Alternative Takes Toxins Out of Dry Cleaning. Susanna Ko has a personal reason for being the owner of the GreenEarth Cleaning dry-cleaning business in Solana Beach on Coast Highway. She is a breast cancer survivor. “I wanted to find something that would help me and the environment,” Ko said. Ten years ago, Ko and her husband, Thomas, owned a dry-cleaning business in Vista. Using the industry standard at the time, Ko was exposed daily to the solvent perchloroethylene, commonly known as perc. Now identified as a carcinogen, perc has been used by dry cleaners for 30 years. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/28/green-alternative-takes-toxins-out-of-dry-cleaning/ Southern California Faces Sanctions for Failing to Meet Federal Ozone Standard. Southern California is facing federal sanctions for failing to meet an air-pollution health standard that was repealed by the Bush administration in 2004. The sanctions are expected to cost the region's largest industries and utilities millions of dollars in new fees every year until the standard is met. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is requiring the regional air-quality agency to impose the fees beginning next year on the 400-plus top-polluting industries and utilities. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/environment/stories/PE_News_Local_W_pollutionfees27.482777e.html Roadside Attraction. It wasn't quite "The British are coming!" but the town crier (the guy on the phone) sounded the alarm: "The Green Police are out there and alive!" They'd set up a checkpoint near La Sierra High. Put cars on a "scale-looking device" to check emissions. If they were too high? He wasn't sure, but what happens to "failed" cars at other checkpoints? Impounded! Posted. http://www.pe.com/columns/danbernstein/stories/PE_News_Local_W_dan28.4798e14.html War of the Job-Killing Studies. The California Air Resources Board, to no one’s surprise, the other day unveiled its own “study” of the economic effects of the sweeping Assembly Bill 32, the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act. The state’s air-pollution police contend that the sweeping crackdown on carbon-dioxide emissions actually will add 10,000 new jobs to the state by 2020. The ARB’s bottom line: implementing these regulations “won’t hurt” California. Posted. http://www.desertdispatch.com/opinion/one-8165-air-resources.html Suspend AB 32 for the Sake of California’s Economy. Would you be willing to bet everything you have on a single roll of the dice? Would you bet everything that everyone in California has? The state is about to roll the dice, on global warming regulation. The Governor could stop this gamble, but will he? The gamble is California’s ambitious global warming law, AB 32, passed in 2006. The law has a safety valve that allows the Governor to suspend emissions caps if economic conditions warrant it. Posted. http://www.turlockjournal.com/news/article/3457/ Other Voices: Logue, Mcclintock Want to Gut Key Clean Air Standards. Why are our elected representatives attacking our health in Nevada County? This is probably the first question you have to ask yourself to understand why our Assemblyman, Dan Logue, and our Congressman, Tom McClintock, are behind the fight against California's Assembly Bill 32 (passed in 2006). Assembly Bill 32, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, is a major initiative by the Air Resources Board for reducing California's greenhouse gasses by 30 percent to 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below that by 2050. Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100327/OPINION/100329806/1024 Our View: Governor Can't Back Down on AB32. Now is no time for Gov. Arnold Schwar-zenegger to go all wobbly on his landmark achievement -- the Assembly Bill 32 law that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The centerpiece is creation of a cap-and-trade program that would allow power plants, industries and other major producers of greenhouse gases to purchase permits for carbon emissions. Companies that reduce emissions below their allotment (the cap) can sell them on the open market (the trade). Posted. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/03/27/1364709/our-view-governor-cant-back-down.html#ixzz0ja3HZXTt San Jose May Tout Itself as "Green Capital," But $2M Bid for Huge Airport Solar Project Goes to Canadian Firm. To many Silicon Valley solar companies, the chance to bid on San Jose's largest municipal solar installation might seem a welcome opportunity, especially during a slow economy. San Jose, after all, is the place Mayor Chuck Reed has pitched as the "world center of clean-tech innovation.'' Since he became mayor in 2007, at least eight solar companies have moved or expanded here. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_14770887 San Ramon Body Shop Goes Green, Saves Green. Geoff Johnson was far from delighted when a federal mandate came down in the 1990s forcing his auto body shop to recycle paint. But once he was dragged kicking and screaming into environmentally friendly practices, he embraced them — to the point that he won the Chamber of Commerce's first Green Business Award in 2009. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14760508?nclick_check=1 Blogs !!! Arnold Rips Air Board's AB 32 Proposal, Stresses Need for National Approach To Global Warming. The gov's letter to Mary Nichols of the air board on the occasion of the release of another preposterous study minimizing AB 32's economic fallout is jaw-dropping. It starts with his usual claptrap about green jobs -- but then it reverses course from so much other stuff he's said. He says it's crucial that AB 32 meshes "as seamlessly as possible into a comprehensive national strategy." This acknowledges the obvious point that California's economy is at risk if it has much higher energy costs. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/americas-finest/2010/mar/25/arnold-disavows-air-boards-ab-32-plan-stresses-nee/ Geoengineering 'Fixes' Help Us View Climate Change. Here's a question for you (assuming that you are open to the evidence that recent climate change is largely manmade): How confident are you that humanity will take the necessary steps to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and limit global climate change to the lower end of the current projections? Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/03/one_merit_of_geoengineering_a.html California Climate Law Would Add Jobs, Study Suggests. The California Air Resources board estimates in a new study that the state’s climate law would create 10,000 new jobs. California’s climate change law won’t decimate the state’s economy and will help increase job growth modestly over the next 10 years, according to a state air control group study released this week. The California Air Resources Board, tasked with monitoring state air pollution levels, projects the law will add 10,000 new jobs to the state by 2020. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/california-climate-law-would-add-jobs-study-suggests/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:58:24 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for March 30, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for March 30, 2010. 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. Valley Must Fund Program Or Face Even Tougher Air Pollution Controls. The Coachella Valley must find new funding for a key regional air pollution control program, or face even tougher air pollution controls and potentially lose transportation funds. The Executive Committee of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments pondered that bottom line at its meeting Monday. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100330/NEWS01/3300309/1026/news12/Valley-must-fund-program-or-face-even-tougher-air-pollution-controls State Legislators Ramp Up Campaigns Against EPA Climate Rules. Illinois state Rep. Dan Reitz, a Democrat and a former coal miner is worried that pending federal climate change rules will cripple the economy, and he wants Congress to step in and stop it. Reitz, who represents the 116th District in southern Illinois, launched his own assault against U.S. EPA climate rules when he introduced a resolution urging Congress to postpone greenhouse gas regulations for factories, power plants and other so-called stationary emission sources. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/29/29greenwire-state-legislators-ramp-up-campaigns-against-ep-73429.html New Global-Warming Exhibit Shows Steady Shift From Education To Advocacy At Monterey Bay Aquarium. Visitors to the newest exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium will see the same marvelous creatures from around the world that have made the aquarium famous since 1984. But at the end, they won't just wander off to the gift shop. They'll be asked to type letters at kiosks urging their senators to pass a global warming law. They'll be coaxed to take a pledge to bike more and eat less meat. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14777284 Editorial: Arnold's Global Warming Ardor Cooling. Days after the state Air Resources Board touted the economic benefits of curbing greenhouse gas emissions, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger advised his climate bureaucracy to slow down the rush to impose carbon dioxide cap-and-trade regulations. Facing growing public opposition and a well-financed ballot initiative to suspend the governor's signature Global Warming Solutions Act, which mostly takes effect in January 2012, Mr. Schwarzenegger last week wrote to the air board, asking it to consider a less-costly approach to restricting greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/regulations-241621-global-warming.html E.P.A. Delays Plants’ Pollution Permits. The Environmental Protection Agency said Monday that it would not require power plants or other industrial sites to obtain federal pollution permits for emitting greenhouse gases before next January. The statement formally affirms an agency announcement last month that it would phase in the regulation of climate-altering gases over several years, starting with the largest sources. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/science/earth/30emissions.html?src=mv http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/29/AR2010032902675.html California’s Green Jobs Mirage. California’s experiment with global warming regulations reminds me of a story about a foolish, old dog who lost his bone in the water when he tried to grab its reflection. Similarly, California’s leaders risk sacrificing the jobs and industries we have today on a hope and a prayer that the “green jobs” and “green industries” of the future will be better and more plentiful than those we already have. When Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, into law more than three years ago, he declared that the sweeping new regulations imposed by the measure would be “good for business.” Posted. http://www.inlandempire.us/rss/article.php?client=redfusion&id=20100329082817 Sudden Revolt By Insurance Regulators Scales Back Climate Rule On Industry. A surprise rebellion by a majority of insurance regulators Sunday reversed key elements of a landmark regulation requiring the nation's largest industry to publicly disclose its efforts to address climate change. Companies can now submit their answers confidentially in most states. The upheaval rolls back the nation's maiden climate rule on corporations, casting environmentalists and investor advocates into confusion weeks before the 12-question survey was supposed to be enacted. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/30/1 Plane To Measure Greenhouse Gases Leaves From Boulder, Colo. A plane that will measure greenhouse gases from the Arctic to the South Pole departed last week for the first leg of its 24-day mission, part of a three-year project to determine where and when gases enter and leave the atmosphere to help narrow in on the most effective policies to minimize climate change. The Gulfstream V left Wednesday from a Boulder, Colo.-area airport to land in Anchorage. From there, it will fly the northern polar region, stopping in Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand and the southern polar region before going back to Alaska and Colorado in mid-April. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/30/10 Big Industries Squirm As EPA Regulation Looms Next Year. Generating a steady chorus decrying too much "regulatory uncertainty," the nation's largest smokestack emitters have lodged court challenges and are lobbying states, Congress and the Obama administration itself to stop U.S. EPA's plans to require greenhouse gas air permits next year. They speak of lost jobs, offshore relocations and perverse incentives that lead them to prolong the lives of the dirtiest plants. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/30/3 Who Benefits From 'Green Jobs'? A group calling itself the Affordable Power Alliance will release a report today saying greenhouse gas regulations would disproportionately harm minorities. If U.S. EPA is allowed to regulate greenhouse gases, the report says, the economy will forgo hundreds of billions of dollars in economic growth. African-Americans and Hispanics would suffer the most because they are already economically vulnerable, the report says. It claims poverty rates for both racial groups would go up by several percentage points. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/30/4 Calif. Scraps 'Cool Cars' Rule. California regulators have dropped their requirement for all new cars to have sunlight-reflective or absorbent windows by 2015 in favor of a performance-based standard to lower cars' internal temperatures. The "cool car" regulations were part of a suite of greenhouse gas emissions-cutting tools under A.B. 32, California's 2006 law reducing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The state withdrew the regulations last week in response to emergency responders and law enforcement officials' contention that the reflective coatings might block signals from cell phones or ankle bracelets. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/03/30/6 Fresno Encouraged To Take Up Nuclear. Nuclear energy may not come to the San Joaquin Valley for years, but a French nuclear executive wants her company to be involved in making it happen. "I can see California will be among the first of many states to establish a clean- energy park with both renewable energy and nuclear," said Anne Lauvergeon, chief executive office of Areva, one of the leading developers of nuclear power plants in the world. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/29/1107598/fresno-encouraged-to-take-up-nuclear.html#ixzz0jg19xcY2 Conference Targets Green Regulations. Scientists and regulatory experts from 15 countries gathered at Asilomar Conference Grounds this week to discuss possible regulations that would govern research in the emerging field of climate intervention. They released a joint press release Friday expressing "deep concern" over the limited efforts to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases and calling for additional research to examine the need for "alternative strategies" to moderate future climate change. Posted. http://www.montereyherald.com/science/ci_14780817 'Cash for Kitchen Clunkers': Rebate Program Patterned After Auto Swap. Milton Langevin swung open the door of a gleaming silver Kenmore washer at a Sears store here and squatted to scope out the interior. Thanks to a federal-state program, Langevin and other Californians can get rebates on energy-efficient appliances in exchange for old ones starting in mid-April. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_14778801 Solar Power Chooses Mcclellan For New Plant. Solar Power Inc. will build its new solar-panel manufacturing operation and headquarters at McClellan Business Park, ending three weeks of speculation. The Roseville-based company will begin construction on the 100,000-square-foot building in July and should be completed in early 2011. The company could produce about 50 megawatts of solar panels at the soon-to-be open local plant, doubling its annual production in connection with its operations in China. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/03/29/daily4.html?t=printable Blogs California’s Updated Economic Analysis Finds Climate Plan Offers Greener Days Ahead—Part One: Gross State Product. Last Wednesday, California’s Air Resources Board released a new economic analysis showing that California can grow its economy and reap immediate benefits from cleaner air while meeting air pollution reduction goals of its Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32). EDF will be producing a series of blog posts that summarize what CARB learned about how AB 32 will impact California’s economy. Posted. http://www.favstocks.com/california%E2%80%99s-updated-economic-analysis-finds-climate-plan-offers-greener-days-ahead%E2%80%94part-one-gross-state-product/296474/ Oakland to Discuss Plan to Reach Aggressive Greenhouse-Gas Reduction Goal. As of November 2009, at least 139 cities in the United States had climate action plans, including Portland and Chicago. Oakland doesn’t have one yet, but it does have a goal: by 2020, the city seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 36 percent of what they were in 2005. That goal is more aggressive than those of either San Francisco or Berkeley, which both have climate action plans. Posted. http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/oakland-to-discuss-plan-to-reach-aggressive-greenhouse-gas-reduction-goal/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 10:19:55 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- News Clips for April 1, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 1, 2010. 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. Fuel Efficiency Rules to Spur Advanced Vehicles. Automakers are being pushed to build a more fuel-efficient generation of gas-electric hybrids, turbocharged engines and advanced vehicles powered by electricity under tough new standards from the Obama administration. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/31/AR2010033102983.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jveDqQOxnAnlUh_DxIXEz3RNjZjQD9EQBNP83 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/01/AR2010040101412.html http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/04/01/am-fuel-standards/ http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/01/01climatewire-detroit-begins-to-roll-out-ways-to-meet-new-39633.html http://www.mercurynews.com/green-energy/ci_14800426 2 New Trains on Track to Cut Pollution. Everyone has heard of green cars and maybe even green boats, but green trains? Two low-emission locomotives have started chugging away in the county thanks to a $1.7 million grant from the California Air Resources Board and an investment in new technology by San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/01/2-new-trains-on-track-to-cut-pollution/ Researchers Explain Possible Link between Air Pollution and Brain Tumors. Air pollution from the freeways that crisscross Southern California appears to play a role in triggering the formation of brain tumors, a renowned brain surgeon and his research colleague told an audience of about 50 people Wednesday. “With very short-term exposure with rats, we see molecular changes that take place in the brain,” said Dr. Keith Black, neurosurgery director at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_W_Brain01.203527ce9.html http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14795756 CARB Fines Produce Company $32,000 Over Lack Of Reefer Reports. The California Air Resources Board has fined one Sacramento-area produce company $32,000 for not filing state-required reefer reports. NorCal Produce will pay $32,550 after a CARB investigation showed the produce company failed to submit TRU reports required of in-state businesses that use reefers, which CARB calls transportation refrigeration units. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Mar10/032910/033110-05.htm Air Rules Sidetrack Temecula Food Bank. The manager of a Temecula nonprofit foundation that provides food to the needy said new state air-quality regulations are forcing him to sell most of his fleet of refrigerator trailers and forgo donations of perishable items. Todd Sieja said Wednesday the Western Eagle Foundation has already spent close to $6,000 to upgrade a trailer so it complies with new rules enforced by the California Air Resources Board. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_W_SFridge01.20377b472.html http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/swcounty/article_a1170f20-1137-599f-9a08-7c766f09f659.html Confusion Abounds Over Ag Diesel Rule. Mike Powell is not alone in his confusion. Many in ag are confused by the California Air Resources Board new regulation to reduce emissions from existing on-road diesel vehicles operating in California. Even after a somewhat contentious meeting in Tulare last week, many don't understand the new regulations that were approved in December by the ARB without the need for the approval of lawmakers. Posted. http://www.valleyvoicenewspaper.com/vv/stories/2010/vv_agdieselrule_0464.htm Viewpoints: Supporters of AB 32 Lowball True Cost of Global Warming Bill. On March 19, The Bee published an article ("CSUS dean, professor take heat for global warming study") that shed further doubt on research by two Sacramento State professors, Sanjay Varshney and Dennis Tootelian. The professors found that AB 32 (the Global Warming Solutions Act) would cost California more than a million jobs and billions of dollars over the course of its implementation. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/01/2647801/supporters-of-ab-32-lowball-true.html#ixzz0jrc6NWkb Governor Cooling On Global Warming. Days after the state Air Resources Board touted the economic benefits of curbing greenhouse gas emissions, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger advised his climate bureaucracy to slow down the rush to impose carbon dioxide cap-and-trade regulations. Facing growing public opposition and a well-financed ballot initiative to suspend the governor's signature Global Warming Solutions Act, which mostly takes effect in January 2012, Mr. Schwarzenegger last week wrote to the air board, asking it to consider a less-costly approach to restricting greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.desertdispatch.com/opinion/regulations-8185-governor-global.html Sacramento County Wins EPA Grant to Fight Climate Change. The rest of the country has a thing or two to learn from Sacramento County when it comes to combating climate change. At least that's according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which just awarded the county a $500,000 grant to expand the River Friendly Landscaping Program. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/01/2647925/sacramento-county-wins-epa-grant.html#ixzz0jrpWi1ze http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/03/29/daily42.html MENSINGER: Make Greenhouse Gas Reduction a Voluntary Goal. Global warming is a problem that both the Democratic-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Schwarzenegger addressed in 2006, when Assembly Bill 32 became law. It requires the state to create rules and regulations so emissions of green house warming gases are reduced to their 1990 levels by the year 2020. At the time that would have meant a 25 percent reduction. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/30/1108900/mensinger-make-greenhouse-gas.html#ixzz0jrjSpNWu City Of Tulare Seeks Residents' Ideas for Sustainable Community and Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Tulare officials on Monday will have the first of four meetings to gather residents' ideas on becoming a sustainable community and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Tulare Planning Director Mark Kielty said obtaining the public's input is the first step in developing a new greenhouse-gas-reduction program. Posted. http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20100401/NEWS01/4010305/1002 Nissan Leaf's Promise: An Affordable Electric. The all-electric Nissan Leaf hatchback will cost $32,780 when it hits showrooms in December, the Japanese automaker said Tuesday. But government subsidies will make the price more attractive. There's a federal tax credit of $7,500 for electric vehicles. And Californians are eligible for an additional $5,000 rebate through the state Air Resources Board. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/30/business/la-fi-nissan-leaf31-2010mar31 Energy Group: Greening Your Home Pays Off. Californians and the environment would win in the long run if homes and businesses could be more energy efficient by the year 2030. Speaking at a recently renovated townhome near the Nimitz Freeway that has been outfitted with the latest energy saving products that make the home energy neutral, the group California Environment said that consumers could be saving more than $800 in energy bills each year by retrofitting. Posted. http://www.kcbs.com/bayareanews/Energy-Group--Greening-Your-Home-Pays-Off/6701111 California´s Green Jobs Mirage. California´s experiment with global warming regulations reminds me of a story about a foolish, old dog who lost his bone in the water when he tried to grab its reflection. Similarly, California´s leaders risk sacrificing the jobs and industries we have today on a hope and a prayer that the "green jobs" and "green industries" of the future will be better and more plentiful than those we already have. Posted. http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/148911 No California Offshore Drilling For Now. President Obama's decision to block new oil drilling off the West Coast while allowing it elsewhere hasn't calmed the fears of California environmentalists, even if it helps build support for the kind of comprehensive energy bill they so badly want. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/01/MNU41CO3O4.DTL#ixzz0jroRROIF http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/01/2648005/obama-calls-for-offshore-drilling.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_14795207 http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-obama-drilling31-20100331,0,3426174.story Suisun Bay's Ghost Fleet May Finally R.I.P. The federal government and environmental groups reached an agreement Wednesday that will mean the end of the ghost fleet of retired ships in Suisun Bay. The vessels were once part of a mighty reserve fleet of warships and freighters, but time and neglect has turned them into what one environmental advocate called "a floating toxic waste dump." Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/01/MN5A1CO3VK.DTL#ixzz0jrok6dzH http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ghost-fleet1-2010apr01,0,594478.story http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/31/feds-to-remove-toxic-old-ships-from-calif-bay/ http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_14797522 Blogs Global Warming from the iPad? No, It’s Nonsense from Greenpeace. As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up. Apple’s magical iPad, which will save journalism and reinvigorate the Internet, or at least that portion controlled in Cupertino, is destroying Mother Gaia. That startling news comes right from Greenpeace, that respected bastion of responsible environmentalism. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?p=8590 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010 11:46:15 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 2-5, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 2-5, 2010. 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. L.A. Spars Over Green Energy. City Balks as Utility Demands Big Rate Increase to Fund Move Away From Coal. LOS ANGELES—City officials and Los Angeles's power company are sparring over big increases in electricity rates that the utility says it needs to pay for a push into renewable energy. So far, the city council is balking at the requests. But both sides agree the utility will need more revenue, making some substantial increases likely later this year. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303450704575160092725253492.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird California's Climate Bill Debate. Now that Congress has passed a health care bill, there's speculation about what might be done for the health of the climate. Last year the House of Representatives voted to cap greenhouse gases, but attempts to pull together the 60 votes needed in the Senate appear to be faltering. Conservative Democrats are wary, and the few Republican senators who want action on climate change do not like the bill that passed the House. Posted. http://www.pri.org/politics-society/california-climate-bill-debate1934.html Calif. Climate Law Under Assault In Poor Economy. Sacramento, Calif. — Four years ago, California earned accolades for adopting a law that would slash its greenhouse gas emissions and serve as a model for national climate change legislation. With the state mired in a crippling recession, the law that once looked like a landmark achievement is coming under assault. The regulatory effort Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger set in motion is facing a political backlash and could come to an abrupt halt in the months ahead. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iHFeUXOX2waXoRR_l0bqwfpPJBmwD9ESE4D80 http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14818891 http://www.modbee.com/2010/04/04/1114350/calif-climate-law-under-assault.html#ixzz0kEyLiUBx California Leads Nation In Controlling MPG. Embracing California's laws as a national standard, the Obama administration overhauled fuel efficiency and emissions rules for America's passenger vehicles, requiring new cars, SUVs, minivans and pickups to improve gas mileage 40 percent by 2016. Current federal law requires a combined average of 25.4 miles per gallon. The new rules require 35.5 miles per gallon, starting with 2016 model vehicles. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_14818291 California a Barometer for US Cap & Trade. California, the US’s largest state in economic terms and a long-time pioneer in environmental regulation, is now a barometer for the future of carbon cap and trade in North America as various emissions trading moves hang in the balance. Doubts over whether a far-reaching emissions cap and trade programme proposed by Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will now come to pass have implications for the chances of a wider regional scheme taking off and federal moves to get a nation-wide energy and climate bill through Congress. Posted. http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=1955 A Fill-Up That Goes Farther. Think California's lost the knack to inspire and create? New fuel economy standards -born and bred here - launched a revolution that Washington and even Detroit are ready to accept. Using federal clean-air rules, the Obama administration is decreeing that cars and light trucks must boost mileage to 35 miles per gallon from the current 25 over the next six years. Emissions - the climate change kind - also will drop as vehicles burn less gas and spew less from tail pipes. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/05/ED241CP191.DTL&type=printable Court: Calif. Reefer Regs OK. California may continue enforcing its restrictions on transportation refrigerated units as a result of a ruling April 2 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The court rejected a challenge by the American Trucking Associations and the Truckload Carriers Association to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency action allowing the California regulation to move forward. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=84941 Opinion: Future Cars, Now. California's Air Resources Board should set standards that push the industry beyond old under-the-hood technology to achieve cleaner, more efficient cars. Two federal agencies, working with California, have taken the biggest step in the nation's history to reduce the United States' global warming footprint. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/02/opinion/la-oe-becker2-2010apr02 El Dorado Hills Asbestos Levels Don't Warrant Full-Scale Study, U.S. Report Says. El Dorado Hills residents face increased risks of disease from exposure to naturally occurring asbestos, but asbestos levels don't appear to be high enough to warrant an extensive health study, according to federal health officials. A "health consultation" report released last week by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, evaluated risks of asbestos exposure throughout the community. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/05/v-print/2655232/el-dorado-hills-asbestos-levels.html Outdoor Smoking Bans. The research shows that secondhand smoke is unhealthful. But those conclusions are based on smoke-filled indoor environments. The consequences for outdoor settings are less clear. California legislators want to ban smoking at state beaches and parks, and they've sent a bill to the governor that would do just that. It remains to be seen whether he'll sign the measure, designed to reduce the public's exposure to secondhand smoke, not to mention cut back on cigarette butt litter. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-he-closer-20100405,0,6201993,print.story 'Clean Car' Players Look to Road Ahead. While the two agencies responsible for the first-ever joint "clean car" rule celebrated the product of months of exhausting work, others already had their eye on what's next. Congress's chief auditor, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, issued a report yesterday urging a formal marriage between U.S. EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to work jointly on future vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards. The new rules set yesterday will expire after model year 2016. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/02/02climatewire-clean-car-players-look-to-road-ahead-74684.html?pagewanted=print New State Rules To Mandate, Certify Green Construction. Green building practices reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and conserve our natural resources. California has been the national leader in sound environmental building practices and recently became the first state to adopt mandatory statewide green building regulations. In August, the California Building Standards Commission published a set of voluntary construction guidelines for buildings to be more sustainable, green and energy efficient. In January, the commission unanimously adopted these guidelines, which will become mandatory for all new construction on Jan. 1, 2011. Posted. http://www.forconstructionpros.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=25&id=15646 ConAgra To Reduce Emissions 20% by 2015. ConAgra Foods has set five goals for 2015 related to corporate sustainability, including reducing its emissions 20 percent, when compared to 2008. The consumer food company also aims to reduce its water use 15 percent compared to 2008, and divert 75 percent more waste to landfills. In terms of its packaging, ConAgra intends to reduce packaging per pound of product by 10 percent. Another related goal is boosting packaging from renewable sources by 45-50 percent. ConAgra also plans increase use of recycled content in all of its packaging by 25 percent. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/04/05/conagra-to-reduce-emissions-20-by-2015/print/ Some Worry PG&E's Proposed New Rates Could Hurt California's Solar Market. Bill Schrader uses a lot of electricity at his 5,200-square-feet house in Alamo, particularly when the air conditioning runs during the sweltering summer months. But after installing solar panels in January, his electric bill plunged from $450 per month on average to $45. The drop was especially steep because the Schraders were among the 17 percent of PG&E customers statewide who paid the highest prices for electricity in the utility's current five-tiered rate system designed to reward conservation and punish big energy users with high bills. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14803540?source=rss U.S. Follows State's Lead on Clean-Car Standards. California’s clean-car standards, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light-duty trucks by nearly a third over the next 10 years, have now spread across North America. Officials from the Obama administration and the Canadian government on Thursday separately announced regulations that will effectively expand the standards developed in California to apply across the continent. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/apr/01/country-follows-californias-lead-on-clean-car/ The Price of Pollution. When Halaco declared bankruptcy, the Oxnard metals recycling company that created so much hazardous material it was designated a Superfund site didn’t have many assets anyone would want. The oceanfront property will cost tens of millions of dollars to clean up and the buildings are being torn down. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/apr/03/nxxfcpolllution04/ Grants Offered for Emission Reducing Projects. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is looking for some new ideas. And they have $2 million in grant money that they’re looking to hand out. ”We’re offering these grants because we really want to see new technology come to the Bay Area to reduce the amount of air pollution from cars and trucks that travel on Bay Area roads,” said district spokeswoman Jennifer Jones. Posted. http://www.kcbs.com/bayareanews/Grants-Offered-for-Emission-Reducing-Projects/6723010 Grant Pays For Engines Used By Bay Patrol Boat. A $75,660 grant will allow the Marin County Sheriff's Office to buy two Yanmar 315 horsepower marine engines to power its 33-foot bay patrol boat, Rescue One. Under the Carl Moyer Grant program administered by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the grants provide equipment that reduces emissions of nitrogen oxide, particulates and reactive organic compounds. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14813426?nclick_check=1 California Drove Obama's New U.S. Fuel-Economy Rules. Embracing California's laws as a national standard, the Obama administration on Thursday overhauled fuel efficiency and emissions rules for America's passenger vehicles, requiring new cars, SUVs, minivans and pickups to improve gas mileage 40 percent by 2016. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14803785 New Mileage Rules: Pay More For Cars, Less At Pump. Washington — Drivers will have to pay more for cars and trucks, but they'll save at the pump under tough new federal rules aimed at boosting mileage, cutting emissions and hastening the next generation of fuel-stingy hybrids and electric cars. The new standards, announced today, call for a 35.5 miles-per-gallon average within six years, up nearly 10 mpg from now. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14802190 Editorial: Obama Is Right About Offshore Oil Drilling. OFFSHORE OIL drilling has a new and enthusiastic supporter, President Barack Obama. A former opponent of expanding petroleum exploration off the U.S. coast, the president has come to realize that the nation cannot afford to take any potential energy source off the table at least for the near future. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_14800887 Researchers Warn Of Possible Links Between Brain Cancer, Air Pollution. Colton - For about the last five years, brain tumors have been the leading cancer for people 19 and younger. Dr. Keith L. Black, director of the department of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, has a theory as to why - air pollution. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14795756 Meteorologist Wades Into Climate Debate. State College, Pa. — Joe Bastardi believes he is the only meteorologist in the land with a varsity wrestling letter, a trophy from his undergraduate years at Penn State. And now he may be in the wrestling match of his career, taking on a behemoth: the scientific consensus that the Earth is warming, perhaps catastrophically, and that human-produced carbon dioxide is to blame. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14815995 Thomas Sowell: 'Change' in the Earth's temperatures is not at all new. WHEN ANCIENT fossils of creatures that live on the ocean floor have been found in rock formations at the summit of Mount Everest, that ought to give us a clue that big changes in the Earth are nothing new, and that huge changes have been going on long before human beings appeared on the scene. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14800882 NYC Study: 50 Native Plants Disappearing. New York—Oriental Bittersweet was an exotic foreigner still found mostly in East Asia when the New York Botanical Garden planted its first specimen in 1897. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14809636 Energy Rush. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's pursuit of green energy does not justify sidestepping the legislative process. Letting the governor essentially create law by himself is bad policy that invites abuses of power. And legislators should reject the governor's plan to spend money on an energy standard of dubious legality. The state has better uses for public funds. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_W_op_01_energyrush.2263cd4.html Drilling Plan May Buoy Efforts on Energy Policy. Ever since he ran Bill Clinton’s “It’s the Economy, Stupid” presidential campaign in 1992, James Carville has held a reputation for common-sense Democratic strategy. In recent years, Mr. Carville has seized on the transformation of America’s energy system, which simultaneously touches voter concerns about the economy, national security and the environment. Posted. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/drilling-plan-may-buoy-efforts-on-energy-policy/ Blogs EPA About to Regulate CO2 to Your Economic Detriment? As early as this week, some expect the Obama Administration to shove down America’s throat Draconian regulations to restrict harmless CO2 emissions as an excuse for picking Americans’ pockets. Of course, they will say they are doing it to save you from global warming, but no amount of emission regulations will change the global temperature enough for anyone to notice, let alone substantially affect climate. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/04/04/epa-about-to-regulate-co2-to-your-economic-detriment/20295/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2010 16:19:38 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 6, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 6, 2010. 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. Other Voices: Carbon Emission a Pollutant? Suspend AB 32. In recent months, my taking the lead to suspend AB 32 has garnered the attention of media outlets across the nation and most importantly that of Californians. I am glad people are taking the time to discuss this momentous issue, seeing how it will affect California for years to come. However, much of what has been published has been one-sided and at times downright misleading. It is important now, more than ever, for Californians to get the facts straight and make an informed decision for their future and that of our great state. Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100406/OPINION/100409868/1024 California Republicans Oppose Democrats' Measures to Build Green Economy. Republicans in the Senate and Assembly want to avoid the costs of the change to a green economy. The pending implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act passed in 2006 has the free business politicians claiming job losses will worsen the state's unemployment situation. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-36269-San-Diego-Public-Policy-Examiner~y2010m4d5-California-Republicans-oppose-Democrats-measures-to-build-green-economy California Climate Change Initiative under Attack. Why are a number of Texas-based oil companies pouring money into a nascent ballot initiative in California? Becasue they don’t want to clean up their act. In a desperate attempt to undermine the state’s ground-breaking environmental policies, these companies are funding a campaign to stall – or cancel completely – California’s comprehensive plan for climate change mitigation. Posted. http://dcprogressive.org/2010/04/05/california-climate-change-initiative-under-attack/ Clean Air Plan Targets Industries From Dairies To Developers. Bay Area oil refineries could be required to cut fumes from tanks and pipes. Dairy farmers might have to provide feed that lessens the gas expelled by cows. Homebuilders could be required to design housing tracts to minimize residents' car travel. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14824647 Green Groups Fight To Keep EPA's Power Over Emissions. Environmental activists this week are stepping up a battle to protect U.S. EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, staging demonstrations and lobbying lawmakers at their local offices. Carrying signs with slogans like "Fight Climate Change Now" and "We Can't Wait for Climate Action," members of the coalition 1Sky already have rallied outside the regional offices of 10 senators and seven House members. They plan to visit at least three more senators' offices this week. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/04/06/4 San Jose Orders Study Of Compost-To-Energy Plant. Palo Alto, Calif. -- Palo Alto has voted to look into building a compost-to-energy plant on land slated to become a park. The City Council, voting just after midnight Tuesday, ordered a $250,000 feasibility study. The Baylands site is a landfill but it's scheduled to become part of Byxbee Park when the dump closes. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/06/1885984/san-jose-orders-study-of-compost.html How Carbon Dioxide Affects Ocean Life. Seawater reacts with atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid. This acidified water has less calcium carbonate, a component vital to many organisms. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040503723.html Blogs Global Warming Riches – But Not For You. You may recall AmazonGate, one of the later frauds perpetuated by global warming alarmists to justify changing your lifestyle and taking your money. Well, there’s an interesting update, courtesy the U.K. Telegraph (why is it the U.S. press doesn’t break these stories?) In one of the most grandiose global warming scams, there’s a plot to claim $60 billion in carbon credits to keep intact a large section of the Amazon rainforest. Oh yeah, by the way, it’s not really threatened by global warming, if that matters. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/04/05/global-warming-riches-but-not-for-you/20371/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 09:39:45 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- News Clips for April 7, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 7, 2010. 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. California Greenhouse Gas Law Still Has Majority Support, Field Poll Finds. The state's controversial global warming law still has the support of a majority of Californians despite growing doubts about its potential impact on the economy, according to a Field Poll released Tuesday. The poll shows 58 percent of registered voters support Assembly Bill 32, which will require significant reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. The poll was commissioned by Next 10, a San Francisco nonprofit group that supports green technology and reducing gases blamed for global warming. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/07/2660262/california-greenhouse-gas-law.html#ixzz0kQfagwuB http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/06/1886433/poll-majority-of-californians.html#ixzz0kQelvT3w http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/04/05/daily21.html California's Cap-Trade Law Faces Fall Ballot Challenge. The energy industry and an antitax group are challenging California's plan to cap greenhouse-gas emissions, saying the effort would lead to job losses and raise energy prices if it goes into effect in 2012. These groups are collecting signatures to put an anti-cap measure before voters in November; the proposition would postpone any carbon limit until the economy rebounds. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304620304575165843688369042.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5 Red Ink and Green Jobs. In 2006, when California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a mandate for dramatic reduction of greenhouse gasses into law, the state's economy was in a very different place. Unemployment was 4.5 percent and residents felt rich thanks to inflated home values. Today, 12.5 percent of Californians are out of work, the state is in budgetary meltdown, and Californians are re-evaluating their priorities. Posted. http://reason.com/archives/2010/04/06/red-ink-and-green-jobs Logue, Oil Firms Leading Assault on Climate Bill. Four years ago, California earned accolades for adopting a law that would slash its greenhouse gas emissions and serve as a model for national climate change legislation. Now Nevada County's state Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda, is battling the plan, asking that it be delayed until California's current jobless rate is cut by more than half with his California Jobs Initiative. Under the climate change measure, oil refineries, manufacturers, cement plants, utilities and other carbon polluters are to begin cutting their emissions in 2012. Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100407/NEWS/100409825/1001&parentprofile=1053 Green Groups Fight to Keep EPA's Power over Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Environmental activists this week are stepping up a battle to protect U.S. EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, staging demonstrations and lobbying lawmakers at their local offices. Carrying signs with slogans like "Fight Climate Change Now" and "We Can't Wait for Climate Action," members of the coalition 1Sky already have rallied outside the regional offices of 10 senators and seven House members. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/06/06greenwire-green-groups-fight-to-keep-epas-power-over-gre-71654.html Air District Releases Clean Air Plan. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has released its draft of the 2010 Clean Air Plan. The report has been in the works for over two years, as a comprehensive strategy to improve Bay Area air quality and protect public health. The district is still looking to gather public comment from hearings before any decisions are made. Posted. http://www.kcbs.com/bayareanews/Air-District-Releases-Clean-Air-Plan/6743875 GET Unveils New Natural-Gas Powered Buses. Golden Empire Transit District on Tuesday unveiled the newest additions to the city's bus fleet, 27 natural gas-powered buses in a new color scheme meant to evoke the Bakersfield horizon. The district has 27 new turquoise blue, green and yellow buses in-hand already, and anticipates delivery of five more "shortly," said GET Chief Executive Officer Karen King. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x911430733/GET-unveils-new-natural-gas-powered-buses Blogs Your Packages: Delivered By Electric Trucks. At least some of the boxes and envelopes delivered by FedEx Express in L.A. every day will arrive at their desinations in all-electric trucks. Beginning in late May, Los Angeles will serve as the U.S. pilot for the global delivery service when FedEx adds four electric delivery trucks to its local fleet of 600 vehicles. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/04/fedex-electric-delivery-trucks-will-debut-in-la.html Californians Support Global Warming Law AB 32: Field Poll. A majority of California voters support AB 32, the 2006 law requiring reductions of greenhouse gases believed to cause global warming, according to a new poll by Field Research Corp. (PDF) Of those responding, 58 percent supported the law, with 34 percent strongly approving and 24 percent somewhat approving, according to the Field poll. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?p=8709 A Couple Of Global Warming Points To Ponder: La La Law And New Panic. Our favorite global warming quote of the day comes courtesy this Wall Street Journal headline: Another: A La La Land climate law ignores economic reality. Why is it so clear to everyone except the ones pushing it? Oh, yeah. Because they stand to gain control and your money. Silly question, huh? The second global warming point to ponder also comes from the Journal today. It’s a column in which the question is asked: “What’s the next global warming?” Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/04/06/a-couple-of-global-warming-points-to-ponder-la-la-law-and-new-panic/20401/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 12:02:45 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- News Clips for April 8, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 8, 2010. 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. Ports Strengthen Clean Air Plans. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach strengthened their Clean Air Action Plan Wednesday, setting new goals for curbing pollution over the next decade. "This updated Clean Air Action Plan underscores the ongoing commitment our ports have made toward reducing our impact on surrounding communities and the region," Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz said. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_14838452 Clean Air Plan Targets Industries from Dairies to Developers. Bay Area oil refineries could be required to cut fumes from tanks and pipes. Dairy farmers might have to provide feed that lessens the gas expelled by cows. Homebuilders could be required to design housing tracts to minimize residents' car travel. Even winemakers might have to operate under a rule to limit the sweet-smelling vapors that escape from fermentation tanks. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14824647 Air Pollution Fines: Where Is The Line Drawn? Since 1988, the California Air Resources Board has been required by the California Clean Air Act to minimize the amount of volatile organic compounds being released into the atmosphere. A specified level of VOCs permitted has been decided upon. Recently, however, Conopco Inc. has decided that this is a regulation with which it does not feel the need to comply. Posted. http://media.www.hillsdalecollegian.com/media/storage/paper1270/news/2010/04/08/Opinion/Air-Pollution.Fines.Where.Is.The.Line.Drawn-3901964.shtml Small-Business Association Wants To Suspend AB 32. Assembly Bill 32 will “create enormous financial burdens” on small-business owners, especially as many struggle for survival during the recession, according to the state’s largest small-business association. NFIB, the National Federation of Independent Business, favors the California Jobs Initiative, a proposition that would temporarily suspend AB 32 to protect jobs and small-business owners in the state, said John Kabateck, executive director of NFIB/California in Sacramento. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/04/05/daily37.html LAO: A Heavy Hitter in the Fight over Environmental Issues. In the battlefield that is California’s greenhouse gas emissions law, the opposing forces have been clearly defined: Industry and business interests seek limits or an outright repeal, while environmental groups, their allies and – thus far – the public favor the statute. But a third major player has gradually entered the fray over the past year: the Legislative Analyst’s Office. For a nonpartisan office that advises lawmakers on the state budget and myriad fiscal issues, the appearance of the LAO is a surprise, not only in air-quality issues but in an array of other environmental questions facing the Capitol. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yr7rdqeiu6ttzh&xid=yr62rebqb0x0io&done=.yr7rdqeiu7htzh Opinion: Greenhouse Gas Law Doesn’t Deal With Pollution. In recent months, my taking the lead to suspend AB 32 has garnered the attention of media outlets across the nation and most importantly that of Californians. I am glad that people are taking the time to discuss this momentous issue, seeing how it will affect California for years to come. However, much of what has been published has been one-sided and at times downright misleading. It is important now, more than ever, for Californians to get the facts straight and make an informed decision for their future and that of our great state. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yr7xrdpja3xfta&xid=yr7x902xmutabi&done=.yr7xrdpja4lfta 'Cool-Car' Mandate Killed Just In Time. Sometimes we are spared the unintended consequences of government meddling. The California Air Resources Board, which plans to dictate massive changes to the economy, realized before it was too late how foolish its plans were to reduce motorists’ carbon footprints by requiring reflective glaze on vehicle windows. Posted. http://www.vvdailypress.com/opinion/plans-18467-government-consequences.html Opinion: California's AB 32 Is a Losing Climate Bet. To say times are tough is an understatement. California families feel under siege, with an economy that stays down while housing prices do the same. So it's entirely reasonable that California's leaders, including those vying for the state's top executive job in November, are reconsidering the economically unsound AB 32, which is a toxic mix of command-and-control efforts to forcibly limit carbon emissions and pseudo-market functions such as a troubled cap-and-trade scheme. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_14839819?nclick_check=1 Texas Oil Firms Oppose California Climate Law. Several Texas oil companies are bankrolling a petition drive to suspend California’s path-breaking climate change law in a move that may prove a bellwether for national efforts to address global warming. The Valero Energy Corporation, a San Antonio-based company that is one of the nation’s largest independent oil refiners and retailers, has contributed $500,000 to a ballot initiative that would halt the carrying out of the California climate law known as Assembly Bill 32, which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, signed in 2006. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/science/earth/08energy.html Climate Talks Could Pick Up From Failed Summit. Climate change negotiators convening this weekend are hoping to renew momentum on a new global warming treaty after setbacks at the Copenhagen summit four months ago — but the talks could easily turn into a round of recriminations. Delegates from 175 countries begin a three-day meeting in Bonn, Germany, on Friday with an open session meant to be a stocktaking. But it could turn bitter over blame for the failure to deliver a firm agreement in the Danish capital on limiting manmade emissions of greenhouse gases, the cause of the Earth's rising average temperatures. Posted. . http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14843623 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i9TuMrvrknh-ZXwqmZ2N-48kff3wD9EUSVK00 Viewpoints: Curtis Park Plan Must Meet Toxics Law. Judging by its editorials, The Bee seems to think that Curtis Park Village is primarily a test of the city's ability to do an infill project. It's not that simple. The Curtis Park railyard is a state Superfund site. Its soil is laced with lead, arsenic and other cancer-causing pollutants. The central issue that's haunted this piece of property for 23 years is that every time someone sticks a shovel into the ground, more hazardous waste turns up. That's because this property was more than a "railyard." For decades, it was a large, very dirty, locomotive repair shop and unlicensed, unlined industrial landfill. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/08/2663002/curtis-park-plan-must-meet-toxics.html#ixzz0kWlX7UWB S.F. Program To Help Homeowners Go Green. One of the nation's largest and most ambitious home-retrofit and alternative-energy programs is being launched right here in San Francisco next week. GreenFinanceSF is a $150 million, privately funded program enabling San Francisco property owners to have money-saving energy-efficiency measures - like low-flow toilets and double-paned windows - and noncarbon energy sources, like solar, installed in their homes and businesses. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/08/BUJ31CQMF5.DTL#ixzz0kWvLO8VO California searches abroad for partners before saying all aboard on high speed rail. As California's High Speed Rail Authority meets in San Jose today to concentrate on the touchy subject of where to run the tracks that will whiz bullet trains through the Bay Area, it is looking much farther for a partner to help engineer and pay for the $43 billion project: China and a few other countries with money and expertise. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14840092 Blogs Aw, Why Bother Pricing The Global Warming Law? A bill that would have required economic analysis of any significant regulations dictated by the California Air Resources Board died in committee yesterday on a strictly partisan vote. (Guess which party voted against) SB 960 by Bob Dutton, who isn’t in that party, would have required oversight and accountability of the state air police by mandating a thorough economic analysis of any regulations those unaccountable bureaucrats decide to foist upon us. But heck, why consider cost benefit analysis and technological feasibility of regulations? What good could that do? Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/04/07/aw-why-bother-pricing-the-global-warming-law/20487/ Climate Change Could Be GOP Downfall. California Republican candidates, led by Meg Whitman, are running on a platform this year to rollback the state’s landmark climate-change legislation, but a new poll reveals that the GOP’s move could prove disastrous. The Field Poll shows that AB32, the 2006 law that Whitman and Republicans want to suspend because they claim it will harm the economy, is supported by 58 percent of state residents, the Sacramento Bee reports today. Posted. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/92510/archives/2010/04/07/climate-change-could-be-gop-downfall ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:14:24 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- News Clips for April 12, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 9-12, 2010. 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. Protect State's Clean Air Law; It's a Matter of U.S. Security. The people of California have always been an inspiration to the rest of the country when it comes to supporting a clean, secure, energy future. We realize that cleaning our air and reducing our dependence on foreign oil is good for the environment, good for our economy, and good for our nation’s security. But some out-of-state oil companies are trying to use fear to put the brakes on California’s clean air law, AB32. I believe the people of this great state will see through this greed-fueled attempt to kill progress. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/apr/10/protect-states-clean-air-law-its-a-matter-of-us/ Reducing Gas Emissions Makes Economic Sense. Why are Republicans siding with big oil in an effort to repeal AB 32? Four years ago, California earned international accolades for adopting a law that would slash its greenhouse gas emissions and serve as a model for national climate change legislation. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger enthusiastically signed AB 32, the state's pioneering roadmap to a clean energy economy. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100409/COLUMNS26/4080377/1026/news12/Reducing-gas-emissions-makes-economic-sense Court Fight Adds Confusion to Senate Climate Effort. The departure of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens adds a crucial task to the Senate schedule, at a minimum, and could peel momentum from looming climate legislation if his successor triggers a searing political fight. Stevens' announcement arrived more than a week before the anticipated release of a Senate bill restricting greenhouse gases. That timing clouds the chamber's legislative horizon by handing senators a top White House priority in the months leading to contentious midterm campaigning. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/12/12climatewire-court-fight-adds-confusion-to-senate-climate-84270.html ANTHONY L. WESTERLING: Climate Change Science More Certain Than Ever. Numerous polls have shown a decline in U.S. public concern about climate change over the past two years. For example, a Gallup poll made public last month found that a large and increasing number of Americans believe that the seriousness of climate change has been exaggerated, that it will not pose a serious threat within their lifetimes, and that it is not caused by humans. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/09/1891091/anthony-l-westerling-climate-change.html Climate talks. Differences have emerged at the outset of the first U.N. climate conference since the disappointing Copenhagen climate summit, as delegates from 175 countries begin afresh on a new global warming agreement. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14851484 http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14863435 Cap and Trade Comes Home. Many of you have probably heard about the latest “green” initiative designed to hold down “carbon emissions” into the atmosphere. You know, the type of carbon emissions that supposedly constitute the “anthropogenic” part of the alleged warming phenomenon. The economic process that’s supposed to help fix this “problem,” if not solve it outright, is called “cap and trade.” Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-34431-Harrisburg-Conservative-Examiner~y2010m4d12-Cap-and-trade-comes-home Air District Oks $1.2 Million for Vehicle Buy Back Plan. To reduce harmful air pollution from vehicle tailpipes, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s board of directors has authorized $1.2 million to pay for the extension of the Vehicle Buyback Program for Bay Area residents. This voluntary program offers $1,000 to owners of older, more polluting cars and light trucks to voluntarily retire their vehicles. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_738e1cec-43a3-11df-893f-001cc4c002e0.html New Data Increases Concern Regarding Air Quality Impact from Mining Project. An Azusa mining project's impact on air quality could be heightened, but remains within standards, according to new data presented by South Coast Air Quality Management District officials Thursday in a new round of comments on the project. The AQMD previously submitted comments on an environmental report on Vulcan Materials Co.'s proposal to shift mining along its border. Posted. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_14849798 Valley Officials Weigh Emission Law. A state-mandated effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions is turning into a struggle by local governments to maintain control over development. This month, Fresno County political leaders expect to vote on proposed targets for cutting emissions of those climate-changing gases -- mainly carbon dioxide from burning gasoline and other fossil fuels. In the long term, making those cuts will change how cities grow and how their people move around. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/10/1892257/valley-officials-weigh-emission.html#ixzz0ku1wVqAz Waste disposal company to expand LNG-powered truck fleet. By the end of 2010, the largest provider of solid waste collection services in the Los Angeles area will spend $9.7 million to add 39 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks to its Long Beach fleet, bringing the total to 79, company officials said. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14854834 Actor Looks at San Joaquin Valley's Manure and Sees Energy. John O'Hurley played J. Peterman, the guy on "Seinfeld" who put out a clothing catalog filled with elaborate prose. So, what's the actor up to lately? Scouting the nation for manure. O'Hurley is a partner in Energy-Inc., a Las-Vegas-based company that turns waste from livestock and other sources into energy. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/04/12/1124242/actor-looks-at-san-joaquin-valleys.html#ixzz0kuE5QLE5 Waste hauler tests composting program in Marin. Today's food scraps could become tomorrow's fertilizer under a new program by Marin Sanitary Service, which has begun collecting and composting food waste from four Marin neighborhoods. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14847905 Do Your Part: Is Your Home Making You Sick? It's what most of us look forward to at the end of a busy day: coming home, putting our feet up, and taking a deep breath of polluted air. Shocking, yes. But many times, we are doing just that. You may be surprised to find out that the air we breathe inside our homes every day can be several times more polluted than the air outside. It makes sense when we take stock of the many chemicals we bring into our homes. Do Your Part and reduce indoor air pollution when you make smarter choices about the furniture, paints and cleaning supplies you buy for your home. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/12/2672054/do-your-part-is-your-home-making.html#ixzz0ktx7cuCt M&ET Goes Loco for Green Engines. The Modesto & Empire Traction Co. is being called the "greenest" short-line railroad in North America because it has replaced all its old locomotives with energy-efficient engines that spew far less toxins into the air. The century-old, locally owned railroad is completing the purchase of five new "ultra clean" locomotives, funded largely by a $6.7 million state grant. Until those new U.S.-made locomotives arrive next year, the M&ET is leasing five low-polluting engines, which went into service this winter. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/04/12/1124252/met-goes-loco-for-green-engines.html#ixzz0ktu5ToQt The Energy to Make Changes. The push to create a more energy-efficient and less polluted and congested California is coming from many places. The city of Napa has adopted green building standards. The California Legislature has passed laws requiring a rollback of carbon emissions and encouraging growth in urban centers, close to jobs and transportation. From Napa Valley wineries with vast solar arrays to automakers rolling out electric cars in 2011, companies rapidly are changing the way they do business. Posted. http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_47c3af1a-45eb-11df-a703-001cc4c03286.html Opinion: New Law Will Attract Clean Energy Businesses to California. Last month Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to San Jose to sign into law SB 71, a green technology sales tax exemption that will provide a great incentive for clean energy manufacturers who come to or remain in California. This bill is a win-win for our state because it will encourage investment and protect the environment. Schwarzenegger and the bill's authors, state senators Alex Padilla, Tony Strickland and Elaine K. Alquist, deserve credit for this accomplishment. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/green-energy/ci_14846896 Blogs Can Struggling State Really Afford A New Costly Energy Scheme? This week, Mechanics Bank investment fund manager Brian Pretti asked the more than 200 people at the monthly Sonoma County Alliance meeting for a show of hands if they thought the economy was better today than this time last year. Most half-heartedly raised their hands part way. Asking again if things were a lot better than a year ago elicited zero hands. Posted. http://insider.blogs.northbaybusinessjournal.com/2010/04/09/can-struggling-state-really-afford-a-new-costly-energy-scheme/ Greenwash of the Week: Chevron's Solar 'Project Bull$@#!'. Greenwash of the Week, the beloved Rainforest Action Network web video series, is BACK! Watch Greenwash of the Week! You'll laugh and you just might cry.. Every week, hosts Brianna and Nick investigate cases of corporate and political greenwash, designed to deceive the public into believing that something is "green" when it's not. This week's episode explores Chevron's recent solar announcement. Chevron, the 3rd largest oil corporation on the planet, announced "Project Brightfield", a solar panel beauty pageant in California's central valley. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rtarbotton/detail??blogid=187&entry_id=60628#ixzz0ktvdmf3Q ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:31:48 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 13th, 2010 From: sponedal@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 13, 2010. 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. Calif. Bill Requires Home Carbon Monoxide Monitors. Californians would be required to install carbon monoxide monitors if their home has an attached garage or fireplace under legislation the state Assembly adopted Monday, although one lawmaker said the bill reached too far into people's private lives. The bill by Sen. Allen Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, also would mandate the devices in homes that are heated by oil or other fossil fuels. The Assembly passed it on a 47-19 vote, sending it to the Senate. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gA1wnqxm7Hk-yyzkCTvMjYCQ1SLQD9F1PM501 Energy Commissioner Joins in AB32 Meeting. California Energy Commissioner Anthony Eggert and four high-ranking business leaders will discuss the financial effect of AB32 on businesses during a two-hour meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday at The Sutter Club in downtown Sacramento. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/04/12/daily18.html White House Rhetoric May Signal Climate-Bill Surge. With the bruising health care debate over, President Obama's top economic adviser left little doubt last week that energy and climate has taken its place atop the administration's agenda. During a 30-minute speech (pdf) at a Washington energy conference, Larry Summers, the head of the White House's National Economic Council, used lofty rhetoric to warn of the long-term consequences if Congress fails to follow through this year on a sweeping overhaul of how the nation generates and uses energy. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/12/12greenwire-some-see-white-house-rhetoric-signaling-climat-88495.html Senate Leader Reaffirms Plans for Climate Bill Debate as Sponsors Prepare Bloc-To-Bloc Talks. The Senate's top Democrat said yesterday he is still dedicated to spending valuable floor time this year on comprehensive climate and energy legislation, but the three sponsors of the plan may have to go member-by-member in order to deliver a package capable of mustering 60 votes. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/13/13climatewire-senate-leader-reaffirms-plans-for-climate-bi-34741.html Aluminum Foil Or Plastic Wrap: Which Is Better For The Environment? Judging by conversations the Lantern has had with her colleagues, most people seem to believe intuitively that aluminum foil is better for the planet, maybe because plastics are made from fossil fuels and we've heard so much about how they're polluting the oceans. Plus, foil can be rinsed and reused with relative ease, or sometimes even recycled at the curb, while plastic wrap is usually thrown away. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/12/AR2010041203231.html Europe Finds Clean Energy in Trash, but U.S. Lags. The lawyers and engineers who dwell in an elegant enclave here are at peace with the hulking neighbor just over the back fence: a vast energy plant that burns thousands of tons of household garbage and industrial waste, round the clock. Far cleaner than conventional incinerators, this new type of plant converts local trash into heat and electricity. Dozens of filters catch pollutants, from mercury to dioxin, that would have emerged from its smokestack only a decade ago. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/science/earth/13trash.html?src=me TV weathercasters divided on global warming. Before Spencer Christian, a weather forecaster with KGO-TV Channel 7 in San Francisco, steps before the camera during the station's 6 p.m. newscast, he scrutinizes a computer screen to analyze the latest forecasting data. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14869684 Barnidge: For BAAQMD, no measure is too severe for clean air. IF YOU visit the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Web site, you will be impressed by the economy of words in its mission statement: "To protect and improve public health, air quality and the global climate." Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14870034 Calif. bill requires home carbon monoxide monitors. SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Californians would be required to install carbon monoxide monitors if their home has an attached garage or fireplace under legislation the state Assembly adopted Monday, although one lawmaker said the bill reached too far into people's private lives. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14869416 The greening of the cut-flower industry. Maybe I can finally stop pouting about the fact that for 28 years I rarely get cut flowers from my husband on any occasion. He's a little shall we say, frugal? Or maybe he had foresight I didn't see. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-living/ci_14868954 California Ports Update Clean Air Action Plan. Building on the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) adopted in 2006, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles CA released a proposed, updated Clean Air Action Plan that includes new goals for curbing port-related air pollution over the next decade. Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/carriers-shippers/california_ports_update_clean_air_action_plan_0413/ Make the Railroad Clean Up Its Act. After hearing reports about the Colton Crossing, I'm left scratching my head in bewilderment - $97.3 million in public funds going to a project that doesn't even meet the minimum public benefits criteria. The California Transportation Commission was correct in denying the proposal last month, but it seemed to miss the point when it gave the railroads and San Bernardino Association of Governments two weeks to go back and "make up" some public benefit. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/pointofview/ci_14871184 Measured by carbon footprint, travel to Antarctica has tons of impact. Getting to Antarctica is not easy. Neither is calculating the carbon footprint created by going to and from the continent. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/12/AR2010041203194.html Climate treaty realities push leaders to trim priority lists. As prospects for a binding global climate treaty this year have evaporated, leaders and environmental advocates have focused their efforts on reaching agreement on a few top priorities, including preserving tropical forests and helping developing countries cope with climate change. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/12/AR2010041203822.html Blogs Reporter's Notes: Smog Checks Made Easy. One interesting little sidetrack I got stuck on while I was reporting this story was the 1-800-Exhaust program. Maybe you've seen the billboards along I-80 near the Bay Bridge? If not, you will soon. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (the same people who bring you Spare the Air days) has kicked off a new campaign to promote the program. Posted. http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2010/04/09/reporters-notes-smog-checks-made-easy Obama Seeks Local Action for Earth Day. President Obama today urged Americans to honor the upcoming 40th anniversary of Earth Day by acting to improve the environment around them and launched a Web site, Whitehouse.gov/EarthDay, compiling citizens’ success stories. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/obama-seeks-local-action-for-earth-day/ Growth and Greenhouse Gases. So I’ve gotten some pushback from environmentalists on the proposition in my mag piece that we can afford, at real but modest cost, to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Oddly, it comes from two directions. On one side, there are those who insist that greening the economy is win-win: more jobs, more growth, as well as less carbon. Posted. http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/growth-and-greenhouse-gases/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:31:22 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 14, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 14, 2010. 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 Chief Sees Greater Efficiency, But Not Fuel-Switching, Ahead For Utilities. U.S. EPA's air chief sought yesterday to ease concerns that regulators might force power companies to burn cleaner fuels, such as natural gas instead of coal, once pre-construction permits include greenhouse gas emissions next year. Under EPA's pending climate regulations, new large stationary source emitters or existing ones proposing upgrades will need to use "best available control technology" (BACT) to win an air permit. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/14/2 Senators Consider Gasoline Tax As Part Of Climate Bill. Estimates put it in the range of 15 cents a gallon. Some oil companies are on board with the plan because it would cost them far less than other proposals to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Leading voices in the Senate are considering a new tax on gasoline as part of an effort to win Republican and oil industry support for the energy and climate bill now idling in Congress. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-gas-tax14-2010apr14,0,4545106,print.story Climate Change Could Raise Cost Of U.S. Allergies. Washington - Climate change could push the cost of U.S. allergies and asthma beyond the current $32 billion annual price tag, conservation and health groups reported on Wednesday. A warming planet makes for longer growing seasons that would produce more allergy-provoking pollen in much of the heavily populated eastern two-thirds of the United States, the National Wildlife Federation and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America said in their report. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USTRE63D30V20100414 http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/14/4 State Hypocritical To Exempt Itself From Mandate. The state Legislature thinks carbon-monoxide poisoning is such a serious risk to Californians that it is working up a law, passed by the Assembly on Monday, to require nearly every household in the state to install a detector that will warn residents of the colorless, odorless and potentially deadly gas. Naturally, though, our wise lawmakers know that the economy is tough. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/apr/14/state-hypocritical-to-exempt-itself-from-mandate/?print=1 http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/ci_14875651 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gA1wnqxm7Hk-yyzkCTvMjYCQ1SLQD9F1P6D81 Calif. Climate Law Could Help Poor, Minority Areas. Sacramento, Calif.—California's attempt to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions can have additional benefits for poor and minority communities long plagued by dirty air if state regulators take their needs into account, according to a report released Wednesday. The findings by professors at three California universities found that oil refineries, power plants and cement kilns, which are among the state's most prolific emitters of greenhouse gases; also release other chemicals that threaten public health. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14880806?nclick_check=1 http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_14881458 http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California/CA_Calif_Climate_Law_492576C.shtmlhttp://www.modbee.com/2010/04/14/1126998/calif-climate-law-could-help-poor.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14880806?nclick_check=1 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/14/1895879/calif-climate-law-could-help-poor.html Senate Road for 'Energy Only' Bill Isn't as Easy as Some Would Hope. Looming just behind the climate change negotiators laboring in Senate conference rooms is "Plan B" -- an "energy only" bill that is smaller in scope and enjoys bipartisan support. There is a committee-passed bill (S. 1462 (pdf)) waiting in the wings that has more offshore drilling for Republicans and more renewable energy requirements for Democrats. But the bipartisan support enjoyed by the energy-only bill is countered by its bipartisan opposition, and it is hard to add up the needed 60 votes to move controversial legislation in the Senate. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/14/14greenwire-senate-road-for-energy-only-bill-isnt-as-easy-a-5877.html?pagewanted=print CARB’s Off Road Rule Put Lives at Risk: UOE Official. California’s plan to require construction contractors to install large and expensive emissions reduction kits on their off-road diesel equipment will put workers’ lives at risk and force job cuts, a prominent union official and a member of the Associated General Contractors of America told California’s plan to require construction contractors to install large and expensive emissions reduction kits on their off-road diesel equipment will put workers’ lives at risk and force job cuts, a prominent union official and a member of the Associated General Contractors of America told federal officials today. Posted. http://www.constructionequipment.com/article/CA6726125.html Imperial County To Crack Down On “Fugitive Dust” With Pollution Controls. Download. Imperial County officials have agreed to develop stricter air quality rules after a long battle over how to control dust in the region. Health advocates cheer the move.Dust kicks up under recreational ATVs and on unpaved roads. Imperial County also still allows agricultural burning. Environmental activist Jose Luis Olmedo says those are among the reasons why kids there get hospitalized for asthma at a higher rate than surrounding areas. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/04/14/imperial-county-crack-down-fugitive-dust-pollution/ Tea Partiers To Hold Tax Day Rally. A state anti-global warming law, the county’s pension crisis and a proposed agricultural water discharge order are some of the targets of a Tax Day rally Thursday in Santa Maria. Called the Tea (Taxed Enough Already) Party and Plunger Rebellion Rally Reunion, the event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Bradley Road and Auto Plaza Drive near the Crossroads Shopping Center. Posted. http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_f0367328-478d-11df-a8ce-001cc4c002e0.html?print=1 Vote Delayed On Pollution Guidelines For Bay Area Developments. The Bay Area air pollution board has postponed its vote on a plan to develop land use guidelines intended to reduce greenhouse gas and toxic air pollution. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14876250 http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14876250 Editorial: California Lawmakers Should Pass Carbon Monoxide Detector Bill. A BILL is circulating through the California Legislature that could potentially have residents breathing a little bit easier. If passed by lawmakers and signed into law, it would require residents to install carbon monoxide monitors if their home has an attached fireplace or garage. So what are we waiting for? Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14875651 UK Review Panel Clears 'Climategate' Research Unit. London—An independent review into the work at one of the world's leading climate research centers says it found no evidence of deliberate scientific malpractice at the British university unit. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14881779 Japan Want 50% Of New Cars Green By 2020. Tokyo -- Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry has announced a strategy that calls for boosting eco-friendly vehicles' share of domestic new car sales to as high as 50 percent by 2020, from the current 9 percent. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/13/1894899/japan-want-50-of-new-cars-green.html Senate Leader Set to Take Command of Climate Bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is about to take over as stage manager in the uphill push to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation. Next week, Reid will be handed the reins of the bill to cap greenhouse gas emissions while expanding domestic oil, gas and nuclear power production. His challenge could not be tougher. Along with the climate measure, he must juggle a packed Senate agenda that includes Wall Street reform, a Supreme Court nomination and more economic recovery plans. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/14/14climatewire-senate-leader-set-to-take-command-of-climate-53711.html?scp=6&sq=climate%20change&st=cse EPA Threatens Action against Cupertino Cement Plant. The Environmental Protection Agency is putting a major Bay Area supplier of cement on notice. For years some residents living near the Lehigh Cement Plant have complained about toxic pollutants coming from the facility. Now, the EPA has just issued what is called a "notice of violation" against Lehigh. Posted. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=7384965 Two Lawn Mower Trade-In Events Set. The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, in partnership with the Simi Valley Landfill & Recycling Center and Standard Industries in Ventura, will hold two Earth Day lawn mower trade-in events to replace gasoline-powered mowers with cordless electric mowers. Residents of Ventura County can take their unwanted gasoline lawn mowers to either of the two events and receive a voucher worth $200 off the price of a cordless electric lawn mower at Lowe’s in Ventura or Simi Valley, or a Neuton cordless mower via the Internet. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/apr/13/two-lawn-mower-trade--events-set/ http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_179992b5-3c08-5c5c-a238-760e82013c19.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:33:06 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 15, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 15, 2010. 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. Cities Cleaning The Air With Draft Plan. Under an environmentally charged Senate bill, Ventura County is required to reduce greenhouse gases through smart building, public transportation methods. Sometime in the 1960s, leaders in Oxnard included in their general plan document some very ambitious ideas for what the city would look like far, far into the future: the Year 2000. “There’s a phrase in there from the consultant who prepared the plan that says, ‘Orange County is the model, and that’s what we should be doing.’ Posted. http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/cities_cleaning_the_air_with_draft_plan/7812/ Green-Collar Debate. Politicians dispute the immediate economic impact of Assembly Bill 32. Is California’s landmark law to ratchet down greenhouse-gas emissions good for the state’s economy? It depends who gets asked. Backers of Assembly Bill 32, the 2006 law that requires California to reduce emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide to 1990 levels by the end of the decade, argue that efforts to improve fuel and energy efficiency will spark more innovation, kick-start new green industries and generate thousands of white- and blue-collar jobs. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1403923 Valley Braces For Tougher Fed Air-Quality Rule. Federal officials are expected in August to announce a new ozone standard that local air leaders say is virtually impossible to achieve by the 2031 deadline. The new standard would be up to 30% tougher than an earlier threshold — which the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is struggling to meet by 2024. To meet the new standard just seven years later, the Valley would have to eliminate gasoline, diesel and other fossil fuels used in industries and vehicles, said district executive director Seyed Sadredin. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/14/v-print/1896388/valley-braces-for-tougher-fed.html Allergies Worse? Climate change could be culprit, study finds. Allergies will worsen and trigger more asthma attacks if climate changes continues, warns a new report by the National Wildlife Federation. With spring arriving 10 to 14 days earlier than 20 years ago, pollination is starting sooner, according to the report, which shows projected changes in habitat. Tree pollen is the most common trigger for spring hay fever. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/04/allergies-worse-climate-change-is-the-culprit-study-finds-/1 Greenhouse Gas, Other Pollution Go Hand In Hand, Report Finds. California's top greenhouse gas polluters are disproportionately located in minority and low-income communities where air pollution has long threatened public health, including five within a few miles of Long Beach. A report released Wednesday by professors at three California universities found most of the state's major polluters - oil refineries, power plants and cement kilns - are almost exclusively located in cities and towns where residents suffer from some of the worst air pollution in the nation. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_14883747 Study Targets 5 South Bay Refineries for Negative Health Effects. Five refineries in the South Bay and Harbor Area top a list ranking the negative health effects created by California's greenhouse gas emitters, according to a report issued Wednesday that focused on the state's closely watched global warming law. The report argues that while the state works to reduce greenhouse gases throughout California, it should take into account air pollution at the local level - particularly in poor and minority communities that the authors say are disproportionately affected by emissions from oil refineries, power plants and cement facilities. Posted. http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_14885369 Poor, Minority Communities Stand To Benefit From Well-Drawn AB32 Rules. Some of the biggest emitters of gases that contribute to global warming sit in California's poorest neighborhoods. Oil refineries, cement plants and power facilities aren't going anywhere, but state law requires that their greenhouse gas disappear. A new study from USC and other California researchers points out that these carbon contributors also send out pollutants that cause asthma and heart disease to surrounding neighborhoods in their emissions. Regulators are considering a carbon market for hundreds of the state's largest emitter. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/04/15/greenhouse-poor/ http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100414/study-minority-communities-suffer-most-if-california-suspends-ab-32 Who Loses if California’s Climate Law is Halted? No doubt you've heard the warnings -- the melting ice caps and rising sea levels, the extinct polar bears and extreme weather conditions. From pop culture movies like The Day After Tomorrow, to the tireless work of advocates like Al Gore, the discussion around climate change has often focused on environmental catastrophe and what the future may hold if humans don't change their carbon-emitting ways. Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-04-14-who-loses-if-californias-climate-law-is-halted/ Coal Chiefs Go On Offensive as Pickens Pushes Case for Natural Gas. A dramatic preamble to an upcoming climate policy fight played out yesterday on Capitol Hill, pitting the coal, oil and natural gas industries against each other as lawmakers fired up debate about powering a low-carbon U.S. economy. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/15/15climatewire-coal-chiefs-go-on-offensive-as-pickens-pushe-62650.html Coal Executives Split on Carbon Caps, Climate Science. A trio of executives from the world's largest coal companies told Congress yesterday their industry is providing the fuel of the future, but the officials remained divided on several key policy questions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/15/15greenwire-coal-executives-split-on-carbon-caps-climate-s-57111.html Clean Energy Dreams. It was December 11, 1997, and I was standing next to Ed Smeloff in a giant room in Kyoto, Japan, as hundreds of people from dozens of nations jumped to their feet and began applauding wildly. It was one of those transcendent moments that remain etched in one’s memory, as it was announced that the Kyoto Accord on climate change had been reached. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1404199 Companies Get Sold On Green, Consumers Wary. U.S. corporations looking to slash costs during the recession found some savings in environmentally conscious business practices, but a higher price tag on green products is a barrier to many consumers. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/14/AR2010041402671.html Obama: China Must Act On Climate Change. Sydney — U.S. President Barack Obama says the world cannot wait for China to commit to tackling global warming. Obama was speaking in an interview with Australian television broadcast Thursday ahead of a trip to Asia next month. Asked specifically about China's commitment to curbing greenhouse emissions, Obama told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the impulse of the Asian giant's leaders at the moment was to let developed countries deal with the problem first. He said that "the point we have tried to make is that we can't allow China to wait." Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hpD4HAQBi9lJJicpOGek-AOPGUAwD9F3ENT80 Blogs Who Loses If California’s Climate Law Is Halted? No doubt you've heard the warnings -- the melting ice caps and rising sea levels, the extinct polar bears and extreme weather conditions. From pop culture movies like The Day After Tomorrow, to the tireless work of advocates like Al Gore, the discussion around climate change has often focused on environmental catastrophe and what the future may hold if humans don't change their carbon-emitting ways. These are, of course, serious concerns and we need to address them to secure our planet's future. Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-04-14-who-loses-if-californias-climate-law-is-halted/print/PALL Could Obama's Supreme Court Pick Kill Climate-Change Bill? Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has a warning for President Obama -- pick your next Supreme Court nominee wisely, or else you might not get a climate-change bill this year. Graham was asked yesterday whether the high court confirmation process would harm the effort to pass a climate bill this year. His answer: If Obama “picks somebody that is going to be controversial, yeah; if he picks somebody that is genuinely believed to be acceptable to a wide range of people, no.” Sounds almost threatening. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/04/could_obamas_supreme_court_pic.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:29:36 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 19, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 19, 2010. 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. Foes Of California's Global Warming Law Pour Money Into A Campaign To Delay It. Opponents of the law, largely oil firms and conservative activists, miss a signature-gathering target date for putting an initiative on the November ballot, but get a cash infusion to keep trying. Oil companies and conservative activists poured nearly $1 million last week into their campaign to place an initiative on the November ballot that would delay enforcement of California's global warming law. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/la-me-climate-ballot19-2010apr19,0,854423,print.story Plugging In To A Leaner, Cleaner Energy Future. Giant refrigerated warehouse a model of energy efficiency. One of the coldest places in San Diego might well be the most efficient. Half a block from the Mexican border, a giant warehouse uses sunlight to keep frozen food, well, frozen. The $25 million warehouse, known as ICE II, has solar panels on the roof, super-thick foam walls and LED lighting to keep the temperature at around 0 degrees. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/18/giant-refrigerated-warehouse-a-model-of-energy/ Push For Clean Air Revs Up. State air quality regulators say local rail yards have reduced emissions of a toxic pollutant by about 50 percent since 2005, and regulators want it reduced further by 2020. The Air Resources Board in 2005 implemented new regulations they say resulted in big drops of diesel particulate matter, a carcinogen spewed from diesel-powered trains, freight trucks and cranes. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/ci_14911711#ixzz0lYtEfBTL http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14911711 Obama Wants Senate to Tackle Climate Bill After Wall St. Reforms. President Obama expects the Senate to move on to comprehensive energy and climate change legislation once it finishes work over the next few weeks on Wall Street regulatory reform. "This is one of these foundational priorities from my perspective that has to be done soon," Obama said of the climate bill Friday during a White House meeting of outside experts helping the administration on economic recovery plans. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/19/19climatewire-obama-wants-senate-to-tackle-climate-bill-af-37578.html?pagewanted=print Opinion: Why Cleaner Air Could Speed Global Warming. Aerosol pollution, which is now on the downswing, has helped keep the planet cool by blocking sunlight. Tackling another pollutant, soot, might buy Earth some time. You're likely to hear a chorus of dire warnings as we approach Earth Day, but there's a serious shortage few pundits are talking about: air pollution. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-kintisch18-2010apr18,0,2192867,print.story Pollen's More Concentrated This Year. Allergies in some places are worse than usual. Blame a late winter that delayed some trees from flowering, forcing them all into bloom at the same time. Though allergy sufferers in some pockets of the country are having a miserable April, experts dispute the notion that trees across the nation are producing record-high amounts of pollen this year. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-pollen17-2010apr17,0,5891617,print.story Costantino Leaves CARB For Manatt. Jon Costantino has joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP as senior adviser, the law firm said Wednesday. Costantino was previously manager of climate change planning at the California Air Resources Board and was responsible for the Air Board’s “Climate Change Scoping plan,” which dealt with the planning and implementation of AB 32. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/04/12/daily36.html?t=printable Opponents Ramp Up Effort To Delay Calif. Global Warming Law. Oil companies and conservatives put nearly $1 million into their campaign to put a delay of enforcement of California's global warming law on ballots in November. The renewed spending comes after organizers failed to get 433,000 signatures needed by Friday. The initiative would delay restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions until statewide unemployment drops to 5.5 percent. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/04/19/4 Congress Worked Out Health Care. Is Climate Change Next? Six weeks ago, it looked as if there was no chance that Congress would approve climate change legislation this year. The bill that had passed the House was so long, so complicated, so punitive to the coal-dependent Midwest economy, involved so many political compromises and so much money to be redistributed by the federal government, that it became the whipping boy of choice for conservative politicians and commentators. Passage of health-care legislation, however, may have changed all that. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041505755_pf.html Cleaning Supplier to Pay Penalties. A national cleaning solvent supplier has agreed to pay $15 million penalties to for hundreds of alleged air quality and unfair business practices violations, according to a settlement made public Friday. Safety-Kleen of Plano, Tex., sold industrial cleaning solvents containing illegally high levels of smog-forming ingredients to nearly 100 businesses in Southern California, including businesses in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, said air pollution regulators. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_W_rb_airpenalties17.3ac381a.html Tackle Air Pollution with Greenhouse Gases, Report Urges. When Rachel Morello-Frosch, a UC Berkeley researcher, takes air samples inside homes near the Chevron refinery in Richmond, she finds significant levels of outdoor air pollutants. Some of the worst examples are tiny particles invisible to the naked eye, called particulate matter, which can embed in people's airways and cause a number of respiratory diseases linked to premature death. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_14892673 Residents Say Airport Pollution Is Lethal. Residents of the Mar Vista neighborhood just east of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport said they are fighting for their lives due to the dangerous air pollution from the numerous jets that take off and land at the popular airport. Sunday, residents and local lawmakers were out in force rallying just 500 yards from where the jets take off with strong and dangerous fumes blasting right into the neighborhood. Many who gathered wore masks on their faces to ward off the jet fuel odors and emissions. Posted. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7392927 Ag Burning Restrictions Are Approved. Air pollution cops took another step Thursday toward a ban on agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley, though farmers of some crops might get a five-year reprieve. The Valley Air Pollution Control District approved restrictions to begin June 1 on burning vineyards, prunings from walnuts, almonds and other crops, and weeds, along with other materials. The district is compelled to act because of a state law, which began a slow phasing-out of agricultural burning seven years ago. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100416/A_NEWS/4160319/-1/a_news14 REGION: Environment Comes Long Way in 40 Years. The air was so dirty people's eyes would burn if they went outside. The water was so polluted people stayed out of the ocean even on sunny days. And workers paved paradise with little thought to whether they were spoiling a natural treasure or placing an animal at risk of extinction. It was a much different world in San Diego and Riverside counties in April 1970, when the first Earth Day was held and the nation's environmental movement was just getting off the ground. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/swcounty/article_6bbab97f-9d09-56b3-b0cc-b26202619a69.html Earth Day Turns 40. The yearly celebration born in the baby boomers' tumultuous youth is itself racking up a few candles: the 40th anniversary of Earth Day will be marked around the world on Thursday. It's a firmly entrenched tradition in Orange County as well, with beach cleanups, nature tours, lectures and festivals, many of them meant to impart environmental messages to children. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/day-244647-earth-environmental.html Ag Pilot Says Modesto Turned Him Down For Earth Day Booth. Don't call Dave Stein a crop-duster. The 48-year-old pilot is an "aerial applicator." That's the modern term for pilots like Stein who zoom over farmers' fields. The name isn't the only thing that's changed about his business over the years. Stein thought renting a booth at Modesto's Earth Day celebration today would help educate the public about how aerial applicators, in his view, help the Earth. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/04/16/1131074/ag-pilot-says-modesto-turned-him.html#ixzz0lYwaJID1 Cap-To-Cap to Celebrate Earth Day With Carbon Offsets. With Earth Day’s 40th celebration just days away, the Sacramento Metro Chamber proudly announces that 300 delegates travel for the Capitol-to-Capitol advocacy program is “green.” Metro Chamber member Sacramento Municipal Utility District has once again provided carbon offsets for the official travel portion of each Cap-to-Cap delegate. This is the third year in a row that SMUD has sponsored reduction of the delegation’s carbon footprint. Posted. http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/25067/CaptoCap_to_celebrate_Earth_Day_with_carbon_offsets Support the California Jobs Initiative. The Board of Supervisors last week adopted a resolution supporting the California Jobs Initiative, proposed to be considered by the voters on the November 2010 ballot. If passed, implementation of Assembly Bill 32 will be suspended until California's unemployment rate is at 5.5percent or less for four consecutive calendar quarters. California has always been a leader in business innovation and technology, and also in environmental stewardship. But this is one case where our effort to be a leader could drive our economy into total collapse. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/pointofview/ci_14910346 Obama Wants Senate to Tackle Climate Bill after Wall St. Reforms. President Obama expects the Senate to move on to comprehensive energy and climate change legislation once it finishes work over the next few weeks on Wall Street regulatory reform. "This is one of these foundational priorities from my perspective that has to be done soon," Obama said of the climate bill Friday during a White House meeting of outside experts helping the administration on economic recovery plans. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/19/19climatewire-obama-wants-senate-to-tackle-climate-bill-af-37578.html Climate Damage Confirmed To Be Serious, Extensive. any of us see planet earth as durable and powerful, but human senses fail to recognize what a surge of new science now confirms: Rapid and serious damage from greenhouse gases, including vast dead zones, now appearing off the Pacific Coast. Internationally respected Mbari ocean chemist Peter Brewer says 85 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from automobiles and fossil fuel power plants, their output equaling a million tons of carbon dioxide every hour dissolving into the ocean. Posted. http://www.ktvu.com/news/23191344/detail.html Blogs Lawn Mower Exchange Gives Green To Cut Grass. The Air Quality Management District is hoping users of traditional gas-powered lawn mowers will help them "mow down air pollution" when, for the eighth year, the air pollution control agency hosts a series of lawn-mower exchanges throughout Southern California. The program allows local residents to trade in a gasoline mower and receive a new electric mower at a reduced price. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/04/lawn-mower-exchange-events.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:24:58 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- News Clips for April 20, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 20, 2010. 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. Green Groups Fight for Clean Air Act in Climate Bill. Senators are expected to roll out their long-awaited climate and energy package next Monday, and environmental groups are making a last-minute push to make sure the bill maintains one of the landmark laws they fought for more than 40 years ago: the Clean Air Act. Posted. http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/04/green-groups-fight-clean-air-act-climate-bill Climate Report Publicized In Runup to Senate Bill. An environmental coalition publicized a new U.S. draft report on climate change on Monday, one week before the expected unveiling of a compromise U.S. Senate bill that aims to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The Project on Climate Science, a coalition of environmental groups, publicized the report in advance of Earth Day on April 22, a spokeswoman said. The report was released with little fanfare on April 7 and posted on the Federal Register on April 8. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/19/AR2010041903230.html As Senate Debates Climate Bill, House Members Wonder if They'll Be Asked to Take It or Leave It. In Las Vegas, the house always wins. In Washington, the House isn't as lucky. A carefully crafted compromise on climate change that narrowly passed in the House last June has been stuck for almost a year in the Senate. Now, with three senators set to unveil their own bill Monday and a floor vote possible this spring or early summer, House lawmakers are wondering whether there will be a significant effort to negotiate major differences between the two proposals or if they will be asked to simply approve the Senate version. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/20/20climatewire-as-senate-debates-climate-bill-house-members-79731.html Obama Open To Trade Protections In Senate Emissions Bill-- Browner. A top White House adviser confirmed today that President Obama is open to helping energy-intensive industries cope with the costs of climate legislation, including use of controversial border tariffs he had previously warned could spark a global trade war. Energy and climate adviser Carol Browner said the administration recognizes Congress' interest in using trade language as it works on climate legislation that addresses concerns from some of the country's industries that are most vulnerable to cheap foreign imports, including steel, cement, glass, pulp and paper. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/04/20/1 Battle Over California Global Warming Law Intensifies. A movement to postpone California's global warming laws has stalled, giving environmentalists hope that the measure will not appear on the state ballot this November. Private interests opposing California's climate bill, AB32, have been losing a funding war against supporters who consist of Silicon Valley businesses with deep pockets like Google Inc. Posted. http://www.ecofactory.com/news/battle-over-california-global-warming-law-intensifies-042010 Contra Costa Times Editorial: Assess Global Warming With Uncensored Science, Not Polemics. THE DEBATE over global warming has become more divisive with a large percentage of weather forecasters spreading doubt about its causes or even its existence. In a newly released survey by researchers at George Mason University and the University of Texas at Austin, only 31 percent of weather forecasters believed that global warming is caused mostly by human activity. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14898350 County Working to Reduce Air Pollution by Cutting Back Employee Commutes. In an effort to reduce air pollution caused by their own employees, county supervisors are poised to institute flex time and telecommute guidelines that would keep cars off the road. Two-thirds of the county government’s greenhouse gas emissions are caused by employees commuting to and from work, according to a recent study cited by Assistant County Administrative Officer Dan Buckshi. The county has 2,450 workers. Posted. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/04/19/1109011/county-working-to-reduce-air-pollution.html#ixzz0leaFmmMn Port Of San Diego Working On Clean Truck Program. The Port of San Diego is working on its own Clean Truck Program to cut emissions and add enforcement teeth to the two-cargo terminal port. The proposal looks to be less restrictive than a similar plan adopted at the Port of Los Angeles, but tough enough to allow trucks to be turned around at the gate for not meeting emissions standards. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Apr10/041910/041910-04.htm Clean Trucks Battle Heads to Los Angeles Court. The battle over whether the Port of Los Angeles can regulate trucks that haul goods in and out of its property is heading to court. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Tuesday in a federal lawsuit pitting the trucking industry against the nation's busiest port over a portion of the Clean Truck Program, which was launched in October 2008 to reduce diesel emissions by banning the dirtiest trucks from carrying port cargo. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14919153 Palo Alto Council Redoubles Green Efforts Ahead Of Earth Day. As Palo Alto rolls out new environmental initiatives, including a ban on polystyrene packaging that will go into effect this week, the city is starting to see results from an earlier wave of green programs. Three years after it passed a "climate action plan," the city estimates it has cut greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations by 11 percent from 2005 levels. That figure easily beats its initial target of a 5 percent cut by 2009, and it has brought the city an estimated $185,000 in savings. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14918612 Green Toymaker Goes Extra Mile - Keeps It Local. San Francisco's Green Toys makes all its toddler tea sets, building blocks and toy trucks out of plastic recycled from milk jugs. It uses minimal packaging - just simple cardboard with no twist ties, shrink wrap or plastic bubbles. But its biggest "green" feature lies behind the scenes. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/19/BU5F1CUAAN.DTL#ixzz0lexBOeLo Cash for Appliance rebate program launches Thursday. California will dive into the appliance-selling business on Thursday. Armed with $35.2 million in federal stimulus funds, the state will offer consumers mail-in rebates to swap their old refrigerators, washers and air conditioners for more energy-efficient models. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/20/2690653/cash-for-appliance-rebate-program.html#ixzz0lexis5Fg World's top environmental activists to be honored in Bay Area. When Lynn Henning got a call one November evening informing her she'd won the Goldman Environmental Prize and its $150,000 purse for her work battling pollution from large animal feeding operations, she figured it was a prank. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14906450 Blogs Will A Ballot Initiative Overturn California's Climate Law? The battle to delay enforcement of California's sweeping global warming law, the toughest in the nation, is heating up. Oil companies -- along with an obscure Missouri conservative action group -- injected a new infusion of cash into signature gathering for a November ballot initiative -- reporting the contributions late Friday night to the California secretary of State. That brought the total behind the initiative to $1.9 million so far. Los Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum came on board with $300,000 to battle AB 32. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/04/-californias-climate-law-global-warming-oil-companies.html Environmentalists Plan Earth Day Protest at Valero Gas Station. Environmental groups will hit the streets on Thursday to protest two Texas oil companies that are bankrolling a ballot initiative that, if placed on the ballot and approved, would roll back California's landmark climate law AB 32. Posted. http://laist.com/2010/04/19/environmentalists_plan_earth_day_pr.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:53:08 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 21st, 2010 From: sponedal@ARB.CA.GOV Newsclips for April 24th, 2010. 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. Earth Day Earth Day Is About Recovering The Environment And The Economy. Forty years ago, the late Sen. Gaylord Nelson gave birth to Earth Day when he stood up for the environment, calling upon the American people to come together for a simple teach-in on the environment. The first Earth Day was a catalyst for change. It accelerated passage of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, as well as creation that same year of my agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/21/2694967/earth-day-is-about-recovering.html How Much Environmental Action Has Occurred In 40 Years? Before 1970, when the first Earth Day occurred, no federal laws barred companies from releasing toxic chemicals into the air and water. Today, that seems almost difficult to imagine. As people celebrate Earth Day's 40 anniversary Thursday, a look backward shows how much environmental progress has occurred. In the animated video above, Mother Nature Network captures the highlights. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/04/how-much-environmental-action-has-occurred-in-40-years/1 Living Green: Time To Take Care Of Our Planet. It was 1970. Litter was rampant. Rivers had caught fire from pollutants. And Earth Day was born, 40 years ago tomorrow. Earth Day brought national attention to the environment in the same way as grassroots “sit-ins” brought activism against the Vietnam War. Earth Day was started not by a beatnik, but instead, a senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, who had tried for years to attract political attention to the decline of our environment. Posted. http://www.tracypress.com/view/full_story/7148046/article-Living-Green--Time-to-take-care-of-our-planet?instance=home_opinion_lead_story Climate Change The Coming Tide of Global Climate Lawsuits. The Prunerov power station is the Czech Republic’s biggest polluter: Its Its 900-foot-high smokestack pushes a plume of white smoke high above the flat, featureless fields of northern Bohemia. Prunerov reliably wins a place on lists of Europe’s dirtiest power plants, emitting 11.1 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. Posted. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/04/climate-desk-exxon-lawsuit/ Lead Economist for State Analysis Linked to Pro-Climate Law Campaign. The chief economist behind a recent state-sponsored report that found California's climate law would do little to upset the state economy is on the board of directors of a nonprofit group that has transferred money to a political campaign to defend the measure from those who want it suspended. Larry Goulder, a professor at Stanford University, was the lead economist in an analysis released last month by the California Air Resources Board that said the law, A.B. 32, would barely affect employment once implemented in 2012. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/21/21climatewire-lead-economist-for-state-analysis-linked-to-16115.html Electric Utilities Have Reasons to Embrace -- and Fight Over -- Senate Climate Bill. The Senate climate bill to be unveiled Monday is likely to give the electric utility industry a sweeter deal compared to last June's House-passed bill, even as it sparks a messy food fight among individual power companies. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/21/21climatewire-electric-utilities-have-reasons-to-embrace--59090.html Senate Republicans Move to Bar NEPA Analysis of Climate Change Impacts. Republican senators introduced legislation today that would block White House efforts to require federal agencies to consider climate change in environmental analyses of proposed projects. The bill says the National Environmental Policy Act should not be used to document, predict or mitigate the climate effects of specific federal actions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/20/20greenwire-senate-republicans-move-to-bar-nepa-analysis-o-53404.html Capitol Hill Braces for Energy/Climate Change Ideas. Political leaders in Washington DC are preparing to examine a new climate change and energy proposal this week that could add dollars to what truckers pay at the diesel pump. A new energy and climate change package is expected to emerge this week as Sens. John Kerry, D-MA, Lindsey Graham, R-SC, and Joe Lieberman, I-CT, prepare to unveil proposed legislation in the U.S. Senate. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Apr10/041910/042010-01.htm California, U.S. Dairies Lead World with Lowest Carbon Footprint. U.S. dairy farms, including California dairies, have the world’s lowest emissions of climate-changing “greenhouse gases,” according to a report released today by the United Nations. American dairy farms emit about 45 percent fewer greenhouse gases per unit of milk produced compared to the global average for dairies, according to “Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy Sector – A Life Cycle Analysis,” published by the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Note: The report and FAO news release can be found at http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/41348/icode/ “This is good news for consumers of California dairy products and California dairy farmers. Posted. http://www.benzinga.com/press-releases/b234719/california-u-s-dairies-lead-world-with-lowest-carbon-footprint-%E2%80%93-new-united-n Cap And Trade: Controversy With Potential Revenue. For all practical purposes, every Cornbelt farmer is in the middle of the great debate about energy. If you are growing corn and/or soybeans, your commodities are priced depending on ethanol and biodiesel demand. If you are using fertilizer, pesticides, and other chemicals made from petrochemicals, you are a consumer. If you are just fueling up to head to the field, the parts store, or sending your family to school, you are participating in the bioenergy market. You really can’t escape. And that is why familiarity with the biofuels market, cap and trade, and US energy policy is important to your economic welfare. Posted. http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Cap-And-Trade--Controversy-With-Potential-Revenue/2010-04-21/Article.aspx?oid=1049774&fid=VN-HOT_TOPICS&aid=760 Greenpeace not LOL over Facebook footprint. GRANTS PASS, Ore.—After an emotional breakup with the timber industry, Prineville, Ore., was thrilled to get friended by Facebook. The social networking site chose the high-desert timber town of 10,000 to take advantage of its cool nights and dry air in hopes of making its first-ever data center an energy efficiency landmark. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14920901 White House: Climate bill 'doable' this year. WASHINGTON—White House energy adviser Carol Browner said Tuesday she thinks Congress still has time to approve a climate and energy bill this year. Browner called action on the long-delayed legislation "doable," because members of Congress increasingly understand the need to develop clean energy that does not emit carbon dioxide and other pollutants blamed for global warming. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14921840 Air Pollution Group Protests Rail Yard Pollution. Equipped with breathing masks, picket signs and megaphones, around 50 people on Tuesday protested outside of the BNSF rail yard's freight truck gate on Fourth Street to raise awareness of air quality concerns. Residents and activists complained diesel emissions from freight trucks, trains and machinery that travel in and out of the yard have created a public health risk in the neighborhoods that surround the expansive rail yard. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14923169#ixzz0lkTjatfX Dutton Air Board Transparency Measure Advances. A bill authored by Senate Republican Leader-elect Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) designed to bring greater transparency to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) received broad bi-partisan support today as it cleared the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. Senate Bill 1402 requires CARB to improve communications with the businesses it oversees. Specifically, CARB would be required to explain how a penalty levied against a business was determined, explain the reason for the violation and specify the code section violated. Posted. http://www.inlandempire.us/rss/article.php?client=redfusion&id=20100420091126 East Bay wildfire management plan approved. The East Regional Park District on Tuesday approved a plan to remove trees and brush in 13 parks to reduce the risk of a firestorm sweeping through the hills from Richmond to Hayward. The vote was 6-0. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14925150 Diesel Diesel Rule: 'AG' Stickers Mark Qualified Agricultural Trucks. Black-and-white "AG" stickers are showing up on agricultural diesel vehicles around the state, as farmers and ranchers take steps to comply with a new regulation by the California Air Resources Board to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles operating on California roadways. Posted. http://www.cfbf.com/agalert/AgAlertStory.cfm?ID=1517&ck=81C8727C62E800BE708DBF37C4695DFF Green/Energy Discount Programs This Week Help Save Planet, Your Money. Coachella Valley residents will be able to help save the Earth and save money with two green discount programs launching this week. On Wednesday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District will kick off its annual Mow Down Air Pollution campaign to encourage Southern Californians to replace pollutant-spewing gas lawn mowers with zero-emission electric machines. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100421/NEWS07/4210320/1006/news01/Discount+programs+this+week+help+save+planet++your+money Registration For Lawnmower Trade-In Starts Today. Air-quality officials are hoping to take up to 9,380 carbon-belching gas lawn mowers out of yards across Southern California and replace them with zero-emission electric mowers in an exchange program that begins Wednesday. Through the program sponsored by the Southern California Air Quality Management District, residents can exchange any working gas mower for one of four electric models at deeply discounted prices. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/mowers-244957-gas-program.html http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_14922150 Upland High School spotlights solar. UPLAND - Although the sun couldn't be seen much Tuesday, its power was still strong enough to demonstrate the use of solar power to Upland High School students. Tuesday's solar display was part of Earth Week at the school. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14922294?nclick_check=1 San Rafael chooses Marin Clean Energy's 'light green' option. The San Rafael City Council this week elected to go for the cheaper "light green" option in the Marin Clean Energy program, but did not rule out an upgrade should the city's finances improve. In a unanimous vote Monday night, the council OK'd an energy plan that will cost about $876,000 - equivalent to what officials expect to pay next year. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14923559 Program will give rebates for buying energy-efficient appliances. Earth Day features some real green this year, with $35.2 million in cash rebates available to California residents who scrap power-gobbling appliances for energy-efficient models. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14923388 Blogs Low Paid Truckers Bear Cost Of Harbor Pollution Cleanup. Should low-paid truck drivers shoulder the cost of cleaning up pollution at Los Angeles harbor? That’s the question before a federal court this week in a case that is a major test of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s plan to clean up the air in one of L.A.’s most polluted places, where trucks, trains and ships poison the air at great risk to the health of thousands of residents. Posted. http://www.laobserved.com/boyarsky/2010/04/should_low-paid_truck_drivers.php California Offers Funds to Turn Cargo Boats into Hybrids. Cars catch a lot of flak for pollution, but they are not the only source of manmade greenhouse gas emissions by a long shot — cargo ships, airplanes, trains, even cows and industrial farming make the list too. Many of the same technologies that are being tried out to improve auto emissions may also be used on other forms of transportation. Posted. http://gas2.org/2010/04/21/california-offers-funds-to-turn-cargo-boats-into-hybrids/ "Green" Company to Pay $15 Million for Polluting. Safety-Kleen System Inc. is a national distributor of cleaning solvents. Their products have names like Ecopower motor oil, Icebreaker windshield washer fluid, Khameleon antifreeze and KleenMist II wastewater treatment. They're say they are green, well, they better be made of it, because they owe $15 million green ones. The settlement is the result of a case brought by Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, among others, charging the company with unlawful business practices and violations of air quality regulations. Suck on that tail pipe! Posted. http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/main/safety-kleen-system-inc-is-a/ Icelandic Scientists Say Climate Change Will Bring More Eruptions. While no one can say with certainty whether or not the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull stems from climate change, Icelandic scientists point to an increase in the likelihood of eruptions as glaciers melt due to climate change. It works like this: As ice recedes, the land underneath moves up, freed from the massive weight. As the ground rises, it creates tectonic instablity, increasing the likelihood of volcanic eruptions in formerly glacier-clad regions. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=61754#ixzz0lkYrPmmW A Big Bet on Solar Technology. In one of the biggest green technology deals of the year, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital company is leading a $129.4 million investment in a long-promising solar technology that is starting to gain traction in the United States. The venture company, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and other investors are making a big bet on Amonix, a company in southern California that has spent 20 years developing concentrating photovoltaic power systems that resemble gigantic solar panels. Posted. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/investors-bet-big-on-concentrating-solar-technology/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:51:24 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- News Clips for April 22, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 22, 2010. 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. 5 Ways to Help Our Corner of the Earth. The name itself – International Earth Day – can intimidate with its sweep, the huge issues it raises. Landfills and recycling. Wind power and zero-emission cars. Climate change. The death of species. But at heart, this 40th anniversary of the global celebration of nature and the environment is simply Mother Earth's big day – and therefore a reminder to help her look her best for years to come. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/22/2695633/5-easy-ways-to-invest-in-the-future.html#ixzz0lqkQhXHA How Earth Day Has Evolved Over 40 Years. Forty years ago today, Earth Day exploded into our American lexicon with a new brand of do-it-yourself environmentalism. Billed as "the largest protest in American history," the first Earth Day centered on college campuses as part sit-in, part act up. This commemoration of conservation consciousness has grown into a worldwide effort, with "saving the planet" becoming an everyday part of life. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/22/2696781/how-earth-day-has-evolved-over.html#ixzz0lql6qcFO Early Backers Analyze Impact Of Efforts Of 40 Years Of Earth Day. George Thompson barely remembers seeing the 40-year-old grainy, black and white newspaper photograph of him presenting a mock air pollution award to a Buena High School student wearing a gas mask. Back in 1970, there were so many causes that students got involved in that Thompson has trouble separating that first-ever Earth Day event from the many other rallies and protests. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/apr/21/40-years-later-earth-day-early-backers-analyze/ Bay Area Has Seen Results Since First Earth Day. Today, 40 years after the first Earth Day, the Bay Area by most measures is a much less polluted, environmentally healthier place than it was in 1970. The air is cleaner. The water is cleaner. There are more acres of protected parkland and fewer toxic emissions from industry. Yet during the next 40 years, the region will face a host of daunting and expensive problems, many of them coming at a time when the spirit of bipartisanship that marked the environmental movement of the early 1970s has given way to gridlock and massive budget woes. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14931077 S.F. Earth Day Celebrations. From organic wine tasting to a fair-trade Carnaval costume show, Bay Area residents will put their own twist on Earth Day celebrations today to mark the occasion's 40th anniversary. At San Francisco State, cowgirls will promote composting. At the Academy of Sciences, they'll be dancing to a hip-hop DJ. And in the Mission, they'll be belly dancing and eating organic empanadas. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/21/BAHT1D2AQI.DTL#ixzz0lqnkUE6q An Earth Day Evolution: From Anti-Establishment to Politically Correct. There was no "Green Movement" yet and little talk of global warming. Instead, the original Earth Day 40 years ago emphasized "ecology" and goals like cleaning up pollution and litter — along with a more anti-establishment vibe than today. "Welcome, sulfur dioxide, hello, carbon monoxide," a woman sang from the 1968 countercultural Broadway hit, "Hair," at a rally in Philadelphia that day. Across the country, activists donned gas masks or spread out in grassy parks to hear speeches about overpopulation, smog and dirty rivers. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-earth-day-evolution,0,6912773.story Untold Stories of Early Environmentalists Come Alive In Oral Histories. Riverside activist Penny Newman was asked to leave her church because a campaign she was waging against a toxic waste dump in town made other church members uncomfortable. Those members included the family that owned the dump. Early on, TreePeople founder Andy Lipkis wondered why he was having trouble retaining volunteers for reforestation efforts. The U.S. Forest Service, it turned out, was treating the do-gooders like the labor force they were used to working with – prison inmates. Posted. http://www.today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/untold-stories-of-early-environmentalists-157186.aspx On Earth Day, the Environmental Movement Needs Repairs. Forty years in, we're losing. This weekend, when speakers at Earth Day gatherings across the country hearken back to the first celebration in 1970, they'll recall great victories: above all, cleaner air and cleaner water for Americans. But for 20 years now, global warming has been the most important environmental issue -- arguably the most important issue the planet has ever faced. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/22/AR2010042203178.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 Earth Day: No More Burning Rivers, But New Threats. Pollution before the first Earth Day was not only visible, it was in your face: Cleveland's Cuyahoga River caught fire. An oil spill fouled 30 miles of Southern California beaches. And thick smog choked many cities' skies. Not anymore. On Thursday, 40 years after that first Earth Day in 1970, smog levels nationwide have dropped by about a quarter, and lead levels in the air are down more than 90 percent. Formerly fetid lakes and burning rivers are now open to swimmers. . Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14934788 Rebates Spark Appliance-Shopping Frenzy. Earth Day across California this year may have the same allure for buyers of cut-priced, energy-saving appliances as the day after Thanksgiving has for bargain-hunting Christmas shoppers. At least that is what some retailers and manufacturers are hoping for as they pile extra price cuts and perks on top of a state rebate of up to $200 that goes into effect today for purchases of the most energy-efficient refrigerators, washers and room air conditioners. Posted. http://www.pe.com/business/local/stories/PE_Biz_W_appliances_22.3981824.html Rebates Reward Recycling Appliances. Coachella Valley residents will be able save money with two green discount programs launching this week. Through them, residents can get rebates on electric-powered lawn mowers and appliances. On Wednesday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District will kick off its annual Mow Down Air Pollution campaign to encourage Southern Californians to replace pollutant-spewing gas lawn mowers with zero-emission electric machines. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100422/NEWS01/4210369/1006/news01/Rebates+reward+recycling+appliances FORUM: How to Make $1,500 and Get Clean Air. As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, there is greater urgency to lower our dependence on foreign oil, create jobs and lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Our current economy appears to pit jobs against science, but nothing is further from the truth. Look closer and a truly innovative American solution surfaces. And there's $1,500 in it for each of us. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/article_bddfb3c2-743a-50dc-b892-d71339d43bc9.html Growers Worry about Looming Ban On Burning Agricultural Waste. Growers who occasionally need to burn prunings or entire orchards or vineyards are worried about a state program to phase out burning that's meant to clear the valley's polluted air. SB 705, sponsored by state Sen. Dean Florez, outlawed the practice of burning agricultural waste in open fields seven years ago, but it is being implemented gradually for different crops. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x735123435/Growers-worry-about-looming-ban-on-burning-agricultural-waste Truck Rule Based On Flawed Data, ARB Staff Admits. A computer model that the Air Resources Board used to justify historic restrictions on diesel emissions from off-road construction equipment may have attributed twice as much pollution to those heavy trucks as they actually produce, according to interviews with ARB staff. That error, coupled with the effects of the recession on the construction industry, means that the excavators, backhoes and graders that operate in California are producing only a fraction of the pollutants that the board believed was the case when it adopted the regulations in 2007. Posted. http://www.healthycal.org/arb-admits-rule-based-on-flawed-data.html Rail Emissions Declining. In the April 19 article "Push for clean air revs up," Penny Newman says the railroads "haven't taken any steps to institutionally reduce the emission levels," but disingenuously fails to note many years of staff reports, submittals, and technical evaluations by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) showing rail emissions have decreased considerably since 2005. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/letters/ci_14931812 Regional Leaders Meet for Oakland Emissions Summit. Hundreds of regional leaders from the Bay Area will meet Thursday in Oakland to launch the planning process for the region's new Sustainable Communities Strategy. The meeting is in response to a 2008 state senate bill, SB 375, that mandates regions form integrated transportation, land use and housing plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://cbs5.com/business/oakland.emissions.summit.2.1649898.html Workshop Explores Impact of AB 32 on Businesses. How will Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, affect you? About 70 people gathered at the University of San Diego for an AB 32 workshop yesterday morning to find out. The event was hosted by SDG&E in collaboration with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Industrial and Environmental Association and the South County Economic Development Council with the goal of helping business owners answer their biggest question: “What do I really need to do?” Posted. http://sandiegonewsroom.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42167:emily-holding&catid=37:air&Itemid=56 Conflict of Interest Uncovered in AB32 Study as Climate Law Battle Continues. As the battle over whether to suspend California’s landmark climate law, known as AB32, continues, new accusations of conflict of interest and underhanded financial reporting have emerged. In the latest turn, the lead economist on a report finding that the bill would do little harm to job creation has been linked to a political campaign trying to keep the bill from being suspended, Climatewire reported Wednesday. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/04/larry-goulder-ab32/ EDITORIAL: Obama's Climate of Fear. The purported science behind the global-warming fad is in full retreat these days, but word has yet to reach the White House. President Obama is determined to promote the alleged climate crisis as a lever for pushing through his big-government agenda. The O Force doesn't believe in wasting a crisis, even if it's a mirage. In mid-March, the White House Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force did its bit for climate terror. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/22/obamas-climate-of-fear/ States Fear Devil in Details of Climate Bill. Democrat Kerry, independent Senator Joseph Lieberman and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham are expected to unveil a bill next week to cut greenhouse gas emissions that navigates among competing interests groups, after a previous effort failed. "There is a gray area there where there could be mischief or litigation," California's top climate change regulator, Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols, told reporters on a conference call, outlining concerns. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63K5HT20100422 http://www.kgmi.com/pages/6868092.php?contentType=4&contentId=5971177 Sen. Voinovich Floats Proposal for Curbing Greenhouse Gas Regulations. Ohio Republican George Voinovich is circulating a proposal among his Senate colleagues that would impose broad limits on federal and state authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions, a Senate Republican aide said today. The amendment (pdf) would broadly pre-empt states and federal agencies from regulating greenhouse gases outside the authority of a climate bill. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/21/21greenwire-sen-voinovich-floats-proposal-for-curbing-gree-61103.html http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/21/21greenwire-sen-voinovich-floats-proposal-for-curbing-gree-61103.html Study Warns of Climate Health Threats. Climate change poses a growing threat to health, from heart disease to heatstroke and from illness carried by water to bug-borne sickness. A group of federal agencies issued a report on the threat Wednesday, looking at what areas need to be studied. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_14929974 Sanders: ‘I Do Not Want To See A Global Warming Bill Become A Bonanza For The Coal Industry’. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has expressed “deep disappointment” with the direction Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) is heading with climate legislation being crafted with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT). Posted. http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/29/sanders-on-kgl-bill/ Warm, and Getting Warmer. It is about time to panic. According to the NASA data, we have just experienced the hottest 12-month period in more than 100 years, which means that the past 12 months have been the hottest in at least the past 1,000 years. What does this mean? Well, if global temperatures continue to rise at the rate that they have risen for the past generation, then the world of 2100 will see a world 4.1 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the world of the 1970s. New York will get the climate of Washington. Los Angeles will get the climate of Tijuana. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-delong-20100422,0,5468093.story Capitol Fight Erupts Over Renewable Energy. Call it a clash of the bureaucratic titans. Last year, the Legislature and Gov. Schwarzenegger wrestled over renewable energy until the closing hours of the legislative session. Schwarzenegger eventually vetoed the Democrats’ bill and tried to do the job himself by ordering the Air Resources Board to act via executive order. But that order, in part, touched off a bureaucratic war between the administration and ARB on one side and the Public Utilities Commission on the other. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=ysdjc3vbfmdzrx&xid=ysd88p9g8itjhp&done=.ysdjc3vbfn1zrx John Kerry's Climate-Change Battle. As the Senate looks more closely at dealing with climate change this Earth Day, Democrats have split on how much Congress can actually do this year. On one side is Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and others behind the effort to pass a comprehensive bill -- a bill that would invest in cleaner energy but also put a price carbon. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/04/john_kerrys_climate-change_bat.html State Officials Warn Senate Not To Block Their Efforts to Lower Greenhouse Gases. Senate climate legislation should tread lightly on state efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, state officials reiterated Wednesday. “We need to put down a marker here and remind senators they will not have an effective climate program without the states,” said Mary Nichols, the chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board. Posted. http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/93555-state-officials-warn-senate-not-to-block-their-efforts-to-lower-greenhouse-gases States Fight For Their Rights On Climate Regs. With the release of a Senate energy and climate bill just days away, states want to make sure they still have a place in environmental regulation. In a media teleconference today, state officials and others hoped the forthcoming Senate bill would not summarily override the states on emissions standards or wipe out programs that work on a local level but might not succeed for the nation as a whole. Posted. http://energytopic.nationaljournal.com/2010/04/states-fight-for-their-rights.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:13:21 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 23, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 23, 2010. 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. Calif. Considers Delaying Diesel-Emission Rules. California air regulators took steps Thursday to delay the nation's toughest rules to slash emissions from diesel-powered construction equipment, saying the poor economy has left many of the vehicles sitting idle. Members of the California Air Resources Board said they want to give companies more time to comply because construction activity in the state is down about 50 percent since the regulations were adopted three years ago, and that has significantly reduced harmful emissions. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iwTbTcan4fd0JSo9iEeso3PgGX8gD9F8DJ781 http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_W_diesel23.4818fd6.html http://www.kcra.com/politics/23238367/detail.html http://cbs13.com/wireapnewsca/Amid.poor.economy.2.1650610.html http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-calif-diesel-rules,0,1364128.story http://newstalk1290.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/ca-considers-delaying-diesel-emission-rules/ http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/22/1907517/trucks-may-get-a-break-on-air.html#ixzz0lw7mILz7 http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/04/23/1396647/air-regulators-may-back-off-changes.html http://foxandhoundsdaily.com/blog/daniel-weintraub/6815-truck-rule-based-flawed-data-arb-staff-admits http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=23822 Cattle Feed May Be Cause of Air Woes. Feed for dairy cows appears to be the biggest single source of a key ozone-making gas in the smoggy San Joaquin Valley. The finding overturns a suspicion experts had several years ago that dairy air pollution mostly comes from manure and cow belching. Fermenting corn silage and other feed create almost twice as much reactive organic gas as cars do, says a study by the University of California at Davis. Organic gases cook together with nitrogen oxides from cars to make some of the worst ozone problems in the country. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/04/22/1139094/cattle-feed-may-be-cause-of-air.html#ixzz0lw9sdNBz http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ihAEWzvhO96iJcjG6tPYTaVBap1gD9F8CJKG0 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/6971421.html http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/04/23/study-cow-feed-may-be-causing-air-problem.html http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=12358511 http://blog.taragana.com/science/2010/04/22/study-dairy-cow-feed-not-manure-may-be-to-blame-for-high-ozone-levels-in-central-california-11385/ Navistar Drops Suit Against CARB. Navistar International Corp. said April 22 it had withdrawn a lawsuit it had lodged against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) following an agreement with the state agency to address issues raised in the litigation. The truck and engine maker had asked the San Francisco Superior Court to rule that CARB was improperly certifying 2010 diesel engines equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) after treatment because the agency was applying U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certification requirements that permitted SCR-equipped trucks to operate for extended periods without controlling NOx emissions. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85070 Cities Back State's Emission-Cutting Law. A group representing California's cities voted overwhelmingly Thursday to support the state's landmark efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, rejecting efforts by some of the group's members to seek a delay in implementing the law. The proposal by a committee of the League of California Cities to ask the state to consider moving back deadlines for cutting emissions coincided with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the world's largest celebration of environmentalism. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/22/MNDP1D2DQG.DTL#ixzz0lwF8sjND Solano Joins Bay Area Regional Effort To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. With traffic on Interstate 80 a major source of air pollution, Solano County has joined a regional effort to enact transportation and land-use reforms in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hundreds of Bay Area regional leaders met Thursday in Oakland to launch the planning process for the region's new Sustainable Communities Strategy. "We all know that air pollution does not stop at the county borders and one of the reasons we get dinged on air quality is I-80," said County Supervisor Barbara Kondylis of Vallejo, who attended the summit. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_14943562 Palm Desert Council Updated on Emissions Bill. Financial incentives could be in the cards for six Southern California counties — Riverside included — which must participate in California's Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act. Sharon Neely, deputy executive director of Policy Strategy and Public Affairs with the Southern California Association of Governments, which is directing the bill's implementation, delivered the news Thursday to Palm Desert staff and City Council members at a study session. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100423/NEWS01/4230304/1006/news01/Palm+Desert+council+updated+on+emissions+bill Emissions Often Underestimated, EPA Standards Old. The nation's oil and chemical plants are spewing a lot more pollution than they report to the Environmental Protection Agency — and the EPA knows it. But the federal agency has yet to adopt more accurate, higher-tech measuring methods that have been available for years. Significant changes will not be seen for at least two more years, even though an internal EPA watchdog called for improvements in 2006 and some of the more sophisticated measuring devices have been used in Europe since the 1990s. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g3llBP3CEiHasq4ztuAIMtM1_xugD9F8AGP82 Global Warming: Believe It. Your editorial on global warming ("Keeping the debate honest," April 20) was rather disingenuous. The controversy or debate about global warming exists mostly in the media, not among climatologists. The actual survey report -- "A National Survey of Television Meteorologists About Climate Change: Preliminary Findings" -- can be found at www.climatechangecommunication.org/resources_reports.cfm. This Web-based survey was sent to 1408 TV meteorologists who were members of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) or the National Weather Association (NWA) offering them $30 to complete a 51-item questionnaire. The findings are based on returned surveys from just 571 recipients who completed at least some portion of the survey. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/opinion/ci_14934654 Senate Panel Clears Budget but Nips Climate Reconciliation. The Senate Budget Committee yesterday hamstrung the chamber's ability to move climate change legislation through the filibuster-proof reconciliation process on its way to passing a budget resolution that also freezes spending for most domestic programs. The panel yesterday approved the fiscal 2011 budget blueprint by a 12-10 vote, with only Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) breaking from his party to vote against the measure.. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/23/23greenwire-senate-panel-clears-budget-but-nips-climate-re-28143.html OPINION; Combating Climate Change: Lessons From The World’s Indigenous Peoples. Bolivia’s president says developing nations must not be shut out of international negotiations for combating the greatest environmental issue of our time. When I arrived at the United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen in late last year, the first thing that struck me were environmental activists braving the freezing weather to voice their disappointment at being locked out of the largest ever international meeting on climate change. Inside the conference, I realized that Bolivia was in a position similar to that of the protesters outside. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-0423-morales-20100423,0,6422441.story Climate Change A Matter Of Science. A recent editorial (“Is climate change happening?” April 18) said belief in climate change was a matter of “faith.” But for scientists, it is certainly not. Scientists see multiple lines of evidence that conclusively demonstrate that burning fossil fuels and destroying forests overloads the atmosphere with heat-trapping gases warming our planet. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100423/OPINION02/4220395/-1/newsfront/Climate-change-a-matter-of-science EEI, Three Oil Companies To Back Climate Bill; Top 10 Highlights Of Kerry Proposal. The nation's largest electric utilities association and three of the country's biggest oil companies will endorse the climate proposal Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) will introduce Monday, Kerry told supporters in a private phone call Thursday evening. Posted. http://views.washingtonpost.com/climate-change/post-carbon/2010/04/by_juliet_eilperin_the_nations.html Leaders Talk about Earth Day after 40 Years. Staff writer Peter Fimrite asked leading environmentalists to discuss the significance of Earth Day. Here are some excerpts. Posted.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/18/MNUT1CUA6C.DTL#ixzz0lw6ykjPA Tokyo's Goal: Be the Greenest. Reporting from Tokyo on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, garbage is getting a makeover. Tons of waste are trucked here daily to a large industrial building. What can't be recycled is burned and filtered for toxins. The ash is turned into building material, and the heat is converted into electricity — enough to power 55,000 homes. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-tokyo-20100423,0,2676539.story The 2 Biggest Carbon Emitters Find Common Ground in Clean Energy Technology. America's relationship with China may be a swinging pendulum, but energy cooperation between the two greenhouse gas-spewing giants appears to be on a steady track, Energy Department officials and others familiar with the programs say. >From Google's denunciation of China's Internet censors to the White House decision to sell Taiwan $6.4 billion in new armaments, relations with China appeared to be on a collision course through early 2010. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/23/23climatewire-the-2-biggest-carbon-emitters-find-common-gr-53598.html Chabot College "Teach-In" Against Hayward Power Plant. A resounding "No!" The word was shouted and filled the Chabot College Performing Arts Center on Thursday when attendees were asked if they wanted a 600-megawatt natural gas-fired facility to be built on the Hayward shoreline, about a mile from the campus. College officials organized an Earth Day "teach-in" program to inform and rally residents and students against Calpine's Russell City Energy Center, which was approved by the air board in February. The air board acts under the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14940352 http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_14940352 Blogs The Bay Area Governments' Earth Day Summit. On this Earth Day, leaders from Bay Area city and county governments met to figure out how they are going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hundreds of politicians and staffers shuffled into the cavernous convention center at the Oakland Marriot. The cattle prod forcing this herd of local officials to move in roughly the same direction is one of California's new global warming laws, senate bill 375. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/kalw/detail?entry_id=61969#ixzz0lwFhTvCq Earth Day Protest at an Oakland Gas Station. At 8 a.m. Thursday, 50 people gathered at the Valero gas station at the corner of Telegraph and Grand Avenues near downtown Oakland. Their issue was the role of the oil company Valero in the campaign for a ballot measure to derail, at least temporarily, the 2006 California law designed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/earth-day-protest-at-an-oakland-gas-station/ http://www.examiner.com/x-28442-LA-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2010m4d22-Happy-Earth-Day-Occidental-Petroleum-joins-effort-to-kill-Californias-antiglobal-warming-law http://laist.com/2010/04/22/protesters_take_on_valero_over_init.php?gallery0Pic=2 Man-Made Carbon Dioxide Making Oceans More Acidic, Study Finds. Oceans worldwide are turning increasingly acidic as they absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, which could have negative effects on many forms of marine life at the base of the oceanic food chain, including plankton, coral and large mollusks such as oysters, a National Research Council study has found. Oceans are an important part of the planet's carbon cycle, and hold the largest active pool of carbon near the surface of the Earth. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/04/manmade-carbon-dioxide-making-oceans-more-acidic-study-finds.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:59:00 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 26, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 26, 2010. 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. Schwarzenegger Fights To Protect His Climate-Change And Redistricting Legacy. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has long relied on the ballot as a political weapon, wielding direct democracy over the heads of opponents throughout his time in office. In his final year, wealthy donors have turned the tables. They hope to use the ballot to erase two of his biggest legacy pieces, a landmark climate-change law and an independent redistricting process. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/26/v-print/2705129/schwarzenegger-fights-to-protect.html Calif. Establishes $50 Million Fund To Back Local Retrofits. California gave a statewide vote of confidence to the practice of putting efficiency and energy improvements on property tax bills by establishing a $50 million reserve fund to back local government bonds. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed S.B. 77 last week, designating $50 million as a safeguard against bonds issued by cities and counties that are giving out Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loans. The fund will cover $500 million to $1 billion worth of home and commercial improvements, the bill's backers say. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/26/5 Sacramento Hosts Climate Plan Meeting. The city of Sacramento hosts a public meeting tonight its proposed Climate Action Plan. The plan aims to create a strategy of cost-effective programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help the city better adapt to climate change. The City Council requested the document to ensure Sacramento's 2030 General Plan contains policies to reduce the city's collective carbon footprint. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/26/v-print/2706386/sacramento-hosts-climate-plan.html Navistar Withdraws Lawsuit Against CARB. Navistar International Corporation has withdrawn a lawsuit it previously filed against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) after an agreement with CARB that addresses the issues that prompted the court action. Navistar had sought a ruling in a San Francisco Superior Court declaring that CARB was improperly certifying 2010 diesel engines equipped with an aftertreatment system called SCR, which is used to control emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/2010-emissions/navistar_withdraws_lawsuit_against_carb_0426/TE ENERGY BILL COULD HALT CALIFORNIA'S EMISSIONENATE ENERGY BILL COULD HALT CALIFORNIA'S Senate Energy Bill Could Halt California's Emission Reduction Efforts. Three U.S. Senators are scheduled to release a bipartisan energy bill Monday – and advocates of California’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are worried the bill might pre-empt some of the state’s most aggressive standards. Listen Posted. http://www.capradio.org/articles/articledetail.aspx?articleid=8153 Kerry, Lieberman Scramble To Avoid Climate Bill 'Fiasco'. Sens. John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman sought to control the damage to their climate legislation yesterday, hours after the last-minute withdrawal of the bill's only Republican sponsor derailed an anticipated unveiling and prompted an urgent meeting in Lieberman's home on Saturday. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, consulted with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada Sunday morning about Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) announcement to abandon the carbon-cutting legislation, a move that came as aides were rushing to finalize the bill before its introduction Monday. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/26/1 Region Begins New Drive To Curb Greenhouse Gases. Four regional agencies have launched a major drive to rein in greenhouse gas pollution by reducing vehicle use, increasing public transit use and promoting compact development in the Bay Area's nine counties. Cities and counties will be asked to designate areas for developing compact housing and businesses in established areas with good access to rail lines, buses and ferries. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14947616 http://www.contracostatimes.com/traffic/ci_14947616 Developing Nations: Climate Change Treaty In 2010. Cape Town, South Africa—Four influential developing nations say the world must work for a strong climate change agreement this year. Summing up strategy talks in South Africa on Sunday, South African Environment Minister Buyelwa Sonjica and her counterparts from Brazil, China and India said they want year-end talks in Mexico to produce a binding international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases and help poor countries cope with climate change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14956675 Senators Try To Get Climate Change Legislation Back On Track. Despite a weekend setback that resulted in the scrub of today's long-awaited unveiling of a tri-partisan (yes, you read that right; see below) bill to combat global warming, the strange-bedfellow coalition of senators working on the legislation isn't giving up. The effort to draft compromise legislation that will address domestic energy needs and climate change has preoccupied Sens. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat; Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, and Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, for months. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/04/senators-try-to-get-climate-change-legislation-back-on-track/1 http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-earth-day-20100426,0,1768386.story EPA Signals Push For Efficiency To Control Greenhouse Gas Emissions. U.S. EPA's air chief has requested input from agency advisers about how the government can promote energy efficiency and innovative technology as it defines the "best available control technology" for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy laid out her request in an April 9 letter to the agency's Clean Air Act Advisory Committee's climate change work group. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/04/26/3 23 Options To Slash Emissions Without A National Carbon Cap – Study. There isn't a silver bullet to prevent climate change, but there might be 23 "super options." In a new report, the Center for Climate Strategies concludes that 23 policies ranging from nuclear power incentives to building codes would slash emissions below levels recommended by President Obama. If implemented in every state of the country, the measures would cut greenhouse gas output 27 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 even without an emissions cap in place. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/26/2 Safrica Hosts Developing Countries On Climate Talk. JOHANNESBURG—As the world struggles to break a deadlock in climate change negotiations, South Africa and three other influential developing nations are gathering for a strategy session to ensure poor countries are heard. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14951676 'Green' Becomes More Than A Corporate Marketing Pitch. Cincinnati — Going green has become good business. Just look at store shelves: Sales of "green" products, such as organic foods and natural personal care items, have jumped 15 percent since 2006, according to research firm Mintel International. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14945729 Candidates Differ On Issues: Adams Backs Green Power Plan, Mazzoni Calls Venture Risky. Supervisor Susan Adams and former Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni haven't found much to agree on in their race for the San Rafael area's seat on the Board of Supervisors. The two, invited to the Marin Civic Center press room to provide written answers to a series of questions during separate 90-minute sessions the other day, are even at odds on what the key issue is. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14959311?nclick_check=1 More Myths Busted About Electric Cars. I recently went to Finland to drive the all-electric Think City plug-in car (www.thinkev.com), which is already on European roads and coming to the U.S. later this year. To help it have a soft landing, Think CEO Richard Canny (who spent 25 years at Ford) put together these nine myths about electric vehicles (EV). Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/26/1910731/more-myths-busted-about-electric.html Ballot Measures Put Schwarzenegger On Defense. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has long relied on the ballot as a political weapon, wielding direct democracy over the heads of opponents throughout his time in office. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/26/1910440/schwarzenegger-fights-to-protect.html Climate Bill Placed On Hold Over Senate Dispute. Washington -- Long-awaited climate change legislation was put on hold by its authors Saturday when a dispute over immigration politics and Senate priorities threatened to unravel a bipartisan effort that took months of work. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/24/1909251/graham-blasts-reids-cynical-ploy.html Lieberman Encouraged Energy Bill Will Be On Track. Washington -- A day after bipartisan support for an energy and climate change bill appeared to crumble, a Senate sponsor said Sunday he was optimistic the coalition would regroup and lawmakers would consider the measure this year. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/25/1909934/senator-says-immigration-and-energy.html Tokyo Aims To Be World's Greenest Mega-City. Rather than burying garbage, nine firms on the Tokyo waterfront are collecting it to be recycled or reused as building materials. The companies sort out recyclables from the waste, then burn and filter the rest. The heat is converted to electricity and the ash is turned into building material while saving landfill space. It's part of Tokyo's larger push to become the world's most eco-friendly city. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/26/6 Blogs What Do Ankle Bracelets, Cell Phones, And Cool Cars Have In Common? California Air Resources Board (CARB) had proposed a so-called "Cool Cars" regulation mandating new vehicle windows block 33 percent more heat-producing rays from the sun by 2012 and achieve a 60% reduction by 2016. In spite of the combination of added occupant comfort and better vehicle mileage, the proposal was pure red meat for the 'keep government off our back' movement and US car makers. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/04/what-do-ankle-bracelets-cell-phones-cool-cars-have-common.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:04:37 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 27, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 27, 2010. 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. Filters Proving Costly To Truckers. Edwin Siliezar did everything right. He applied early when grant money was first offered by the state of California to help pay for new diesel particulate filters for trucks hauling at the Port of Oakland. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14963169 On The Waterfront: Clean Air Plan Is Up For Public Comment Today. While the feds continue squabbling over a global warming bill and state regulators backtrack on new diesel-emission rules, local communities are moving ahead this week to attack the cancerous soot hanging over harbor-area neighborhoods. Tonight, the public can vent their enthusiasm - or lack thereof - of a sweeping 4-year-old program adopted by the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles to slash port-generated pollution in half by 2012. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_14965009 Contractors Challenge CARB Data about Off-Road Diesel Emissions. State air quality officials have vastly overestimated emissions from the state’s off-road diesel fleet, according to a study released last week. The study was commissioned by the Associated General Contractors of America and conducted by Sierra Research Inc. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/04/26/daily7.html EPA Rules Bad for Minorities. The Environmental Protection Agency wants to curtail greenhouse gases. Black Americans should be afraid — very afraid. Five civil rights organizations recently condemned EPA’s plans to regulate carbon dioxide and other emissions as part of its war on so-called “global warming.” These groups argue that the EPA’s Dec. 7 “Endangerment Finding” and pending anti-CO2 regulations will slam Americans hard and blacks and other minorities hardest. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/apr/26/epa-rules-bad-for-minorities/ Australian Prime Minister Announces 2-Year Delay Of Carbon Pollution Reduction Laws. Canberra, Australia — Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced Tuesday a two-year delay in government plans to tax Australia's worst industrial polluters — a move that puts legislative efforts to curb gases blamed for climate change on hold until after national elections. The government had proposed annual limits on the amount of carbon that major polluters can emit and supported a system whereby companies could exceed their limits if they agreed to buy carbon trading permits. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-climate-australia,0,7377357,print.story http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/27/2708156/australia-postpones-carbon-pollution.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14966038 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471204575209353762420206.html?KEYWORDS=climate+change http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/world/asia/28australia.html http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/apr/27/australia-postpones-carbon-pollution-curbs/ Senate Climate Bill Trio Headed in Different Directions. Prospects for the Senate climate bill grew even dimmer yesterday after the trio working on a comprehensive measure emerged from a closed-door meeting headed in separate directions -- both literally and figuratively. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) made no joint statements following a 45-minute meeting in the Capitol, their first chance to huddle in person since Graham threatened over the weekend to abandon the talks because of the Democratic leadership's decision to also tackle the hot-button issue of immigration. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/27/27climatewire-senate-clilmate-bill-trio-headed-in-differen-16469.html?scp=8&sq=climate%20change&st=cse EPA Signals Push for Efficiency to Control Greenhouse Gas Emissions. U.S. EPA's air chief has requested input from agency advisers about how the government can promote energy efficiency and innovative technology as it defines the "best available control technology" for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy laid out her request in an April 9 letter (pdf) to the agency's Clean Air Act Advisory Committee's climate change work group. The work group is advising EPA as the agency prepares to issue guidance about how it will define BACT for greenhouse gases from stationary sources. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/26/26greenwire-epa-signals-push-for-efficiency-to-control-gre-63224.html Editorial: Needless Climate Bill in the Cooler. Attempts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, ostensibly to curb global warming, at the least have stalled as the chief Republican supporter, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, defected from the tripartisan backing, raising doubts a bill will emerge from Congress this year. Mr. Graham, Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut were to unveil a compromise Monday expected to include provisions for off-shore oil drilling, nuclear energy development and restrictions or costs to be imposed on carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/bill-245961-carbon-sen.html 'Energy Only' Bill in Senate Would Be Tough Sell. If Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) bolts the Senate climate coalition, it must be time to turn to the "energy only" bill that centrist Democrats have been promoting as a bipartisan alternative to a climate bill, right? Not so fast. The "Bingaman bill" that passed New Mexico Democrat Jeff Bingaman's Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year does have bipartisan support. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/26/26greenwire-energy-only-bill-in-senate-would-be-tough-sell-22080.html?pagewanted=print Editorial: Climate Change Bill Shouldn't Fall Victim To Immigration Reform. IS THE Senate climate bill doomed? It certainly took a hit Saturday, when Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), hitherto the bill's lone Republican backer, threatened to abandon the effort. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/26/AR2010042603702.html A Call To Arms. The Carbon War Room has come to Washington. The Virgin Group's Richard Branson, who founded the nonprofit advocacy organization last year along with six other entrepreneurs, said in an interview that the cadre hopes to identify opportunities for businesses to cut both costs and carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/26/AR2010042603379.html Challenges to California Climate Change Law. California’s climate change law is the most aggressive in the United States and it faces challenges this election year. Some of the same forces that may stall federal climate legislation, including oil companies and businesses concerned by higher energy prices, are now taking aim at California’s landmark 2006 law. Posted. http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Challenges+California+climate+change/2953493/story.html DOWNEY: Global Warming Campaign Heats Up. The rhetoric is heating up over a move to place a measure on the November ballot that would suspend the state's landmark 2006 global warming law. And you're being asked to boycott certain gas stations because of it. By now you've heard of the effort. Groups of conservative politicians and business promoters around the state are trying to qualify an initiative that would suspend Assembly Bill 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/columnists/downey/article_4cd4e725-b3ab-53d1-8eda-c71c468eadf3.html Q&A: The Economics Of Climate Legislation. The man who runs Exelon, the major Chicago-based electric utility, explains why he’s an evangelist for measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions. John Rowe's business is power plants, but lately he's been talking a lot about train wrecks — specifically, the one he's worried will devastate the utility industry if Congress fails to pass a climate bill. Rowe runs Exelon, the Chicago-based utility that serves more electricity customers than anyone else in the United States. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exelon-20100427,0,2478881,print.story Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Discusses Los Angeles’ Successes And Challenges For Addressing Environmental Issues. Recently, as part of the Energy Cost Adjustment Factor (ECAF) rate action undertaken by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners this week, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a proposal for a Carbon Reduction Surcharge. This surcharge will change the way Los Angeles achieves its renewable energy goals while spurring job creation in the city. This action is one of many that the City of Los Angeles is taking to continue sustainability efforts. PMC interviewed the mayor to find out what else the City of Los Angeles, one of the most densely populated cities in the country, is doing to effect change. Posted. http://www.carbonconscious.us/newsletter/march10.html#mayor Hydroelectric Power Seen As Source Of Clean Energy And Jobs. Hydroelectric power, once thought to be peaked out in the United States, is having a resurgence among energy experts. A Department of Energy official said yesterday that it has a large potential for additional power generation and job creation. At the same time, a report by Navigant Consulting says hydro power, which includes existing dams and the nascent marine power sector, could generate between half a million and 1.5 million jobs. The lower and upper ends are set by a weak (10 percent) versus a strong (25 percent) renewable energy standard from the Obama administration. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/27/2 Cow Power Helps Fill Your Gas Tank. Cows help you fill your cereal bowl, bake your cake and adorn your pizza. Now right here in Tulare County — cows will help you fill your gas tank. Calgren Renewable Fuels, the Pixley-based ethanol plant, has been awarded a $4.68 million matching grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to utilize dairy cow gas to make ethanol. Posted. http://www.recorderonline.com/news/fill-45051-tank-help.html The 40 Percent Solution. In a move that's certain to transform the U.S. auto industry, the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection agency instituted stricter fuel economy regulations on April 1 that will make new cars and trucks 40 percent more fuel-efficient by 2016. Posted. http://www.pe.com/cars/content/cars/stories/PE_cars_0423_40percent.27754aecc.html?fw=http://www.pe.com/cars/content/cars/stories/PE_cars_0423_40percent.27754aecc.html Colo School Tests Fuel Made From Beetle-Kill Trees. Fort Collins, Colo.—Colorado State University is getting ready to test a California company's technology that converts trees killed by bark beetles into fuel for cars. CSU's Engines and Energy Conversion Lab will measure the power and pollution from the fuel developed by Cobalt Technologies Inc. of Mountain View, Calif. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14966909 Toxic Soil Lurks Beneath Carson Neighborhood. The discovery of methane gas and benzene has transformed a 50-acre neighborhood into an environmental case study — a reminder of Southern California’s history as a center of the oil industry. When Ron and Belinda Oglesby moved into Carson's Carousel neighborhood in 2003, they saw a solid, middle-class area where homeowners set down roots and lived for decades, where Santa Claus paraded through the streets on a firetruck and children returned to buy their own homes. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-carousel-shell-20100427,0,7021769,print.story ENVIRONMENT: Public to Become Pollution Detectors Under UCSD Program. Instead of passively waiting for warnings about air pollution, San Diego County residents may help monitor it under a program under early development at UC San Diego. Called "CitiSense," the program aims to deploy a vast network of pollution-detecting sensors hooked up to cell phones. Eventually, the network would be expanded to include standalone sensors. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/science/article_5ed6cc20-f624-5ccd-b55a-e4581c8b6cf8.html Outdoor Burning Rules in Butte County under Review. Public comment will be taken for another couple of months on changes in Butte County outdoor burning rules to make them comply with state standards. Currently, an array of nine rules govern ag burning, the burning of yard waste — such as prunings and fallen leaves and pine needles — and burning to clear property for development. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/oroville/ci_14965388 Deadline Kicks In For Burn Permits. Beginning Saturday, burn permits are required in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties and eastern Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Burn permits set to expire in April will have the expiration date extended to June 1. Because of recent rain and more storms predicted, Cal Fire will not begin to staff all its fire stations until May 24. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/04/26/1143573/deadline-kicks-in-for-burn-permits.html#ixzz0mJXsfxuU Supreme Court Questions Ban Of Biotech Alfalfa, Paving Way For Biotech Giant To Sell The Crop. Washington - Supreme Court justices on Tuesday sharply questioned a lower court's decision that has prohibited biotech giant Monsanto Co. from selling genetically engineered alfalfa seeds, possibly paving the way for the company to distribute the seeds for the first time since 2007. The case has been closely watched by environmentalists and agribusiness. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-supreme-court-biotech-crops,0,4016378,print.story After Years Of Delays, Germany's First Offshore Wind Farm Fans Hopes For More. Berlin - Germany is officially opening its first offshore wind farm in the North Sea after years of delays and technical problems. Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said Tuesday he expects the test field Alpha Ventus, consisting of 12 windmills, to "push wide open the gate to the age of renewable energies." Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-germany-offshore-wind-farm,0,3682934,print.story http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/27/2708598/germany-opens-its-first-offshore.html Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol Selected as Contestant in EPA National Building Competition. Will Compete to "Work Off the Waste" with Help from ENERGY STAR Program. Austin, Texas -- Officials of the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol, today announced that the hotel has been selected to participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) first national competition among commercial buildings to save energy and fight climate change. In the spirit of popular weight-loss competitions, the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol will compete against 13 other buildings across the country to "work off the waste" through improvements in energy efficiency with help from EPA's ENERGY STAR program. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/27/v-print/2708666/sheraton-austin-hotel-at-the-capitol.html Norway, Russia Agree To Carve Up Disputed Area Of Barents Sea, Seek More Energy Cooperation. Oslo - In a surprise move, Norway and Russia agreed Tuesday to evenly divide a long-disputed area in the Barents Sea, a promising oil and gas region in the Arctic made more accessible by global warming. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-norway-russia,0,2100086,print.story BLOGS Why The Senate Climate Bill Is On Life Support. Monday was to be a launch party for supporters of a congressional push to limit greenhouse gas emissions and boost domestic energy production. Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) were to roll out their long-negotiated version of the climate bill the House passed last year, along with endorsements from environmental groups, utility executives and even oil companies. You know what they say about best-laid plans. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/04/why-the-senate-climate-bill-is-on-life-support.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Green Chemistry Chugs Along. Change as fundamental as green chemistry is bound to take awhile. Back in December 2008, California launched its initiative aimed at shifting the chemical industry away from substances that are suspected health hazards. (That's a significant change from the chemical-by-chemical risk analysis that has driven most regulation of chemicals.) Now, the state's Department of Toxic Substances Control has come out with its outline of a draft regulation that would prioritize chemicals and products of concern, a first step in implementing the green chemistry initiative. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/04/green-chemistry-chugs-along.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 California Air Resource Board Fines Dealers For DMV Mistake. Where the California Air Resources Board [1] (CARB) is concerned, trying to do the right thing often just isn’t enough to keep a company from paying tens of thousands of dollars in penalties. Just ask the guys who work at GP Motorcycles [2] and Moto Forza [3] in San Diego. Last August, CARB made each of those dealers pay $90,000 for “illegally selling Husqvarna [4]off-road motorcycles as on-road models” even though they were just doing what the state Department of Motor Vehicles [5] (DMV) told them to do. Posted. http://watchdog.org/3626/california-air-resource-board-fines-dealers-for-dmv-mistake/print/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:54:35 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 28, 2010 From: sponedal@ARB.CA.GOV Newsclips for April 28, 2010. 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. Los Angeles Is Still The Nation’s Smoggiest City. The metropolitan area averages more than 140 days a year with dangerous ozone. Metropolitan Los Angeles, extending to Riverside and Long Beach, remains the smoggiest city in the United States, with an average of more than 140 days a year of dangerous ozone levels, the American Lung Assn. reported Wednesday in its annual assessment. All of the nation's 10 smoggiest counties are in California, with San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, Tulare and Los Angeles leading the pack. And the state's cities and counties, with their ports, refineries, power plants and crowded freeways, rank near the top for particle pollution. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-air-pollution-20100428,0,263511,print.story http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/04/28/state/n083717D27.DTL&tsp=1 http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14975386 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/27/1913058/san-joaquin-valleys-air-just-gets.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/28/AR2010042802745.html Calif. Low-Carbon Standard Beats Canadian Counterpart – NRDC. California's approach to cutting the carbon intensity of fuels by 2020 is tougher than a similar policy advanced by its provincial Canadian neighbor to the north, according to a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Canada. In a comparison study released yesterday, a pair of scientists at the groups said they preferred the low-carbon fuel standards adopted by California to British Columbia's, because, in their view, the Americans did better work accounting for land-use effects and discouraging use of heavier crude oils like tar sands. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/28/5 Australia's Carbon Tax On Hold For 2 Years. Canberra, Australia -- Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced Tuesday a two-year delay in government plans to tax Australia's worst industrial polluters - a move that puts legislative efforts to curb gases blamed for climate change on hold until after national elections. The government had proposed annual limits on the amount of carbon that major polluters can emit and supported a system whereby companies could exceed their limits if they agreed to buy carbon trading permits. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/28/MNC11D5FHE.DTL&type=printable Infigen May Need to Regain Credibility, Analysts Say. -- Infigen Energy's decision to abandon a plan to sell its U.S. wind energy business after failing to attract high enough bids may weaken confidence in the power producer as it seeks to grow in Australia, analysts said. "We believe it will take a period of time for management to re-establish their credibility with investors," Grace Chan and Scott Carroll, Sydney-based analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co., wrote in a report. Infigen until recently had indicated that the sale was "on track," they said in the report to clients. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/04/28/bloomberg1376-L1KRXG07SXKX-1.DTL&type=printable Sen. Graham Has Backing At Home, But Not On Climate. The Lindsey Graham from small town Seneca, a leafy place in the South Carolina's piedmont dotted on the edges by places named Retreat, Hicks Store and Singing Pines, has no business siding with Democrats. He is not seen as a centrist Republican, nor one who needs moderate issues to gladden an electorate that straddles political divisions. This is Graham the southern conservative, whose state sought Sarah Palin as vice president and which yields some Democrats that are redder than many members of the nation's grand old party. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/04/28/1 Lubricating Bubbles May Help Branson War on Shipping Pollution. Looming United Nations measures to halve carbon emissions from commercial ships have Nippon Yusen K.K., owner of the world's second-largest fleet, designing a vessel that is propelled by sails and glides on lubricating bubbles. Other shipping lines are also aiming to cut greenhouse gases. China Cosco Holdings Co., the nation's largest container- ship operator, may reintroduce nuclear power for moving cargo. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/04/28/bloomberg1376-L1K8P31A1I4H-1.DTL&type=printable Hong Kong Air Pollution Index at 'Very High' 118 in Central. Hong Kong's Air Pollution Index reached a "very high" reading of 118 today at the roadside station in the city's Central business district, the Environmental Protection Department said on its Web site. Readings above 100 trigger warnings for people with heart and respiratory conditions to avoid prolonged stays in heavy traffic areas. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/04/28/bloomberg1376-L1K5RQ6N9EDG-3.DTL&type=printable Winters Joins Yolo County Smoke-Free Apartments Trend. Winters recently became the second city in Yolo County to back smoke-free apartments. The town passed a resolution on April 20 encouraging apartment complexes in Winters to designate at least half of their property as smoke-free. The action follows a similar resolution in April 2008 passed by Woodland. At least 16 Yolo County housing complexes restrict smoking in at least half of the units, according to the Smoke-Free Apartments Project of the Yolo County Health Department. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/28/v-print/2712189/winters-joins-yolo-smoke-free.html U.K. Power Plants May Face Early Closure on EU Rules (Update1) -- British power stations may be forced to close early under proposed changes to European Union emissions laws, threatening the nation's energy security, according to an industry lobby group. As many as 14 electricity plants, representing as much as a quarter of the country's generating capacity, may need to install new equipment to curb emissions by 2016 or face closure, the Confederation of British Industry said in a statement. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/04/28/bloomberg1376-L1KV7D07SXKY-1.DTL&type=printable Mountain View company's dead-tree-to-fuel process to be tested. FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Colorado State University is getting ready to test a Mountain View company's technology that converts trees killed by bark beetles into fuel for cars. CSU's Engines and Energy Conversion Lab will measure the power and pollution from the fuel developed by Cobalt Technologies Inc. of Mountain View, Calif. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14968333 Bonny Doon engineer wants to change global power, will speak at energy conference. BONNY DOON — Inventor JoeBen Bevirt made millions off his Gorillapod, a bubbly, bendable camera tripod that began as a Stanford University class project. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14968955 San Joaquin Valley's air again fails to make grade. The American Lung Association says many places in California and the rest of the country made big improvements in air quality. But in terms of dust, soot and other specks, the San Joaquin Valley's air got dirtier. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/27/1913058/san-joaquin-valleys-air-just-gets.html Prince Charles' Environment Film To Air In U.S. Los Angeles (Reuters) - Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, has made a film about climate change and attempts to find innovative solutions to global environmental problems that will be shown on U.S. television. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/27/AR2010042704606.html Senator Kerry Says EPA To Start Climate Bill Analysis. Washington (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin analyzing a compromise climate change bill Senator John Kerry hopes to move through the Senate this year, despite a significant setback his effort has suffered, Kerry said on Tuesday. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/27/AR2010042702801.html EPA Says Climate Change Is Causing Storms, Heat Waves. As the Senate debates whether to take up a climate bill before an immigration one, a new Environmental Protection Agency report says climate change is already causing storms and heat waves. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/04/epa-report-warns-of-climate-change-dangers/1 BLOGS Harry Reid Can't Escape The Climate Change Issue. Many have pointed out that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's decision to open the way to move immigration reform before climate change is probably calculated to benefit him and other Democrats in tough election battles. One way this works: By taking up immigration, Reid satisfies Hispanics in his home state of Nevada. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/04/harry_reid_cant_escape_the_cli.html E.P.A. Makes Its Case on Climate Change. Polls show that tackling climate change is a low priority for the American public. Indeed, a Yale poll found that only 12 percent of Americans were “very worried” about global warming. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/e-p-a-makes-its-case-on-climate-change/?src=mv ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:48:48 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 29, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 29, 2010. 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. Obama Administration Oks First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Wednesday approved the nation's first offshore wind farm, the 130-turbine Cape Wind project off Cape Cod, Mass., and said that the power of strong winds over the Atlantic Ocean would be an important part of the U.S. drive to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. European countries have been building offshore wind farms for 20 years, and China is building its first, off Shanghai. Other U.S. states along the Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes also are looking into building wind farms to produce large amounts of electricity. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/04/28/1146243/obama-administration-oks-first.html#ixzz0mVUWnObw http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/29/29climatewire-obama-administration-advances-cape-wind-but-32153.html?scp=8&sq=carbon%20emissions&st=cse http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-cape-wind,0,5702078.story http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/04/28/1914154/obama-administration-oks-first.html U.N. Advisers Push Annual $35B-$40B Global Plan To Expand Energy Use And Reduce Carbon. United Nations -- At least $35 billion to $40 billion of annual investments will be required to link all people in the world with modern forms of energy by 2030, a goal that must be reached while reducing heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions, a U.N. advisory group recommended yesterday. Fifteen billion dollars of this should be in the form of annual grants donated by rich nations to expand electricity access to the poor. And the world should not only achieve universal access to energy by 2030, but it should do so while increasing efficiency by 40 percent overall, or 2.5 percent per year. Such steps will be necessary to not only reduce extreme poverty but also combat climate change. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/29/1 Climate Change Bill Hits A Roadblock. Climate change has taken a back seat to the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The climate change debate in Congress is both fluid and frac¬tured. As with the recent debate around health care, climate change reform appears to be some where between in evitable and impossible. What’s different now is that the GOP seems much more willing to play ball than they did during health care reform. Of course, Republican leadership has hardly been supportive of Democratic efforts recently, but some law makers, including the infamous Scott Brown, may be persuadable. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-43343-Energy-Policy-Examiner~y2010m4d29-Climate-change-bill-hits-a-road-block Could Reconciliation Work For The Climate Bill? The contretemps between Lindsey Graham and Harry Reid derailed the planned roll-out of the climate bill, but that doesn't mean the legislation is any less done. And so behind the scenes, it's been sent to the EPA to be modeled. If and when Graham and Reid work things out, the bill's supporters are hoping they won't have lost too much time. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/04/could_reconciliation_work_for.html True Impact on Working People of AB 32 Is No Mere Numbers Game. It’s time for an honest discussion about how California’s global warming law (AB 32) will impact jobs in California. Working people in this state are suffering and they need real answers about its job impact, not theories, legacy politics and empty promises. Consider a few grim statistics: The state’s unemployment rate is still above 12 percent. More than 119,000 manufacturing jobs were lost last year. More than 600,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in this state since 2000. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=ysyz4c7wwttpo8&xid=ysyfvwdfms9ynb&done=.ysyz4c7wwugpo8 SF Hits Goal for Carbon Emissions. San Francisco has significantly reduced its carbon footprint during the last two years, meeting the standards set by the Kyoto Protocol. Mayor Gavin Newsom this week announced that The City is 7 percent below the 1990 emissions levels. That includes analysis of data through 2008, the latest information on local emissions available. Posted. http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/SF-hits-goal-for-carbon-emissions--92382069.html#ixzz0mVLnXOlF Ice Loss Accelerates Warming In The Arctic – Study. Melting sea ice has accelerated warming in the Arctic, which in recent decades has warmed twice as quickly as the global average, according to a new study. "The findings reinforce suggestions that strong positive ice-temperature feedbacks have emerged in the Arctic, increasing the changes of further rapid warming and sea ice loss," concludes the research published yesterday by the journal Nature. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/29/3 Santa Cruz County Air Is Among The Cleanest In The Nation. Santa Cruz — The air in Santa Cruz County is among the cleanest in the nation, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association. That's good news for thousands of residents with asthma, bronchitis and cardiovascular disease whose health can be put at risk due to air pollution. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14978736 http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14977250?source=most_emailed&nclick_check=1 Air in Long Beach, Los Angeles gets F. Despite modest gains in recent years, most of the Long Beach-Los Angeles metropolis continues suffering from the nation's poorest air quality, putting millions at risk for respiratory disease, cancer and early death, according to a new study. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14977692 Letters: Mistakes About Green Energy Myths. First, the fact that it takes relatively more space to generate wind or solar energy is irrelevant. A large solar farm has exponentially less environmental impact than the same land allocated to an oil or gas refinery. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/28/AR2010042805354.html New Study Halves Land-Use Impacts Of Corn Ethanol. A new estimate of corn ethanol's effect on land-use decisions has entered the fray, and ethanol producers are brandishing it as evidence that California's low-carbon fuel standard unfairly penalizes their product. Using an updated economic model, the new study, led by Purdue University agricultural economics professor Wallace Tyner, found that the effect of switching forests and cropland to producing corn for ethanol would result in 13.9 grams of excess carbon dioxide per megajoule of energy produced, over 30 years of production from a given area. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/29/7 Transalta Prepares For Emissions Restrictions In Canada, U.S. TransAlta Corp., Canada's largest publicly traded electricity generator, is studying ways to clean up coal-fired plants or incorporate new fuels in advance of new emissions regulations." We have sites that would be excellent to permit for potential gas plants. We have plants at various ages, some of which are excellent candidates for life extension with new technologies," said CEO Steve Snyder. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/29/11 U.N. Advisers Push Annual $35b-$40b Global Plan to Expand Energy Use and Reduce Carbon. At least $35 billion to $40 billion of annual investments will be required to link all people in the world with modern forms of energy by 2030, a goal that must be reached while reducing heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions, a U.N. advisory group recommended yesterday. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/29/29climatewire-un-advisers-push-annual-35b-40b-global-plan-42862.html CSFA Urges Governor to Sign SB 183. The California State Firefighters Association (CSFA) is asking everyone to urge Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign Senate Bill 183, which will help prevent accidental carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by requiring the installation of CO alarms in all California homes, including rental properties. Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that accidental carbon monoxide poisoning kills 400 people in the U.S. every year, with most of those deaths occurring in a residential setting. Posted. http://fdnntv.com/CSFA-urges-governor-sign-SB-183. Posted. http://fdnntv.com/CSFA-urges-governor-sign-SB-183 Blogs California Dominates Most-Polluted Cities List. Despite some gains, more than half of the United States' population lives in cities where pollution levels make the air unhealthy to breathe, an annual report says. Cities in California dominated the most-polluted list in the American Lung Association's "State of the Air 2010" report released Wednesday. The organization rates communities on three criteria: ozone, short-term particle spikes and long-term particle averages. Posted. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/29/california-dominates-most-polluted-cities-list/ Cap-and-Trade in California. When I turn on my TV these days, I'm usually assaulted by ads from the two candidates trying to win the Republican primary for governor of California this year. Both of them are Silicon Valley moderates who are desperately trying to convince the GOP faithful that they're actually stone cold reactionaries, and the ads have gotten pretty ugly. And not just toward each other. Posted. http://motherjones.com/print/57021 L.A. Tops List of 'Most Polluted Cities'. Old timers will tell you it's not like it used to be, when Los Angeles would be socked in for weeks at a time by dense smog that ringed the foothills and capped the basin. It has been a long time. Still, comparatively speaking, L.A. is still tops when it comes to air pollution. The American Lung Association on Wednesday released its annual "State of the Air" list of "Most Polluted Cities," and L.A.-Long Beach-Riverside ranked number one for ozone, number three for year-round particle pollution (diesel particulates and the like) and number four for short-term particle pollution. Posted. http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/city-news/la-tops-pollution-list/ Carbon Emissions From Soil-Dwelling Microbes Will Fall With Warming: UC Irvine Study. Courtesy of Watts Up With That?, here’s a study pertaining to global warming that doesn’t fit the usual template. It says carbon emissions from underground microbes will decline from warming. In other words, the climate change temperature feedback from the soil-dwelling microbes is negative, not positive. The study, “Soil-Carbon Response to Warming Dependent on Microbial Physiology,” was led by Steven Allison, assistant professor of ecology & evolutionary biology. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?p=8961 Global Warming Retreat – Except For California’s Government. A little-reported, little-noticed big deal has been going on as the wheels fall off the global warming party bus. The state air board in its wisdom continues to advance a cap-and-trade scheme to siphon money out of the private sector while coercing businesses to turn green, whether it profits or benefits them, let alone the rest of the world. The control scam will cost private businesses up to $143 billion, but that’s to be expected when the government sets out to do good. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/04/28/global-warming-retreat-except-for-californias-government/25341/ Kerry-Graham-Lieberman Climate Bill Sent To EPA, Buying Time In The Senate. The architects of the Senate energy and climate bill showed no signs Wednesday morning of being close to unveiling their plan publicly, amid a still-unresolved political dispute with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). But behind the scenes, the senators moved quietly to make sure the climate bill stays on track for a possible early summer vote if the situation is resolved. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/04/john-kerry-lindsey-graham-joseph-lieberman-climate-epa-senate.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:02:23 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 30, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 30, 2010. 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. Jerry Brown Defends Embattled State Climate Law But Is Open To 'Adjustments' San Francisco -- California Attorney General Jerry Brown defended the state's climate change law yesterday, explaining that he sees room for "adjustments" but would not support an outright suspension of greenhouse gas reductions until the economy improves. Brown, the leading Democratic candidate for governor in the state, said his likely GOP opponent in the November general election, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, is mistaken in her view that freezing the law for a year or more would help the California economy and jobs rebound. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/30/30climatewire-jerry-brown-defends-embattled-state-climate-49756.html?pagewanted=print http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/30/1 Illegal Immigration and LA's Air Pollution. Listen to/Watch entire show: . Ten counties with America's worst air pollution are all in California, and LA has the worst Smog in the country. That's according to the American Lung Association. We'll hear what that means for public health. We also hear about efforts to delay AB 32, Governor Schwarzenegger's attack on global warming. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, Arizona officials claim federal inaction required the state to crack down on illegal immigration. Does the new state law provide needed protection or violate civil rights and interfere with federal authority? Posted. http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/ww/ww100429illegal_immigration_ Germany, Mexico Hosting Meeting Of 45 Nations In Bonn To Push Talks On Climate Deal Ahead. Berlin (AP) — Five months after the troubled United Nations conference in Copenhagen, Germany and Mexico are teaming up in an effort to break the deadlock in negotiations on a global climate deal. They will co-host a three-day meeting in Bonn starting Sunday of representatives from a selected 45 countries with hopes of building trust and clearing some of the rubble left from Copenhagen, German Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said this week. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-climate,0,661669,print.story Pew Study Calls For A National Plan To Coordinate Adaptation To Climate. The federal government should create a national program to help the country adapt to effects of climate change that can't be avoided even with steep cuts in emissions, according to a new report from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "By taking steps now to adapt to climate change, we will be far better able to limit future damages and their associated costs," says the analysis. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/30/5 Traders Hold Back With U.S. Climate Bill Delayed. Analysts were expecting carbon trading to pick up in the United States with the introduction of a climate and energy bill on Monday, but after the bill's introduction was sidelined indefinitely, those new traders did not materialize. The legislation, crafted by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John Lieberman (I-Conn.), was thought to specify how many offsets could be imported under an emissions trading scheme. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/30/6 Senior Dems Talk Tough on Climate, Immigration. The Senate's impasse over climate change and immigration legislation heads into the weekend without any sign of resolution. Democratic leaders yesterday signaled they plan to tackle both controversial issues this year, even if it means ending the "tripartisan" partnership on the climate bill forged more than six months ago between Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/30/30climatewire-senior-dems-talk-tough-on-climate-immigratio-66102.html?pagewanted=print South African Company Wants Carbon Credits For 'Clean Coal' Plant. South African power company Eskom will apply for carbon credits for a planned "clean coal" power station in Limpopo using the United Nations' Clean Development Mechanism program. The company expects the decision about the Medupi plant to be controversial, especially among environmentalists. Medupi, which would produce 4,800 megawatts of energy, will run on supercritical coal technology, which emits less greenhouse gases. Still, the plant would add about 32 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/30/7 Global Talks Can Proceed Without U.S. Agreement, U.N. Secretariat Candidate Says. The lead climate negotiator for Costa Rica, a potential candidate to take over as head of the United Nations' climate secretariat when its current chief, Yvo de Boer, steps down on July 1, told The New York Times that passing U.S. climate legislation is not "critical" for climate negotiations to proceed later this year in Cancun, Mexico. If the United States can pass its own legislation, it would inject a very important component of trust, Christiana Figueres told the Times. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/04/30/8 Carbon Monoxide Detector Bill A Good Idea. A bill is circulating through the California Legislature that could potentially have residents breathing a little bit easier. If passed by lawmakers and signed into law, it would require residents to install carbon monoxide monitors if their home has an attached fireplace or garage. So what are we waiting for? The bill, authored by Sen. Allen Lowenthal, a Long Beach Democrat, has already passed the Assembly by a 47-19 vote and now it sits in the Senate. Monitors are currently required in new homes, but Lowenthal's bill would extend the requirement to houses, apartments and condominiums. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/editorial/ci_14990344 Our View: Needless Climate Bill In The Cooler. Attempts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, ostensibly to curb global warming, at the least have stalled as the chief Republican supporter, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, defected from the tripartisan backing, raising doubts a bill will emerge from Congress this year. Graham, Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut were to unveil a compromise Monday expected to include provisions for off-shore oil drilling, nuclear energy development and restrictions or costs to be imposed on carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/graham-94348-carbon-democrats.html Blue Lake Power Plant Smokes Out City. Blue Lake residents reported being smoked out by the restarting power plant in town on Thursday, and air quality officials say they are working with the company to fix the problem. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14990142 Germany, Mexico Trying To Push Climate Talks Ahead. Berlin—Five months after the troubled United Nations conference in Copenhagen, Germany and Mexico are teaming up in an effort to break the deadlock in negotiations on a global climate deal. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14990315 Climate Policies Earn Cisco Top Spot in Greenpeace IT Rankings. Cisco Systems Inc. tops a new ranking of information technology companies' climate policies prepared by Greenpeace. The environmental group highlighted IT companies' rhetoric on climate change as well as their actions taken to reduce emissions. The group's 100-point scale gave up to 50 points for "climate solutions" and another 35 for lobbying and making public statements about climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/29/29greenwire-climate-policies-earn-cisco-top-spot-in-greenp-70854.html?pagewanted=print SB County Officials Worry About Economic Impact Of Environmental Bill. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which requires the state reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, has San Bernardino County officials concerned about its impact on the region's future economic growth. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14987515 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 3 May 2010 15:37:32 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 3, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 3, 2010. 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. Suspension Of AB321 Headed To State Ballot. California voters will decide the fate of the state's landmark global-warming bill in the November election after a big-bucks battle that may break records for political spending on an initiative. Today, a group heavily backed by Texas oil giants Tesoro Corp. and Valero Energy Corp. plans to submit signatures for an initiative seeking to suspend AB32 until California's unemployment rate improves dramatically. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/03/BA3P1D8EP8.DTL&type=printable http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/05/03/12 Climate Law Debate Centers On Economy. Opponents of AB 32 argue it is a job-killer. When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed his administration’s signature environmental law in 2006, he spoke of it as a jobs measure. “Unquestionably, it is good for businesses,” he said then. “Not only large, well-established businesses, but small businesses that will harness their entrepreneurial spirit to help us achieve our climate goals.” Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/03/climate-law-debate-centers-on-economy/ Panel Debates Business Cost Of Calif. Global Warming Law. San Diego — Panelists debated the economic merits of California's greenhouse gas emissions reduction law at a forum Friday in San Diego. California's Global Warming Solutions Act, or AB 32, is designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. The law mandates a variety of measures ranging from capping industrial pollution to requiring use of more renewable energy. But some groups question whether now is the time to roll out regulations that will increase costs when the economy is struggling. Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/apr/30/panel-debates-business-cost-calif-global-warming-l/ 4.7 Questions With Char Miller. 1. What is AB 32? AB 32 is clean-tech, clean energy legislation that California enacted in September 2006. It was and remains a landmark bill; no other state or nation has passed such a comprehensive measure to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) by incentivizing technological and entrepreneurial innovation. Moreover, it requires the California Air Resources Board to develop regulations and market mechanisms to reduce the state’s GHG emissions below 1990 levels—15 percent below by 2020; 80 percent below by 2050. This is hugely ambitious but also quite possible. Posted. http://tsl.pomona.edu/new/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1131:47-questions-with-char-miller&catid=55:inside-the-bubble&Itemid=97 New Challenges Require New Thinking. Ventura County has a laudable track record reckoning with urban sprawl, but a new challenge lies ahead that will put its reputation for smart growth to the test. Two recent state laws, SB375 and AB32, for the first time link local land-use decisions to reductions in emissions linked to global warming. The goal is to not only reduce greenhouse gases, but drive innovative solutions to build cities that meet our needs without ruining natural resources for future generations. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/may/01/new-challenges-require-new-thinking/?print=1 UN Climate Chief Says He Does Not Expect A Comprehensive Deal On Global Warming In 2010. Koenigswinter, Germany (AP) — Outgoing U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer shot down expectations of a climate treaty this year, saying Monday that a major U.N. conference in December would yield only a "first answer" on curbing greenhouse gases. His comments came just five months after the hyped Copenhagen climate conference failed to yield much progress despite efforts by world leaders, including President Barack Obama. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-climate,0,661669,print.story http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/03/un-no-comprehensive-climate-deal-this-year/ Top scientist named to review UN climate panel. The Associated Press. Amsterdam—A former Princeton University president will head a 12-member committee to review the work of the U.N. scientific panel on climate change, whose mistakes have undermined public confidence that global warming is happening. The InterAcademy Council, an association of national science academies, said economist Harold T. Shapiro will chair the prestigious committee of scientists from around the world. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15007250?nclick_check=1 Opinion: Drilling, Disaster, Denial. It took futuristic technology to achieve one of the worst ecological disasters on record. Without such technology, after all, BP couldn’t have drilled the Deepwater Horizon well in the first place. Yet for those who remember their environmental history, the catastrophe in the gulf has a strangely old-fashioned feel, reminiscent of the events that led to the first Earth Day, four decades ago. And maybe, just maybe, the disaster will help reverse environmentalism’s long political slide — a slide largely caused by our very success in alleviating highly visible pollution. If so, there may be a small silver lining to a very dark cloud. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/opinion/03krugman.html?sq=environmental issues&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=print EPA Proposes Rules To Cut Mercury Emissions 50%. The Obama administration says 5,000 deaths will be prevented each year under new rules announced Friday to limit the amount of mercury and other harmful pollutants released by industrial boilers and solid waste incinerators. The planned rules would reduce mercury emissions more than 50 percent by requiring steep and costly cuts from companies operating about 200,000 industrial boilers, heaters and incinerators. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/01/MNO31D7KCF.DTL&type=printable http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-epa-mercury-20100501,0,4093234.story http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/30/new-federal-rule-targets-harmful-mercury-emissions/ New Entrant In The Race For Cheaper Electric Car Batteries. The Department of Energy is hunting for ways to dramatically cut the cost of electric-car batteries, and one of its freshest candidates takes a page from the computer industry. The heads of Planar Energy, a company that spun off from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, have their roots in semiconductors -- the tiny, simple devices without which microchips and computers could not exist. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/03/4 U.S., Canada And Mexico Bid To Reduce Potent Refrigerant Emissions. The United States is joining Canada and Mexico in a second attempt to use the global treaty that protects the ozone layer to reduce emissions of a potent group of greenhouse gases, the State Department announced on Friday. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are up to 12,000 times stronger than carbon dioxide as warming agents, and their use is expected to skyrocket as they replace other refrigerants that harm the ozone layer and as developing countries use more refrigeration and air conditioning. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/03/5 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 11:41:00 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 4, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 4, 2010. 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. BALLOT INITIATIVES Bloomberg: California Carbon Law Fight Takes a ‘Giant Step’. An oil industry-supported group that wants California voters to suspend the state’s global warming laws said today it has collected nearly twice the signatures needed to get the proposed delay on the November ballot. More than 800,000 signatures have been gathered in support of an initiative to halt enforcement of the Global Warming Solutions Act until the state’s unemployment rate falls to 5.5 percent from its current 12.6 percent, the California Jobs Initiative Committee said in an e-mail. George Shultz, who was secretary of state in the Reagan administration, was named today as honorary co-chairman of Californians for Clean Energy and Jobs, a group that is campaigning to defeat the ballot initiative. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-03/california-carbon-law-fight-takes-a-giant-step-update2-.html Associated Press: Groups Seek To Suspend AB-32. A coalition of business groups says it has collected nearly double the signatures needed to qualify a ballot initiative that would suspend California's global warming law. Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, says people do not support regulations that will cost jobs and impose billions of dollars in higher energy prices… Environmental groups, utilities and green technology companies claim the oil companies are striving to topple California's law and derail climate legislation in Congress. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jXxrxXiYbT720lCzjPMfHj89SyIAD9FFJ6L81 San Jose Mercury News: Opponents Of California Global Warming Law Turn In Signatures For November Measure. Technology leaders said Monday they will fight the measure, and expect large Silicon Valley firms to contribute to efforts to defeat it. "We and our membership will vigorously oppose efforts by out of state Texas oil companies to weaken our economy and gut our environmental laws for their own profit," said Carl Guardino, CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which represents major tech companies. Among the opponents so far of the measure are Google, Applied Materials, Solaria, Serious Materials, the Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15008075 Sacramento Bee: Jon Coupal Submits Petitions To Erase Schwarzenegger's Legacy. Once one of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's allies, Jon Coupal, head of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, now is seeking to undo a major part of the governor's legacy. Coupal submitted signatures to the Sacramento Registrar of Voters today to qualify an initiative that would suspend California's landmark AB 32 signed by Schwarzenegger in 2006 to force reductions in greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/the_swarm/2010/05/post-1.html#ixzz0muCZNmGP Appeal Democrat: Signatures Submitted For Measure To Suspend Climate Bill.Proponents of a state ballot measure to suspend a California climate bill have submitted voter signatures for qualification, saying they have nearly twice the number necessary to do so. One of the chief proponents, Assemblyman Dan Logue (R-Linda), said he believes the submission means the state is one step closer to restoring regulatory sanity. "It's a great day," said Logue of the formal submission today of his measure, which would suspend the 2006 legislation, AB 32, until state unemployment drops to about 5.5 percent for a year. "People will have a voice on this issue." Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/signatures-94502-state-logue.html North County Times: Fight Attempts To Stall Greenhouse Gas Law. The California Air Resources Board has published reports showing that the state's economy will grow more than if it did not cut emissions. The Silicon Valley Leadership Group states that suspending AB 32 "is the wrong thing to do and is actually going to wind up costing jobs in the long-run." It has now come to light that the original funding for this ballot initiative came from two Texas oil companies, Valero and Tesoro. Apparently they feel that their best financial interests are served by working with and influencing California politicians and their constituents to see things their way. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/perspective/article_85726044-56db-11df-ae29-001cc4c03286.html KPCC: California’s Landmark Global Warming Bill At Risk – Challenge To AB 32 On November Ballot (Bruce Klafter As Guest). Opponents of California’s sweeping environmental bill that passed in 2006 and is scheduled to be phased in between 2012 and 2020, AB 32, want to rescind the legislation through a measure on the November ballot, saying the it is a jobs killer and will cost billions in higher energy costs. To that end, today the California Jobs Initiative Committee is submitting 800,000 signatures, many more than needed. What are the realities –jobs gained, jobs lost, billions in cost to the economy, no cost to the economy? We check in with proponents and opponents to AB 32. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2010/05/03/ab-32-is-signed-global-warming-shivers-in-fear/ The Union: Logue Initiative Blocking Emission Cutbacks Nears Ballot. Assemblyman Dan Logue's plan to block a law cutting state greenhouse gas emissions until the economy rebounds looks likely to make the November 2 ballot. Monday, members of the California Jobs Initiative Coalition turned in more than 800,000 signatures of registered voters to qualify for the late year election. “We only needed 440,000,” Logue said. “People realize we need to protect and bring jobs to California. We're going to give working families of California a break until we recover economically.” Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100503/BREAKINGNEWS/100509959/1001&parentprofile=1053 LA Streetsblog: Move To “Delay” California’s Greenhouse Gas Law Gaining Steam. But does the rhetoric meet the reality? The Bee also featured a story this weekend about one of the many green businesses that are based in California because the state's green policies guarantees a market over the next couple of years. The story illustrates how competition for these businesses between states is fierce. While California has experienced a Green Jobs boom in recent years, resulting in 159,000 new jobs, states such as Ohio are jockeying to have those jobs move east, and out of the Golden State. Posted. http://la.streetsblog.org/2010/05/03/move-to-delay-californias-greenhouse-gas-law-gaining-steam/ Legal Planet: The Looming Political Battle Over AB 32 & California’s Environmental & Economic Future. Initiative proponents are expected to have gathered and submit the requisite number of voter signatures needed to qualify the measure for California’s November ballot. That, in turn, will set off what promises to be one of the most consequential and fascinating environmental political battles in recent memory. And one that will doubtless garner considerable national and international attention. Posted. http://legalplanet.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/the-looming-political-battle-over-ab-32-californias-environmental-economic-future/ Ballot Measure Blocking Law Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Likely. A plan to block a law cutting state greenhouse gas emissions until the economy rebounds looks likely to make the Nov. 2 ballot. Monday, members of the California Jobs Initiative Coalition turned in more than 800,000 signatures of registered voters to qualify — nearly twice the number needed. The initiative was started by Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda, who represents Nevada County in the Third Assembly District. “We only needed 440,000” signatures Logue said. “People realize we need to protect and bring jobs to California. We're going to give working families of California a break until we recover economically.” Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100504/NEWS/100509941/1001&parentprofile=1053 Initiative Would Suspend Emissions Law. Measure Funded By Oil Firms Could Be On Ballot. Sacramento - Kicking off what is sure to be a colossal political battle between the old economy and the new, proponents of an oil industry-backed initiative turned in sufficient signatures Monday to force a popular vote this fall on the fate of California’s landmark law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Assuming enough signatures are valid, the November ballot initiative would suspend enforcement of AB 32 until California’s unemployment rate has dropped to 5.5 percent or lower for four consecutive quarters. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/may/03/initiative-would-suspend-emissions-law/ Business Coalition says it has enough signatures for a ballot initiative to suspend AB 32. The effort to suspend California’s climate change law took a step forward Monday when a coalition of business groups filed signatures for a ballot initiative. If the initiative qualifies for the November ballot, voters will decide whether to suspend AB 32 until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent for a full year. At that time, AB 32 would be restored. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/05/03/daily17.html Battle against California's landmark global warming law heats up. SAN JOSE — Setting up what is expected to be a multimillion-dollar political battle between oil companies and Silicon Valley tech leaders, opponents of California's landmark global warming law turned in about 800,000 signatures Monday for a November ballot measure to suspend the law. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15011253 California may vote to freeze landmark climate law. Organizers of a California ballot measure that would suspend the state's landmark climate change law, possibly for years, said on Monday they had enough signatures to qualify it for the November ballot. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64303220100504?type=politicsNews Business groups seek to suspend Calif. climate law. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A coalition of business groups turned in signature petitions Monday for a ballot initiative that would unravel Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's top environmental priority. If the California Jobs Initiative qualifies for the November ballot, as expected, voters will be asked to consider putting the brakes on the nation's most far-reaching global warming law. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jXxrxXiYbT720lCzjPMfHj89SyIAD9FFK7HG0 Plan Would Delay Calif. Greenhouse Law. SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 (UPI) -- Energy firms are pushing a referendum that would postpone California's greenhouse gas law until the economy improves, officials said. The California Jobs Initiative said it has submitted about 800,000 signatures, nearly twice the 435,000 needed, to put the proposition on the Nov. 2 general election ballot, Legalnewsline.com reported Tuesday. Posted. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/05/04/Plan-would-delay-Calif-greenhouse-law/UPI-84011272976332/ The Buzz: Maldonado v. Colbert. Let the battle begin. As promised, backers of a measure to stop California's greenhouse gas reduction law turned in their signatures Monday to put the question to voters in November. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger left no doubt that he would, Terminator-like, fight to the end to protect the centerpiece of his legacy. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/04/1920136/the-buzz-maldonado-v-colbert.html Referendum on Calif. Greenhouse Law Appears Headed For Voters. SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline)-California voters will likely be asked in the November general election if the state's greenhouse gas law should be put on hold for rosier economic times, a postponement the Democratic frontrunner for attorney general, Kamala Harris, said Monday would be a colossal mistake. Posted. http://www.legalnewsline.com/spotlight/226957-referendum-on-calif.-greenhouse-law-appears-headed-for-voters Initiative Would Suspend Emissions Law. Sacramento — Kicking off what is sure to be a colossal political battle between the old economy and the new, proponents of an oil industry-backed initiative turned in sufficient signatures Monday to force a popular vote this fall on the fate of California’s landmark law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/may/03/initiative-would-suspend-emissions-law/ TV COVERAGE KNTV-TV (NBC-SF): 5:17:14 AM: Brief On Initiative To Suspend AB 32, Reinstatement Once Unemployment Rate Improves. ANCHOR: in November voters will decide the fate of California's landmark global warming bill. The chronicle says a group backed by Texas oil giants, Tercero and Valero energy plans to submit signatures for an initiative to suspend the bill until California's unemployment rate improves dramatically. It was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2006 and will reduce green house gas emissions by 25% by 2020. Posted. KCRA-TV (NBC-SAC): 6:19:40 AM: Brief On Initiative To Suspend AB 32, Reinstatement Once Unemployment Rate Improves. ANCHOR: The leaders behind a push to suspend the landmark anti global warming bill say today they will submit the signatures they need to get the plan on to the November ballot. Campaign staff say they have more than 435,000 signatures to qualify. The plan would suspend assembly bill 32 until the unemployment rate in the state drops to about 5.5% for a full year. Posted KTVU-TV (FOX-SF) 08:48:56 - 8:58:56 AM: Brief On Initiative To Suspend AB 32.It appears California voters will decide whether the state should suspend its landmark global warming law. That's because today a group heavily backed by two Texas oil companies will submit the needed signatures to get an initially to suspend it on the ballot. The environmental law mandates that California reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by the year 2020. Critics say that law will kill laws and hurt businesses. Supporters say they've already attracted a half million green jobs to the state. Posted. CLIMATE CHANGE Study Calls For Cuts In More Potent Greenhouse Gases To Limit Climate Damage. Cutting dioxide won't be enough to keep the Earth's climate under the 2-degree-Celsius "guard rail" agreed to by G-8 nations and endorsed in the Copenhagen Accord, according to a new study. Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography say that the world must also slash emissions of methane, hydrofluorocarbons and other short-lived -- but potent -- greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/04/4 U.N. Delegates Hear Pitch For Global Reductions In Waste And Pollution. United Nations -- Governments yesterday said they will launch a two-year review of heavy industry -- in particular mining, chemicals manufacturing and transportation -- in an effort to advance more "green" resource consumption and economic activities ahead of the next Earth Summit, slated for 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/04/5 States Prepare To Rise To CO2 Challenge As Senate Climate Bill Collapses. Climate proposals due to be unveiled before the Senate would strip 23 US states of their power to act on climate change. The collapse of an energy reform proposal in Congress last week could return power to north America's historic actors on climate change: the regions. Posted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/04/climate-bill-senate-us-states-emissions/print Ice Cap On West Ugandan Mountain Range Splits. Kampala, Uganda - Ugandan wildlife authorities say the ice cap on the country's western Rwenzori mountain range has split after extensive melting caused by global warming. Nelson Guma says ice covering Mount Margherita, the second highest peak in Africa, has melted forming a large crevasse some 6 meters (nearly 20 feet) wide. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/04/AR2010050402226_pf.html Walmart Settles In Waste Suit. San Diego — In what is being described as a record-breaking environmental settlement, Walmart has agreed to pay more than $27 million as a result of a lawsuit filed by state Attorney General Jerry Brown and 19 district attorneys throughout the state, authorities announced Monday. “This settlement is historic,” San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said at a news conference Monday. “It is one of the largest of its type in the United States’ history.” Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/03/wal-mart-to-pay-276m/ DIESEL/VEHICLES Oakland Truckers Caught Up In Red Tape, Finger-Pointing. Oakland - Red tape. Finger-pointing. Some Port of Oakland truckers are stuck in the middle of what is becoming a struggle to survive. About 500 truckers who have failed to meet an April 30 deadline to have new diesel particulate filters installed on their rigs were shut out of the Port of Oakland marine terminals Monday. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_15009949 http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=24326 Bet Placed On Propane Trucks. Big Valley Ford Orders 100 To Be Converted. Stockton - Big Valley Ford is pumped up on propane. The Stockton dealership has sold about 30 Ford trucks converted to use propane and has 70 more in the pipeline. Propane, or liquefied petroleum gas, became popular as a motor fuel in the 1970s, when oil prices spiked, but its fortunes have risen and fallen with market prices. Still, many commercial fleets, especially those operated by propane dealers, favor it. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100504/A_BIZ/5040310/-1/A_NEWS05 Air District Offers Rebates For Electric Ag Vehicles. Farmers and other agricultural workers can now be compensated for purchasing electric utility terrain vehicles through rebates offered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Nearly $1 million is being allotted by CARB as part of its Agricultural UTV Rebate Project to encourage clean air through zero-emission ATVs and UTVs, where up to $2,500, or 15 percent of the price per vehicle, may be returned. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/agriculture/4763-air-district-offers-rebates-for-electric-ag-vehicles Renewable Energy: Inexpensive Metal Catalyst Can Effectively Generate Hydrogen from Water. Hydrogen would command a key role in future renewable energy technologies, experts agree, if a relatively cheap, efficient and carbon-neutral means of producing it can be developed. An important step towards this elusive goal has been taken by a team of researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California, Berkeley. The team has discovered an inexpensive metal catalyst that can effectively generate hydrogen gas from water. Posted. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100430154902.htm?sms_ss=reddit BLOGS Schwarzenegger attacks ‘greedy oil companies’. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday he would mount a vigorous defense of his landmark environmental legislation, vowing to "push back" against "greedy oil companies who want to keep polluting in our state." His comments came as supporters of an effort to roll back AB 32, the global warming legislation Schwarzenegger signed in 2006, announced they had gathered enough signatures to get their measure on the November ballot. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/05/schwarzenegger-attacks-greedy-oil-companies.html Boycott Valero or Blue Shield? In 2006, the Legislature passed and Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which set the 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal into law. AB32 has been called an "ambitious, yet controversial, plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions and promote energy efficiency." The law "aims to rollback carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, while mandating a further eight percent reduction by 2050.” Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/05/boycott-valero.html 800,000 Californians Sign To Put CA's Economy First And Signal 'Welcome Mat' For Manufacturers. The campaign to suspend AB 32's global warming regulations until California's economy and unemployment recovers submitted double the signatures needed today to qualify the "California Jobs Initiative" for the November ballot. The initiative got more than 800,000 signatures, far above the 433,971 needed. The state's citizens understand that implementing AB 32 at the right time in the right way is not an anti-environment position. Posted. http://foxandhoundsdaily.com/blog/gino-dicaro/6878-800000-californians-sign-put-cas-economy-first-and-signal-welcome-mat-manufact Move to “Delay” California’s Greenhouse Gas Law Gains Steam. Gov. Pushes Back. Proponents of clean energy and environmental laws designed to reduce the amount of Greenhouse Gases from being dumped into the air had best not take lightly the challenge to A.B. 32, the California State Law mandating changes that would reduce the state's emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://la.streetsblog.org/2010/05/03/move-to-delay-californias-greenhouse-gas-law-gaining-steam/ Why Isn't Obama Talking About Climate Change? I've been thinking a lot about David Roberts's argument that the administration's response to the Deepwater oil spill shows it's not committed to pushing energy legislation this year. "If he was looking for an opportunity to drive home the clean energy message, this was it," Roberts writes. "The Katrina of fossil fuels. Yet all he's done is blandly reaffirm his support for offshore drilling. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/05/why_isnt_obama_talking_about_c.html Schwarzenegger Vetoes Beach Smoking Ban. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday vetoed a measure that would have banned smoking in state parks and beaches, calling it "an improper intrusion of government into people’s lives.’’ Schwarzenegger, whose own cigar-smoking habit led him to build a smoking tent next to the state Capitol building, said the most far-reaching regulations of tobacco in the nation went too far and that rules should be left up to local cities and counties. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/05/schwarzenegger-vetoes-beach-smoking-ban.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 5 May 2010 14:28:42 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 5, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 5, 2010. 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. Automakers Seek to Delay Ethanol Blending Raise. Washington — Citing new test data, the auto industry says the federal government’s plan to raise the amount of ethanol mixed into gasoline will damage cars and increase the amount of pollution they emit. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue a rule in the next few weeks that would permit oil companies to increase the percentage of ethanol in automotive fuel to 15 percent, up from the current level of 10 percent, so they can meet E.P.A. quotas for renewable fuels. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/business/energy-environment/05ethanol.html?sq=environment&st=cse&scp=8&pagewanted=print http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/05/05/11 Compliant Truckers Protest Dirty Trucks Extensions. When officials at the California Air Resources Board discussed the possibility of extending the deadline for air quality regulations, a group of compliant trucking companies let them know exactly how they felt about the proposed extension. Representatives from some of the compliant trucking companies attended an Oakland Trucker Workgroup meeting in March and learned that CARB and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District were considering a deadline extension until June 30 for some truckers. Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1261 Hydrogen-Powered Ideas And Cars On Display In Long Beach. Long Beach - After some five years of planning and decades of dreaming, engineers are laying the groundwork for a new generation of hydrogen fueling stations across California. Praised for their durability and lack of emissions, hydrogen vehicles are expected to double in number in California each year until 2017, when an estimated 50,000 will be cruising Golden State highways and roads. And dozens of stations are going up to service these cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and forklifts of a not-too-distant future. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/business/ci_15017301 EPA Proposes 2 Alternate Rules For Disposal Of Coal Ash. U.S. EPA's proposal for regulating coal ash wastes yesterday did nothing to stem industry predictions that one option -- a hazardous waste label -- would spell the ruin of climate-friendly recycling efforts. Coal-powered utilities and ash recyclers have furiously lobbied both EPA and the White House on the issue. They say that any kind of hazardous designation will create disastrous public "stigma" and liability issues for companies that sell concrete, bricks and wall-board containing recycled coal combustion wastes. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/05/2 EPA To Resolve Navistar Lawsuit By Reviewing Engine Guidelines. Truck manufacturer Navistar International Corp. said yesterday that it agreed to drop a legal challenge to U.S. EPA after the agency said it would review its usage guidelines for diesel truck engines. The out-of-court settlement would conclude a federal lawsuit alleging that the agency ignored its own rules and procedures by allowing Navistar's competitors to use an engine technology that might not comply with stricter standards for nitrogen oxide in diesel exhaust. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/05/05/21 OP-ED: No Fooling Mother Nature. There is only one meaningful response to the horrific oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and that is for America to stop messing around when it comes to designing its energy and environmental future. The only meaningful response to this man-made disaster is a man-made energy bill that would finally put in place an American clean-energy infrastructure that would set our country on a real, long-term path to ending our addiction to oil. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/opinion/05friedman.html?sq=environment&st=cse&scp=6&pagewanted=print San Diego Plans For Future Housing, Transportation. San Diego is the first region in California to tackle what seems to be an impossible task: planning for a major population expansion while at the same time cutting back on greenhouse gases. Terry Roberts drove down from L.A. to attend a planning workshop put on by the San Diego Association of Governments, or SANDAG. Roberts works with California’s Air Resources Board, which she says is about to hand down greenhouse gas reduction targets. Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/may/05/san-diego-plans-future/ Greenhouse-Gas Numbers Up In The Air. To control emissions, countries must first account accurately for their carbon. That will take considerable effort, reports Jeff Tollefson. The state of California is about to become a giant playground for more than 200 atmospheric scientists. Beginning this week and extending into July, aircraft will criss-cross the skies, measuring an array of greenhouse gases, aerosols and other atmospheric properties as they fly over cities, industrial facilities and agricultural areas. Posted. http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100505/full/465018a.html BLOGS True Impact on Working People of AB 32 is No Mere Numbers Game. It's time for an honest discussion about how California's global warming law (AB 32) will impact jobs in California. Working people in this state are suffering and they need real answers about its job impact, not theories, legacy politics and empty promises. Consider a few grim statistics: The state's unemployment rate is still above 12 percent. More than 119,000 manufacturing jobs were lost last year. More than 600,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in this state since 2000. Posted. http://foxandhoundsdaily.com/blog/james-kellogg/6883-true-impact-working-people-ab-32-no-mere-numbers-game Gulf Oil Spill: An Energy Crossroads For Obama. The still-unchecked oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the languishing state of the Senate climate bill have combined to push President Obama's vision for transforming American energy policy to a crossroads. Obama campaigned on a promise to succeed where every president since Richard Nixon had failed -- to begin breaking the United States’ near-half-century of dependence on foreign oil. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/05/gulf-oil-spill-an-energy-crossroads-for-obama.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 13:00:25 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 6, 2010 From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 6, 2010. 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. Governor Visits Hydrogen Conference. Long Beach - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was honored here Wednesday for a decade-long championship of eco-friendly hydrogen and alternative fuel vehicles. The governor dropped by an alternative-fuel conference in Long Beach to pick up the award and preview a fleet of hydrogen-fueled cars and trucks from automakers like Honda, Toyota and Mercedes. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15023133?nclick_check=1 Gore Calls Support For Ethanol A 'Mistake' But Has High Hopes For Replacement Fuels. Chicago -- Former Vice President Al Gore says he has faith in second- and third-generation biofuels, while calling ethanol made from corn and sugar beet a "mistake." The climate crusader was speaking at a keynote luncheon delivered at the Biotechnology Industry Organization 2010 convention here yesterday. "I was an enthusiastic supporter of the first generation of biofuels," said Gore. "I was mistaken." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/06/4 House Takes Up Homeowner Energy Efficiency Bill. Washington -- People who install new windows, heaters, refrigerators and other energy-efficient technology in their homes would be eligible for thousands of dollars in federal rebates under legislation the House is taking up. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/06/AR2010050600399.html Bid to Enact Energy Bill Might Survive Gulf Spill. Washington -- The Gulf oil spill has dealt a big blow to expanded offshore drilling, leaving the nation's energy problems as murky and unsettled as ever. The disaster may bolster arguments for greater energy conservation and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, environmentalists say. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/06/AR2010050600398.html China Farm Gets Shocking Amount Of Power From Cow Poop. China does everything big, and cow poop-to-power projects are no exception. A 250,000-head dairy operation in northeast China plans to open the world's largest cow manure-fed power project in September, according to General Electric Co., the company supplying four biogas turbines to the Liaoning Huishan Cow Farm in Shenyang. For comparison, the largest U.S. dairy farms have 15,000 cattle. The project deals with a few environmental problems in one swoop. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/06/2 Startup Plans Test Plant For Fuel-Sweating Organisms. A startup company has started construction on a Texas plant that it says will revolutionize ethanol and diesel production by using fuel-sweating organisms. Joule Unlimited has developed and patented several organisms that can absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide and combine them into hydrocarbons. The organisms lie under a glass sheet in a panel and need few chemical nutrients, said William Sims, Joule's president and CEO. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/06/11 Who's The Greenest? Marin Clean Energy Vies With PG&E Over Emissions Claims. Supporters of the Marin Clean Energy initiative say it and other efforts to reduce greenhouse gases are critical to slowing global warming and preserving life on Earth. But Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and other critics question whether the effort will actually cut greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15024524 How The Proposed Cash For Caulkers Program Works. Basics of the proposed Home Star legislation to provide rebates to homeowners for energy-efficient improvements to their homes. There are two types of consumer initiatives for retrofitting homes with energy-efficient models: _Under the Silver Star program, homeowners get rebates of between $1,000 and $1,500 for each measure installed in the home, or $250 per appliance, with a benefit not exceeding $3,000 or 50 percent of total project costs. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i1svjLYP2dOX-ICNYTKnK1WcJ4eAD9FHF5SO2 Analysis: Marin Clean Energy's efforts would cut emissions more than other measures. Critics of Marin Clean Energy have suggested that it would be more cost-effective to reduce Marin's greenhouse emissions by focusing on energy conservation programs and solar panel installations. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15024522 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 11:44:37 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 7-10, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 7-10, 2010. 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. Editorial: Up In The Air. Ways to obtain more accurate data can and should be put in place to police greenhouse-gas emissions. It is hardly surprising that climate discussions tend to gloss over uncertainties in data on greenhouse-gas emissions. Governments are struggling towards an international agreement to reduce those emissions, and their focus is necessarily on coming up with specific, enforceable targets. But the fact is that scientists’ ability to measure emissions and verify that countries are following through on their commitments is far from adequate. Posted. http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100505/pdf/465018a.pdf On Climate: Congress Restarts, California Threatens. On climate & energy policy this Spring, California and Washington, DC, are both running hot. The last two weeks in Congress have seen optimism, retreat, and now some limited movement forward as Sen. John Kerry has said he will introduce his long-awaited climate bill on May 12. Meanwhile, in California a threat by political ideologues and oil companies to overturn the state's climate laws has become real as a November 2010 statewide ballot proposition will ask the state's voters to overturn AB32, the landmark 2006 emissions legislation. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donnie-fowler/on-climate-congress-resta_b_569651.html?view=print Energy Interests Spend Millions for Their Seat at the Climate Table. Businesses with significant stakes in the outcome of climate and energy legislation ramped up lobbying spending earlier this year as they worked to shape the Senate bill scheduled to be unveiled this week. Electric utilities and the coal, chemical and natural gas industries in particular boosted influence efforts and appear poised to receive key parts of what they sought in new climate policies. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/10/10climatewire-energy-interests-spend-millions-for-their-se-61132.html When Clean Energy Grants Run Out, Will A 'Green Bank' Take Over? When energy consultant Matthew Rogers moved to the Energy Department over a year ago, he had $36.7 billion in grants and loan guarantee authority from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to get out the door. Today, all but about $300 million has been committed to 5,000 winners in the awards competition. "My popularity continues to decline," Rogers said this week. After frustrating delays, the flow of the Recovery Act energy dollars is finally entering the economy. Spending by grant recipients reached $3.5 billion in April, double the total at the end of 2009. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/10/1 Federal CSI Investigates Climate. Heavy snows, cold snaps and heat waves may not exactly be crimes, but CSI is ready to track down the culprits anyway. They're not on television ---- yet ---- but the government's Climate Scene Investigators are on the job. Recall the blizzardy winter along the East Coast this year? Inquiring minds wanted to know how that could happen in an era of global warming. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/science/article_4d1eae0c-9ad8-5fd3-b61a-24dcc140ea5b.html Business Leaders Split On Bid To Delay AB32. California's business leaders are divided over a ballot initiative that would delay implementation of AB32, the landmark legislation to combat global warming, in part by raising the cost of carbon-based fuel. One coalition, including California's manufacturing lobby, supports an initiative bankrolled by Texas oil companies. If certified for the November ballot, it would delay AB32's mandates until California's jobless rate, now 12.6 percent, falls below 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters - like the low levels that prevailed when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill in 2006. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/10/BU751DAIGA.DTL&type=printable Redlands Will Support Measure To Suspend State's Climate Bill. The Redlands City Council voted to endorse a November ballot initiative that would stall California's efforts to cut carbon emissions until the economy recovers. The city will follow the temporary lifting of requirements under the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, also known as A.B. 32, should voters approve the initiative in November. Mayor Pat Gilbreath said that the current economic conditions made it more important to let businesses recover and stay in California than to force them to cut emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/10/6 Vote Likely To Come On State Climate Law. More than 800,000 petition signatures have been submitted to qualify for the November ballot a measure to freeze California's Draconian global warming law. Almost twice the number required signatures were collected, so it looks as if voters will have the opportunity to at least postpone the economy-damaging effects of Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Posted. http://www.desertdispatch.com/opinion/state-8448-measure-draconian.html Political Blotter: Lee Touts Green Jobs; Garamendi Gets A New Seat. Rep. Barbara Lee and an Obama Administration official praised an East Bay green-jobs training program this morning as a hotbed of California's future economy. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15043882 Luffing Climate Policy Jeopardizes U.S. Economic Position. If the United States doesn't establish a clear climate policy soon, and match it with powerful incentives for clean energy technology, we may fall permanently behind China in one of the most powerful sectors of the global economy. That is the conclusion of a recent study from the Pew Charitable Trusts. In 2009, China overtook the United States' investments in clean energy, and it's poised to do the same for installed renewable energy capacity this year. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?&entry_id=62901#ixzz0nXk5GVPU Oil Spill Spurs New Protections In Climate Bill. Sponsors of Senate carbon legislation are trying to achieve a delicate balance over the oil spill as it threatens to disrupt support of key lawmakers days before the anticipated bill is released. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) are amending offshore drilling provisions within the sprawling carbon pricing measure to address concerns among senators alarmed at the growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/10/3 Authors To Roll Out Climate Bill Amid Obstacles. Washington - Even without their top Republican partner - and with an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico darkening prospects for success - the chief architects of a climate change and energy bill plan to reveal their measure Wednesday. The bill, by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, independent-Conn., intends to cut greenhouse gas emissions nationwide 20 percent by the year 2020 and 83 percent by 2050, while spurring nuclear power and investing in clean coal technology designed to trap carbon dioxide spewed by power plants. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/08/MNT21DB6H4.DTL&type=printable The Path Of The Planet's Climate. Talk of climate change invariably evokes images of starving polar bears in Alaska, melting glaciers in Greenland and collapsing ice sheets in Antarctica, if not deadly dull yet contentious political debates in cavernous halls in Copenhagen. At a unique event last week, the talk centered on the Bay checkerspot butterfly and the yellow warbler. Witnessing the effects of climate change didn't require travel to a frozen-but-thawing place thousands of miles away. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/08/EDPR1DB4IT.DTL&type=printable Readers' Forum: Climate Bill Could Ignite California's Economy. I RECENTLY joined a number of economic experts to testify before the California Air Resources Board (CARB) about the economic impacts of the state's landmark global warming pollution bill (AB 32). The majority opinion is that California's economy will continue to grow at a healthy rate, with relatively little impact from the clean-energy policies in this bill, but I must differ with this opinion. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_15039686 Opinion: Valero Trying To Kill California's Green Bill. Valero gas, a Texas-based energy company and one of the top polluters in the country, is trying to mess with California's clean energy jobs and air pollution law, AB 32. The law, California's Global Warming Solutions Act, is a great tool for us to rebuild our economy, cleanup dirty air and reduce greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100510/OPINION03/5100308 Readers' Forum: Bay Area Air Quality And Health Closely Related. WE ARE just finishing Air Quality Awareness Week, but many Bay Area residents are focused on the pollen in the air rather than pollutants. A wet winter and spring followed several historically dry years to create the highest pollen counts in the Bay Area in a decade. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_15039751 EPA, Shanghai Launch Real-Time Air Quality Monitor. The United States' Environmental Protection Agency has teamed up with a Chinese environmental bureau to provide real-time air quality monitoring from the site of the World Expo in Shanghai. EPA officials said Monday the move will help the city as it works with other areas in the region to clear its often thick blanket of smog. The online system, dubbed AIRNow International, links technology developed by the EPA with the existing air quality monitoring network in Shanghai, a city of about 20 million. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/10/1160644/epa-shanghai-launch-real-time.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_15053813 Air District Offers Rebates for Electric Ag Vehicles. Farmers and other agricultural workers can now be compensated for purchasing electric utility terrain vehicles through rebates offered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Nearly $1 million is being allotted by CARB as part of its Agricultural UTV Rebate Project to encourage clean air through zero-emission ATVs and UTVs, where up to $2,500, or 15 percent of the price per vehicle, may be returned. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/agriculture/4763-air-district-offers-rebates-for-electric-ag-vehicles Where Fuel Cells Stand. Despite the recent buzz, they still have a couple of big obstacles. The recent media blitz around Silicon Valley-based Bloom Energy Corp. has raised the buzz level about fuel cells. But despite some encouraging signs, many observers remain skeptical about any imminent breakthrough. Fuel cells—battery-like devices that convert natural gas, hydrogen or other gases into electricity—have long been seen as a promising technology. But also a flawed one. They're expensive to make, tend to degrade over time and lack the kind of infrastructure to effectively replace gasoline in vehicles. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703876404575199790515340032.html?mod=WSJ_auto_IndustryCollection#printMode Oil And Auto Industries Collide With Ethanol Producers Over 15% Blend. Today's car owners could soon have more choice about how to power their vehicles, both at and away from the corner gas station. Advocates differ on whether that's a good thing. On ever-controversial ethanol issues, U.S. EPA is facing growing pressure over its intention to decide by late summer whether to approve higher blends for sale at the pump. In a November letter to Growth Energy, EPA indicated it could by then endorse a waiver for E15 fuel, a 15-percent-ethanol and gasoline mix, for use in cars made in 2001 or later. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/10/4 DOE Lab To Explore A Synthetic Enzyme For Use In Carbon Capture. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced Friday that it is receiving $3.6 million in Energy Department funding to find a cheaper, more effective way to capture and store carbon dioxide from power plants. The researchers will try a process that replicates what happens with human breathing. Its new cash is the latest example of the department's attempt to spur technology innovation using a year-old agency that aims to do for energy what an arm of the Defense Department has done for advanced weapons and communications systems for the military. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/10/5 Brazil and US Ethanol Spar Over California Standard. In a court brief filed last week, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), Brazil’s ethanol trade association, defended California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) against lawsuits filed by the petroleum, trucking and ethanol industries of the United States. “With about one in every ten U.S. cars driven in California, the largest state in the country with one of the highest carbon intensities in the world is seeking to do its share to fight climate change,” said Joel Velasco, UNICA’s Chief Representative in North America. Posted. http://domesticfuel.com/2010/05/10/brazil-and-us-ethanol-spar-over-california-standard/ Sensible Solar. California will never reach its clean energy goals if state regulators throw needless roadblocks in the path of progress. Demanding that a proposed solar power plant replace abandoned farmland sets bizarre policy. The California Energy Commission needs to drop that senseless requirement. Abengoa Solar Inc. wants to build a 250-megawatt solar power plant on more than 1,700 acres in the San Bernardino County desert west of Barstow. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_W_op_10_ed_solarland.38046dd.html Tech Test Drive: Energy-Efficient Large Monitors. Low-power consumption in a 19-inch computer monitor is one thing, but achieving a low-carbon footprint at 23 inches — and a resolution (another power factor) of 1920x1080 pixels — is another thing entirely. Check out the top energy savers measuring 23 inches and larger. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_15024211 Blogs Campbell, Devore And Fiorina: Out-Conservating Each Other On Global Warming. On the issue of global warming, nearly uniform opposition to government’s proposed “solutions.” Fiorina says California’s AB32 and cap and trade will be “disastrous.” They are job killers. Campbell “the evidence is not as conclusive” as the UN claimed. Is there a change caused by humans that can be corrected? Those facts, he says, are not yet known. He’s opposed cap and trade and “intrusive” monitoring. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/09/campbell-devore-and-fiorina-out-conservating-each-other-on-global-warming/25759/ Global warming: Why isn't 10% decline in US CO2 emissions bigger news? Here in the US, CO2 has declined--7% last year and 3% the year before. Only one third of the decline is due to the recession--the rest is down to greater use of natural gas and increased efficiencies--with a little thrown in on the top for increased use of wind and solar. That's really a lot of CO2, and I cannot imagine why it isn't making bigger headlines. Well, okay--I can easily imagine why. Good news doesn't make anybody in this fight happy. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-9111-Environmental-Policy-Examiner~y2010m5d9-Global-warming-Why-isnt-10-decline-in-US-CO2-emissions-bigger-news ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 11:37:34 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 11, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 11, 2010. 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. Calif. Bill Would Block Out-Of-State Power Deals. The California Assembly advanced a bill Monday that would prohibit public utilities from contracting with out-of-state power plants that do not meet California's air pollution standards. The bill by Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez, D-Coachella, is intended to deter the construction of power plants in Mexico that could pollute California's air. Perez said some power plants in Mexico are in the same air basin as California, but follow pollution guidelines that are not as strict as California's. That pollution drifts across the border into neighborhoods in his district, Perez said. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FKN13O1.htm Pep Boys to Pay $5 million for Air Pollution Violations. The Pep Boys, a national automotive aftermarket and service chain, has agreed to pay $5 million in civil penalties for violating the Clean Air Act by importing and selling motorcycles, recreational vehicles and generators manufactured in China that don’t meet environmental requirements, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Justice Department. As part of the agreement, Pep Boys is required to export or destroy over 1,300 non-compliant vehicles and engines, and to mitigate the adverse environmental effects of equipment already sold to consumers. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/05/11/pep-boys-to-pay-5-million-for-air-pollution-violations/ Congress Debates Action On Clean Trucks Program. Federal lawmakers this week praised two Los Angeles-based clean truck programs that have reduced the amount of dangerous diesel pollution that infiltrates communities across the county. But they also debated whether their intervention is necessary to ensure the programs survive and can be replicated in ports across the country. A House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee held a hearing Wednesday on the clean truck programs at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Posted. http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_15034572?source=email Business Community Spars Over Effort To Delay State Climate Bill. Business leaders in California are split over a November ballot initiative that would postpone implementation of A.B. 32, the state's watershed climate change law, until the economy recovers. One coalition, which includes California's manufacturing lobby, is backing the initiative, which seeks to delay enforcement of A.B. 32's mandates until the state's employment numbers drop to 5.5 percent or less for one year. The state's jobless rate currently stands at 12.6 percent. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/11/8 Our View: Voters Could Chill Global Warming Law. It looks likely California voters will have a chance to restrain out-of-control government attempts to regulate and tax the state into economic oblivion. More than 800,000 petition signatures have been submitted to qualify for the November ballot a measure to freeze California's Draconian global warming law. Almost twice the number required signatures were collected, so it looks as if voters will have the opportunity to at least postpone the economy-damaging effects of Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/california-94755-costs-businesses.html Report: Climate Change Could Render Much Of World Uninhabitable. A worst-case scenario of global warming, in which temperatures would soar some 21 degrees, is that much of the world may simply become too hot for humans to live in, according to new research published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "We found that … a 21-degree warming would put half of the world's population in an uninhabitable environment,"says study co-author Matthew Huber of Purdue University. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/05/report-climate-change-could-render-much-of-world-uninhabitable/1 Opinion: Tom Tanton: Shelving Of Climate Law Closer. Californians have passed another major milestone in the drive to protect the state's economy from the disastrous effects of state global-warming legislation. Last week, more than 800,000 signatures, far beyond the required 435,000, were filed to place on the November ballot the California Jobs Initiative, requiring a delay in implementing the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, until unemployment in the state falls to a reasonable level and remains there for four consecutive quarters. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/state-248116-jobs-unemployment.html Growth Energy Petitions CARB. In a petition filed May 10 with the California Air Resources Board, Growth Energy asked that the agency either delay its scheme to penalize Midwest farmers who produce renewable, low-carbon ethanol, or update the outdated formula with new information that would cut the controversial penalty in half. At issue is a new study from Purdue University which shows that CARB significantly overstated the theoretical impact of “indirect land use change” penalties in its state-wide Low Carbon Fuel Statement (LCFS) by as much as two-fold. Posted. http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=6590 Pacific May Be Gearing Up For Return Of La Niña. Forecaster calls it ‘diva of drought’. Goodbye, El Niño. Hello, La Niña? It’s by no means guaranteed, but conditions in the Pacific Ocean seem to be shifting toward the periodic phenomenon that almost always robs rain from Southern California and the Southwest. “Right now, I’d say the dice seem loaded for an imminent La Niña,” said Bill Patzert, a long-range forecaster at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. “It’s not a good sign. La Niña is what I call the diva of drought for the Southwest.” Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/11/pacific-may-be-gearing-up-for-return-of-la-nina/ Power Plants Face Closures. Sea-Cooling Ban To Cause Retrofits Or Retirement For Energy Stations. Dynegy Inc. says it would not be worth it to install cooling towers at its Chula Vista facility. Three power plants on the San Diego County coastline face major changes — from shuttering operations to building new cooling towers — in the wake of a landmark ruling by California’s water-quality officials to protect sea life. The State Water Resources Control Board last week decided to phase out once-through cooling for seaside power plants because the process kills more than 2.6 million fish and 19 billion fish larvae annually, according to the agency. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/11/power-plants-face-closures/ BLOGS Cleantech Braces For Assault Against California Greenhouse Law. Now that the initiative to put the brakes on California’s expansive greenhouse gas law has made it onto the November ballot, the clean-technology venture capital community is gearing up for a fight. Last week the California Jobs Initiative, the group led by Valero Energy Corp. trying to overturn the greenhouse gas law known as AB 32, obtained the minimum number of 433,971 signatures needed to get the measure on the November ballot. Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2010/05/10/cleantech-braces-for-assault-against-california-greenhouse-law/?mod=rss_WSJBlog New, ‘Relentlessly Pragmatic’ Approach To Climate Change Needed? The collapse of UN-led international efforts to combat climate change means a new approach that is “politically attractive and relentlessly pragmatic” is required, according to a new report. The 14 authors of a new report on climate policy describe themselves as “an eclectic group of academics, analysts and energy policy advocates”. They say the Kyoto Protocol style approach “crashed” last year with the perceived failure of the Copenhagen meeting. Posted. http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegratbeyond/2010/05/new_relentless_pragmatic_appro.html Is a Climate Bill Dead? I think climate change legislation is dead. There's not enough time for a bill to go through the committee process, get passed by the Senate, sent to conference, amended, and then passed by the full Congress before the midterms, and after the midterms Democrats will probably be reduced to 53 or 54 members in the Senate. Some of them won't vote for a climate bill, which means you'd need to find ten or a dozen Republicans to break a filibuster, and that's just not gonna happen. Posted. http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/05/climate-bill-dead Particulate Air Pollution Is A Modifiable Risk Factor For Heart Disease, Heart Association Says. The evidence linking particulate air pollution to cardiovascular disease and deaths has strengthened in recent years and high levels of the pollutant should be considered a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease along with such well-known factors as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes, the American Heart Assn. said Monday. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/05/particulate-air-pollution-is-a-modifiable-risk-factor-for-heart-disease-heart-association-says.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 13:13:17 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newclips for May 12, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 12, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change Is The True Crisis. The following editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday, May 11: To paraphrase Oscar Wilde: One deadly explosion while extracting fossil fuels may be regarded as a misfortune, but two within a month looks like carelessness. That's the problem lawmakers are wrestling with amid hearings and federal investigations of the Upper Big Branch mine blast in West Virginia and the BP oil rig collapse in the Gulf of Mexico. We're pleased to see that the reactive machinery is functioning, and confident that it will result in regulations to better protect miners and oil workers. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/12/v-print/2744948/climate-change-is-the-true-crisis.html Some Businesses Will Cut Emissions With Or Without A Climate Law. For a growing number of U.S. companies, the potential failure of Congress to pass a law reducing carbon emissions will not be a disaster. They will continue reducing emissions anyway because it increases their profits and helps them find new and often lucrative markets. The companies, gathered in Washington this week for the Energy Efficiency Global Forum & Exposition, are not necessarily hanging on every nuance of language as Senate Democrats reveal their latest version of climate legislation. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/05/12/2 Climate Bill's Release Coincides With Rising Conservative Backlash. Signs of a conservative backlash to Democratic initiatives are increasing as Senate sponsors release an ambitious plan to reduce carbon emissions. The charged political environment potentially complicates efforts to convince a handful of Republicans to support the measure. As Utah Republicans were replacing veteran Sen. Bob Bennett Saturday with a new conservative primary candidate, a separate surprise shift to the right was taking place in Maine, home to two Republican senators considered crucial to the carbon effort. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/05/12/1 U.S. Climate Legislation Crucial To Climate Talks' Progress -- E.U. official. London -- It is vital for the future of global climate change talks that the United States pass its promised climate legislation, despite all the problems it is facing, the European Union's new climate action commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, said yesterday. The 27-nation European Union had backed off from openly pushing the Obama administration to move forward, because it had proved to be counterproductive. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/05/12/3 Senate's Delayed Climate Change-Energy Bill Set For Unveiling -- And Uncertainty. Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman's legislation is aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions and spurring clean energy. Kerry says the gulf oil spill adds to the urgency. Reporting from Washington — After months of negotiations and weeks of delay, Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) will unveil their plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions and spur clean energy growth Wednesday — and the biggest challenge will be selling the notion that the bill has any chance of passage. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/11/nation/la-na-climate-change-20100512 OIL RIG Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill May Scuttle California Offshore Drilling Deal. The Tranquillon Ridge project in the Santa Barbara Channel was supported by a number of environmental groups. But now it looks dead in the water. It isn't just the waters of the Gulf of Mexico that have been turned murky by the gulf-oil-spill-the-blame-game. Consider its impact on California's offshore waters. Specifically, an undersea formation in the Santa Barbara Channel known as Tranquillon Ridge. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-fi-hiltzik-20100512,0,4641687,print.column Oil Rig Blast Caused By Gas Hydrates, Berkeley Professor Believes. UC Berkeley professor Robert Bea says leaked documents suggest that gas hydrates probably contaminated the cement encasing the well, allowing natural gas to shoot up a riser pipe and explode. A UC Berkeley professor who is conducting an informal assessment of the Deepwater Horizon wellhead blast said Tuesday that BP documents leaked to him indicate that contaminants in cement encasing the well were the initial cause of the explosion that led to the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-na-oil-spill-cause-20100512,0,2862971,print.story East Bay Salons Collecting Hair To Aid In Cleaning Of Gulf Coast Oil Spill. Fremont — Salons throughout the city are collecting hair that will be used to help clean the massive oil spill on the Gulf Coast. The hair will be sent to the San Francisco-based nonprofit Matter of Trust, which uses the donations to create "hair booms" — stockings or nylon stuffed with hair. Organizers and volunteers are using the hair booms to soak up oil at clean up efforts, officials said. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15043641 MOTOR VEHICLE Electric Cycles Hit The Racetrack. A new generation of racing technology rolled onto Infineon Raceway Tuesday, where sleek, handcrafted motorcycles reached racetrack speeds while sounding no louder than a kitchen blender. “Just a low whine,” said Kenyon Kluge of Santa Cruz, the owner and rider of K Squared Racing. “That is part of the resistance ... people want the noise.” The class is Time Trial Xtreme Grand Prix, or TTXGP, and the motorcycles are electric-powered and a new, loosely regulated international class that is racing for the first time in the United States this weekend. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100511/articles/100519897&tc=yahoo&tc=ar&template=printart Plug-In Prius To Hit San Diego In Summer. Toyota is adding an electric plug to some of its Prius hybrids in 2012, allowing them to skip using gasoline, but some San Diego drivers won’t have to wait that long to drive on electric power. The company says it is lending some of the cars to institutions in San Diego for lengthy test-drives designed to see how well the car works in the real world. San Diego is one of several cities, which are getting a total of 150 cars for an 18-month test beginning this summer. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/12/plug-in-prius-to-hit-san-diego-in-summer/ FUELS Tweaking Model Improves Ethanol's Footprint. CALIFORNIA has led the charge in enforcing stricter air emissions requirements. For ethanol, an initial analysis from Purdue University made ethanol seem less attractive at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to other alternatives. Now, a revision to the Purdue economic analysis is showing that ethanol could be a somewhat better option than previously thought. Posted. http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/tweaking-model-improves-ethanols-footprint/1824701.aspx# MISCELLANEOUS Bike To Work Day Is Thursday. Bay Area residents are invited to commute by bicycle Thursday on the region's annual Bike to Work Day. Volunteers at hundreds of energizer stations throughout the nine Bay Area counties will give out drinks, snacks and tote bags to cyclists Thursday morning. Workers can sign up as a company cycling team. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15063285 County Air Quality One Of The Worst In Nation. The latest study released by the American Lung Association shows Stanislaus County still has great strides to make in its quest for clean air. The association’s 2010 State of the Air Report issued a failing grade to Stanislaus County when it comes to healthy air. The county was ranked the 10th worst county in the nation for air quality. The news was just as grim, if not worse, for other California cities and counties. The report found that Californians breathe some of the worst air in the nation. Posted. http://www.turlockjournal.com/news/article/4041/ LA City Council OKs Plan To Turn Dormant Sun Valley Landfill Into Transfer Station. Three years after the Bradley Landfill in Sun Valley shut down, the City Council approved the building of a new transfer station at the facility under a deal hammered out in lengthy negotiations with wary neighbors. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15066498?nclick_check=1 Australia to Establish A $652 Million Fund for Renewable Energy. Australia will spend A $652 million ($588 million) on a fund to develop renewable energy after shelving its carbon-trading plan earlier this year. "We will roll out the most substantial renewable energy plan this country has seen," Treasurer Wayne Swan said in his budget speech today. "This government accepts the science of climate change and the need for combined global and domestic action." Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/05/11/bloomberg1376-L2913Q3T6SR6-3.DTL&type=printable EDF, E.ON Face Nuclear Hurdle From U.K.'s Coalition Government. E.ON AG, Electricite de France SA and Centrica Plc may find it harder to build new nuclear reactors in the U.K. because of a division on energy policy between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the coalition government. The two parties, which agreed yesterday to combine forces to command a majority in Parliament, will have to resolve differences on nuclear power soon to ensure the U.K. has enough electricity in 2020, said Ian Parrett, energy analyst at the consultant Inenco. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/05/12/bloomberg1376-L2B1YQ0UQVI9-8.DTL&type=printable Blogs U.N. Report Warns About The Importance Of Biological Diversity Protection Measures. Far too many of the world's plants and animals -- and the wild places that support them -- are at risk of collapse, a U.N. report (PDF) finds, despite a global goal set in 2002 for major improvement by this year. Frogs and other amphibians are most at risk of extinction, coral reefs are the species deteriorating most rapidly and the survival of nearly a quarter of all plant species is threatened, the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity said Monday in a report issued every four years. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2010/05/un-biodiversity-report.html Senate Climate Bill Makes Its Debut Today. Senators John F. Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, plan to roll out their long-delayed proposal to address global warming and energy later today. The nearly 1,000-page plan provides something for every major player – loan guarantees for nuclear plant operators, incentives for use of natural gas in transportation, exemptions from emissions caps for heavy industry, free pollution permits for utilities, modest carbon dioxide limits for oil refiners and expansion of offshore drilling for those states willing to accept the risks. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/senate-climate-bill-makes-its-debut-today/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 12:08:22 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 13, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 13, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE Schwarzenegger Backs California As Hub For Green Jobs. California can boost its economy while improving the environment if the state sticks by its law to reduce carbon emissions, said a panel of business and government leaders assembled at UC Davis on Wednesday to discuss the notion that the Sacramento region could become a hub for green jobs. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/13/2746982/greenhub-apoisdfopau-sdiopf-aopsidf.html#mi_rss=State%20Politics Senate Climate Bill Would Create 'Task Force' to Assess Power Plant Rules. A little-noticed provision within the Senate climate bill unveiled yesterday would create a "task force" to explore how federal and state environmental programs would affect the ability of coal-fired power plants to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/13/13climatewire-senate-climate-bill-would-create-task-force-t-1622.html?pagewanted=print Climate Bill Has New Drilling Protections. Washington - Coastal states could veto offshore drilling plans under long-awaited legislation to curb global warming unveiled Wednesday. The bill, sponsored by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., would allow states to opt out of federal drilling up to 75 miles from their shores, a concession to lawmakers concerned about offshore exploration in the wake of the Gulf Coast oil spill. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15070926 New Climate Bill Offers Changes, Compromises. Washington -- Two U.S. senators Wednesday unveiled a new climate and energy bill that makes some concessions to business and would change the way the nation produces and uses electricity in a global drive for cleaner energy and to end climate-damaging emissions. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/12/1930991/new-climate-bill-offers-changes.html Venture, Clean-Tech Sectors Brace for $50 Million Attack on Climate Law. San Francisco -- Venture capital interests and political operatives gearing up for a fight this fall over California's climate change law are pressing donors to counter what they fear will be a campaign war chest in excess of $50 million from those looking to delay the measure. A coalition has begun forming among clean-tech companies, venture capital firms, environmental groups and veteran strategists who have fought through presidential campaigns as well as tough proposition battles in California. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/13/13climatewire-venture-clean-tech-sectors-brace-for-50-mill-97154.html?pagewanted=print Sens. Kerry And Lieberman Introduce Compromise Climate Bill. Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) introduced a compromise climate bill Wednesday, hoping public concern about the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will boost the measure's long-shot chances for passage. While the legislation is different from the House-passed climate bill in several respects -- it seeks carbon reductions from separate sectors of the economy rather than imposing a nationwide limit, and it provides more incentives for new nuclear power and offshore oil drilling -- it still faces a steep hill in attracting the 60 votes needed for passage. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/12/AR2010051202913_pf.html EPA Issues Final 'Tailoring' Rule. U.S. EPA today issued its final "tailoring" rule for greenhouse gas emissions, a contentious policy aimed at shielding small polluters from rigid clean air act permitting requirements. EPA's rule "tailors" permitting programs to limit the number of facilities that would be required to obtain New Source Review and Title V operating permits based on their greenhouse gas emissions. EPA said the threshold would cover power plants, refineries and other large industrial plants while exempting smaller sources like farms, restaurants, schools and other facilities. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/05/13/1 New Climate Bill Adds Offshore Drilling Veto. States could block neighbors; Obama backs, but how much? Washington - Coastal states could veto offshore drilling plans under long-awaited legislation to curb global warming that was unveiled Wednesday. The proposal by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. comes just as the Gulf oil disaster complicates the measure's already slim chances of passage. Posted. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37110916/ns/us_news-environment/print/1/displaymode/1098/ Democratic Senators to Introduce Climate Change-Energy Bill, but Outlook Uncertain. Washington -- After months of negotiations and weeks of delay, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Ct.) will finally unveil their plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions and spur clean energy growth on Wednesday – and the biggest challenge will be selling the notion that the bill has any chance of passage. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-climate-change11-20100511,0,6510949.story Ban Urges Canada To Put Environment On G20 Agenda. Toronto — United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday urged Canada's Conservative government to champion climate change and the world's poor at next month's G-20 and G-8 summits. Ban said he wants Canada to make climate change a priority when the country hosts the G-20 — the group of leading rich and developing nations — in Toronto. He also urged Canada to live up to its greenhouse-gas reduction targets negotiated under the Kyoto Protocol. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j1MHTEwvhLEhaxmGR_wjEqzg2amwD9FLHCR84 http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15070880 Bill Aimed At Stemming Global Warming, Create Jobs. Washington -- Sens. John Kerry and Joe Lieberman unveiled a long-awaited bill Wednesday that aims to curtail pollution blamed for global warming, reduce oil imports and create millions of energy-related jobs. The 987-page bill, the product of more than seven months of negotiations and tweaked recently in response to the Gulf oil spill, also includes new protections for offshore drilling and for the first time would set a price on carbon dioxide emissions produced by coal-fired power plants and other large polluters. Posted. http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/05/12/general-multiutilities-us-climate-bill_7600889.html?boxes=Homepagebusinessnews California Jobs Initiative, Backed By Out-Of-State Oil, Seeks To Overturn California Global Warming Law. The California Jobs Initiative has submitted over 800,000 signatures, more than twice as many as needed to be on the ballot in November. It seeks, in effect, to overturn the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32) by suspending it unless California unemployment is less than 5.5% for four consecutive quarters, something which rarely happens. AB32 requires that greenhouse gas emissions in California be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020, which is roughly what Kyoto Protocol provisions are. Posted. http://caivn.org/article/2010/05/13/california-jobs-initiative-backed-out-state-oil-seeks-overturn-california-global- UC Davis Clean-Tech Forum Shows Support For AB 32. The University of California Davis on Wednesday launched an effort to establish a clean-energy hub in the Sacramento region and Bay Area that would drive innovations out of laboratories and into the marketplace. More than 270 people attended a half-day event to kick off the effort to create a network of researchers, governments, corporations and investors. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/05/10/daily32.html?t=printable Environmental Fund Receives Record $4.25B Replenishment. The world’s largest public environmental fund, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), received a record boost from donor countries this week with more than 30 nations pledging US$4.25 billion. GEF said the funding is the first significant multilateral step toward the commitments made in Copenhagen on climate change. Posted. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.printerfriendly/id/20304 AIR POLLUTION Chico Hourly Particulate Levels For Five Days In December. This chart shows hourly particulate pollution levels as measured at the Chico air pollution monitor, installed and operated by the California Air Resources Board. During the period of Dec. 7-11, 2009, the device recorded spikes, shown on the chart above, that are one reason residential wood burning is assessed the bulk of the blame for Chico's particulate problem. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/oroville/ci_15076080 A Burning Issue: Is The Problem Really The Monitor? The real cause of Chico's particulate pollution problem, some skeptics say, is the California Air Resources Board's pollution monitor in town. Why is there only one? Why is it right next to the freeway, where it will surely show higher air pollution numbers? In fact, Highway 99 is about a quarter-mile from the monitor. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_15074756 A Burning Issue: Ozone The Other Pollution: Cars, Trucks Are Culprits. The biggest contributors to air pollution in Butte County are cars and trucks. But they're minor players when it comes to the winter particulate pollution problem, according to air pollution officials. Instead, they're one of the culprits in a summertime pollution that in Butte County also exceeds federal health standards: ozone. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_15074753 A Burning Issue: Heated debate - Does wood smoke health risk warrant regulation? On the evening of Dec. 8 last year, Butte County residents hurried home from work, eager to reach the warmth of their homes. The area was in the grip of a cold snap, with highs in the mid-40s for several days and overnight temperatures in the low 20s. As soon as they arrived home, in thousands of those dwellings fires were lit in fireplaces or wood-burning stoves to drive off the chill. Smoke began drifting out of numerous chimneys. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/ci_15074766?source=most_viewed CARB Announces Courses on DPFs. The California Air Resources Board has announced upcoming courses on diesel particulate filters and aftertreatment devices. The course will cover diesel particulate matter and their health effects; diesel engine particulate matter and NOx production and control strategies; DPF theory, operation, construction, and application; as well as regulations requiring particulate filters. Other topics include diesel oxidation catalysts; continually regenerating traps; NOx catalysts; ammonia slip; selective catalytic reduction; NOx adsorber catalysts in addition to passive, active, online and offline regenerating strategies. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70396 OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Opinion: A Bad Bet on Carbon. ON Wednesday, John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman introduced their long-awaited Senate energy bill, which includes incentives of $2 billion per year for carbon capture and sequestration, the technology that removes carbon dioxide from the smokestack at power plants and forces it into underground storage. This significant allocation would come on top of the $2.4 billion for carbon capture projects that appeared in last year’s stimulus package. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/opinion/13bryce.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=print Opinion: Struggling For Cleaner Air. The tragedy unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico makes it clearer than ever just how costly our dangerous addiction to dirty fossil fuels really is. Los Angeles has better air than it had years ago, all due to clean-air regulation. Now, these greedy oil people want to make things worse again. Bush/Cheney did enough on removing some regulations to make their cronies richer. I moved from Los Angeles nine years ago to come to a cleaner area. Posted. http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_f6542f88-5e4a-11df-b8c6-001cc4c002e0.html Opinion Polls Underestimate Americans' Concern About The Environment, Study Finds. When pollsters ask Americans to name the most important problem facing the country, the environment is rarely mentioned. But this time-honored polling question masks the public's true concern about environmental issues, according to Stanford University researchers. Posted. http://www.physorg.com/print192963851.html MORAIN: Total divorce: The GOP and Arnold. It was a world filled with mutants, prostitutes, double-crossed and diabolical leaders. No, not Sacramento, but the sci-fi thriller "Total Recall." The treacherous femme fatale played by Sharon Stone slowly draws a gun from behind her back as she pleads with the action hero. "Sweetheart, be reasonable," she says, "After all, we're married." The action hero shoots first. "Consider that a divorce," he says in his Austrian accent. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/12/v-print/1164931/morain-total-divorce-the-gop-and.html LETTERS Letter To Editor: Ken Cuccinelli And Others Are Overreacting On Global Warming. Regarding the May 7 editorial "Mr. Cuccinelli's witch hunt": The things we don't know about the climate far exceed the things we do. The admitted uncertainties and disclaimers in all climate science attest to the incredible complexity of our global climate. The complete absence of these disclaimers in the popular media and in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's political "Summary for Policymakers" gives the false impression that the science is settled. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/12/AR2010051204707_pf.html Letter to Editor: Boycott Valero. What is going on with this country? California has to fight off companies that are trying to harm it in every way. Ever heard of Enron? Greed will be the end of us. There is now a Texas-based oil company, Valero, that’s hijacking our broken initiatives process in an attempt to rollback our state’s landmark legislation to abate climate change, AB32. AB 32 establishes that California, the planet’s 12th-biggest emitter of CO2, is first in the world for legislated reductions of greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.newtimesslo.com/letters-to-the-editor/4399/boycott-valero/ MISCELLANEOUS Palo Alto Adopts Landfill Gas Energy. As oil companies search for untapped reservoirs and engineers struggle to develop cheaper renewable energy, usable natural gas seeps daily from the world’s landfills. Now, after a heavily debated decision by the Palo Alto City Council, landfill gas from Bay Area facilities could power local homes. In a 5-4 vote last Monday, the council approved two contracts with Ameresco, a company that plans to generate electricity using gas produced during the breakdown of refuse in landfills. Posted. http://www.stanforddaily.com/2010/05/13/palo-alto-adopts-landfill-gas-energy/ County to Offer Incentives For You To Go Green. MARINA, Calif. At first AB32 sounds like a new blood type right? It has nothing to do with that but everything to do with electric vehicles and environmental living. AB32 is a new climate change bill which aims to better the health of Monterey County. First drafted back on April 19th, like every other county in California, the bill requires that Monterey County lay out it's plans to lower green house gas emissions. Posted. http://www.kcba.com/Global/story.asp?s=12473093&clienttype=printable Fremont Latest Bay Area City To Ban Plastic Foam. Fremont — Starting Jan. 1, the only plastic-foam food packaging you'll find in Fremont will be on supermarket shelves. The city on Tuesday joined about 40 state jurisdictions in prohibiting food vendors — from taco trucks to fancy restaurants — from using the once ubiquitous plastic-foam takeout containers, which do not decompose in landfills. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15070617 Infineon Raceway To Host A First In U.S.: A Zero-Carbon Motorcycle Race. The question came early and often: "Excuse me, is this thing on?" The answer was simple and silent as Kenyon Kluge sped his motorcycle down the straightaway at Infineon Raceway this week. There was hardly a sound from the engine nor a sign of exhaust. Look closely at the back of the bike and there's something missing. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15076149?source%253Dmost_emailed.26978592730A3B8C7F471EACE0DA4EF2.html BLOGS Climate Change Bill In A Tough Spot. Last night, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman appeared on John King's CNN program to promote their climate bill, the American Power Act. The transcript is fairly lengthy, but at no point does King ask them to explain the provisions of their bill. Instead, he begins by asking whether they have 60 votes, tries to get them to explain why John McCain isn't on the legislation, and then asks them to comment on the Sestak-Specter race in Pennsylvania. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/05/john_kerry_and_joe_lieberman_h.html Gulf Oil Spill: Environmentalists Stage Protests Around The Country. A coalition of environmental and social justice groups organized a 20-city protest Wednesday, including one in Los Angeles, urging consumers to gather at nearby BP gas stations advertised by the company as “eco-friendly.” The so-called Seize BP National Day of Action protest was scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at BP’s Green Curve gas station at 8770 W. Olympic Blvd., said Ian Thompson, a spokesman for the group called Answer Coalition. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/05/gulf-oil-spil-environmentalists-stage-protests-around-the-country.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 EVs Will Fail in the Marketplace, Says a Battery Insider. The debate about battery cars should be a big tent, with room for plenty of contrary opinions. I believe in giving these folks a say, even if think they’re off base. My own views are sharply different, and much more sanguine about the plug-in future. Yesterday, I looked at some very negative conclusions from Janney Capital Markets. Posted. http://industry.bnet.com/auto/10004948/a-battery-car-insider-offers-negative-prospects/ Could the Climate Bill Undermine Existing Air Rules? Health groups are raising concerns about a provision buried in the 987-page American Power Act unveiled yesterday [1] that they believe might undermine existing clean-air standards. On page 182 of the bill from Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is directed to "establish a task force" that would examine "existing programs" at the state and local level to curb pollutants from power plants. Posted. http://motherjones.com/print/59441 A Tough Observer of Climate Prescriptions. The latest online column from Richard Black of the BBC demonstrates why he’s at the top of the heap among those of us trying to make sense of global climate trends and diplomacy. He deconstructs the merits and drawbacks of the Hartwell Paper, an endeavor by a variegated crew of economists, political scientists and others to chart a reality-based path toward limiting risks from climate extremes while, in the long haul, curbing emissions of greenhouse gases. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/11/a-tough-observer-of-climate-prescriptions/?pagemode=print The American Power Act: A View from California. Today's release of the long-awaited climate bill by Senators Kerry and Lieberman has set D.C. abuzz. As everyone delves into the details of this initial proposal (aka the "American Power Act"), it's clear that this announcement marks real progress in the fight against climate change. Most importantly, the formal proposal reignites the prospect that our country will take real action this year to reduce our dependence on oil and produce more American-made power and clean energy jobs. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/dfesta/detail??blogid=168&entry_id=63435#ixzz0npaPFdc0 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 12:17:04 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Amendment for Newsclips for May 13, 2010 From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV **Amendment** for California Air Resources Board Newsclips for May 13, 2010. California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 13, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE ** Schwarzenegger Backs California As Hub For Green Jobs. California can boost its economy while improving the environment if the state sticks by its law to reduce carbon emissions, said a panel of business and government leaders assembled at UC Davis on Wednesday to discuss the notion that the Sacramento region could become a hub for green jobs. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/13/2746982/greenhub-apoisdfopau-sdiopf-aopsidf.html** Senate Climate Bill Would Create 'Task Force' to Assess Power Plant Rules. A little-noticed provision within the Senate climate bill unveiled yesterday would create a "task force" to explore how federal and state environmental programs would affect the ability of coal-fired power plants to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/13/13climatewire-senate-climate-bill-would-create-task-force-t-1622.html?pagewanted=print Climate Bill Has New Drilling Protections. Washington - Coastal states could veto offshore drilling plans under long-awaited legislation to curb global warming unveiled Wednesday. The bill, sponsored by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., would allow states to opt out of federal drilling up to 75 miles from their shores, a concession to lawmakers concerned about offshore exploration in the wake of the Gulf Coast oil spill. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15070926 New Climate Bill Offers Changes, Compromises. Washington -- Two U.S. senators Wednesday unveiled a new climate and energy bill that makes some concessions to business and would change the way the nation produces and uses electricity in a global drive for cleaner energy and to end climate-damaging emissions. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/12/1930991/new-climate-bill-offers-changes.html Venture, Clean-Tech Sectors Brace for $50 Million Attack on Climate Law. San Francisco -- Venture capital interests and political operatives gearing up for a fight this fall over California's climate change law are pressing donors to counter what they fear will be a campaign war chest in excess of $50 million from those looking to delay the measure. A coalition has begun forming among clean-tech companies, venture capital firms, environmental groups and veteran strategists who have fought through presidential campaigns as well as tough proposition battles in California. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/13/13climatewire-venture-clean-tech-sectors-brace-for-50-mill-97154.html?pagewanted=print Sens. Kerry And Lieberman Introduce Compromise Climate Bill. Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) introduced a compromise climate bill Wednesday, hoping public concern about the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will boost the measure's long-shot chances for passage. While the legislation is different from the House-passed climate bill in several respects -- it seeks carbon reductions from separate sectors of the economy rather than imposing a nationwide limit, and it provides more incentives for new nuclear power and offshore oil drilling -- it still faces a steep hill in attracting the 60 votes needed for passage. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/12/AR2010051202913_pf.html EPA Issues Final 'Tailoring' Rule. U.S. EPA today issued its final "tailoring" rule for greenhouse gas emissions, a contentious policy aimed at shielding small polluters from rigid clean air act permitting requirements. EPA's rule "tailors" permitting programs to limit the number of facilities that would be required to obtain New Source Review and Title V operating permits based on their greenhouse gas emissions. EPA said the threshold would cover power plants, refineries and other large industrial plants while exempting smaller sources like farms, restaurants, schools and other facilities. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/05/13/1 New Climate Bill Adds Offshore Drilling Veto. States could block neighbors; Obama backs, but how much? Washington - Coastal states could veto offshore drilling plans under long-awaited legislation to curb global warming that was unveiled Wednesday. The proposal by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. comes just as the Gulf oil disaster complicates the measure's already slim chances of passage. Posted. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37110916/ns/us_news-environment/print/1/displaymode/1098/ Democratic Senators to Introduce Climate Change-Energy Bill, but Outlook Uncertain. Washington -- After months of negotiations and weeks of delay, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Ct.) will finally unveil their plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions and spur clean energy growth on Wednesday – and the biggest challenge will be selling the notion that the bill has any chance of passage. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-climate-change11-20100511,0,6510949.story Ban Urges Canada To Put Environment On G20 Agenda. Toronto — United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday urged Canada's Conservative government to champion climate change and the world's poor at next month's G-20 and G-8 summits. Ban said he wants Canada to make climate change a priority when the country hosts the G-20 — the group of leading rich and developing nations — in Toronto. He also urged Canada to live up to its greenhouse-gas reduction targets negotiated under the Kyoto Protocol. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j1MHTEwvhLEhaxmGR_wjEqzg2amwD9FLHCR84 http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15070880 Bill Aimed At Stemming Global Warming, Create Jobs. Washington -- Sens. John Kerry and Joe Lieberman unveiled a long-awaited bill Wednesday that aims to curtail pollution blamed for global warming, reduce oil imports and create millions of energy-related jobs. The 987-page bill, the product of more than seven months of negotiations and tweaked recently in response to the Gulf oil spill, also includes new protections for offshore drilling and for the first time would set a price on carbon dioxide emissions produced by coal-fired power plants and other large polluters. Posted. http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/05/12/general-multiutilities-us-climate-bill_7600889.html?boxes=Homepagebusinessnews California Jobs Initiative, Backed By Out-Of-State Oil, Seeks To Overturn California Global Warming Law. The California Jobs Initiative has submitted over 800,000 signatures, more than twice as many as needed to be on the ballot in November. It seeks, in effect, to overturn the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32) by suspending it unless California unemployment is less than 5.5% for four consecutive quarters, something which rarely happens. AB32 requires that greenhouse gas emissions in California be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020, which is roughly what Kyoto Protocol provisions are. Posted. http://caivn.org/article/2010/05/13/california-jobs-initiative-backed-out-state-oil-seeks-overturn-california-global- UC Davis Clean-Tech Forum Shows Support For AB 32. The University of California Davis on Wednesday launched an effort to establish a clean-energy hub in the Sacramento region and Bay Area that would drive innovations out of laboratories and into the marketplace. More than 270 people attended a half-day event to kick off the effort to create a network of researchers, governments, corporations and investors. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/05/10/daily32.html?t=printable Environmental Fund Receives Record $4.25B Replenishment. The world’s largest public environmental fund, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), received a record boost from donor countries this week with more than 30 nations pledging US$4.25 billion. GEF said the funding is the first significant multilateral step toward the commitments made in Copenhagen on climate change. Posted. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.printerfriendly/id/20304 AIR POLLUTION Chico Hourly Particulate Levels For Five Days In December. This chart shows hourly particulate pollution levels as measured at the Chico air pollution monitor, installed and operated by the California Air Resources Board. During the period of Dec. 7-11, 2009, the device recorded spikes, shown on the chart above, that are one reason residential wood burning is assessed the bulk of the blame for Chico's particulate problem. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/oroville/ci_15076080 A Burning Issue: Is The Problem Really The Monitor? The real cause of Chico's particulate pollution problem, some skeptics say, is the California Air Resources Board's pollution monitor in town. Why is there only one? Why is it right next to the freeway, where it will surely show higher air pollution numbers? In fact, Highway 99 is about a quarter-mile from the monitor. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_15074756 A Burning Issue: Ozone The Other Pollution: Cars, Trucks Are Culprits. The biggest contributors to air pollution in Butte County are cars and trucks. But they're minor players when it comes to the winter particulate pollution problem, according to air pollution officials. Instead, they're one of the culprits in a summertime pollution that in Butte County also exceeds federal health standards: ozone. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_15074753 A Burning Issue: Heated debate - Does wood smoke health risk warrant regulation? On the evening of Dec. 8 last year, Butte County residents hurried home from work, eager to reach the warmth of their homes. The area was in the grip of a cold snap, with highs in the mid-40s for several days and overnight temperatures in the low 20s. As soon as they arrived home, in thousands of those dwellings fires were lit in fireplaces or wood-burning stoves to drive off the chill. Smoke began drifting out of numerous chimneys. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/ci_15074766?source=most_viewed CARB Announces Courses on DPFs. The California Air Resources Board has announced upcoming courses on diesel particulate filters and aftertreatment devices. The course will cover diesel particulate matter and their health effects; diesel engine particulate matter and NOx production and control strategies; DPF theory, operation, construction, and application; as well as regulations requiring particulate filters. Other topics include diesel oxidation catalysts; continually regenerating traps; NOx catalysts; ammonia slip; selective catalytic reduction; NOx adsorber catalysts in addition to passive, active, online and offline regenerating strategies. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70396 OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Opinion: A Bad Bet on Carbon. ON Wednesday, John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman introduced their long-awaited Senate energy bill, which includes incentives of $2 billion per year for carbon capture and sequestration, the technology that removes carbon dioxide from the smokestack at power plants and forces it into underground storage. This significant allocation would come on top of the $2.4 billion for carbon capture projects that appeared in last year’s stimulus package. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/opinion/13bryce.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=print Opinion: Struggling For Cleaner Air. The tragedy unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico makes it clearer than ever just how costly our dangerous addiction to dirty fossil fuels really is. Los Angeles has better air than it had years ago, all due to clean-air regulation. Now, these greedy oil people want to make things worse again. Bush/Cheney did enough on removing some regulations to make their cronies richer. I moved from Los Angeles nine years ago to come to a cleaner area. Posted. http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_f6542f88-5e4a-11df-b8c6-001cc4c002e0.html Opinion Polls Underestimate Americans' Concern About The Environment, Study Finds. When pollsters ask Americans to name the most important problem facing the country, the environment is rarely mentioned. But this time-honored polling question masks the public's true concern about environmental issues, according to Stanford University researchers. Posted. http://www.physorg.com/print192963851.html MORAIN: Total divorce: The GOP and Arnold. It was a world filled with mutants, prostitutes, double-crossed and diabolical leaders. No, not Sacramento, but the sci-fi thriller "Total Recall." The treacherous femme fatale played by Sharon Stone slowly draws a gun from behind her back as she pleads with the action hero. "Sweetheart, be reasonable," she says, "After all, we're married." The action hero shoots first. "Consider that a divorce," he says in his Austrian accent. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/12/v-print/1164931/morain-total-divorce-the-gop-and.html LETTERS Letter To Editor: Ken Cuccinelli And Others Are Overreacting On Global Warming. Regarding the May 7 editorial "Mr. Cuccinelli's witch hunt": The things we don't know about the climate far exceed the things we do. The admitted uncertainties and disclaimers in all climate science attest to the incredible complexity of our global climate. The complete absence of these disclaimers in the popular media and in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's political "Summary for Policymakers" gives the false impression that the science is settled. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/12/AR2010051204707_pf.html Letter to Editor: Boycott Valero. What is going on with this country? California has to fight off companies that are trying to harm it in every way. Ever heard of Enron? Greed will be the end of us. There is now a Texas-based oil company, Valero, that’s hijacking our broken initiatives process in an attempt to rollback our state’s landmark legislation to abate climate change, AB32. AB 32 establishes that California, the planet’s 12th-biggest emitter of CO2, is first in the world for legislated reductions of greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.newtimesslo.com/letters-to-the-editor/4399/boycott-valero/ MISCELLANEOUS Palo Alto Adopts Landfill Gas Energy. As oil companies search for untapped reservoirs and engineers struggle to develop cheaper renewable energy, usable natural gas seeps daily from the world’s landfills. Now, after a heavily debated decision by the Palo Alto City Council, landfill gas from Bay Area facilities could power local homes. In a 5-4 vote last Monday, the council approved two contracts with Ameresco, a company that plans to generate electricity using gas produced during the breakdown of refuse in landfills. Posted. http://www.stanforddaily.com/2010/05/13/palo-alto-adopts-landfill-gas-energy/ County to Offer Incentives For You To Go Green. MARINA, Calif. At first AB32 sounds like a new blood type right? It has nothing to do with that but everything to do with electric vehicles and environmental living. AB32 is a new climate change bill which aims to better the health of Monterey County. First drafted back on April 19th, like every other county in California, the bill requires that Monterey County lay out it's plans to lower green house gas emissions. Posted. http://www.kcba.com/Global/story.asp?s=12473093&clienttype=printable Fremont Latest Bay Area City To Ban Plastic Foam. Fremont — Starting Jan. 1, the only plastic-foam food packaging you'll find in Fremont will be on supermarket shelves. The city on Tuesday joined about 40 state jurisdictions in prohibiting food vendors — from taco trucks to fancy restaurants — from using the once ubiquitous plastic-foam takeout containers, which do not decompose in landfills. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15070617 Infineon Raceway To Host A First In U.S.: A Zero-Carbon Motorcycle Race. The question came early and often: "Excuse me, is this thing on?" The answer was simple and silent as Kenyon Kluge sped his motorcycle down the straightaway at Infineon Raceway this week. There was hardly a sound from the engine nor a sign of exhaust. Look closely at the back of the bike and there's something missing. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15076149?source%253Dmost_emailed.26978592730A3B8C7F471EACE0DA4EF2.html BLOGS Climate Change Bill In A Tough Spot. Last night, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman appeared on John King's CNN program to promote their climate bill, the American Power Act. The transcript is fairly lengthy, but at no point does King ask them to explain the provisions of their bill. Instead, he begins by asking whether they have 60 votes, tries to get them to explain why John McCain isn't on the legislation, and then asks them to comment on the Sestak-Specter race in Pennsylvania. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/05/john_kerry_and_joe_lieberman_h.html Gulf Oil Spill: Environmentalists Stage Protests Around The Country. A coalition of environmental and social justice groups organized a 20-city protest Wednesday, including one in Los Angeles, urging consumers to gather at nearby BP gas stations advertised by the company as “eco-friendly.” The so-called Seize BP National Day of Action protest was scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at BP’s Green Curve gas station at 8770 W. Olympic Blvd., said Ian Thompson, a spokesman for the group called Answer Coalition. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/05/gulf-oil-spil-environmentalists-stage-protests-around-the-country.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 EVs Will Fail in the Marketplace, Says a Battery Insider. The debate about battery cars should be a big tent, with room for plenty of contrary opinions. I believe in giving these folks a say, even if think they’re off base. My own views are sharply different, and much more sanguine about the plug-in future. Yesterday, I looked at some very negative conclusions from Janney Capital Markets. Posted. http://industry.bnet.com/auto/10004948/a-battery-car-insider-offers-negative-prospects/ Could the Climate Bill Undermine Existing Air Rules? Health groups are raising concerns about a provision buried in the 987-page American Power Act unveiled yesterday [1] that they believe might undermine existing clean-air standards. On page 182 of the bill from Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is directed to "establish a task force" that would examine "existing programs" at the state and local level to curb pollutants from power plants. Posted. http://motherjones.com/print/59441 A Tough Observer of Climate Prescriptions. The latest online column from Richard Black of the BBC demonstrates why he’s at the top of the heap among those of us trying to make sense of global climate trends and diplomacy. He deconstructs the merits and drawbacks of the Hartwell Paper, an endeavor by a variegated crew of economists, political scientists and others to chart a reality-based path toward limiting risks from climate extremes while, in the long haul, curbing emissions of greenhouse gases. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/11/a-tough-observer-of-climate-prescriptions/?pagemode=print The American Power Act: A View from California. Today's release of the long-awaited climate bill by Senators Kerry and Lieberman has set D.C. abuzz. As everyone delves into the details of this initial proposal (aka the "American Power Act"), it's clear that this announcement marks real progress in the fight against climate change. Most importantly, the formal proposal reignites the prospect that our country will take real action this year to reduce our dependence on oil and produce more American-made power and clean energy jobs. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/dfesta/detail??blogid=168&entry_id=63435#ixzz0npaPFdc0 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 11:41:37 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 17, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 17, 2010. 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. Improving Central Valley’s Air Is Aim of Bill. Legislation aimed at improving air quality in the San Joaquin Valley by allowing its eight counties to seek designation as an “Air and Health Quality Empowerment Zone” has been authored by Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, with Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and Jim Costa, D-Fresno, joining as co-sponsors. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15198 EPA Moves to Regulate Industrial Greenhouse Gases. The Environmental Protection Agency moved Thursday to more tightly control air pollution from large power plants, factories and oil refineries, a step to limit emissions widely blamed for global warming. The EPA said it is completing a rule requiring large polluters to reduce the amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that they release into the air. Those emissions can boost many allergens and worsen smog, which can trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jUnKQykaJMMAbcp8VBI1Ls5ELhlAD9FM7PT80 San Diego Emits More CO2 Per Person Than Other Regions. Global warming is already affecting San Diego’s regional planning. California’s Air Resources Board will set new carbon emission reduction goals this fall. San Diego’s Association of Governments, or SANDAG - made up of the mayors of all 18 cities and the county - met today to discuss how new greenhouse gas reduction goals will affect their growth. Gary Gallegos, executive director of SANDAG, says studies show San Diego generates more greenhouse gas per person than other California regions. Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/may/14/san-diego-emits-more-co2-person-other-regions/ Senate Climate Bill under a Cloud. Seldom have we encountered a bill that we hated to love as much as the American Power Act, the long-awaited climate and energy bill unveiled last week by Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). It is simultaneously a gift to polluters and the most significant step ever taken by this nation to solve the world's most pressing environmental problem. It is a gorgeous mess. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-climate-20100517,0,859908.story?track=rss Just Don't Call It a Climate Bill. Despite the most creative rhetoric this side of ObamaCare, voters have figured out that "cap and trade" involves artificial carbon rationing and vast new energy taxes. So the main goal of John Kerry and Joe Lieberman has been attempting to disguise these truths in the climate bill they released to much fanfare last week. The bill was nine months in gestation once it became clear that the version the House passed last summer—which one of five Democrats opposed—was doomed in the Senate. Yet no one should mistake Kerry-Lieberman for a new approach. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703339304575240353420875226.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines Debate Over Climate Change Law Hits Home. Automotive engineer and hot rod aficionado Gale Banks pointed to various engines and cars in his shop here last week and criticized state regulations for "bogging down" his ability to advance the clean, efficient diesel technology that won those engines awards. Posted. http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_15099761#ixzz0oCqd5T2h Cool With It. Why would a business oppose a reprieve from the strict compliance deadlines of a major environmental law? That’s exactly what’s happening at L.A.-based restaurant chain Border Grill, which is opposing an initiative headed for the November ballot that would suspend implementation of AB 32, the state’s sweeping 2006 law that requires businesses to reduce carbon emissions up to 20 percent by 2020. Posted. http://www.labusinessjournal.com/news/2010/may/17/cool-it/ The Dirty Energy Proposition: LA has to Say No. A few years ago, California passed a landmark clean energy and clean air law, AB32, that is creating the pathway to a new, clean energy economy that is already attracting hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investments in our region and throughout the state. This law will also help us wean our state off its costly addiction to oil and reduce consumer costs in the long run. That’s why I wholeheartedly support AB 32 and am opposed to efforts by out-of-state oil interests to repeal our clean energy laws and kill our clean energy economy. Posted. http://citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3525 Climate Bill Would Make AB32 Battle Moot. The prospects of the Senate climate bill introduced Wednesday are not great. A plethora of politicians and pundits — in fact, seemingly everyone but co-sponsors John Kerry and Joe Lieberman — have expressed deep reservations that the bill has a shot in the current political climate. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/05/climate-bill-would-make-ab32-battle-moot/ Reader Rebuttal (Spencer Brown): Suspending Climate Law: As more than 210,000 gallons of oil per day continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, we are once again reminded of the need to wean ourselves off fossil fuels. Ironically, however, while this accident is wreaking havoc on the economy and environment of Louisiana, the oil companies are aiming to dismantle California's roadmap to a clean energy future. Bankrolled by Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro, the "Dirty Energy Proposition" slated for the November ballot would suspend Assembly Bill 32, California's landmark law designed to promote renewable energy and reduce air pollution ["Shelving of climate law closer," Column, May 11]. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/california-248900-clean-state.html Never Too Soon To Act on Global Warming. In his May 13 letter to the editor, Paul C. Quigg said that the uncertainties about the effects of global warming make "our mad rush to save the world 100 years in the future far worse" than Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II's "pushing the envelope" with his demand for information on a former University of Virginia professor. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/16/AR2010051603116.html Opinion: Silicon Valley Leadership Group Panel On Competitiveness, Energy Policy. The Silicon Valley Leadership Group convened its seventh annual CEO Business Climate Summit on April 19 in Menlo Park. One panel discussion on America's competitiveness first featured White House senior energy adviser Matt Rogers and venture capitalist John Doerr, focusing on energy policy. They were then joined by CEOs Aart de Geus of Synopsys and Dave DeWalt of McAfee. This is an edited transcript of the discussion. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15089582 Oakland International Airport Leads The Way In Reducing Diesel Emissions. Oakland International Airport has received a $2.5 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for a project that will significantly reduce the amount of diesel pollution produced by planes parked overnight at the airport for maintenance or loading and unloading cargo. The money will be used to install emission-free electrical ground power at 18 overnight parking spots away from the terminal. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15089450?nclick_check=1 http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_15089450 CARB Begins Truck Rules at Ports. Drayage truck owners working California ports and intermodal rail yards face new emissions rules from the California Air Resources Board that carry potential fines. Enforcement, which had been delayed since January, begins May 15. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85206 Local Tow Truck Company Goes "Green”. Like other service shops around the nation, Jan Qualkenbush's towing business suffered a blow during the recession, bringing his profits down at least 15 percent and causing him to reduce his fleet of tow trucks from nearly 50 to 35. But despite the financial hardships, Qualkenbush has gotten a jump start on making his diesel tow trucks compliant with costly state and federal environmental regulations that go into effect starting next year. Posted. http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_15099759#ixzz0oCoCPvDZ http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_15099759?IADID=Search-www.pasadenastarnews.com-www.pasadenastarnews.com Turning to Water Conservation to Save Energy. In the run-up to the Copenhagen climate summit conference last year, water researchers and advocates held a special meeting to address the fact that water issues were absent from the draft negotiating text. This was a major oversight, given the amount of energy that is used to collect, treat, distribute and use water and wastewater. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/business/energy-environment/18iht-renwat.html?src=busln http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/business/energy-environment/18iht-rencal.html?src=busln California may revamp Cash for Appliances. The California Energy Commission is considering expanding and extending its Cash for Appliances program, which has gotten off to a slow start. While some states blew through their federal cash-for-appliance money in a matter of days, California still has at least 83 percent of its rebate pot available three weeks after its launch. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/15/BUJT1DESMJ.DTL#ixzz0oD1w8hwD Benicia Group Challenges Valero Refinery to Continue Being A 'Good Neighbor'. When a group of local women began speaking out about potential environmental risks tied to Valero's refinery expansion plans seven years ago, not everyone took its concerns seriously. "We were originally called the five housewives," said land-use attorney Dana Dean, an original member of the Good Neighbor Steering Committee. "It was like, 'Don't worry your pretty little heads.' " But it didn't take long for the Texas-based oil company and the city of Benicia to realize that these educated, professional women were serious. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_15097051 Toxic Areas Cleaned Up At Landfill, Firm Says. The company that runs the Central California landfill where nearby residents complain that toxins have caused a number of birth defects in their town said Thursday it has cleaned up contaminated areas cited by federal investigators. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/14/BAU31DEEU1.DTL#ixzz0oD2MG6VK Obama Vows To Toughen Regulation Of Offshore Drilling. Three weeks after oil began spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, an angry President Barack Obama vowed Friday to end the cozy relationship between the oil industry and government regulators and impose tough new environmental safeguards on offshore drilling. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/15/2752072/obama-oil-spill.html#ixzz0oD3T8RxF Blogs Let’s Be Clear: American Power Act Does Not Prevent California >From Implementing AB 32. I had a chance to join KQED’s Forum yesterday to discuss the American Power Act (APA) and what it means for California. (To read about the extensive show of support the Senate bill has received, please visit our Climate 411 blog.) It was an interesting and wide-ranging conversation. We talked about whether the long-awaited bill hurts states such as California that are leading on clean energy policies. Posted. http://www.favstocks.com/lets-be-clear-american-power-act-does-not-prevent-california-from-implementing-ab-32/1413390/ Particulate Air Pollution Is a Modifiable Risk Factor For Heart Disease, Heart Association Says. The evidence linking particulate air pollution to cardiovascular disease and deaths has strengthened in recent years and high levels of the pollutant should be considered a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease along with such well-known factors as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes, the American Heart Assn. said Monday. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/05/particulate-air-pollution-is-a-modifiable-risk-factor-for-heart-disease-heart-association-says.html Spotlight on U.N. Climate Panel. After months of controversy, a review of the workings of the United Nations’ main scientific body on climate change has just gotten under way in Amsterdam. Over the next few months, a 12-member panel of scientific experts will analyze the makeup, procedures and conduct of the body, known as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/spotlight-on-u-n-climate-panel/ Cap and Trade’s Last Global Warming Gasp? Senators John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman are giving one more push to their latest version of a global warming bill to destroy the economy in order to save the earth. It’s doubtful this incarnation will go any further than the other stalled, un-passable attempts to regulate greenhouse gases. Iain Murray of the Creative Enterprise Institute notes that Climategate ruined the movement’s credibility, Copenhagen exposed it as politically unworkable and one revelation after another has reinforced these negatives. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/15/cap-and-trades-last-global-warming-gasp/26151/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 11:34:19 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 18, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 18, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE Senate Climate Bill Under A Cloud. The following editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Monday, May 17: Seldom have we encountered a bill that we hated to love as much as the American Power Act, the long-awaited climate and energy bill unveiled last week by Sens. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. It is simultaneously a gift to polluters and the most significant step ever taken by this nation to solve the world's most pressing environmental problem. It is a gorgeous mess. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/18/v-print/2758543/senate-climate-bill-under-a-cloud.html WWF Emerges as Leading Lobbyist on Senate Climate Bill. An environmental group that made its name battling on behalf of pandas, polar bears and pelicans now is fighting for what it fears is a politically imperiled species: U.S. climate legislation that has a global perspective. The World Wildlife Fund spent the past year lobbying zealously for a bill that would provide assistance preserving forests, funds to spark demand for clean technologies in developing countries and money to help the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate-induced changes. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/05/18/18greenwire-wwf-emerges-as-leading-lobbyist-on-senate-clima-9600.html?pagewanted=print Analyst's Report: AB 32 Will Hurt California Economy. A report by the state Legislative Analyst's Office forecasts a significant impact on some parts of California's economy from AB32, but concludes the exact impact is hard to calculate, and the overall impact on the economy will be modest. The analysis, commissioned by Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda, looked largely at how the measure to curb the state's carbon emissions would compel economic leakage to other states and countries if California had a "go-it-alone" approach to global warming. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/common/printer/view.php?db=marysville&id=94991 OPINION OPINION: Senate Climate Bill Under A Cloud. Although the Kerry-Lieberman measure is deeply flawed, its positives far outweigh its negatives. Seldom have we encountered a bill that we hated to love as much as the American Power Act, the long-awaited climate and energy bill unveiled last week by Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). It is simultaneously a gift to polluters and the most significant step ever taken by this nation to solve the world's most pressing environmental problem. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-20100517,0,5218941,print.story VESSELS Low-Emission Ferry Joins Fleet. Oakland - In 1851, riding a ferry from the foot of Broadway across the Bay to San Francisco cost $1. Horses, wagons and cattle cost $3. Today, the boats carry workday commuters who, under an ambitious expansion plan 10 years in the making, could soon choose to travel far beyond those two destinations in high-speed, earth-friendly vessels. The latest addition to the fleet of four new low-emission ferries made its maiden voyage in Bay Area waters Monday not far from Oakland's original ferry stop. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15103887 ENERGY Scientists Weigh Use Of Bacteria For Cleaner Fossil Fuel Production. Much of the world's oil reserves lies in giant tar sand stretches in places like Alberta and Venezuela. While the oil industry uses an energy-intensive and fairly dirty process to make steam to cook the oil out of the tar sands, underground bacteria simply eat the crude oil and break it down into methane, or natural gas. In nature, that process takes millions of years. A small group of cross-disciplinary microbiologists with their feet both in the oil industry and academic geochemistry wants to speed up the work. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/18/1 VEHICLES Honda 'Lacks Confidence' in Electric-Car Demand (Update1). Honda Motor Co. remains skeptical about demand for electric cars 10 years after it stopped selling its EV Plus battery-powered model, the head of research at Japan's second-largest carmaker said. "We lack confidence" in the electric-vehicle business, Tomohiko Kawanabe, president of Honda's research and development unit, said in an interview in Wako City, northwest of Tokyo. "It's questionable whether consumers will accept the annoyances of limited driving range and having to spend time charging them." Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/05/17/bloomberg1376-L2LQ9K0UQVI9-3.DTL&type=printable AIR POLLUTION Move To Regulate Farms To Ease Nitrate Problem. Farmers and state officials are exploring solutions to nitrate pollution in heavily impacted parts of the state, including regulating Central Valley farmers who rely on commercial fertilizer. "The largest problem is irrigated agriculture," said Jean Moran, professor of earth and environmental science at Cal State East Bay and a former research scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/17/MNLC1DCRM0.DTL&type=printable BLOGS Air Pollution Raises Blood Pressure. My blood pressure just jumped up: People who live in urban areas are more likely to have hypertension, and the effects are greater in women than men, according to German researchers. The scientists reported their findings at the current meeting of the American Thoracic Society in New Orleans. Though you could imagine all kinds of stresses are linked to city dwelling, this study — of 5,000 people who were part of something called the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study — fingers fine particulates in the atmosphere. Blood pressure ups and downs correlated with higher or lower levels of these particulates. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/05/air-pollution-raises-blood-pressure.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BoosterShots+%28Booster+Shots%29 Spotlight on Climate Science Panel. After months of controversy, a review of the workings of the United Nations’ main scientific body on climate change has just gotten under way in Amsterdam. Over the next few months, a 12-member panel of scientific experts will analyze the makeup, procedures and conduct of the body, known as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The review, organized by Britain’s InterAcademy Council, was requested at a meeting of the United Nations Environment Program in February, and the findings are due in August. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/spotlight-on-u-n-climate-panel/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 12:56:31 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 19, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 19, 2010. 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. ENERGY Sacramento Mayor Launches 'Green Initiative'. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has jumped into the region's effort to green its economy. During an elaborate ceremony Tuesday at the California Museum, the mayor announced that he was launching a "green initiative" focused on making the city and region a national hub for green tech jobs and research. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/19/2760730/sacramento-mayor-launches-green.html#ixzz0oOLWded1 Coachella Valley Cities Score $6.1 Million for Energy Efficient Program. Southern California Edison will give $6.1 million to Coachella Valley Association of Governments for energy efficient programs, the regional government announced this afternoon. The grant is part of a $22 million project that will help cities implement long-term energy efficiency practices, energy efficiency education, greenhouse gas inventory work and climate action planning. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100518/NEWS07/100518033/1263/update/Coachella-Valley-cities-score-6.1-million-for-energy-efficient-program Companies Search for Energy Savings, With Mixed Results. The yen for energy efficiency is beginning to take hold in industrial America. Whether it's axles in Detroit or beer in Delaware, there are companies that realize they could eventually be touched by pending federal legislation to put a price on carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/19/19climatewire-companies-search-for-energy-savings-with-mix-20486.html NAS CLIMATE REPORT 3 Climate Change Reports Call For Setting Price On Carbon Emissions. In three reports on global warming, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences Wednesday called for limiting greenhouse gas emissions by setting a price on them. The three "America's Climate Choices" reports, requested by Congress under the Bush administration, come as roiling debate over climate and energy legislation in Washington and the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cloud future energy decisions. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/environment/2010-05-19-climate20_ST_N.htm National Academy Of Sciences Urges Swift U.S. Action To Curb Emissions. The National Academy of Sciences wants to put the United States on a low-carbon diet. That is the underlying message of a hotly anticipated trio of reports requested by Congress and released today. In them, the academy describes an "urgent need" for the nation to trim its greenhouse gas emissions. The reports say available evidence "makes a compelling case" that climate change is happening now, is largely driven by human activities and threatens the well-being of people today and in future generations. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/05/19/1 CLIMATE CHANGE Obama Officials Insist U.S. Will Pursue Emission Cuts. America will keep its promise to cut carbon emissions even if U.N. climate change talks someday disintegrate, State Department climate envoy Todd Stern said yesterday. Stern, speaking at a Brookings Institution forum, stood by the United Nations as the "central event" to develop a worldwide response to global warming -- despite criticism after a tumultuous summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, that the agency is the wrong apparatus for the job. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/19/4 Poizner Goes From Backer To Foe Of Global Warming Law. The Republican primary candidate for governor now wants California to roll back AB 32. Four years ago he called the law a bold effort to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. As he wages a Republican primary for governor this year, Steve Poizner has advocated rolling back California's law to curb global warming indefinitely, calling it "a Draconian set of regulations that doesn't help the environment and … destroys the economy." Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/la-me-poizner-20100519,0,4187595,print.story US Top Scientists Urge Coal, Oil Use Penalties. Washington -- Ditching its past cautious tone, the nation's top scientists urged the government Wednesday to take drastic action to raise the cost of using coal and oil to slow global warming. The National Academy of Sciences specifically called for a carbon tax on fossil fuels or a cap-and-trade system for curbing greenhouse gas emissions, calling global warming an urgent threat. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/19/AR2010051901624_pf.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15116834 http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/may/19/us-top-scientists-urge-coal-oil-use-penalties/ http://www.nctimes.com/news/science/article_6176d136-dad2-526a-bef5-5d9509095c6c.html AB 32 Why AB32 Goes After the Cement Industry. While a Wyoming coal plant and one Chevron refinery are the largest pollution sources for California, the three industries that together account for 40% of California’s GHG emissions include electric utilities, oil refineries and cement manufacturers – so these are the three industries most impacted by California’s climate legislation, AB32, which will begin next year. Posted. http://cleantechnica.com/2010/05/18/why-ab32-goes-after-the-cement-industry/ EMISSIONS ‘Tainted’ Credits Cut UN Carbon Price: Energy Markets (Update2). (Adds Orbeo analyst in fifth paragraph, updates prices.) -- Emission traders’ most-profitable credits, linked to greenhouse gases considered more harmful than carbon dioxide, are dragging the United Nations carbon market to its biggest discount in a year. The UN faces a devaluation of the tradable credits it gives investors that pay for projects to reduce hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, because the European Union may favor alternatives such as windfarms to combat global warming. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-19/-tainted-credits-cut-un-carbon-price-energy-markets-update2-.html ATA Criticizes Climate Change Bill Introduced In US Senate. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) cannot support the American Power Act, the climate change bill introduced May 12 by Sens John Kerry and Joe Lieberman, ATA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Graves said. This bill will raise the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel without significantly reducing the output of carbon dioxide by the trucking industry, which is a non-discretionary user of diesel fuel. Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/2010-emissions/ata-criticizes-climate-change-0519/ Global Cooling Is Coming -- and Beware the Big Chill, Scientist Warns. Contrary to the commonly held scientific conclusion that the Earth is getting warmer, a scientist who has written more than 150 peer-reviewed papers has unveiled evidence for his prediction that global cooling is coming soon. The hottest new trend in climate change may be global cooling, some researchers say. Posted. http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/05/19/global-cooling-scientists-warming/ EDITORIALS The Senate Needs To Act Now On The Climate Bill. Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) have provided Congress with an opportunity. Their climate bill, released last week, is imperfect. But it offers a start, very much in the right direction. Contrary to popular wisdom, acting on global warming is not going to get easier after this year's election. Legislators should seize this moment. The burning of oil, natural gas and coal for industry, transportation and modern life generally gives off gases that get trapped in the atmosphere, keeping heat in and warming the Earth. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/18/AR2010051804440_pf.html AIR Sacramento Ranks 89th Among Worst Allergy-Inducing U.S. Areas. Sacramento ranks 89th out of the 100 most challenging metropolitan areas for allergy sufferers, according to analysis from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released Monday. Knoxville, Tenn., is the "Spring Allergy Capital," followed by Louisville, Ky., Chattanooga, Tenn., Dayton, Ohio, and Charlotte, N.C. In California, San Francisco ranked 63rd, Modesto 64th, San Jose 67th, Stockton 86th and Los Angeles 92nd. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/18/v-print/2759410/stop-sneezing-sacramento-its-not.html Kudzu Linked To Poor Air Quality. A study connects the invasive plant — a nitrogen-fixing legume — to production of ozone, a component of smog. Kudzu, a fast-growing and invasive Asian vine introduced in the American South several decades ago, has now blanketed more than 7 million acres of the region, making it sometimes seem more common than the hallmark azaleas, dogwoods and peach trees. Now there's evidence that the plant also increases air pollution. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-kudzu-20100522,0,6052416,print.story HP Researchers Say Manure Could Help Power Data Centers. Giving new meaning to the term "server farm," a team of Hewlett-Packard researchers has come up with an idea for an environmentally friendly data center — powered by manure. In a paper set for release this week, HP scientists have proposed using a "biogas" recovery system that would convert livestock waste into methane, to be used as fuel to generate electricity for data centers — those cutting-edge computer facilities that serve as the nerve centers for an increasingly Internet-dependent world. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15112627?nclick_check=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/technology/19cows.html?src=busln&pagewanted=print Solar Rebates a Boon to Some, Not All. Coachella Valley homeowners can now get state rebates of up to $1,875 for installing solar thermal water heaters, but some solar contractors warn the new program may only attract the more dedicated green consumers. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100519/BUSINESS06/5190303/1003/BUSINESS Miscellaneous Forestry Companies Reach Environmental Deal. TORONTO -- Canada's major pulp and paper companies said Tuesday they will restrict logging in environmentally sensitive areas of the country's northern boreal forest as part of a groundbreaking deal with environmental groups. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/18/AR2010051803402.html Blogs Pep Boys Settles Clear-Air Suit. In what the Justice Department has described as “the largest vehicle and engine importation case brought by the United States to date under the Clean Air Act,” the Pep Boys automotive parts and repair chain has agreed to pay a record $5 million fine. The Environmental Protection Agency accused the company of importing nearly a quarter-million noncompliant motorcycles, recreational vehicles and other motor-driven devices, like generators, into the United States from China over a period of about six years. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/pep-boys-settles-clear-air-suit/ AB32 Goes Beyond American Power Act: A Correction. Last week I reported that a battle over whether to suspend AB32, California’s landmark greenhouse gas reduction legislation, would be rendered “moot” by the passage of the climate bill now being weighed by the Senate, known as the American Power Act. As it turns out, that was an exaggeration, a fact pointed out by both commenter’s here and at the NRDC. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/05/ab32-goes-beyond-american-power-act/ National Research Council Calls for Climate Action. In its most comprehensive study so far, the nation’s leading scientific body declared on Wednesday that climate change is a reality and is driven mostly by human activity, chiefly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, issued three reports stating that there is an overwhelming case for a harmful human influence on the global climate and arguing for strong and immediate action to limit emissions of climate-altering gases in the United States and around the world. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/national-research-council-calls-for-climate-action/?pagemode=print Global Cooling Or Global Fooling? Remember how some in 2006 and 2008 were saying Global Warming stopped in 1998? How instead the planet is cooling off? Well, someone forgot to tell the climate. Last month according to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the combined global land and ocean surface temperature and the worldwide ocean surface temperature was the warmest April on record since records began in 1880. Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/05/global-cooling-3.html A Free Pass to Soot, Smog, Toxic Air Pollution Is No Way to Pass Climate Bill. Life-saving Clean Air Act protections are not bargaining chips. Last week, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) released a long-awaited discussion draft of their climate and energy bill, the American Power Act. Among the bill's big giveaways to polluters was a surprise invitation to exempt dirty old power plants from clean-up requirements for soot, smog, and toxics such as mercury. Posted. http://unearthed.earthjustice.org/blog/2010-may/free-pass-soot-smog-toxic-air-pollution-no-way-pass-climate-bil Report Grades Cruise Lines On Environmental Impacts. The second annual report card grading cruise lines on their environmental impacts is out today from Friends of the Earth, and Disney Cruise Line gets props for "most improved." Though in general, the San Francisco-based environmental group says the results of its review of 11 major cruise lines and 113 ships "aren't pretty." Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=93173.blog ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 11:00:24 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 20, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 20, 2010. 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. TRUCKS AND DIESEL CARB Expands Funds For Independents. The California Air Resources Board on May 19 announced changes to an existing $28 million financial assistance program intended to help more California independent truckers qualify for the purchase of a cleaner-running vehicle. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85232 CARB Expands Voucher Incentive Program. The California Air Resources Board has approved changes to its existing $28 million Voucher Incentive Program to make funding available to a larger variety of trucks. The program, which is part of the Carl Moyer air quality program, is a diesel on-road voucher program that helps small independent truck owners get a cleaner-running truck. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70484 Navistar Debuts All-Electric eStar Commercial Truck. Commercial truck and engine maker Navistar, at a recent webconference, announced that its eStar, the company's first electric-only powered commercial vehicle, is in production and the company is taking orders. Posted. http://www.trucktrend.com/features/news/2010/163_news100518_navistar_estar_commercial_truck/index.html NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Scientists Reassert Man's Role in a Changing Climate. The National Academy of Sciences, a group of elite American researchers that advises the U.S. government, on Wednesday issued an 869-page report reasserting mankind's role in altering the climate and calling for specific policy measures to help forestall undesirable effects. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704691304575254691763608402.html?mod=WSJ_hps_SECONDTopStories National Panel Backs State Climate Efforts. hefty stack of reports issued by a top national science board appears to affirm California's response to the challenges of climate change. The National Research Council, an arm of the National Academies of Science today released three reviews of the current climate science, each focusing on a different aspect of it. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/05/19/national-panel-backs-state-climate-efforts/ U.S. Reports Urge A Price On Climate Emissions. The best way to curb global warming is to put a price on climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions, according to a trio of reports from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences released on Wednesday. In blunt language at odds with the unwieldy climate change debate in the U.S. Congress, the academy said: "A carbon-pricing system is the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions. Either cap-and-trade, a system of taxing emissions, or a combination of the two could provide the needed incentives." Posted. http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/58089 CLIMATE CHANGE California's Global Warming Law Could Cause Businesses To Flee State, Report Says. A state law that requires power plants, factories and other businesses to cut greenhouse gas emissions could cause energy prices to rise and prompt businesses to delay expansion or flee California, according to a study by the state Legislative Analyst's Office. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-law-20100519,0,5231198.story State Study Says AB32 Could Fuel Inflation. Soaring energy prices are likely to fuel inflation as California enacts a sweeping law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A report issued this week by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office projects the fall-out of AB32, the controversial law passed in 2006 that make California a national leader in efforts to combat global warming. Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100520/NEWS/100519691/1053&parentprofile=1053 California AB 32 Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Jobs. AB 32 is heralded as reducing California greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 25 percent. It is also slated to cause businesses to leave the state and set up shop elsewhere. Poizner, Whitman and Brown must weigh in on the CARB-backed measure. Posted. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/3019354/california_ab_32_reduces_greenhouse.html Regional Cap-And-Trade Programs Move Forward Amid Federal Impasse. Three regional climate initiatives in North America released their first joint policy paper yesterday, raising new questions about the status of a global warming bill pending in the U.S. Congress. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the Western Climate Initiative and the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord issued a 25-page document stating that they share a "common vision" on offsets, which are used in an emission cap to control costs. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/20/6 Asymmetrical Warfare Rules In Initiative Campaigns. Late last week, the Texas-based oil company Tesoro donated another $100,000 to an initiative that would suspend AB 32, California’s 2006 global warming emissions law until the state’s unemployment situation improved. In response, Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Californians for Clean Energy and Jobs, the main group opposing The California Jobs Initiative, took to the Internet. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yurak0jozkh5bf&xid=yuqwh5xv4wh0fi&done=.yurak0jozl55bf AIR QUALITY Florez Fumes At Air District For Exempt Ag Burns . Valley air officials want to allow some agricultural waste burning beyond the June 1 deadline for permanently ending the practice. Alternatives are too expensive for some farmers, air leaders say. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/19/1939707/florez-fumes-at-air-district-for.html Cupertino Council Votes To Install Air Monitor Near Lehigh Cement Plan. A recent surge in public pressure from residents regarding the air quality in neighborhoods around the Lehigh Southwest Cement Plant has prompted the city to let the Bay Area Air Quality Management District set up an air monitoring station about two miles from the facility. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15119585?nclick_check=1 APCD Eyes Dust Control For Dunes. A pilot project to lessen pollution from the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area could be implemented within a year at the popular off-highway park. The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) released a study earlier this year that links increased dust pollution on the Nipomo Mesa to off-highway vehicle use in the dunes. Posted. http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_2ed0ffc8-63d5-11df-a6c2-001cc4c03286.html GREEN ENERGY NY Skyscraper Wins Highest "Green" Certification. The U.S. Green Building Council gave the Bank of America Tower its highest rating for environmental performance and sustainability on Thursday, meaning New York City's second-tallest building is also its greenest. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64J3LW20100520?type=domesticNews Calif. Tightens Reliability Standards For Renewable Energy. California's grid operator is proposing to tighten reliability standards for wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) power to keep power supplies stable as utilities attempt to meet state renewable targets. The California Independent System Operator (ISO) issued a proposal yesterday to raise standards for how much reactive power solar PV must generate. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/20/7 Dairy Farms Could Power Data Centers. Computing companies may soon be looking at a low-tech power source for their huge data centers: cows. In a research paper released yesterday, Hewlett-Packard engineers say dairy farmers could rent out land and convert manure to power, making back the investment in a waste-to-fuel system in just two years. Companies normally build their computing centers, or server farms, near cities and industries, but the lack of cheap electricity and real estate is pushing them farther out. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/20/11 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 12:14:14 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 24, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 24, 2010. 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. EMISSIONS STANDARDS White House to Demand Tougher Fuel Economy Standards. If you've got a giant, gas-guzzling V8 engine that requires a credit application every time you need to feed it, buck up. Maybe it will be a collector's item. The Detroit Free Press reports, "President Barack Obama will launch a drive today to set fuel economy standards through 2025, ordering federal agencies to work together on tougher rules for cars, trucks and commercial vehicles.” Posted. http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/daily-news/100524-White-House-to-Demand-Tougher-Fuel-Economy-Standards/ Truck Industry Welcomes Obama's Fuel Efficiency Plans For Big Rigs. The president orders federal agencies to develop standards for such vehicles. Environmentalists and industry groups applaud the move. By deciding to set the first fuel efficiency standards for big-rig trucks, President Obama on Friday handed environmentalists a victory, but one that the vehicle industry said it was happy to embrace. At a televised Rose Garden ceremony at the White House, Obama signed a memorandum ordering federal agencies to prepare plans for the fuel efficiency standards. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/21/nation/la-na-obama-trucks-20100522 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704852004575258422707538344.html?mod=googlenews_wsj http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hTIfEP47jBc2oIQC8_M6IJY9uRzAD9FS7DKG0 http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/05/president-obama-wants-to-set-2025-mpg-standards-now/1 http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-21/obama-orders-work-on-new-vehicle-efficiency-standards-update2-.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/22/1177973/obama-seeks-tougher-mileage-efficiency.html#ixzz0ordRbb4m Canada Plans New Emission Rules For Heavy Trucks. Toronto -- Canada's environment minister says the government will develop new emissions standards for heavy trucks as part of a united approach with the U.S. to create a continental emissions standard. Jim Prentice said Friday that 15 different types of vehicles will have to conform to the new rules for rigs sold in Canada between the 2014 and 2018 model years. Currently, heavy trucks account for about 6 percent of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions. Prentice could not provide details about the proposed rules because the draft regulations will not be ready until later this year. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/21/1176904/canada-plans-new-emission-rules.html#ixzz0ornQP7cI Enviros Criticize Canada's New Truck Emission Regs. Canada joined the United States Friday in setting new emissions standards for heavy trucks. The move prompted criticism from environmentalists who said Canada was losing its way as a leader in environmental policy and turning into a copycat of its southern neighbor. The Canadian government and some analysts, however, argued that the global reach of climate change required a joint announcement with the United States. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/24/5 How To Pass A Smog Test. The Good News Gasoline vehicle smog inspection stations have been around in California since 1966. And, according to the California Air Resources Board, there will be no diesel-specific smog shops, which means truck owners are taking their diesels to smog stations that haven't seen a lot of diesel vehicles before. Since a lot of smog station technicians don't know what to look for-this puts you in the driver seat. With dealerships getting in on the emissions game, another loophole will be to take your Ford to a GM shop. Posted. http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/1006dp_how_to_pass_a_smog_test/power_stroke.html AB 32 Logue Criticizes Jarvis Efforts Against Governor Over AB 32. The Legislature’s leading backer of a ballot initiative that would suspend California’s global warning law has criticized an attack by one of his key campaign allies on the Schwarzenegger administration. Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Chico, said he disagreed with a decision by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association to file several Public Records Act (PRA) requests with the administration and to notify the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) about a disputed email sent out by a member of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s state staff. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=yv3esjfkl29gq8# GREENHOUSE GASES/CLIMATE CHANGE States Refuse To Back Down On Climate Policy. New York -- Local environmental regulators say they will press ahead in their battle against global warming whether or not Congress strips U.S. EPA of its authority to regulate greenhouse gasses. State and local officials from New York and New Jersey also predicted that new greenhouse gas-curbing rules regulating industries would continue even if Congress approves federal climate legislation. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/24/3 Cutting Carbon Leads List Of Environmental Concerns For Business. More tax incentives and clearer government leadership are needed to shift companies into high gear to cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers study. The Big Four consulting firm surveyed 700 business executives in 15 countries. Among the 90 U.S. executives, PricewaterhouseCoopers finds that most place the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions at the top of a heap of environmental issues expected to affect U.S. companies. The impact of regulations, the need to increase energy efficiency and consequences from state and federal legislation all weigh in as top concerns. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/24/4 CBO vs. Cap-And-Trade. Doug Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, has posted the five main conclusions CBO has come to with regard to efforts to deal with climate change. First, price emissions. Second, the price should start low and rise in a predictable and gradual way over time. Third, treat all emissions equally by bringing them all into the same system. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/05/cbo_vs_cap-and-trade.html Readers' forum: Electric Vehicles And Carbon Emissions. CLAIMS THAT replacing gasoline-powered vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) will substantially reduce carbon emissions are unfounded. The EV proponents claim (correctly) that most EV owners will opt to recharge the batteries at night when electric power costs are lower. This means they will be recharged with base-load electric power generation, which is primarily coal-fired. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_15135273 GLOBAL WARMING Foes of Calif. Global Warming Law Seek Gov E-Mails. - A group seeking to suspend California's global warming law said Thursday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration used its offices to campaign against the initiative, a violation of state law. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said it had filed requests under the California Public Records Act seeking correspondence conducted with state e-mail accounts. The group released an e-mail it said was sent by Schwarzenegger chief deputy director Lisa Kalustian and included campaign literature and an endorsement form from a campaign committee. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/20/1175618/foes-of-calif-global-warming-law.html#ixzz0orZjN887 http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FR9U3G0.htm Are They Paying Attention? The effort to combat global warming has flagged as other crises have commanded the attention of politicians and the public. New reports from the National Academy of Sciences offer persuasive evidence that it would be folly to put off dealing with the problem any longer. We hope the reports will jolt the United States Senate into moving forward on an energy and climate bill. They provide an authoritative rebuttal to skeptics in the Senate and industry who have pounced upon small errors in the 2007 report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to suggest that the whole thing is a hoax. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/opinion/24mon3.html?pagewanted=print AG BURNING Without Reasonable Option, Some Farmers OK'd To Keep Crop Burning. Some Valley farmers can continue the age-old practice of burning crops in their fields, despite threats from a lawmaker to yank funding for air pollution programs. A total burn ban was to begin June 1, but the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District agreed Thursday to exempt some crops because burning is the only affordable way to get rid of them. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100521/A_NEWS/5210316/-1/a_news05 http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/20/1175924/grape-and-citrus-growers-get-a.html Air Pollution Firestorm Erupts Over Central California Ag Burning Exemption. Exempting Central California grape and citrus growers from a ban on agricultural burning has touched off a firestorm between a state senator and local clean air regulators. Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, who authored landmark legislation in 2003 that requires the phasing out of agricultural burning, is threatening to lead a campaign to withhold state funding for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District after its board exempted two growers’ groups from the burning ban this week. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-43915-Bakersfield-Business-Commentary-Examiner~y2010m5d21-Air-pollution-firestorm-erupts-over-Central-California-ag-burning-exemption http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100521/A_NEWS/5210316/-1/a_news05 FUNDING PROGRAMS CARB Retools $28 Million VIP Grant Program. Small-business truckers based in California may now be well positioned for grant money to help comply with one of the state’s new emissions regulations because of changes to the program’s qualifying criteria. The $28 million Voucher Incentive Program, however, is still only available to trucking operations that operate mostly in California. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/May10/051710/052110-03.htm CARB Expands Funds For Independents. The California Air Resources Board on May 19 announced changes to an existing $28 million financial assistance program intended to help more California independent truckers qualify for the purchase of a cleaner-running vehicle. CARB said the changes made to the statewide Voucher Incentive Program will make funding available to a larger variety of trucks that will help owners comply early with the statewide truck and bus regulation passed in 2008. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85232 Old Car Buy Back Program. For consumers looking for extra cash, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District has a solution: sell that old car. The District announced today that its successful Old Car Buy Back Program now will pay $1,000 per vehicle (instead of the $800 paid previously). The Program is now also available for diesel vehicles as well as gasoline vehicles. Posted. http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=31340 GREEN/ENERGY Sacramento and RecycleBank Team Up for Innovative Partnership. Residents in Sacramento now have a new incentive to go green. Through a pilot program offered by a public/private partnership with RecycleBank, residents of Sacramento's South Meadowview neighborhood will receive valuable rewards such as savings on groceries, pharmacy costs, sporting goods, school supplies and much more--for their recycling efforts Posted. http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/sacramento-recyclebank-team-innovative-partnership/ Is Counting 'Green Jobs' A Green Job Or A Hazardous Undertaking? On a good day, Michelle Charak might haul away 300 boxes of outmoded buttons from a factory that's all too happy to lose the clutter. At her shop in New York City, she'll hand-stitch the buttons into chic necklaces and bracelets, then sell them on her company's website, Chelcnyc.com, for hundreds of dollars a pop. Is that a "green job"? Charak says so."They think it's junk. So I take their junk and I make something," she says. "It's not your typical green job, but it has probably a lower environmental impact than most of the green jobs out there." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/05/24/1 Legislation Must Account For Biomass Emissions, 90 Scientists Urge Congress. Climate legislation must include a system to account for greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels and biomass electricity, a group of 90 scientists is urging the Democratic leadership in Congress. Treating all biomass energy as carbon-neutral could undermine the bill's emission-reduction goals, the scientists wrote in the letter released today. "Bioenergy can reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide if land and plants are managed to take up additional carbon dioxide beyond what they would absorb without bioenergy," the letter says. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/05/24/12 Sharp-Elbowed Leader Brings Oil-Patch Swagger To Wind Group. Denise Bode grew up in the cradle of Oklahoma's oil industry, daughter of a Phillips Petroleum executive living in a town where that company fueled the economy. She battled for petroleum businesses for years, fighting for tax benefits and promoting natural gas as the way to ease climate change. Now she calls wind the best energy solution. Bode, 56, heads the American Wind Energy Association, the industry's largest trade group and a rising force in the energy world. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/05/24/1 'Hero Of The Planet' To Share Ideas In Pleasanton. Pleasanton — One of Time magazine's millennium Heroes of the Planet wants to increase profits for Bay Area businesses and in the process save the world. Dr. L. Hunter Lovins said businesses in the U.S. can save billions of dollars by simply turning off the lights. For the past 30 years, Lovins has crisscrossed the globe helping organizations save money and preserve their top capital asset, Earth. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15147855 U.S. Presses China On Access To Clean-Energy Market. Beijing — U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke called on China's government to give American clean-energy companies greater access to China's market to help combat change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15134745 Obama Seeking More Nuclear Energy Loan Guarantees. Washington—President Barack Obama is poised to ask Congress to agree to $9 billion more in loan guarantees for the nuclear energy industry, a Democratic aide said Thursday, in a renewed push for nuclear power as the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico highlights the risks of fossil fuel production. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15125830?nclick_check=1 ELECTRIC VEHICLES Vacaville, Calif. Gets First Public Electric Car Rapid Charger in U.S. The city of Vacaville, Calif., a small town halfway between the Bay Area and Sacramento, has a little known distinction: It has more electric car charging stations per capita than any other city in the country. That’s why the city has earned the nickname of “Voltageville.” As of a few weeks ago, Vacaville now boasts a 50-kilowatt EV quick charging station, which is about the size of a conventional gas pump. Posted. http://www.hybridcars.com/news/vacaville-calif-gets-first-public-electric-car-rapid-charger-us-27977.html OPINION: Tesla, Toyota Deal Offers New Hope For The Bay Area. LESS THAN two months ago, a cloud of gloom hung over the East Bay as 4,700 people lost well-paying jobs when the NUMMI auto plant was closed in Fremont. In a sharp and unexpected turn of events, despair has been replaced by a ray of hope with the announcement that Tesla Motors and Toyota Motor Co. will partner to build cutting-edge electric cars at the plant. Tesla said it plans to hire about 1,000 workers for its electric car production, with the first vehicles to be rolled out in 2012. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_15136708 TRAILER SKIRT Silver Eagle's Aero Saber Skirt Gets SmartWay Nod. Silver Eagle Manufacturing has announced that its Aero Saber trailer skirt has been verified by the Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay program as an advanced trailer skirt. Silver Eagle claims the skirt can improve fuel efficiency by 5.7 percent. The skirt now complies with the California Air Resources Board legislation that took effect Jan. 1, requiring 53-foot trailers operating in the state to have aerodynamic devices installed onto their trailers to obtain a 5 percent or greater verified fuel savings. All model year trailers are required to be compliant by the end of 2012. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70515&news_category_id=36 Crackdown On Dirty Trucks Skirting Rules At The Port Of L.A. A month after Neon Tommy published an investigative report showing how some trucking firms are making an end-run around tightened clean air rules, Port of Los Angeles officials began an investigation to see how widespread the truck-swapping practice might be. Under the practice witnessed recently by a Neon Tommy investigative team, a clean-burning rig transports cargo a short distance from the port's gates where it is met by a second rig, which does not meet rigorous air standards. Posted. http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/neontommy/2010/05/crackdown-on-dirty-trucks-skir.html AIR QUALITY Environmental Cancer Risks More Dangerous. Household and workplace chemicals might contribute to a larger percentage of cancer deaths than previously thought, according to a presidential panel. Pollutants and other chemicals in your environment — your home, your frontyard, your workplace — may be more toxic to your health than you know, according to a report released earlier this month. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/health/sns-health-environment-cancer,0,3780968,print.story Pesticide Proposal Leads To Dustup In California. Los Angeles -- The winds that blow across the strawberry fields outside Linda Uvari's home during the spring harvest season carry the tart, sugary smell of the swelling fruits. Uvari fears that they may soon also carry a cancer-causing pesticide. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has proposed replacing a popular fumigant with methyl iodide despite concerns by its own scientific advisory panel that it could poison the air and water. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/24/BAA31DJBNF.DTL&type=printable For Asbestos-Ravaged Town, Questions Persist. LIBBY, Mont.—Gayla Benefield and Eva Thomson are sisters who have grown used to death. For two decades, they have watched asbestos from a nearby vermiculite mine strangle their parents, Thomson's husband, an aunt, several in-laws and numerous neighbors and friends. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15148739 Air Board Oks Ag Burns; Florez Threatens Funds. Grape and citrus growers Thursday got a reprieve from a farm burning ban that takes effect June 1, but millions of dollars in state funding for Valley air quality may now be at risk. State Sen. Dean Florez threatened to start a campaign to cut off funds for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District if the agency went ahead with plans to let certain growers continue burning farm waste. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/20/1940822/farmers-get-burning-reprieve-but.html Bio-Cremation Offers Third Option For Body Disposal. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust? Not necessarily. California lawmakers have taken a major step toward allowing funeral homes to dispose of human bodies without burial or incineration. The issue is fraught with personal, ethical and financial implications. "This is going to be a whole new industry that's going to really help California, and help families that want choices in their end-of-life options," said Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Corona. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/20/1939695/bio-cremation-offers-third-option.html San Luis Obispo Seeks To Reduce Dust On Dunes. SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Pilot programs such as wind fences and dune replanting to test ways to reduce particulate pollution near the Oceano Dunes could be launched within a year. The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District this month voted to develop an agreement with the state that outlines such steps. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/22/1943377/san-luis-obispo-seeks-to-reduce.html OIL SPILL Leaking Gas May Give Clue To Size Of Gulf Oil Spill. A UC scientist proposes dragging methane sensors through the water, which could yield a more accurate measure of the slick. But, he says, the work needs to begin quickly before the plumes disperse. A Santa Barbara scientist has proposed computing the size of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by measuring its cousin, natural gas, which is spewing into the gulf along with it. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-nature-20100524,0,3720706,print.story ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 11:29:56 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 25, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 25, 2010. 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. AB 32 Study Prompts Crackdown On Academic Reports. A controversial study of impacts that California's landmark greenhouse gas emissions could have on small businesses sparked legislation that was passed Monday by the Assembly. Assembly Bill 2656, would require college administrators, professors or staff members who receive public funds for outside research to certify that their work will comply with academic standards of their college. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/2010/05/bill-spurred-by.html#ixzz0oxlYjnEh Opinion: Cap and Flee. California refutes its own 'green jobs' policy. California, that former land of opportunity, was one of the first states to pass its own version of "cap and trade" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2007 when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the law, called AB-32, he said it would propel California into an economy-expanding, green job future. Well, a new study by the state's own auditing agency—its version of the Congressional Budget Office—has burst that green bubble. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559004575256981030653158.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Editorial: Kicking Energy Prices Up, Jobs Out. A damning report by the state's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office says the controversial Global Warming Solutions Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will drive up energy prices, force businesses to delay expansion or flee the state and put California at a competitive disadvantage. We're not surprised. We've made that case since the law, Assembly Bill 32, was passed in 2006. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=250219 Editorial: The Propaganda Campaign Against Obama’s Tougher Fuel Economy Rules. Predictably, the fossil fuel industry's "think tanks" are using half-truths to poison public opinion against improved fuel standards. Detroit automakers fought successfully to fend off tougher fuel economy rules for nearly two decades, so it was a little disorienting to see them cheering last week as President Obama announced a new crackdown. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-0525-mileage-20100526,0,5918870.story Editorial: Obama Seizing Moment With Tougher Mileage Rules. With spilled oil washing up on the Louisiana coast, it's the right time to push new energy policies. That's why the White House rolled out improved mileage standards for cars, trucks and highway big rigs. Over the next year the Obama team will devise rules that could bring about sweeping changes for many reasons: Heavy-duty trucks will be included for the first time, manufacturers are on board, and the federal action could end a fight between California and Washington, D.C., over fuel conservation. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/25/EDLN1DJP95.DTL Air Quality District Asked To Support Suspension Of Global Warming Law. Chico-- A member of the Butte County Air Quality Management District board has asked the district to write a letter supporting suspension of California's global warming law, and the matter will be taken up Thursday morning. The air quality board meeting is scheduled to start at 10:15 a.m. Thursday in the Chico City Council Chambers, 421 Main St. The meeting sometimes starts a little late, as it follows the Butte County Association of Governments meeting. Posted. http://www.orovillemr.com/news/ci_15155412 UN Reminds Rich Countries Of Climate Promises. Berlin — The outgoing U.N. climate chief says industrialized countries need to live up to their promises of help for poor nations in fighting global warming to make progress toward a climate deal this year. Yvo de Boer said Tuesday that a new round of expert-level U.N. talks starting in Bonn next week could advance the still-sketchy draft of the envisioned global climate treaty which is to take effect after 2012. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j_4Bt6lPNWPdO0muUeqf_yJ2MfkQD9FTUCJG0. Apa, Everest Sherpa: Global Warming Makes Climbing Harder. Katmandu, Nepal — A Nepalese Sherpa who climbed Mount Everest for a record 20th time said Tuesday that the melting of glacier ice along its slopes due to global warming is making it increasingly difficult to climb the peak. "The rising temperature on the mountains has melted much ice and snow on the trail to the summit. It is difficult for climbers to use their crampons on the rocky surfaces," Apa told reporters after flying to Katmandu on Tuesday. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/25/apa-everest-sherpa-global_n_588315.html?view=print Fontana Officials To Consider Resolution Opposing Global Warming Law. Fontana - A controversial global climate law will likely get a thumbs-down vote from the City Council on Wednesday night. Officials will consider a resolution in support of a November ballot initiative backed heavily by energy companies that would temporarily suspend AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15153028 Climate Fears Turn to Doubts Among Britons. London — Last month hundreds of environmental activists crammed into an auditorium here to ponder an anguished question: If the scientific consensus on climate change has not changed, why have so many people turned away from the idea that human activity is warming the planet? Nowhere has this shift in public opinion been more striking than in Britain, where climate change was until this year such a popular priority that in 2008 Parliament enshrined targets for emissions cuts as national law. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/science/earth/25climate.html?pagewanted=print Nonpartisan Proof: Cap-and-Trade Is an Economy-Killer. Last week, in what the National Academy of Sciences declared "the most comprehensive report ever on climate change," three studies requested by Congress were unfurled, providing sweeping proposals for an aggressive federally based strategy to deal with climate change. Posted. http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/05/nonpartisan_proof_capandtrade.html New Group (AREAS) Advocates for Clean, Safe Renewable Energy. Denver--The current oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The recent coal tragedy in West Virginia. The call by the National Academy of Sciences last week for actions to reduce carbon emissions in response to climate change. The future risk of financially devastating monthly home heating, cooling, and electricity bills for American families. How can we deal with these threats to our national and individual security? Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/24/v-print/2771966/new-group-areas-advocates-for.html San Luis Obispo Scores High On Air Quality. A new report by the American Lung Association, despite showing air pollution worsening in California, has good news for people living between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles–your air is among the cleanest in the state. [California Watch]The 11th annual report of the nation’s air quality, using Environmental Protection Agency measurements, concluded that the overall air quality in California had worsened since the previous report. Posted. http://calcoastnews.com/2010/05/san-luis-obispo-scores-high-on-air-quality/ San Rafael meeting to highlight green building ordinance. Building designers, contractors and Realtors take note: property in San Rafael is about to go green. The city's new green-building ordinance takes effect June 1, prompting officials to host a meeting Wednesday aimed at educating the community on updated regulations for new construction and remodeling. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15153299 Opinion: Just Say No To The "Dirty Energy Proposition". There's a move afoot to dismantle California's road map to a clean energy future. Bankrolled by Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro, the "Dirty Energy Proposition" slated for the November ballot would suspend AB 32, California's landmark law designed to promote renewable energy and reduce air pollution. This legislation, passed by a bipartisan majority and signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, is making California an international leader in clean technology. Posted. http://sdgln.com/commentary/2010/05/25/just-say-no-dirty-energy-proposition Global Warming Cap-And-Trade Disaster. The global warming alarmists, despite things having cooled off for a really long time, continue to press for their pinnacle of government control and private wealth redistribution: cap-and-trade laws.There are a few things to be mindful of while listening to the hype about saving us from a threat that doesn’t exist. We provide a summary here, courtesy of James M. Taylor, an advocate of sound science and free-market environmentalism and senior fellow for The Heartland Institute on environmental issues. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/24/global-warming-cap-and-trade-disaster/26659/ Sex, Lies and Global Warming. Hypocrisy among public figures is nothing new. But lately we've been witnessing examples that represent seemingly new dimensions of mind-numbing duplicity. First there was John Edwards running for President, earnestly presenting himself as a model husband standing by his wife while she dealt bravely with cancer. And then we had Tiger Woods, making hundreds of millions from product endorsements which projected an image of the golfer as composed, dignified and exemplary. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/al-gore-global-warming-se_b_588381.html Opinion: Important To Follow All Of The Money. A letter writer tells us "cui bono" ("follow the money") when thinking about global warming ("Just follow the money," May 9). The writer then states, "Unless there are ways to make money as an environmentalist that I do not know about, they have no motivation." Two words: Al Gore. He has made more than $100 million from the global hoax. Has the writer not heard of carbon trading? Follow the money, indeed. Carbon trading is simply having one company buy a credit from someone else so they can continue to pollute. How ridiculous is that? Posted. http://www.thereporter.com/opinion/ci_15156620 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 13:07:08 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 26, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 26, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE US Envoy Hopeful $30 Billion Aid Can Be Raised To Combat Climate Change. The United States is hopeful industrialized nations can raise $30 billion in aid that was pledged last year to help developing countries fight global climate change. U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern said Wednesday the United States, the European Union and Japan are working hard toward coming up with the funding, which was promised over a three-year period starting this year. Posted. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/world/us-envoy-hopeful-30-billion-aid-can-be-raised-to-combat-climate-change-94910519.html#ixzz0p3ZaD29X Senate Bill Would Provide $2 Billion for Transit Agencies. A group of senators led by Sen. Chris Dodd (D., Conn.) proposed Tuesday that Congress throw a $2 billion lifeline to struggling public transit systems in New York and other big cities. The bill, introduced with the support of seven Democratic co-sponsors including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and lawmakers from New Jersey, Ohio and Illinois, would allow transit agencies nationwide to use federal money to reduce fares and restore service cuts made after January of last year. The proposal's prospects aren't clear at a time when Congress is under pressure to cut federal spending. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703341904575266800269490946.html?mod=googlenews_wsj AB 32 Voters Should Reject Suspension of AB32. When voters head to the polls on June 8, they will be asked to decide on a proposition sponsored by two Texas oil companies. Ridiculously calling themselves the California Jobs Initiative Committee, the group wants California to suspend its ground-breaking clean energy bill, AB32. The bill, which has served as a model for other states, is aimed at encouraging growth of the clean energy sector and curbing climate change. Posted. http://www.dailybruin.com/articles/2010/5/26/voters-should-reject-suspension-ab32/ Our View: Kicking Energy Prices Up, Jobs Out. A damning report by the state's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office says the controversial Global Warming Solutions Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will drive up energy prices, force businesses to delay expansion or flee the state and put California at a competitive disadvantage. We're not surprised. We've made that case since the law, Assembly Bill 32, was passed in 2006. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/jobs-95310-ab32-economic.html FUEL ECONOMY The Propaganda Campaign against Obama's Tougher Fuel Economy Rules. The following editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday, May 25: Detroit automakers fought successfully to fend off tougher fuel economy rules for nearly two decades, so it was a little disorienting to see them cheering last week as President Obama announced a new crackdown. But even if General Motors (now a partly owned subsidiary of the federal government) and its competitors are no longer trying to block cleaner cars, another powerful lobby remains very much opposed, and isn't above issuing flagrant disinformation to achieve its goals: the fossil fuel industry. Posted http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/26/2777605/the-propaganda-campaign-against.html http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/05/26/1436171/the-propaganda-campaign-against.html#ixzz0p3YyqwE1 Industry Applauds Fuel Economy Policy. Trucking company and truck maker leaders are on board with the policy President Obama signed last week calling on two federal agencies to develop national standards for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for medium and heavy trucks. "This will bring down costs for transporting goods, serving businesses and consumers alike," Obama said. "We estimate that we can increase fuel economy by as much as 25 percent in tractor-trailers using technologies that already exist." Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70533 DIESEL CARB Seeks Information From On-Road, Off-Road Fleets. The California Air Resources Board is seeking information and ideas from fleets on possible amendments to the truck and bus regulation and off-road regulation. CARB is asking fleets to share information by June 1. On-road fleets are asked to fill out the Truck Fleet and Financial Information Survey. This fleet data and financial information will help CARB evaluate the impact of the economy on individual businesses subject to the truck and bus regulation. The survey also requests the DOORS ID for fleets that have off-road vehicles as well. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70531 AIR POLLUTION New Pollution Rules Planned For California. Reuters is reporting the state of California is looking to double greenhouse gas emissions cuts and fuel efficiency gains proposed new regulations for vehicles that will start late this decade. The new round of proposed regulation in 2017-2025 could have similar cost consequences as the national standards adopted on April 1 for model years 2012 to 2016, adding about US$1,000 per vehicle in cost and delivering fuel savings of around US$3,000, they said. Posted. http://www.autoserviceworld.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000372448 EPA: Texas Refinery Permit Violates Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency moved Tuesday to end a long-running dispute with Texas over how the state regulates emissions, including cancer-causing toxins such as benzene and butadiene, from dozens of refineries that produce a third of the nation's gasoline and billions of dollars of petrochemicals. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/25/1181411/epa-bars-texas-operating-permit.html#ixzz0p3HLi3is SMOG CHECK Queen Of The Road: Smog Check: Who Needs It, Who Doesn't. COMMUTER: I have a question regarding whether a natural-gas vehicle needs a smog check or not. I've own a natural-gas vehicle made by Honda, the Civic GX, for five years and never had to do a smog check, but this time when I received my Department of Motor Vehicles registration renewal, they require me to do a smog check. I thought NGVs do not require smog checks because they produce almost no exhaust/pollution/smog. And I have a "clean air vehicle" decal. Please help. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/columns/ci_15158978 GREEN/ENERGY GOP, Silicon Valley 'Disconnect' Over Green. As President Obama visits a Fremont solar panel manufacturing plant today to tout green jobs, a huge divide is opening up between the state's top Republican and Democratic candidates over their environmental positions - in particular about how to attract and retain clean-tech business. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/25/MNO11DJU3V.DTL#ixzz0p3Ja1ctE Union City Seeking Ideas for Reducing Carbon Footprint. The city is asking for the public's help in figuring ways to reduce its carbon footprint over the next decade. The city has set a goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below its 2005 level — or by about 111,938 tons of equivalent carbon dioxide — by 2020. The city, along with 10 other local government agencies, joined the Alameda County Climate Protection Project in 2006. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_15160001 Victorville Campus to Unveil High-Efficiency Solar Project. The sprawling solar installations gobbling up California's deserts have a new competitor, one that claims to generate more energy at lower costs while using less open space. Known as concentrator photovoltaics, or CPV, the technology is featured in an installation that will be revealed Tuesday at Victor Valley College. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-plant-20100525,0,4249399.story Nissan Builds Battery Plant for Electric-Car Boom (Update1). Nissan Motor Co. began building a battery factory next to its main North American auto-assembly plant to support Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn's expectation of surging U.S. demand for electric vehicles. When it opens in 2012, the plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, will be able to supply lithium-ion battery packs for 200,000 electric cars a year, topping Nissan's plan to build as many as 150,000 rechargeable Leaf hatchbacks there annually. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/05/25/bloomberg1376-L31DEZ1A74E9-1.DTL#ixzz0p3mdjMdI BLOGS Global Warming Tide Turning, Says (Ready For This?) NY Times. Some news just can’t be hidden from sight forever. The New York Times, no less, reports (emphasis ours): “Last month hundreds of environmental activists crammed into an auditorium here to ponder an anguished question: If the scientific consensus on climate change has not changed, why have so many people turned away from the idea that human activity is warming the planet?” Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/25/global-warming-tide-turning-says-ready-for-this-ny-times/26775/ Global Cooling. The Heartland Institute’s James M. Taylor, an environmental policy expert, said global cooling is already happening. Figures from the Rutgers University Global Snow Lab show snow records from the last 10 years exceeded the records set in the 1960s and 1970s. The past “decade set a record for largest average global snow extent,” Taylor said. Posted. http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/25/global-cooling-2/26805/ California Air Resources Board Offers Backing To Obama Green Plans. Earlier this week we told you about President Obama’s push for a national policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (see article) – and now his plans have received backing from the California Air Resources Board. Posted. http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/05/26/california-air-resources-board-offers-backing-to-obama-green-plans/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 10:38:52 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 27, 2010 From: sponedal@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 26, 2010. 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. AB 32 Push to delay law; ballot proposal would suspend emissions bill. Daniel Del Muro has paid $1.5 million to retrofit his rigs to meet air-quality standards. But the struggling economy and proposed cleaner standards have become a financial drain to his Fontana-based freight hauling business, PDM Transportation Inc. Del Muro is part of a growing chorus of business owners calling for the suspension of Assembly Bill 32, California's groundbreaking climate-change legislation. Posted. http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_15170548 Opinion: Why California should reject emission auctions. Under the auspices of California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, otherwise known as AB 32, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is currently in the process of formulating new regulations to implement a cap-and-trade program to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses in California to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.brighterenergy.org/10963/opinion/viewpoint/why-california-should-reject-emission-auctions/ Battleground California. Because of how they ask their questions, pollsters are still reporting that energy, climate, and the environment are off the political radar in 2010. Just how wrong they are is spectacularly on display here in California, where the biggest political issue shaping up this fall is the cluster of energy/climate/environmental protection. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-pope/battleground-california_b_591021.html Foes of California global warming law seek gov e-mails. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A group seeking to suspend California's global warming law said Thursday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration used its offices to campaign against the initiative, a violation of state law. Posted. http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20100526/NEWS/100529840/1003&parentprofile=1056 GREEN/ENERGY Obama vows U.S. will remain green-tech leader. (05-26) 12:53 PDT FREMONT -- President Obama, speaking at a solar panel factory in Fremont, said Wednesday he was "not prepared to cede America's leadership" in green technology or the global economy, and called the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill a stark reminder of the need for America to develop alternative energy technologies that create new jobs. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/27/MNOJ1DKTHM.DTL Recycling waste isn't a waste of time for surfboard form maker. San Clemente, California (CNN) -- Joey Santley's flip-flops rhythmically clap as he strolls through San Clemente's surf ghetto, a cluster of boxy surfboard-making businesses. This chatterbox entrepreneur spouts out ideas like big waves churn up foam. Surfing is a sport with a black spot on its eco-friendly soul, and Santley thinks he found a way to cleanse it. Posted. http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/wayoflife/05/27/ost.eco.surfboards/ Editorial: California's green jobs fleeing, too? Advocates for government picking and choosing winners and losers tout "green jobs" as the saviors of the economy. Although it is sometimes grudgingly conceded that higher taxes and Draconian regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions harm conventional businesses, the idea is that green employers and green jobs will more than pick up the slack. At least, that's the argument. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/green-250598-california-jobs.html Opinion: Big oil and clean energy. It is no secret that the recession is posing challenges for Northern California businesses. Yet our business is growing. Why? Largely because we manufacture products that cater to Americans who believe in a clean-energy future, and because we have become energy efficient ourselves. Our commitment to the environment is what motivates us to come to work every day. It drives us to provide a trusted brand and a portfolio of quality products aimed at helping humanity solve the environmental challenges ahead. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/chico/content?oid=1431398 Obama Solar Plant Visit Underscores Need for State, Federal Policies. BERKELEY (May 26, 2010) — President Barack Obama's visit today to Solyndra, a Fremont, California, solar panel manufacturer, underscores the need for strong state and federal clean energy policies, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Posted. http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/obama-solar-plant-visit-0398.html California Golden for Green Jobs. New research says the Golden State holds the title as the "green jobs" champ. California leads the nation in green job openings according to new analysis by greenjobspider.com. The search engine indicates that California has 7,500 postings for green jobs online right now – far more than any other state -- sales and engineering jobs are the most plentiful. Posted. http://www.kmjnow.com/pages/landing_news?California-Golden-for-Green-Jobs=1&blockID=242338&feedID=806 Breathe California Talks Green at Valley. Breathe California of Los Angeles County, a non-profit, public benefit organization promoting clean air and healthy lungs, returned to Valley College for one of its five Green Salon Series to facilitate a panel of neighborhood organizations and discuss their approaches to “green” and improve communities. Posted. http://www.lavalleystar.com/sections/online-exclusives/breathe-california-talks-green-at-valley-1.1485827 The ‘eco’ economy. Used to be a “green” job was one that paid off in greenbacks. But now, when politicians like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, environmentalists, futurists and business owners tout green jobs and a green economy, it means something entirely different. Problem is, no one’s sure exactly what. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1430135 Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Green Innovation Challenge Grants for Green Job Creation. Sacramento, California - Continuing his commitment to green job creation and economic growth, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced that his Employment Development Department (EDD) will make available up to $20 million to fund the Green Innovation Challenge Grant program. Posted. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7272&Itemid=1 California offers $20M in cleantech training grants. A $20 million program to train workers for jobs in cleantech industries was announced Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Green Innovation Challenge Grant program was unveiled by the governor as he joined President Barack Obama at the Solyndra Inc. solar power equipment plant in Fremont. Posted. http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/05/24/daily62.html VEHICLES 'Voltageville' Gets First Public EV Rapid Charger in U.S. Vacaville, Calif., nestled midway between San Francisco and Sacramento, just installed the first 50-kilowatt quick-charging station for electric vehicles in the country. Known as “Voltageville,” Vacaville has more electric car charging stations per capita than any other city in the U.S. Posted. http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2010/05/voltageville-gets-first-public-ev-rapid-charger-in-us.html Navistar launches $149,900 electric truck. Navistar Inc. launched its eStar all-electric truck in Portland, Ore., May 25, the first in a series of introductions for its zero-emissions vehicles. Additional launches are scheduled for June in Sacramento, Calif., and this summer in Chicago. Future introductions are proposed for Detroit and East Coast locations, a Navistar spokesman said at a press event. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85269 Engineering teams graded on fuel efficiency. Take 220 engineering students from 16 universities in the United States and Canada. Give them hybrid sport utility vehicles. Ask them to make the vehicles more fuel-efficient. What do you get? A lot of sleepless nights, a variety of technologies for using less oil, and 220 engineering students who care about the environment. If you’re General Motors or the U.S. Department of Energy, that’s a win. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/26/fuel-efficiency-tests-graded/ Wabash National Announces Support of Fuel Efficiency Standards. A representative from Wabash National is participating in the Heavy-Duty Fuel Efficiency Leadership Group, a coalition of medium-and heavy-duty fleets and technology providers to inform and support a workable national program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the fuel efficiency of trucks. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70545&news_category_id=36 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 28 May 2010 09:51:12 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for May 28, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 28, 2010. 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. AG RULE Calif Officials Postpone Ban on Burning Ag Waste. Farmers can keep burning some agricultural waste after California air authorities voted Thursday to postpone a full ban on the polluting practice for two years. The California Air Resources Board's decision pushed back a June 1 deadline initially set by pollution-control legislation targeting air quality problems in the San Joaquin Valley and other rural areas. The move allows the burning of prunings, clippings and rice field stubble that would be too expensive to dispose of in any other way, board spokesman Stanley Young said. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15176000?nclick_check=1 http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California/CA_Burn_Ban_500998C.shtml http://newstalk1290.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/carb-postpones-ban-on-ag-waste-burning/ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/28/MNSC1DLRTS.DTL http://www.modbee.com/2010/05/27/1184524/calif-officials-postpone-ban-on.html http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/may/28/calif-officials-postpone-ban-on-burning-ag-waste/ http://www.nctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/article_34961d4f-983d-5f3c-b565-41f7ce9f51b8.html http://www.nctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/article_0daa57e1-3dc7-5f9a-9374-f872f4769ae2.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/05/27/1949304/air-board-oks-burn-ban-exemptions.html AB 32 Global Warming Law Suspension Doesn't Get Butte Air Quality Board's Support. In a series of split votes, the local air quality board Thursday turned aside a member's request to call for suspension of California's global warming law until the economy improves. Biggs City Councilor Angela Thompson wanted the Butte County Air Quality Management District to write a letter to the California Air Resources Board seeking the suspension of AB32, and also pass a resolution backing a November ballot initiative that would do the same thing. Posted. http://www.orovillemr.com/news/ci_15180975 http://www.orovillemr.com/news/ci_15180649 Butte County Air Quality Board Won't Write Anti-AB32 Letter. A bid to have the Butte County Air Quality Management District go on the record seeking suspension of California's global warming law, failed today on a series of split votes. Board member and Biggs City Councilor Angela Thompson had asked the board to write a letter asking the California Air Resources Board to suspend implementation of AB32 until the economy approved. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15176036?nclick_check=1 Could California’s Climate Law Send You a Check in the Mail? What if California could tap into billions of dollars yearly to reduce state deficits and pump money into education and social services? Imagine if every resident of the state were to get a check in the mail every year for hundreds of dollars. At a time of economic hardship, such ideas sound like fantasies. But they aren’t. Scenarios like these are being considered by state policy makers who must decide what to do with the billions of dollars projected to be generated by California’s landmark climate change law, AB 32. Posted. http://www.filipinasmag.com/?p=506 Report: Texas Oil Company Valero (VLO) Bankrolling Effort to Kill AB 32, Also Has Long Anti-Union History. As if Valero Energy's disastrous environmental record wasn't bad enough (including being ranked the 12th most toxic polluter in the U.S. in a study by the University of Massachusetts), it turns out the company also has a long history of opposing organized labor. Posted. http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4328&ptid=9 Why California Should Reject Emission Auctions. Under the auspices of California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, otherwise known as AB 32, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is currently in the process of formulating new regulations to implement a cap-and-trade program to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses in California to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.brighterenergy.org/10963/opinion/viewpoint/why-california-should-reject-emission-auctions/ CLIMATE CHANGE Obama's Tough Stand on Drilling Clouds Climate Effort, Says a Key Senator. The president's temporary restrictions on deepwater oil drilling could complicate efforts to attract a handful of key senators to support a landmark climate bill, making the difficult climb toward 60 votes even "steeper," according to the measure's Republican author. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/28/28climatewire-obamas-tough-stand-on-drilling-clouds-climat-35262.html?scp=5&sq=carbon%20emissions&st=cse Scientists Decry Attacks by Skeptics Of Climate Change. A few years ago, Ben Santer, a climate scientist with Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, answered a 10 p.m. doorbell ring at his home. After opening the door, he found a dead rat on his doorstep and a man in yellow Hummer speeding away while "shouting curses at me." Santer shared this story last week before a congressional committee examining the increasing harassment of climate scientists, and the state of climate science. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15176317?source=rss World Warms, Public Cools to Climate Action. This year is on track to be the warmest worldwide since records began in the 19th century yet voters seem to be cooling to strong action to combat climate change. Their doubts may be quietly sapping the will of governments and companies to cut greenhouse gas emissions after the Copenhagen summit in December failed to agree a treaty meant to slow more droughts, floods and rising seas, analysts say. Posted. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE64Q1HW20100527 U.S. Climate Bill Seen Unlikelyin 2010. U.S. Senators John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman unveiled a climate bill earlier this month. Congressional elections are less than six months away and with Democrats facing losses, June or July could be the last chance to pass a bill this year, before the political atmosphere gets too heated. Posted. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE64R1T420100528 Meet the Bay Area's Worst Global Warmers. It’s tough to heed the environmental mantra "think global, act local" when you live next door to a refinery. Even when that polluter bankrolls a lot of bike racks. Like dozens of Bay Area communities, from Los Altos Hills to Healdsburg, Benicia has adopted its own greenhouse-gas reduction goals to try to roll back local emissions over the next decade. Posted. http://www.baycitizen.org/environment/story/valero-local-climate/ What If Carbon Dioxide Were As Black As Oil? What if carbon dioxide were as black as oil? When your house is on fire, you may not be in the mood to hear about an impending cancer epidemic that threatens your neighborhood, so I hesitate to bring up this topic. I have spent my scientific career studying oil spills, including the ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people in the initial rig blast and is causing epic environmental damage, havoc to lives and livelihoods, political tumult, huge economic losses and an incessant media drumbeat. Posted. http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/05/28/reddy.oil.carbon/index.html?hpt=C2 AIR POLLUTION California's Real-Time Air Quality Readings Online for Smoggy Summertime. For many Californians, summertime is synonymous with sunshine, sunscreen and smog. Yes, smog, the low-hanging air pollution created partly by vehicle emissions and that's more visible and hazardous when temperatures spike. While air quality levels can easily be dismissed on clear, sunny days, they're of legitimate concern for many Californians whose daily activities are affected. Just like checking the weather before going to work, those who care for children or the elderly, those who work outdoors and those who are just curious can check their region's air quality levels before stepping outside. Posted. http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/764586 PORTS LA Port Getting No Return on Its Truck Bucks. Nearly 12 months into a program that paid dozens of trucking companies $44 million to upgrade vehicles serving the Port of Los Angeles, the vast majority of subsidized trucks have not made the minimum number of trips to the port. In fact, port officials said this month, more than 390 of them have not visited even once. And the biggest recipient – Swift Transportation Corp. of Phoenix – and two other Arizona trucking companies now face a boycott started by the city of Los Angeles that theoretically could excuse them from their obligations entirely. That would mean more than 16 million public dollars would be lost. Posted. http://citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3558&Itemid=75 ENERGY/GREEN Where's the Beef in Clean Tech? Look Around. Last week's announcement that automaker Tesla Motors plans to put more than 1,000 California workers back on the assembly lines at the NUMMI plant is yet another indicator that the clean tech industry will be a driving force in California's economic recovery. Posted. http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4327&ptid=9 One of the Nation's Largest Energy Users Has Ambitious Plans to Cut Back. As the Air Force seeks to realize both its own and federally mandated energy efficiency goals, its top energy official is pressing for better ways to measure progress. Complying with the goals set forth by the government and striving to meet the goals the service sets for itself are something to be proud of, said Erin Conaton, the undersecretary of the Air Force. But measuring the pace of improvement needs more work. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/28/28climatewire-one-of-the-nations-largest-energy-users-has-45840.html?scp=7&sq=greenhouse%20gas&st=cse Zero Energy Homes Catch On In USA. Homes are increasingly being built in the United States to use little or no energy, a trend that could help reduce U.S. dependence on oil and gas, according to a new book. "Zero energy homes are becoming the new green," says David Johnston, one of the nation's leading experts on green building and co-author of Toward A Zero Energy Home: A Complete Guide to Energy Self-Sufficiency at Home (Taunton Press.) Posted http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/05/zero-energy-homes-catch-on-in-the-usa/1 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2010 12:28:24 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips of June 1, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 1, 2010. 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. LOW CARBON FUEL STANDARDS CARB Chair Says Low Carbon Fuel Standard Is Already Driving Transformative Technologies. In California, Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the Air Resources Board which has overseen the implementation of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard,has authored a commentary on the LCFS, published at SustainableIndustries.com. In the article, Nichols cites Governor Schwarzenegger in crediting California’s AB32, which established the LCFS and a requirement that fuel sold in California reduce in carbon intensity by 10 percent as of 2020, for unleashing the development of advanced fuels by companies such as Cobalt Technologies. Posted. http://biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2010/06/01/carb-chair-says-low-carbon-fuel-standard-is-already-driving-transformative-technologies/ GLOBAL WARMING/CLIMATE CHANGE After Global Warming Study Is Questioned, Lawmakers Step In. A bill that would require state-funded academic research to meet “minimum academic standards” may not be able to quell substandard public policy studies from entering policy debate, according to some experts. The bill, AB 2656, which passed though the Assembly last week, would require that California universities develop minimum academic standards for professors or administrators doing research that is funded by the state. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/lawmaker-targets-studies-public-dime Court Tosses Landmark Global Warming Ruling After Late Recusal. After an unusual about-face prompted by a late recusal, a federal appeals court has scrapped a ruling that said the nation's largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions could be sued for the damage caused by global warming. The case, Comer v. Murphy Oil, started with a lawsuit by Gulf Coast residents affected by Hurricane Katrina. Claiming that global warming contributed to the severity of the storm, the plaintiffs sued dozens of the nation's largest polluters -- a veritable who's who of utilities, chemical companies and the oil industry. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/06/01/1/ Global Warming Bill On Political Tipping Point. A global-warming tipping point is approaching, but not the one alarmists predicted of an irreversible, overheated climate. Instead, it’s a political tipping point that can determine whether the economy will be handed over to Draconian, top-down government control on the pretense of curbing global warming, or whether the free market will be left to function relatively unfettered. Posted. http://www.cnjonline.com/common/printer/view.php?db=clovis&id=38575 A U.S. And Calif. Effort To Link Climate Change And Air Pollution. Researchers are using planes and ships along the California coast in an unprecedented attempt to learn more about the air pollutants that contribute to climate change. The $20 million joint federal-state project, known as CalNex, is dedicating four planes, a ship and two ground monitoring "super sites" with 150 researchers to the month long experiment. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contributed $15 million, with California footing the rest. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/06/01/3/ US Projects 4 Percent Emissions Rise By 2012 To UN. United Nations — The Obama administration's first major climate report to the United Nations projects that U.S. greenhouse gases will grow by 4 percent through 2020. That includes a 1.5 percent rise in carbon dioxide emissions, the main gas from fossil fuel burning blamed for global warming. The figure was disclosed in a nearly 200-page report that summarizes U.S. action to address climate change. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hzCCtJ0IP6GsZTHlOKnFl5i7spqgD9G2JMUG0 The Heat On Climate Negotiators. As delegates negotiate here in Bonn, India is suffering through a record heat wave pushing thermometers towards 125° and setting new temperature records - a hallmark of climate change. Hundreds have died, a tragic reminder that adaptation has its limits. Pakistan, too, has lost lives to the heat wave gripping South Asia. Other countries are also suffering this week through events that make for a grim fit with the trend of ever more extreme weather driven by global warming. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hunter-cutting/the-heat-on-climate-negot_b_596229.html?view=print Cash Call for Carbon Cuts Conference. Just as Europe tries to inject new life in the climate change debate with an analysis of the impact of more ambitious CO2 cuts within the 27 countries, the United Nations is struggling to find enough money to organize talks ahead of the next international negotiation in Mexico at the end of the year. Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/brussels/2010/06/01/cash-call-for-carbon-cuts-conference/tab/print/ AIR POLLUTION Huge Air Pollution Study Under Way In California. Los Angeles — Instrument-laden aircraft and a research ship equipped to sniff the atmosphere and ocean have joined land-based monitoring stations in a huge field study of air pollution and climate change in California. The goal of the $20 million state and federal project is to understand the origin of pollutants and greenhouse gases, where they go and what becomes of them as an integrated air-quality and climate-change issue. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jlLFP-arKPyC2ro6reoCKnmdJbwwD9G04O1O0 http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20100601/NEWS/100609996/1003&parentprofile=1056 MISCELLANEOUS A Carbon Price as a Nuclear Incentive. Many members of the new coalition government in Britain want more nuclear power – so long as it can be done without granting new subsidies. But nuclear reactors are hugely expensive to build by comparison with conventional coal and gas plants. Cost overruns can stretch into the billions of dollars. So how will new nuclear capacity ever be built? Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/a-carbon-price-as-a-nuclear-incentive/?pagemode=print 'Merchants Of Doubt' Delves Into Contrarian Scientists. No matter how overwhelmingly the scientific community may back a research study, naysayers can always find a scientist to support the opposing view on issues ranging from tobacco smoke to global warming. According to science historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, the same contrarian scientists keep popping up no matter the topic: Fred Seitz, Fred Singer and Bill Nierenberg, to name three. All physicists, Seitz and Nierenberg worked on the atomic bomb, while Singer, a rocket scientist, worked on observation satellites. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/money/books/reviews/2010-06-01-deathmerchants01_ST_N.htm Opinion: Our Epic Foolishness. If a bank is too big to fail, it’s way too big to exist. If an oil well is too far beneath the sea to be plugged when something goes wrong, it’s too deep to be drilled in the first place. When are we going to stop behaving so stupidly? We nearly wrecked the economy and we’re all but buried in debt. But we can’t break up the biggest banks, and we can’t raise taxes. Now we’re fouling the magnificent Gulf of Mexico and ruining entire communities along the southern Louisiana Coast. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/opinion/01herbert.html China Will Pay Electric Car Subsidies To Makers, Rather Than Buyers. China, one of the most aggressive promoters of electric vehicles, is trying to defuse criticism that big EV subsidies favor rich folks who can afford cars over poorer Chinese who help the nation's severe air pollution problems by still getting around on bikes or public transit. The Ministry of Finance announced a trial plan in five cities to pay an EV and hybrid subsidy up to 60,000 yuan ($8,784) directly to the carmakers. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/06/china-will-pay-electric-car-subsidies-to-makers-rather-than-buyers-/1 More Carcinogens In American Cigarettes, The CDC Says. Cigarette-smoking Americans receive higher doses of the most potent carcinogens than do smokers in many foreign countries because of variations in the way tobacco is processed for cigarettes, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday. American cigarettes are typically made from "American blend" tobacco, a specific blend that, because of growing and curing practices, contains higher levels of cancer-causing tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/06/more-carcinogens-in-american-cigarettes-the-cdc-says.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BoosterShots+%28Booster+Shots%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2010 11:02:57 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 2, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 2, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE CalNex Project Uses $20 M to Examine Air Pollution, Climate Change. The California Air Resources Board and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are taking to land, sea and air to address the most challenging aspects of California’s air quality problem: measuring greenhouse gases and air pollutants. The $20 million CalNex project is employing an unprecedented number of airplanes, ships and researchers to examine the nexus between air pollution and climate change. Posted. http://eponline.com/Articles/2010/06/02/CalNex-Project-Uses-20-M-to-Examine-Air-Pollution-Climate-Change.aspx?p=1 Scientists Decry Attacks By Skeptics Of Climate Change. Walnut Creek, Calif. -- A few years ago, Ben Santer, a climate scientist with Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in Washington, answered a 10 p.m. doorbell ring at his home. After opening the door, he found a dead rat on the doorstep and a man in a yellow Hummer speeding away and shouting curses. Santer shared this story recently before a congressional committee examining the increasing harassment of climate scientists, and the state of climate science. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/01/v-print/2789937/scientists-decry-attacks-by-skeptics.html US Projects 4 Percent Emissions Rise by 2012 to UN. In its first major climate report to the United Nations in four years, the United States projected Tuesday that its climate-warming greenhouse gases will grow by 4 percent through 2020. The first such report submitted under the Obama administration includes a 1.5 percent rise in carbon dioxide emissions, the main gas from fossil fuel burning blamed for global warming. And CO2 from fossil fuel burning still accounts for about four-fifths of all U.S. global warming gases. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/06/01/1189765/us-projects-4-percent-emissions.html#ixzz0piBGhsbQ http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15203101?nclick_check=1 UC Davis Charts Course To Combat Climate Change. UC Davis has released its first-ever Climate Action Plan that documents the steps it has taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so far and outlines the university’s next steps to combat global climate change. The University of California system has set a target for all ten UC campuses to return to 2000 emission levels by 2014. Posted. http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=9522 Survey To Look At Climate Change Work Force Needs. Executive search and staffing firm Sequence Staffing and the nonprofit Greenhouse Gas Management Institute this week launch a second annual international survey to determine work force needs of the climate change industry. This year’s survey will ask more than 10,000 climate change professionals to assess the industry’s projected growth, its training requirements and the ability to meet the growing need for greenhouse gas monitoring. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/05/31/daily11.html EPA 'Tailoring' Rule Creates Challenge For State Regulators. State regulators are scrambling to figure out how they will comply with a new U.S. EPA rule aimed at shielding small facilities from looming greenhouse gas regulations. In Arkansas, for example, where state legislators have imposed a rule blocking the regulation of carbon dioxide as an air pollutant, regulators anticipate challenges meeting EPA's January deadline for compliance with the so-called "tailoring" rule. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/02/4 NYC Plans to Adapt to Climate Change. New York City published its plans to adapt itself to a changing climate last week. The report outlines recommendations by the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) for the city government in order to prepare the city for changing climatic conditions. The report cites climate change as a key factor in several emergency situations already facing the city, including the extreme weather that disrupted public transportation in August 2007. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/06/02/nyc-plans-to-adapt-to-climate-change/ DOE Aims To Make 'Low E' Windows A Must-Have For Home Construction. Ten years ago, few people knew what a compact fluorescent light bulb looked like, but today, the curly bulb is the symbol of a "green" home. Could high-performance, insulating windows be the next CFL, the next big thing in home energy efficiency? Energy Department officials are trying to propel so-called low-E -- for low-energy -- windows to popularity by bringing down prices. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/02/14 LANDFILL EPA Faults Calif. Hazardous-Waste Landfill's Testing Of Contaminants. Fresno, Calif. - A hazardous-waste landfill suspected by Kettleman City residents of causing birth defects has been inaccurately testing treated contaminants for five years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. Officials at the Waste Management site in Kettleman Hills said they immediately began using an independent testing laboratory last week when the EPA notified them of the problem with their own laboratory. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/01/v-print/2791723/epa-faults-calif-hazardous-waste.html ENERGY Converting CO2 Emissions Into Diesel Fuel Using Solar Energy. A new effort to commercialize a process by which industrial-scale carbon dioxide is converted into diesel fuel was announced yesterday. In an attempt to reduce both American oil imports and carbon emissions, the new coalition among government, academia and private corporations aims to expand a technology that will take on both issues. The major drawback is that, at the moment, the method is prohibitively expensive for industry. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/02/5 http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70579 New South African Coal Plant Seeks Emission Credits For 'Cleaner' Coal. A South African utility company that recently won a $3.75 billion World Bank loan to build the world's fourth-largest coal-fired power plant now is seeking international carbon credits for making the plant more efficient. Eskom Holdings Ltd. has confirmed it is conducting a feasibility study to see if the 4,800-megawatt Medupi Power Station might be eligible for credits under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/02/1 Wine: To Go Greener, Bottles Get Lighter. Wine is about to get lighter. Well, maybe not wine itself; we'll save the issue of overwrought, high-alcohol wines for another day. But there is progress to report in the campaign against heavy wine bottles, those broad-shouldered behemoths that seem to say more about the ego of the winemaker than the quality of the wine. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/06/01/ST2010060101791.html VEHICLES Congress Ponders How To Push Electric Vehicles. Lawmakers have floated a proposal to fast-track electric cars, but some in the clean-car field are worried that the wheels may fall off. Last week, House and Senate legislators released bipartisan plans to speed up the deployment of electric vehicles. In each plan, the centerpiece was a "targeted deployment" approach: Rather than offer the same incentives nationwide, the government would award federal funds to the regions that come up with the best blueprints for rolling out tens of thousands of plug-in cars. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/02/2 FUELS U.S. Injects Funds Into China's Jet Fuel Research With Home Market In Mind. When the United States dashed off a $510,000 check last week to China backing the East Asian country's biofuel aviation research, the driving force was the potential market for U.S. jet equipment and jet engine biofuel technology. With China's booming aviation market ranking second in size only after the United States', Boeing Co. approached the U.S. Trade and Development Agency about six months ago and asked it to help pave the way for future deals by backing Chinese efforts to develop biofuel technology, according to Jeff Jackson, USTDA's regional director for East Asia. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/02/4 DRY CLEANERS Bay Area May Let Perc Cleaners Buy Some Time. With a major deadline looming in California’s perc phase-out schedule, one regional air district is telling cleaners they can buy some time — literally — for removing their perc equipment. Under the state-mandated July 1 deadline, all perc machines manufactured before July 1, 1995, are to be removed from service. The deadline also applies to any perc machine with an unknown date of manufacture, all machines located in co-residential facilities and all perc machines that have been converted from vented to closed-loop. Posted. http://www.natclo.com/1006/baaqmd.htm BLOGS Opinion: Organic Agriculture: A Solution to Global Warming? In 2008, the Rodale Institute—an organization dedicated to the promotion of organic agriculture—published a widely noted report entitled “Regenerative Organic Farming: A Solution to Global Warming.” The takeaway was that organic agriculture, due to its reliance on biological rather than chemical methods, could substantially reduce carbon emissions generated by the agricultural sector. Posted. http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/organic-agriculture-a-solution-to-global-warming/?pagemode=print A Bullish View of Wind Power Out West. Wind energy has plenty going for it: it is clean, unlimited in supply and the most economical source of renewable power. Its clearest drawback is unreliability: sometimes the wind just does not blow. But that intermittency – long considered a major shortcoming – may have little impact on the potential for wind to power much of the electric grid in the western United States, according to a new study by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/a-sanguine-view-of-wind-power-out-west/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 11:50:11 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips of June 3, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 3, 2010. 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. GREENHOUSE GASES/CLIMATE CHANGE Obama Calls For A Price' On Carbon Emissions. Washington -- President Barack Obama said Wednesday that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has hardened his resolve to impose "a price" on carbon emissions to drive private investment away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/02/1955266/obama-calls-for-a-price-on-carbon.html Bay Area Air Board Approves Guidelines To Limit Greenhouse Gases >From Development. San Jose — The Bay Area's air pollution board on Wednesday adopted the nation's most far-reaching local development review guidelines aimed at limiting greenhouse gases and toxic air contaminants. Planning for new Bay Area houses, apartments, gas stations, sports arenas, chemical plants and shopping centers could be affected. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15211311 http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15212474?nclick_check=1 http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15211311 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/02/1955239/bay-area-air-regulators-pass-new.html Earth Temperatures Warmest On Record – NASA. This year marked the highest recorded global temperature based on a 12-month rolling average, according to the top climate scientist at NASA. The mean surface temperature in the year through April was about 1.17 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the mean between 1951 and 1980. That's just a fraction more than the previous high in 2005. The report did not list absolute temperatures. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/06/03/9 Fiorina Ad Launches Opening Salvo In Possible Battle Against Boxer. Washington - Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina on Thursday launched the opening salvo of a possible general election battle against Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, criticizing the three-term incumbent's characterization of climate change as a national security threat. But in doing so, Fiorina appears to equate concerns about global warming to fretting about "the weather." That could be a risky gambit in a state where solid majorities consider global warming a significant threat. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15214116?nclick_check=1 Study: Coral Atolls Hold On Despite Sea-Level Rise. WELLINGTON, New Zealand—Some South Pacific coral atolls have held their own or even grown in size over the past 60 years despite rising sea levels, research showed Thursday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15217045 ENERGY Calif. Company Breaks Large-Scale Transmission Barrier. Mendota, Calif. -- In pursuit of its ambitious 33 percent renewable energy target, California is feeding its transmission grid wind, biomass and biogas -- and now, 5 megawatts of solar power. Meridian Energy's photovoltaic solar farm in the Central Valley farming town of Mendota is the first utility-scale solar project to feed its power directly to the high-voltage transmission lines managed by the central grid operator. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/03/5 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/02/1955610/mendota-solar-farm-paves-way-for.html Obama Says He’ll Push for Clean Energy Bill. Pittsburgh - President Obama said Wednesday that it was time for the United States “to aggressively accelerate” its transition from oil to alternative sources of energy and vowed to push for quick action on climate change legislation despite almost unanimous opposition from Republicans and continued skepticism from some Democrats. Seeking to harness the deepening anger over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to the advantage of his legislative agenda, Mr. Obama promised to find the lagging votes in the Senate to get the climate change and energy bill passed this year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/us/politics/03obama.html?pagewanted=print Manure Could Power Data Centers, Hewlett-Packard Scientists Say. Researchers propose using a biogas recovery system that would convert livestock waste into methane to be used as fuel to generate electricity. Giving new meaning to the term "server farm," a team of Hewlett-Packard Co. researchers has come up with a plan for combining cow chips and computer chips to build an environmentally friendly data center — powered by manure. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-manure-20100603,0,5825811,print.story SDG&E Ramping Up Solar Energy Projects. One looks like a large satellite dish in which sunlight heats an engine humming like a very loud fluorescent light bulb. The other is like a big pizza box on top of a pole where dozens of thumbnail-sized photovoltaic panels silently convert the sun’s rays into electricity. Both follow the sun throughout the day and are more powerful than the typical photovoltaic panels on rooftops around town. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/02/sdge-ramping-solar-energy-projects/ AIR QUALITY EPA Tightens Standard For SO2 Spikes. U.S. EPA strengthened air standards today aimed at protecting human health from short-term spikes in sulfur dioxide. The final rule sets an SO2 standard of 75 parts per billion (ppb) averaged over an hour. EPA proposed last year to set the one-hour SO2 limit between 50 ppb and 100 ppb (Greenwire, Nov. 17, 2009). EPA said the one-hour standard is needed to protect against short-term exposure, which can aggravate asthma and cause other respiratory problems. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/03/4 Air Pollution Study Will Have Planes 'Sniffing' Central Valley. The U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility plans to have a Gulfstream-1 research aircraft flying in the six-county greater Sacramento region during the month of June. The effort is part of a statewide study to monitor pollution and climate change. The goal of the $20 million state and federal project is to understand the origin of pollutants and greenhouse gases, where they go and what becomes of them as an integrated air-quality and climate-change issue. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_15218198 Highly Toxic Pesticide Nears Approval In California. State regulators are set to approve the use of a highly toxic pesticide that would replace a soil fumigant that is being phased out because of the damage it does to the ozone layer. State officials have received thousands of comments, largely from organized e-mail campaigns, in opposition to a proposal to allow the use of methyl iodide. The comment period runs through June 29. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15215066 http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15215066 Palo Alto Officials Concerned About Stanford Project's Environmental Impact Report. At the first of 11 hearings on the impacts of Stanford University's proposed hospital expansion, Palo Alto planning commissioners had a wide-ranging discussion in which they frequently expressed concerns about an environmental impact report's ability to adequately address all the effects of a new development. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15217559 Opinion: Obama Wants A Price On Carbon Pollution -- Just Not Through A Carbon Tax. President Obama just wrapped up his speech at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. All day it had been billed as the debut of the White House's mid-term argument against the Republicans. We've heard snippets of it over the past year. The crazy economy he inherited. The unpopular decisions he had to make to keep the nation from falling into a bottomless financial sinkhole. And the obstructionism of the opposition party for short-term political gain. The GOP has already attacked it as "Malaise at Mellon." http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/06/obama_wants_a_price_on_carbon.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2010 11:59:42 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 7, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 7, 2010. 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. CALNEX CalNex Project Uses $20 M to Examine Air Pollution, Climate Change. The California Air Resources Board and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are taking to land, sea and air to address the most challenging aspects of California’s air quality problem: measuring greenhouse gases and air pollutants. The $20 million CalNex project is employing an unprecedented number of airplanes, ships and researchers to examine the nexus between air pollution and climate change. Posted. http://eponline.com/articles/2010/06/02/calnex-project-uses-20-m-to-examine-air-pollution-climate-change.aspx State, Feds Conduct Big Air Pollution Study. The U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility plans to have a Gulfstream-1 research aircraft flying in the six-county greater Sacramento region during the month of June. The effort is part of a statewide study to monitor pollution and climate change. The goal of the $20 million state and federal project is to understand the origin of pollutants and greenhouse gases, where they go and what becomes of them as an integrated air-quality and climate-change issue. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_15226487 AIR POLLUTION Central Valley Businesses Offered Commuting Help. The deadline is approaching for employers to provide workers with alternatives to commuting. It's part of a comprehensive program aimed at reducing air pollution in the Central Valley by changing the way businesses manage their workers' commutes. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is conducting a series of free workshops June 16 to help employers comply. Posted. http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20100607/NEWS01/6070301 http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/environment/5108-june-workshops-provide-commuter-rule-help Caltech Is Base for $20 Million Air Quality Study - The State's Most Comprehensive Ever. At a ground station at Caltech, funnels at the top of some scaffolding suck up air like a vacuum. Minute particles in the air register on computers inside a row of trailers that will remain on an empty lot at Caltech until mid-June. Inside one of them, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Bill Kuster points to a graph showing how carbon monoxide inches up in the morning. Posted. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_15234050#ixzz0qBGqsRKI L.A.-Long Beach Close To Clean Air Goal Line With Year To Go. If they haven't hit the mark already, the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach are close to reaching their 2005 goal of cutting harmful air pollution from port-related operations by at least 45 percent within five years. Port officials aren't declaring victory yet, but the results of their latest emissions inventory suggest they could today if they wanted. Data released last week by the Port of Los Angeles shows harmful air emissions dropped an average of 47 percent from 2005 to 2009. Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1296 Warriors in the Battle for Clean Air. A recent report from the American Lung Association says the Inland Empire -- along with Los Angeles and Long Beach -- still has the worst air quality in the nation. UC Riverside Chancellor Tim White remembers coming into the region as a kid in the 1970s when a brown haze obscured the local mountains and any hint of a blue sky. These days, he says, even though the air chemistry remains more toxic than other areas of the country, the skies are appreciably clearer. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_cecert23.ca5bbc.html EPA Sets First New Limit On Sulfur Dioxide In Decades. Washington -- The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday set a new health standard that coal-fired power plants and other industries will have to meet on sulfur dioxide, a pollutant that triggers asthma attacks and causes other respiratory problems. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/03/1956545/epa-sets-first-new-limit-on-sulfur.html Is Your House Making You Sick? On average, Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors--of that 90 percent, about 65 percent is spent at home. Indoor air pollution, including household allergens, is one of the leading causes of health problems in the United States. According to Dan Stih, Certified Indoor Environmental Expert, retired engineer and author of "Healthy Living Spaces: Top 10 Hazards Affecting Your Health," indoor pollution can be just as harmful as outdoor pollution. Posted. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7323&Itemid=1 Biomass Could Fuel Stockton Port Plant. Conversion of a coal-fired power plant to burn biomass cleared a major hurdle Thursday as state utility officials gave their blessing to the alternate energy project. The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday approved a contract under which Pacific Gas and Electric Co. would buy power from DTE Energy, which would install a 45-megawatt biomass facility at the Port of Stockton. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100604/A_BIZ/6040309 DIESEL Court Lets Calif. Reefer Rule Stand. A federal court denied an American Trucking Associations petition requesting that the full court reconsider a three-judge panel’s previous decision that let California’s “reefer retrofit” rule stand. “Upon consideration of [the] petition . . . and the absence of a request by any member of the court for a vote, it is ordered that the petition be denied,” the court said in a posting Thursday. Posted. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=24533 http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85326 http://refrigeratedtrans.com/2010-emissions/court_denies_ata_petition_on_tru_atcm_enforcement_0604/ http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/6/4/ATAsrequestforTRUreconsiderationdeniedbycourt.aspx CLIMATE CHANGE Thursday Is High Noon for Sen. Murkowski's Climate Resolution. In a vote that could be a precursor to a summer debate on climate and energy legislation, the Senate is set to vote Thursday on whether to unravel U.S. EPA's authority to issue climate rules. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is planning to call for a vote on a resolution to upend EPA's "endangerment" finding for greenhouse gases, a determination that paves the way for agency climate rules. Murkowski last month reached an agreement with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to call for the June 10 vote. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/07/07climatewire-thursday-is-high-noon-for-sen-murkowskis-cli-11487.html Senate Might Vote This Week On Climate Measure. The Senate might vote on a climate change measure this week -- but not the comprehensive overhaul that Democrats say is needed in light of the Gulf oil spill. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, will push her measure, backed by a few Democrats, to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, reports The Hill. She argues that Congress should set such standards, not the executive branch. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/06/senate-wrangling-on-climate-change-intensifies/1' Businesses Face Uncertainty As Climate Debate Begins. Cap and trade has danced in the spotlight, absorbing hisses and boos. But that might be a sideshow compared to the act about to take center stage. It's called "command and control." That's bureaucrat-speak for the method of environmental regulation that Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and her supporters will try to prevent on Thursday in a rare vote giving 51 senators a long-shot chance to strip U.S. EPA of its power to reduce carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/06/07/3 Group Finds China Is Building An Adequate CO2 Monitoring System. China can accurately monitor and review its greenhouse gas emissions, a new study out today finds. The report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) examines both U.S. and Chinese systems for calculating and inventorying emissions. While it found serious flaws in the methods of both countries, the study concludes that the United States and China each have sturdy enough systems to keep the pledges made at last year's climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/06/07/4 UN Climate Chief Doesn't Expect Key Goals By 2020. Berlin—The outgoing United Nations climate chief says he no longer expects the world to agree to sufficient cuts in greenhouse gases by 2020. Yvo de Boer told reporters Monday in Bonn that he doesn't see the U.N.'s negotiation process for climate goals "delivering adequate mitigation targets in the next decade." Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15244502 Report: Climate Change Could Affect Ocean Species Off Marin's Shores. SAN FRANCISCO - Plants and animals that thrive in and near the waters off Marin's coast could begin to migrate as climate change takes hold, according to a report released Thursday. The report - by advisory councils from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National marine sanctuaries - examines how global warming could affect habitats, plants and animals in the region's ocean and coastal zones. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15222721 Bay Area Air Board Approves Guidelines To Limit Greenhouse Gases >From Development. San Jose — The Bay Area's air pollution board Wednesday adopted the nation's most far-reaching local development review guidelines aimed at limiting greenhouse gases and toxic air contaminants. Planning for new Bay Area houses, apartments, gas stations, sports arenas, chemical plants and shopping centers could be affected. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15211310?source=most_emailed EarthTalk: Is Global Warming To Blame For All The Rain And Snow? Q: The United States got socked with several major storms this winter. Local weather reports never mentioned this as odd, but is it a sign of global warming? Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/home-garden/ci_15221336 Feds Settle Lawsuit Over Protection For Penguins. SAN FRANCISCO—Several species of penguins will be getting special protection after a federal judge in San Francisco approved a legal settlement involving the Endangered Species Act. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15229397 ENERGY Schumer Sees Kerry-Lieberman Plan Reaching Floor As Amendment To Energy-Only Bill. A Senate proposal setting up a cap-and-trade program to curtail greenhouse gas emissions likely will be offered on the floor later this summer as an amendment to a smaller, energy-only approach, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said today. Appearing on MSNBC, Schumer said he expects Senate Democratic leaders to use legislation from Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) as the base proposal to launch the floor debate. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/07/1 Unprofitable Tesla Finds Green In Electric-Car Credits. Tesla Motors Inc., a Palo Alto startup backed by Toyota Motor Corp. and Daimler AG, hasn't turned a profit on rechargeable sports cars bought by Brad Pitt and George Clooney. A less glamorous side business of selling environmental credits to Honda Motor Co. has helped ease those losses. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/gas-prices/ci_15229348 BP Funds Search For Green Fuels At Uc Berkeley. A picture of an oiled bird is taped to the wall above Charlie Anderson's desk inside a UC Berkeley lab. The cormorant, drenched in reddish-brown oil, lies limp on a Louisiana shore, water rippling around its splayed wings. On a hook next to the picture hangs Anderson's white lab coat, embroidered with the words "Energy Biosciences Institute." Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/06/1959655/bp-funds-search-for-green-fuels.html SB 375 SB 375 Could Build More Environmentally Sustainable Communities. If Senate Bill 375 is implemented wisely, California’s urban areas could become more economically and environmentally sustainable, an analysis of the law by the Urban Land Institute concludes. SB 375 requires metropolitan planning organizations to create and implement land use plans that use compact, coordinated and efficient patterns to reduce the use of vehicles. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/05/31/daily75.html SHORE POWER Oakland Sees Red As CARB Cuts Shore Power Grant Request. Folks from the California Air Resources Board got less than a warm welcome in Oakland last week at a meeting to review how much in state bond funding the CARB staff is recommending for the Bay Area corridor. The Port of Oakland had asked for $39.1 million to help set up shore-power facilities for ships calling at the port. CARB is expected to allocate $20 million in funding to Oakland for shore power this month, and will tentatively allocate another $3.9 million in funding next year. Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1297 OIL SPILL Cap Collects Some Gulf Oil; Crude Washes Into Florida. Pensacola Beach, Fla. — Waves of gooey tar balls crashed into the white sands of the Florida Panhandle on Friday as BP engineers adjusted a sophisticated cap over the Gulf oil gusher, trying to collect the crude now fouling four states. Even though the inverted funnel-like device was set over the leak late Thursday, crude continued to spew into the sea in the nation's worst oil spill. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15228598 Panel Recommends Continued Use Of Oil Dispersant. New Orleans—A federal panel of about 50 experts is recommending the continued use of chemical dispersants to break up the oil gushing in the Gulf of Mexico, despite its harm to plankton, larvae and fish. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_15228201?nclick_check=1 BLOGS High Schooler Launches Solar Panel Installation In Thousand Oaks. Apparently undistracted by normal teenage concerns, Westlake High School senior Adam Raudonis has helped set up a 6.3-kilowatt solar installation at his school. The 18-year old, who raised $5,900 through grants, fundraisers, coin drives, Earth Day activities and recycling, will reveal the system Monday afternoon at the Thousand Oaks campus. The panels will help offset 270,000 pounds of carbon dioxide over their 25-year lifespan while saving the school $40,000. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/06/high-school-student-launches-solar-panel-installation-at-thousand-oaks-school.html Did Global Warming Skeptic Student Win Junior Division of National Science Fair? The dubious story goes like this: R.A. Hall Elementary School fourth-grader Julisa Castillo has been named junior division champion for the 2010 National Science Fair. Her project, “Disproving Global Warming,” beat more than 50,000 other projects submitted by students from all over the U.S. Julisa originally entered her project in her school science fair before sending it to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to be judged at the national level. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?p=9325 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2010 11:55:54 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 8, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 8, 2010. 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. GLOBAL WARMING/CLIMATE CHANGE California, AG Brown Favor Tougher EPA Standards. California Attorney General Brown Jerry Brown is in favor of much-stricter federal vehicle emission standards that would save almost 2 billion barrels of oil and curb greenhouse gas emissions by about 1 billion tons, filing a motion to support the effort. Brown, who is a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, filed a motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals in support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is facing a legal fight with energy companies and other industries challenging much-tougher emission standards starting in 2012. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/06/07/daily14.html?t=printable http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7397&Itemid=1 Republicans Try Anti-Global Warming Themes Against Sen. Boxer And Other Democrats. One of the Senate's top sponsors of climate change legislation is being attacked for prioritizing "the weather" over terrorism, part of Republican attempts to use anti-global warming themes in several primary races ending with elections today. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/08/1 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/08/08climatewire-republicans-try-anti-global-warming-themes-a-57457.html IFC Loan Guarantees Help Push China's Energy Efficiency Program. An International Finance Corp. (IFC) program to promote energy efficiency investments in China has helped curb 14 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions since 2006, a new evaluation has found. Overall, the audit gave the China Utility-Based Energy Efficiency Finance Program, which currently works with two Chinese banks to guarantee energy efficiency investment loans and provide companies with technical assistance, a mixed review. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/06/08/4 Seeds Of Doubt Against Climate Science. Industry and free-market advocates have joined forces to undermine tobacco research, and they're doing so again on global warming. If some of the ongoing attacks on the credibility of climate science feel familiar, there's a reason. With their unattributed claims downplaying the severity of the problem and their vague allegations of scientific impropriety, the assaults are the latest in a long tradition of organized efforts by industry and free-market enthusiasts to undermine the credibility of science they don't like.One early campaign was launched by tobacco companies. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-oreskes-20100608,0,7991035,print.story http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/climate_bill_pessimism.html Biodiversity: The E.U.’s Next Challenge. Brussels — Even as nations struggle to curb emissions of greenhouse gases, the European Union is taking on a potentially more complicated environmental challenge: preserving the world’s biodiversity. Last week, the European Commission put biodiversity at the center of its annual Green Week conference in Brussels after E.U. environment ministers warned in March against “going beyond the limits of nature,” and after heads of state and government endorsed the ministers’ pledge to halt biodiversity loss in the Union by 2020 and step up efforts to avert such losses globally. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/business/energy-environment/07iht-green.html?ref=energy-environment&pagewanted=print A Forest Fire's Price Tag. When a tree burns in the forest, does anyone hear? As wildfires become a bigger problem with the effects of climate change, you may want to take notice. The economic impacts of forest fires go far beyond local communities and are felt on a national level. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/06/08/investopedia44643.DTL&type=printable Richard Lugar's Alternative Climate Bill. One of the conceptual difficulties with trying to evaluate various energy bills is that the problem of climate change is qualitatively different than other problems. Usually, whether a bill makes a problem better is the primary question underlying whether senators should vote to pass it. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/richard_lugars_alternative_cli.html NM Supreme Court Clears Way For Regulators To Hear Enviro Group's Greenhouse Gas Petition. Santa Fe, N.M. — The New Mexico Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for a state regulatory panel to resume consideration a petition to establish a cap on greenhouse gas emissions in the state. The justices vacated a lower court ruling that effectively halted the state Environmental Improvement Board's process for gathering expert testimony and public comments related to an environmental group's emissions proposal. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-nm-emissions-battle,0,3272733,print.story Is Reid's Energy Bill Worse Than No Bill At All? Harry Reid has called for an "energy bill" by July. But it's not the energy bill we've been waiting for. It not only lacks a price on carbon, but as Brad Plumer explains, it makes it harder to ever get one. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/is_reids_energy_bill_worse_tha.html Murkowski Seeks To Rein In EPA Regulation. Fairbanks, Alaska -- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is the leading sponsor of a resolution that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. The Alaska Republican said the EPA regulation of carbon dioxide would have a negative economic impact on her constituents by threatening projects such as the construction of a natural gas pipeline. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/07/AR2010060702836.html Gore: Saving Climate Will Save, Not Lose, Money. MANILA, Philippines -- Poorer countries that have borne the brunt of climate change's effects will save, not lose, money by putting in place ways to rescue the environment, Al Gore said Tuesday. The former U.S. vice president spoke to a forum in Manila in one of his first public engagements since he and wife, Tipper, announced they had separated after 40 years of marriage. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/08/AR2010060802057.html VEHICLES Transit Improvement Key To State Greenhouse Law. If California's sweeping greenhouse emissions reduction law, SB 375, is to succeed, the state will have to do a better job of providing public transportation, a new report from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) has determined. The 2009 law, known as the Sustainable Communities Strategy, by Sacramento Sen. Darrell Steinberg, the Senate Pro Tem, and based in part on Sacramento's "Blueprint" land use process, requires metropolitan areas to design growth so that new communities are less dependent on automobiles. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/07/v-print/2804804/transit-improvement-key-to-state.html Tesla Reveals Loose Arrangement With Toyota For New Electric Car. San Francisco -- Upstart carmaker Tesla Motors Inc. has offered a blunt, real-world assessment of a recent deal it made with Toyota Motor Corp. In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Tesla said the two companies may never get to the point where they jointly develop electric vehicles. Tesla gave the SEC details of its plans for an initial public offering sometime this year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/08/2 Tesla Generates $13.8 Million through Emissions Credit Sale. To help keep the company wheels turning, Tesla has sold its banked vehicle emissions credits to other automakers and raised $13.8 million. Since setting up shop in 2003, Tesla has barely managed to turn a profit from selling its $130,000 Roadsters. About 1000 of the pure-electric Roadsters have been sold -- primarily to big-shot actors, musicians, and electric-car fans -- and Tesla is slowly inching towards its initial public offering that is expected to generate at least $100 million. Posted. http://rumors.automobilemag.com/6655760/news/tesla-generates-138-million-through-emissions-credit-sale/index.html More Electric Cars Means Finding New Standards To Measure Fuel Efficiency. It used to be easy to know whether a car was a glutton for fuel. Federal standards defined miles per gallon and laid out precisely how the statistic should be measured. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/07/AR2010060704242.html Carmakers, States Side With EPA In Court Fight Over Auto Rule. Automobile manufacturers, states and environmentalists are asking a federal appeals court to allow them to back U.S. EPA in a lawsuit attacking the agency's greenhouse gas standards for tailpipes. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers filed separate petitions yesterday with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to intervene in a lawsuit challenging EPA's auto standard. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/08/9 Ford Offers Nat Gas, Propane Pickups For Fleets. Dearborn, Mich. -- Ford Motor Co. will soon offer engines that run on natural gas or propane to fleet customers that use the F-450 and F-550 line of pickup trucks. Ford has told roughly 500 fleet customers that it will provide conversions for engines later this year. The features will be available in the 6.8 liter F-450 and F-550 Super Duty chassis cabs. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/07/AR2010060702268.html FUELS E.U. to Announce Tighter Controls on Biofuels. Brussels — The European Commission will seek to salvage its beleaguered biofuels policy on Thursday by announcing a quality-certification process for biodiesel and ethanol and clarifying limits on fuels from sensitive areas like forests and partly drained peat lands. Ensuring that biofuels are a credible source of low-carbon energy that deliver greenhouse gas savings compared with fossil fuels is a key component of European Union efforts to set standards worldwide for lowering emissions over the next 10 years. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/business/global/08biofuels.html?pagewanted=print GE Urges Federal Panel To Fund CCS Site Studies. With comprehensive climate legislation likely more than a year away, the federal government should push cleaner coal technologies along by funding site studies at promising locations for large carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) plants, a leading developer of power-plant technologies said today. Monte Atwell, the head of GE Energy's gasification business, said his group is advising a presidential task force on CCS to take steps now that can keep the United States competitive in the race to develop crucial clean energy technologies (E&ENews PM, Feb. 3). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/08/10 ENERGY Poll Shows Support For Energy Bill In Response To Spill. Voters believe broad energy legislation should be part of the federal government's response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, according to a poll released today that is backed by an environmental group. About two-thirds of respondents believed that Congress needs to take action that will be "more than a Band-Aid" and to "pass real reforms to hold polluters accountable and invest in clean American energy," according to the poll …Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/08/4. BLOGS Remember the Copenhagen Accord? Back in December, representatives of more than 190 nations gathered in Copenhagen under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to debate the fate of the world. They did not agree on much, but at the end of two contentious weeks they produced a three-page document known as the Copenhagen accord [pdf]. Delegates did not formally adopt it; instead, they voted to “take note” of it. Six months later, 133 nations have decided to “associate” with the pact, which sets some rather ill-defined goals for reducing greenhouse emissions and helping poorer nations adapt to anticipated changes in the global climate like rising sea levels. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/remember-the-copenhagen-accord/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 11:13:23 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 9, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 9, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE New Climate Chief: 'No Option' But To Take Action. Bonn, Germany — World nations have no choice but to join forces to stop global warming, but achieving a legally binding treaty this year should not be the only focus, the new U.N. climate chief said Wednesday. Christiana Figueres said that "governments will meet this challenge, for the simple reason that humanity must meet this challenge." "We just don't have another option," said Figueres, who replaces Yvo de Boer next month as head of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i9TuMrvrknh-ZXwqmZ2N-48kff3wD9G7QSAO1 NASA plans Arctic mission at sea. ANCHORAGE, Alaska—NASA is launching a mission from Alaska next month, but it won't be into space. The agency will take to the sea June 15 from Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians on its first dedicated oceanographic field campaign. The voyage is billed as an up close look at how conditions in the Arctic are affecting ocean chemistry and ecosystems that play a critical role in global climate change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15253276?nclick_check=1 Opinion: The Climate Majority. ON Thursday, the Senate will vote on a resolution proposed by Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, that would scuttle the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to limit emissions of greenhouse gases by American businesses. Passing the resolution might seem to be exactly what Americans want. After all, national surveys released during the last eight months have been interpreted as showing that fewer and fewer Americans believe that climate change is real, human-caused and threatening to people. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/opinion/09krosnick.html?pagewanted=print New Deal Could Breathe Life Into Offset Market. United Nations -- Perhaps there's a future for the international carbon offsetting market after all, even without a new international climate change treaty. In what could be a sign of things to come, a San Diego-based carbon credit brokerage announced a deal yesterday to purchase a large volume of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs), the international greenhouse gas offsetting credits generated by the United Nations' Clean Development Mechanism, from an international carbon abatement project developer. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/09/4 Effect Of 2010 Elections On Carbon Cap And Trade Climate Change Policy. The results of the 2010 elections will have no impact on carbon control Cap and Trade regulation. Current effort by Republican Alaskan Senator Murkowski has no impact on the regional Climate Change Control programs running in the West, East and surprisingly coal rich Mid-West. While the south and a few small market states are not covered by voluntary programs 75% of the U.S. economy and carbon is. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-5908-Environmental-Policy-Examiner~y2010m6d9-Effect-of-2010-elections-on-carbon-cap-and-trade-Climate-Change-policy TRU’s Court Denies Further Review of TRU Decision. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has denied the American Trucking Associations' request that a full panel reconsider a panel's previous decision that California could continue to enforce its Transport Refrigeration Unit regulation, according to ATA's Truckline newsletter. The rule, adopted in February 2004, requires that TRUs equipped with diesel engines seven years or older be replaced or retrofit with new engines. This applies only to TRUs operating in California. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=70647 BLOGS Why Wait for a Climate Bill, G.E. Argues. A.J. Mast for The New York Times Workers staging concrete pipe last year at a Duke Energy coal plant under construction in Edwardsport, Ind. It was designed to allow for the possibility of carbon dioxide capture. Given the dicey odds for congressional approval of climate legislation, at least in the near term, a company that sells equipment for reducing carbon dioxide emissions is promoting a new strategy: federal money for tactical planning. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/why-wait-for-a-climate-bill-ge-argues/?pagemode=print Lindsey Graham And The Failure Of The 'Lone Republican' Theory. With Lindsey Graham bolting a bill he helped draft, efforts to address climate change in this Congress look likely to fail. And because the next Congress is likely to have more Republicans, and because the House's approval of Waxman-Markey will expire after the election and mean the House would have to write and pass a whole new bill, the situation looks grim going forward, too. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/lindsey_graham_and_the_failure.html Unmasking Disinformation, From Tobacco To Climate. It's no secret that many climate skeptics have ties to the fossil fuel industry, or are ideologically opposed to the policy implications of mainstream climate science, which holds that emissions of greenhouse gases are causing global temperatures to increase. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/06/unmasking_scientific_disinform.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:17:57 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 10, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 10, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG Stanford Survey Finds More Doubt Global Warming. Although the vast majority of Americans believe the Earth is gradually warming because of greenhouse gases and want the government to regulate them, a small but growing number of people doubt that global warming is real, according to a new poll. The Stanford University survey, released on Wednesday, found that 74 percent of those polled believe the world's temperature has been gradually rising over the past century, compared with 85 percent who believed it in 2006. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/10/BAJG1DSL4V.DTL&type=printable Climate Bubbles Below The Surface Of Primary Wins. From Maine to California, Tuesday's primaries launched the campaigns of incoming governors and U.S. senators who will set the climate and energy agendas of the country for years to come. In Senate races, several candidates on both sides of the aisle stood firmly against establishing a mandatory cap on greenhouse gas emissions. The tone on climate change was often more muted in gubernatorial contests, but the stakes are no less pivotal for energy and climate agendas of states considering everything from cap-and-trade programs to wind farm development. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/10/1 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/10/10climatewire-climate-bubbles-below-the-surface-of-primary-8084.html?scp=5&sq=environment&st=cse E.U. To Certify Emissions Reductions From Biodiesel, Ethanol. The European Commission will announce a new quality-certification process for biodiesel and ethanol today in an effort to prove that the fuels lead to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, officials said. Europe is depending on biofuels to "do most of the work" on emissions reductions from cars and trucks, the commission said in a statement Monday. Reducing transportation emissions is "particularly hard to achieve and reliance on imported oil is particularly high," it said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/10/6 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ibaM6LapP11whRS_8nl9JQvhqtVAD9G8GA7G0 http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15267437?nclick_check=1 Senate Challenge to EPA Climate Change Authority. For several months now, the Environmental Protection Agency has been making steady progress writing rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. But Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, wants to hit the brakes. This Thursday, she's scheduled a vote in the Senate on a resolution that would essentially strip the EPA of its authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other gases linked to climate change. Posted. http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2010/06/10/senate-challenge-to-epa-climate-change-authority-.html Senate To Vote On Disapproval Of EPA's CO2 Endangerment Finding. In one of the most important votes you’ll see this year, the US Senate is expected to vote today on Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski’s Joint Resolution of Disapproval of the EPA’s Endangerment Rule relating to carbon dioxide (S.J. Res 26). In effect, if the resolution passes it would still need to pass the House and will almost certainly be vetoed by President Obama if it gets that far, as the White House signaled on Tuesday. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-39383-Capitalist-Examiner~y2010m6d10-Senate-to-vote-on-disapproval-of-EPAs-CO2-endangerment-finding FUELS OECD Pushes End To Fuel Subsidies -- For Some. When Group of 20 leaders meet in Toronto this month to discuss energy policy, they will have to work with a controversial number: 37. Last year, the G-20 pledged to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels, which critics call economically wasteful and damaging to climate. International agencies set out to measure the problem, but so far, they've only come up with figures for 37 countries. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/10/3 Carbon Market Leader Warns Of Dark Days Ahead. New York -- The carbon markets are fast becoming too risky and uncertain for investors, and entrepreneurs of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions trading would be wise to direct their money elsewhere, a prominent carbon finance broker and expert warned yesterday. Jack Cogen, president and CEO of Natsource, the New York-based environmental finance firm highly regarded as an early pioneer of U.S. emissions trading, said he sees little space for investing in carbon as a commodity post-2012. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/10/4 SECOND HAND SMOKE Could Second Hand Smoke Cause A Mental Breakdown? That could be implied from a study conducted by researchers from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London. In a report published in the June 7, 2010 Archives of General Psychiatry, lead researcher Mark Harmer said, "Exposure to passive smoke was associated with higher levels of psychological distress and greater risk of future psychiatric illness," During the six year observational study, 14.5 percent of the 8,100 subjects (5,500 non-smokers and 2,600 smokers) were found to suffer from some type of psychological distress. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-53218-Sacramento-Health-News-Examiner~y2010m6d9-Could-second-hand-smoke-cause-a-mental-breakdown DIESELS California's Diesel Regulations Are Hot Air. If you were strapped for cash and lived in North Dakota, would you spend money on hurricane insurance? That would be no dumber than the regulations of the California Air Resources Board, designed to reduce the form of "air pollution" known as diesel particulate matter. The scientific rationale for these enormously expensive regulations and the process by which they were enacted are dubious, and their costs impose a huge economic burden on the state. And since California is often regarded as a bellwether of environmental regulation, these rules could presage a disturbing national trend. Posted. http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/08/california-diesel-regulation-pollution-opinions-columnists-henry-i-miller-james-e-enstrom_print.html MOTORCYCLES POLL Why Motorcycles Don’t Make FGCU, Other Priority Parking Lists. Estero — FGCU participates in one international program that recognizes green building standards and rewards priority parking to low-emission vehicles — but not motorcycles. The LEED Green Building Certification System provides its approval to ecologically friendly construction, and is administered through the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. One requirement of the LEED certification is that preferred parking be designated at those buildings for environmentally friendly vehicles. Posted. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/jun/09/poll-why-motorcycles-dont-make-fgcu-other-priority/?print=1 BLOGS California Air Resources Board Spends $800,000 to Bolster Latest Pet Initiative. California’s Air Resources Board (CARB)—long considered a foe of conservatives nationwide— has shelled out close to $800,000 to bolster its latest pet “green” initiative, Capitol Confidential has learned. A study released last month, which draws positive conclusions regarding CARB’s favored “feebates” program, cost a whopping $796,641 according to a document found at CARB’s own site. Posted. http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2010/06/09/california-air-resources-board-spends-800000-to-bolster-latest-pet-initiative/ Lindsey Graham's Calculated Nonsense. If you want to feel really pessimistic about the politics of climate change, head over to Kate Sheppard's place, where you can read Lindsey Graham trying to find a rhetorical bridge between questioning global warming and supporting efforts to reduce carbon emissions. What he comes up with sounds a lot like nonsense. But then, that's as good an approach as any when you're reasoning with an irrational position. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/lindsey_grahams_calculated_non.html Small California Town To Be 85% Powered By Solar. In a town of just 38 people, it doesn’t take much power to keep the lights on. Which is why many smaller towns, with their vast swaths of land, are turning to renewable energy. There’s Rock Port, Mo., a community of about 1,400 people that has all of the roughly 13 million kilowatts it uses a year generated by wind turbines. And 10 turbines will power all the homes and more in Greensburg, Kan., after a tornado demolished 95% of the town in 2007. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/06/small-california-town-to-be-80-powered-by-solar.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 OPINION: Newsom’s Electric Car Vision Sees ‘Kick Start’. Mayor Gavin Newsom has long advocated for increasing electric vehicle usage and the infrastructure to support it. On Wednesday, the Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee approved the spending of a $1 federal million grant – to be matched with other revenue sources – to pay for electric vehicle infrastructure. “This is a very exciting project for us. It really is going to kick start the electric vehicle infrastructure system for San Francisco and by extension the Bay Area,” said David Assmann, Department of Environment’s acting director. Posted. http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/under-the-dome/newsoms-electric-car-vision-sees-kick-start-96001699.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:56:42 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 14, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 14, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG Initiative Won’t Thwart State’s Emissions Fight. Sacramento — California’s aggressive campaign to curb global warming will probably not come to a screeching halt even if voters eventually apply the brakes. An initiative that appears all but certain to qualify for the November ballot would suspend the state’s landmark law to gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming until there’s a sustained economic recovery. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/14/initiative-wont-thwart-states-emissions-fight/ CDM Critics Demand Investigation Of Suspect Offsets. United Nations -- A broad coalition of activists are charging that as much as a third of all Kyoto Protocol carbon offset credits ever sold to banks and governments could be illegitimate because they were generated by firms manipulating the marketplace. Companies, the activists allege, are deliberately generating greenhouse gas pollution in order to snag millions of dollars worth of carbon credits when they then mitigate the emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/14/2 IEA Urges Governments, Industry to Advance CO2 Storage Projects. Governments and industry should boost efforts to deploy carbon capture and storage projects that reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas and help fight global warming, the International Energy Agency said in a report. The Group of Eight’s goal of implementing 20 large-scale CCS demonstration projects by 2010 “remains a challenge,” IEA said in the report, which will be presented to G-8 leaders at their summit in Canada later this month. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-14/iea-urges-governments-industry-to-advance-co2-storage-projects.html Can Whiter Clouds Reduce Global Warming? A grant from Bill Gates is helping researchers explore the possibility that making clouds whiter and more reflective by spraying them with a fine seawater mist could help block the sun's rays and send them back into space. Cloud whitening builds on the natural cloud-forming Process, says Silicon Valley inventor Armand Neukermans, who received the funding to test if the concept is doable. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/research/2010-06-10-cloud-whitening_N.htm Senate Votes Down Measure to Block EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases. In a 47-53 vote, the U.S. Senate barely voted down a measure Thursday that would have blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions. The resolution, proposed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), was in response to the EPA's efforts to regulate carbon dioxide emissions under the Clean Air Act. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=70686 Goodwill But Still Little Goods On Treaty Talks. International climate change ambassadors and activists returned this week from two-week treaty negotiations session in Bonn, Germany, hopeful of nailing down agreements on deforestation and a few other issues by the year's end. The meetings produced few specific results beyond a draft treaty that -- like others before it -- is drawing criticisms from developing countries. But the big change, many agreed, was the tone. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/14/3 Obama Plans To Push For New Global Warming Bill. According to Politico.com, President Barack Obama is planning to utilize the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill as a springboard to initiate a new push for a broad global-warming bill. Politico writer Mike Allen says that Mr. Obama will use his Oval Office address about the Gulf on Tuesday night to include a call for an energy bill. The White House has notified several senators that “an energy deal must include some serious effort to price carbon as a way to slow climate change,” according to a Senate Democratic leadership aid. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/blog/printexaminerarticles.cfm?section=examiners,examiners&blogtype=examiners&mode=alias&blogid=53091&blogURL=Pinellas-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner&byYear=2010&byMonth=6&byDay=14&byAlias=Obama-plans-to-push-for-new-global-warming-bill The Choice to Move Forward on International Efforts to Address Global Warming. Every day a huge amount of oil is spewing into the Gulf of Mexico in the US. This is symbolic of the energy choices that we have made to date. And it shows the dramatic implications of that energy choice. But those energy choices are also having devastating impacts which are less visual but more damaging. Rampant global warming is impacting countries around the world as a result of our energy and development choices. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jake-schmidt/the-choice-to-move-forwar_b_609022.html New Carbon Trading Phase In Europe Holds More Lessons For U.S. Part Two Of A Two-Part Series On Europe's Carbon Market. Click here to read the first part. Wider auctioning under the third phase of Europe's carbon trading scheme will bring more bumps in the road. Under the E.U. climate and energy package agreed to in December 2008, power plants in Western Europe will pay for all carbon permits starting in 2013. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/14/1 Views on Climate Change: What the Polls Show. To the Editor: Re “The Climate Majority,” by Jon A. Krosnick (Op-Ed, June 9): Regarding poll findings about climate change, Mr. Krosnick posits that his question is more legitimate than others. It is but one approach and hardly ideal. The question’s preamble is “you may have heard about the idea that the world’s temperature may have been going up slowly” and then asks whether this is “probably” happening. Such wordings often encourage a positive response: this is known in the polling world as acquiescence bias. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/opinion/l14climate.html?pagewanted=print Republicans Shouldn’t Become the Dirty Energy Party. With huge amounts of oil continuing to pollute the waters off Louisiana, the Gulf oil spill is yet another reminder that it is important for our economy, our environment, and our national security to wean our nation off dirty fossil fuels. Yet most Republicans in California don’t seem to get it. Instead of embracing the job-creating clean energy economy, Sacramento’s Republican leadership is actively attacking it, ridiculing the more than 500,000 clean tech jobs already in the state and solar technologies that are putting thousands back to work in the Inland Empire. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=ywjltqoypblbpx&xid=ywj1pmt6e95tna&done=.ywjltqoypc8bpx Fontana City Council Supports Effort to Try to Suspend AB 32. As expected, the Fontana City Council unanimously approved on May 26 a resolution that supports the California Jobs Initiative, a proposal by State Sen. Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) which would temporarily suspend AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The resolution was proposed by Fontana Council Member John Roberts, who described AB 32 as “worrisome” and a huge issue that negatively impacts jobs in the region, causing unemployment rates to rise. Posted. http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/articles/2010/06/10/news/doc4c111bfc813d8463014004.txt AIR POLLUTION Air Quality Officials Say BNSF Will Cut Emissions at San Bernardino Rail Yard, Westside Residents Not Satisfied. An agreement between air quality regulators and BNSF Railway promises to cut pollution at the company's Westside rail yard, but that's not enough for many who breathe the diesel fumes generated there. The proposal would commit BNSF to the following: Reduce diesel particulate emissions from railyard 45 percent from 2005 levels by 2011. Diesel pollution is to be further cut by 85 percent by 2020. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_15271992#ixzz0qqMUtqlT Research Reveals Cow Feed As Air Pollutant. Researchers and other scientists who have assiduously studied cow manure as an air pollutant might have focused their attention on the wrong end of the cow. Dairy animal feed, especially corn silage, is now being tagged as a significant cause of ozone creation, the major contributor to air pollution, especially in the San Joaquin Valley. Air quality in the valley, home to one of the highest concentrations of dairy animals in the world, has been identified for years as substandard, even dangerous. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/feed-95982-gasses-air.html FUELS Canada Plans Northeast Blitz To Fight Fuel Standards. The fight over reducing the carbon content of transportation fuels heats up this week with a new push from critics in Canada and the Northeast. Alberta's Environment Minister Rob Renner is launching a multistate tour from Massachusetts to New Jersey today to warn about the economic impact of proposed Northeast and mid-Atlantic fuel standards on his province. He joins a slew of groups in Boston that have blasted new carbon mandates on transportation fuels as a job killer that could lead to skyrocketing gas and heating oil prices. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/14/5 VEHICLES Utilities Brace For Electric Cars. Public grid needs upgrades as transportation future looms. The gleaming, squeaky-clean future promised by electric cars comes with a burden: The region's electricity infrastructure will have to be ready to charge all those big, thirsty batteries. The first thousand-vehicle fleet of Nissan Leafs is scheduled to flutter into San Diego County beginning in December, followed in short order by plug-in hybrids like the Chevy Volt. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_c2b1a23b-093b-5791-8e94-cb95dc56cfd8.html?print=1 ENERGY U.S. Continues To Lag In Solar Adoption. Government incentives and growing interest in clean, renewable energy have not yet translated into substantial increases in U.S. solar energy capacity, signaling that demand for solar power remains relatively weak. Solar power provides a fraction of 1 percent of energy used by Americans, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Despite its size, the United States ranks fourth in total power capacity behind Germany, Italy and Japan. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/14/13 Gates Seeks More Spending On Clean Energy Research. Billionaire Bill Gates is urging the government to triple spending on what he says everyone, rich and poor, will need in the future: clean, cheap energy. Gates and other business leaders were meeting with President Barack Obama and lawmakers Thursday to pitch their plan to increase the annual federal spending on clean energy innovation to $16 billion, from $5 billion now. But tight budgets make it a tough sell. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/06/10/1203064/gates-seeks-more-spending-on-clean.html#ixzz0qqV9jLmR GREEN Pondering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. As librarians, we operate in the public sphere. And we "enlighten" people. The funny thing about enlightening, though, is that to enlighten one has to first educate oneself, to be well informed. But which issues are relevant? Quality-of-life questions, environmental questions, are particularly relevant because they affect all of us, from the homeless guy to the professor, from the pauper to the millionaire. Plastic pollution is one of those problems that has a negative effect on our environment and our quality of life. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/community/x1008891574/Pondering-the-Great-Pacific-Garbage-Patch BLOGS Americans Want To Do Something On Climate -- Just Not the Right Thing. Today’s New York Times carries an op-ed that trumpets supposedly encouraging numbers about what Americans want Congress to do about climate change. Under the triumphant headline, The Climate Majority, Jon A. Krosnick argues that most people still buy climate science -- and they even favor federal action to deal with rising temperatures. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/06/americans_what_to_do_something.html Killing AB 32 Will Threaten California's Leadership in Wind Energy. Just when California is about to start closing the gap with Texas and Iowa in the amount of wind energy it produces, there's a move afoot by out-of-state oil companies to pull the rug out from under us and thwart the development of these projects. Located in more than 10 California counties and totaling 3,000 MW in capacity (enough to power about a million homes, and much more in the pipeline), these projects will more than double the current amount of wind energy in our state. Posted. http://www.publicceo.com/index.php/local-governments/151-local-governments-publicceo-exclusive/1598-killing-ab-32-will-threaten-californias-leadership-in-wind-energy Fighting For Our "Right" To a Clean Energy Future. A new proposed initiative for the California ballot purports to defend the people of California’s unalienable right to air, water, energy, and natural resources by prohibiting the government from regulating the industries that exploit these common resources. This referendum is either an attempted shell game on the citizenry or a product of dire ignorance. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kgrenfell/a_new_proposed_initiative_for.html Twilight of the Coal Era? Siemens Siemens will furnish gas turbines like this one for two power plants in North Carolina that now rely on coal. The electricity market is in the doldrums, but the market for new generating stations that use natural gas is going strong, industry experts say. Why? Because gas is beginning to replace coal, according to Randy H. Zwirn, president of the Siemens Power Generation Group. On Monday, Siemens is announcing [pdf] that it has won contracts to supply five new high-efficiency gas plants to Progress Energy at two sites in North Carolina that have old coal-fired generators. It is also replacing old gas-fired plants in Florida. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/twilight-of-the-coal-era/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:18:33 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 15, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 15, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG Utility Costs Under Senate Climate Bill Could Stir Support -- And Attacks. Idling Senate legislation on climate change enters an important period this week that could nudge the carbon-focused proposal forward, while also exposing it to new attacks on price hikes. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) are poised to promote their bill today as having modest economic impacts on electricity rates, following the completion of U.S. EPA's modeling on the American Power Act. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/15/2 Modern Farming Helped Push Down Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Study. San Francisco -- Modern high-yield farming lowered the amount of greenhouse gases pumped into the Earth's atmosphere toward the end of the 20th Century by a massive amount, according to a surprising study from researchers at Stanford University. Technological advances in agriculture helped reduce greenhouse gas output by reducing the need to convert forests to farmland, the study said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/15/4 Much Food Goes To Waste, Which Squanders Resources And Adds To Greenhouse Gases. I've heard that Americans waste 40 percent of their food. Could that possibly be true? That's five eggs from every dozen! Determining how much food we waste every day can be tricky, but the calculation matters a great deal. Squandered calories mean that the resources used in producing and shipping a foodstuff -- resources such as fresh water and fossil fuels -- are wasted. In addition, edible matter that has been tossed and left to rot in landfills tends to generate methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. So we really ought to know what percentage of our food output gets dumped into the trash. The problem is, there just hasn't been much research into this question. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/14/AR2010061405170_pf.html Better Planning Needed In Face Of Sea-Level Rise. Thousands of new homes are proposed for construction along the San Francisco Bay over the next two decades, but many developments lack plans to protect the structures -- and their occupants -- from flooding caused by a predicted 55-inch rise in sea level by 2100. Cash-strapped cities in need of more housing for growing populations are not required to draw up expensive plans to deal with sea-level rise and cannot be required to do so by any other agency. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/15/8 AIR QUALITY On The Air: Calnex Study Tackles Pollutants, Emissions. Researchers from across the country have gathered in Bakersfield to conduct a comprehensive study of air quality, hoping that a deeper understanding of the environment will lead to cost-effective regulatory policy. Hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension and funded by the California Air Resources Board, the CalNex study aims to provide scientific background for legislation that would curb harmful emissions. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x637735023/On-the-air-CalNex-study-tackles-pollutants-emissions Ports Make Big Strides For Clean Air. Pollution from port industry fell for a third year in a row in 2009, with levels of toxic diesel soot and smog-forming exhaust declining as much as 50 percent. The drop in exhaust from California's largest fixed source of pollution comes as the region struggles to meet federal air quality standards by mid-decade under penalty of losing highway and infrastructure dollars. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15295793?nclick_check=1 Scientists Develop Tech To Track Carbon Dioxide. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Scientists have developed a method for detecting and tracking carbon dioxide deep underground, giving the federal government an important tool as people look for ways to keep carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from crowding the atmosphere. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_15294576 ENERGY Commentary: It's Time To Move Toward A Cleaner Energy Future. We rarely see them coming, the moments that crystallize public opinion on matters of enormous national importance. There was Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, Reagan at the Berlin Wall, or tobacco executives testifying before Congress that nicotine is not addictive. I believe we are now witnessing another one, a gushing oil spill from a drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill threatens one of America's most productive fisheries, as well as working men and women who depend on it. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/15/v-print/2823714/commentary-its-time-to-move-toward.html Blue Oval on a Green Streak: Ford Details Progress on Eco-Initiatives in Latest Sustainability Report. 11th annual Ford Sustainability Report shows significant progress on improving fuel economy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and operational sustainability. Report details Ford's broad-based electrification strategy and introduction of fuel-saving technologies across a wide range of vehicles. Ford continues to cut its global water use and improve its energy efficiency to decrease its environmental footprint, while leveraging its organizational resources around the globe to help bring vehicles that consumers want to market faster. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/15/v-print/2823502/blue-oval-on-a-green-streak-ford.html E.U. Wind Industry Forecast Looks Strong For 2010. Favorable gusts will be backing the European wind industry this year, according to a new forecast released yesterday by the European Wind Energy Association. The industry group expects 10 gigawatts of new wind power capacity to be installed in the European Union this year, taking total wind power to 85 gigawatts from 75 gigawatts last year. EWEA predicts France and Italy will each install around 1 gigawatt of wind power in 2010 and suggests Germany will be the wind market leader this year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/15/5 VEHICLES The South's Rising in the Environmentally Friendly Auto World. Necessary parts did not arrive on time and more than 80 student volunteers -- who came and went as they pleased -- contributed to the creative tension. But none of this disrupted the well-laid plans of Mississippi State University's engineers to win the Department of Energy's EcoCar competition. EcoCar is the latest in a long line of student competitions put on by DOE that are designed to push the limits of vehicle design by tapping into the unconventional knowledge found on university campuses in the United States and Canada. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/15/15climatewire-the-souths-rising-in-the-environmentally-fri-69083.html?pagewanted=print Mayors Promote Natural Gas-Fueled Cars. The U.S. Conference of Mayors gave a ringing endorsement yesterday to natural gas vehicles. At the group's annual meeting in Oklahoma City, mayors backed a resolution that presses Congress to pass two laws promoting natural gas in the transportation sector and to increase research and development programs on the issue. "Passage of current federal natural gas vehicle legislation would stimulate market expansion, economic growth, and support the buying and using natural gas vehicles over a short time period so that national economies of scale will develop," the resolution states. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/15/6 Chinese Firm Hopes Taxis Will Lead To Larger Electric Market. China's BYD, in a push to introduce electric cars to the general marketplace, hopes to have 100 purely electric taxis on the road in China by the end of the month. The company already released 30 of its e6 vehicles in the city of Shenzhen, and sources say the company will have 560 operating as taxis by the end of the year. The ultimate goal is to reach 1,500, or 10 percent of all the city's cabs. The taxes are marked with the words "zero emission" and have the slogan "This is not a conventional car, this is a declaration of environmental protection" written across the back. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/15/7 OIL SPILL Obama Sees Light Ahead For Oil-Damaged Gulf Coast. Theodore, Ala. (AP) — In a newly optimistic tone, President Barack Obama promised Monday that "things are going to return to normal" along the stricken Gulf Coast and the region's fouled waters will be in even better shape than before the catastrophic BP oil spill. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15299382 BLOGS On Our Radar: The White House and Climate Change. A look at climate change policy battles at the White House. “Just a chronic pattern of infighting,” one insider says. With hostile takeover rumors swirling, BP hires Goldman Sachs as an adviser; the spill could ultimately cost the company $37 billion. In 2008, BP claimed prowess in sonar-based oil flow metering — a skill not applied to its out-of-control well. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/on-our-radar-the-white-house-and-climate-change/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:53:14 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 16, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 16, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Obama Tells Congress To 'Seize The Moment' On Climate Legislation. President Obama challenged the country last night to unify behind a "national mission" to reduce its reliance on oil and coal, using his first Oval Office address to pressure Congress into acting quickly on clean energy legislation. The primetime speech sought to confront stinging criticism around the president's handling of the wayward oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, an ongoing catastrophe that has stretched on for nearly two months, with crude still pouring from the open BP well. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/16/1 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/16/us/politics/16obama.html?ref=politics Head To Head: Should California Suspend AB 32, Its 2006 Global Warming Law? THE ISSUE: A 2006 law, Assembly Bill 32, requires California to roll back greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. A proposed ballot initiative backed by two Texas oil companies would block the state from carrying out AB 32 until the state's unemployment rate falls to 5.5 percent or less for four consecutive quarters. Pia Lopez: No California has been a national economic leader in new technology-driven industries – from information technology to biotechnology. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/16/v-print/2825292/head-to-head-should-california.html Dan Walters: Debate Heats Up Over Greenhouse Gas Measure. A great debate has been under way for months over whether California's leading role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions would reap rich economic returns or retard recovery from deep recession. The debate will intensify in the coming months as voters decide the fate of a ballot measure that would suspend implementation of Assembly Bill 32, California's landmark anti-global warming law, and as gubernatorial candidates Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman argue. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/16/v-print/2825714/dan-walters-debate-heats-up-over.html Climate Bill Heads Into Choppy Waters With New Cargo, A Price Tag. The Senate's leading climate bill would cost households up to $146 a year, according to a government analysis that promises to sharpen the debate around pricing carbon emissions as lawmakers race into a tight election-year schedule. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) used the report by U.S. EPA to steer their bill back into the spotlight, hoping to fend off competing Democratic energy initiatives that threaten to eliminate their plan to put a price on carbon. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/16/2 How Do You Count Climate Adaptation Money? Wealthy countries have exceeded their goals for short-term climate change assistance to vulnerable nations -- at least on paper. The United States and other industrialized nations have so far collectively pledged $31.32 billion by 2012 to help countries mitigate emissions, avoid deforestation and cope with the impacts of global warming, according to a World Resources Institute (WRI) analysis. That's slightly more than countries at Copenhagen promised last year. But, WRI researchers found, the pledges don't tell the whole story. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/16/4 Climate Splitting Democrats. Senate Republicans fell short, 47-53, of overturning the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, but exposed a significant split among Democrats that may bode ill for passage this year of comprehensive energy and climate-change legislation. Posted. http://www.vvdailypress.com/opinion/splitting-19924-overturning-agency.html Obama to Consider Range of Options for Senate Climate and Energy Bill. President Obama used his first primetime Oval Office address to tout the need for a climate and energy bill, but he skimped on details about what the White House wants in Senate legislation. Backers of a comprehensive energy and climate bill hoped the president would lay out a road map as the Senate prepares for a summer floor debate, but Obama offered few specifics and may have lent credence to a "smorgasbord" measure combining aspects of various bills -- including a renewable electricity standard and increasing energy efficiency but not necessarily including a cap on greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/16/16climatewire-obama-to-consider-range-of-options-for-senat-93744.html U.S. Dominated '09 Voluntary Carbon Trading On Expectations Of Climate Bill. As prospects for a U.S. climate bill faded, speculative trading in the voluntary carbon credit market continued growing in 2009 on anticipation that a proposed cap-and-trade program had the legs to overcome political hurdles. Speculative trading of pre-compliance credits designed to prepare companies for a U.S. program accounted for the biggest share of buying and selling in the 2009 voluntary market, according to a joint study by Ecosystem Marketplace and Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/16/5 Japan Looks To Pass Climate Bill Before U.N. Conference. Japan will try to pass its long-delayed emission reduction targets in advance of the U.N. meeting on climate change in Mexico later this year, the environment minister announced yesterday. The government had hoped to pass the bill during the current session of Parliament, but time ran out for deliberations. The bill will now be resubmitted to Parliament after an election expected on July 11. Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa said he wanted the bill passed before the U.N. meetings begin on Nov. 29 to show the country's "determination" on climate policy. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/16/10 CLU Report Says Green Law May Hurt Economy. Californians need to acknowledge the full consequences of the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accept the reality “that the net result of green policies may be negative for the economy,” says a report released today by the California Lutheran University Center for Economic Research and Forecasting. The report, co-authored by the center’s director, economist Bill Watkins, was commissioned by the California Manufacturers and Technology Association. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jun/15/clu-report-says-green-policies-will-hurt-economy/?print=1 Climate Change May Cause Alps To Become More Dangerous, Study Suggests. Climate change may cause the Alps to see more heat waves, floods and avalanches, making the famous peaks more dangerous for mountaineers and skiers. Heat waves, floods, avalanches and other deadly natural disasters could become more common in mountainous regions thanks to climate change, a new study suggests, making the famous peaks more dangerous for mountaineers and skiers. Extreme weather events are predicted to become more frequent on a warmer Earth. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/308471 RAILYARD San Bernardino Rail Yard Cleanup Plan Unveiled. A proposed air-pollution cleanup plan for the BNSF Railway yard in San Bernardino calls for slashing 85 percent of diesel emissions that drift into a nearby neighborhood. People who live near the BNSF operation in southwest San Bernardino faced an increased cancer risk because of the pollution -- an additional 2,500 cases per million people, based on a lifetime of exposure -- worse than any other rail yard in the state. Most of the emissions reductions outlined in the plan would result from state and federal rules already in place to curb pollution from locomotives, trucks and other equipment. Posted. http://www.pe.com/business/local/stories/PE_News_Local_D_railair16.2590ceb.html GREEN ENERGY Brown Sets Far-Reaching Renewable-Energy Goals. When he was California's governor in the 1970s, Jerry Brown won plaudits - and mockery in some quarters - for being one of the first politicians to champion renewable sources of energy like solar and wind. Now Brown is pitching a new round of clean-energy goals as part of his current run for governor - and himself as a wizened political veteran who knows how to slice through the bureaucracy to make them happen and bring what he estimated to be 500,000 jobs to California over the next decade. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/16/BAP51DVPH8.DTL&type=printable Green Group Asserts Biomass-Fired Power Plants Will Destroy Forests. Fueling more U.S. power plants with woody products could amount to the loss of 30 million acres of trees and spew 4.7 billion tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere by 2025, a new report finds. The Environmental Working Group analysis states that meeting the surge in biomass plant demands will require cutting down and burning large tracts of forests. It follows a report last week commissioned by Massachusetts that upended long-standing assumptions that biomass power plants were a "carbon neutral" alternative to coal-fired power plants. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/16/3 Obama's Uncertain 'Battle Plan' President Barack Obama declared war on the Gulf oil spill Tuesday. Too bad so many of his troops are still waiting for a clear battle plan. Presidents often save the Oval Office address for matters of war and peace, and Obama’s decision to speak to the nation from behind his desk Tuesday night conveyed the image of a leader on wartime footing. Yet by raising the stakes so high — and framing the environmental crisis as a “battle” and a “siege” — he underscored the threat the spill poses not only to the Gulf but to his own credibility as president after nine weeks of failure, criticism and frustration. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=3E3BA67D-18FE-70B2-A80ADEEA5C2CAFE2 Green Cleaning Is The Tupperware Of The 21st Century. It took Melody Graves just a few seconds to whip a pile of baking soda and liquid castile soap into a light and fluffy white cloud. "You know it's done when it looks like buttercream frosting," she said. The concoction looked good enough to eat, but it was never intended to be spread on anything other than the kitchen sink, or maybe the bathroom tub. The creamy soft scrub that Graves made was just one of the recipes presented during a recent green-cleaning party. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/16/v-print/2826330/green-cleaning-is-the-tupperware.html Mayor's Green Initiative Team Starts Work On Plan. Mayor Kevin Johnson's green initiative team met Tuesday at Sacramento City College to begin outlining its plan for the next several months. The team discussed what plans and initiatives are taking place in the region to help attract green technology jobs and foster sustainable living. The goal of Johnson's initiative is to make Sacramento a hub for clean technology firms. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/06/16/1211751/mayors-green-initiative-team-starts.html#ixzz0r2AxWRNi PORTS Long Beach Port Emitted Fewer Air Pollutants In '09. In 2009, the Port of Long Beach, Calif., improved air quality for the third-straight year, with some pollutant emissions declining up to or more than 50 percent, according to an emissions inventory report released Monday. Diesel particulate matter emissions fell 52 percent, sulfur oxide emissions dropped 46 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions decreased 35 percent compared with 2008 levels. Posted. http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=23601 AIR POLLUTION EPA Lists Areas Exceeding Tougher Lead Limits. Parts of 12 states have failed to meet stricter airborne lead standards put in place by the George W. Bush administration, U.S. EPA said yesterday in preliminary advice to states. The national air quality standard for lead, tightened in 2008 for the first time in 30 years, allows 0.15 micrograms of lead per cubic meter -- one-tenth the previous limit. EPA is slated to make some final nonattainment decisions in October, followed by another round next year, with yesterday's letters to states highlighting some areas of the country that are likely to come up short. The letters list 20 counties with airborne lead hotspots, 16 of which had been recommended by state agencies. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/16/12 ETHANOL California Gets A Look At Greener Ethanol Numbers This Week. Most farmers are painfully aware that corn prices have been trending down for much of this spring, even as the ethanol industry recovers and expands its use of the grain to make fuel. California doesn't know. At least officially, at the California Air Resources Board, or CARB. CARB is in charge of a state law that aims to lower the carbon emissions from fuels 10% by 2020. Posted. http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ag/story/data/1276636823240.xml VEHICLES Prototype Prius Plug-In Getting Road Tests. The plug-in Prius has arrived. Well, the prototype has, at least. Toyota Motor Sales presented the Silicon Valley Leadership Group in San Jose with three plug-in versions of the company's Prius hybrid car on Tuesday. Toyota will loan 150 of the cars to organizations nationwide for the next 18 months to see how they perform on the road. The results will help Toyota spot any kinks in the plug-in Prius before it goes on sale in 2012. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/16/BU391DVH6Q.DTL&type=printable Tesla Motors Hopes To Raise At Least $178M In Much-Anticipated IPO. Palo Alto's Tesla Motors now hopes to raise at least $178 million in its much-anticipated IPO. In a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the electric-car maker said it hopes to raise at least $178 million by selling 11.1 million shares of common stock to the public. Earlier, it had given a target of $100 million. Tesla said it expects the shares to price from $14 to $16 each. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_15301463?source=rss BLOGS Can You Solve Global Warming Without Talking About Global Warming? To expand a bit on a point I made on Rachel Maddow's show, I'm just not sure how you do a response to climate change if you can't really say the words "climate change." And that's where we are right now: The actual problem we're trying to solve is politically, if not scientifically, controversial. And so politicians, rather than continuing to try to convince the American people that we need to do something about it, have started talking about more popular policies that are related to solving climate change. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/can_you_solve_global_warming_w.html Texas Oil Company Pumps More Cash Into Delay Of Global Warming Law. Valero Energy Corp. has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional contributions to a November ballot initiative that would suspend California’s global warming law until unemployment falls significantly. Valero, a Texas-based oil company, has been the largest contributor to the campaign, donating more than $500,000 since February. This month, in filings with the secretary of state's office, the California Jobs Initiative acknowledged two more contributions from Valero totaling $550,000, bringing the company's total contributions to the campaign to more than $1 million. Posted. http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/oil-company-dumps-more-money-anti-global-warming-initiative EPA Evaluates the American Power Act. Both the Congressional Budget Office and the Environmental Protection Agency are a little weird when it comes to climate change. They score costs, but not benefits. There are good methodological reasons for this. But it's a bit like looking at food based only off its possibility of making you fat, not its ability to feed you. It's not totally wrong, but just as humans wouldn't be eating food if we had no need to eat, there'd be no effort to price carbon if we didn't need to avert climate change. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/epa_evaluates_the_american_pow.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:33:12 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 17, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 17, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S A Call To Reduce Fossil Fuels, Without Specifics. Obama urges new efforts to reduce U.S. dependence on oil, citing the 'tragedy unfolding' in the Gulf of Mexico. But analysts say major changes in energy policy face old obstacles. President Obama on Tuesday night capped his Oval Office address on the massive gulf oil spill with a call for new efforts to reduce U.S. dependence on oil, saying "the tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean-energy future is now." Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-oil-facts-20100616,0,5199259,print.story Senate Democrats to Discuss Energy Plans Before Obama Meeting. Senate Democrats will debate today whether measures to boost renewable electricity sources such as wind farms and to limit greenhouse gases should be part of legislation that responds to BP Plc's oil spill. The closed-door meeting will gauge Democratic support for these proposals before President Barack Obama brings Republicans into talks on energy legislation next week at the White House. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/06/16/bloomberg1376-L460P40D9L35-1.DTL&type=printable Big Oil’s Hazardous Landscape on Repeal of AB 32. When Texas oil refiners Valero and Tesoro were contemplating whether to buy their way onto the California ballot last winter, they envisioned a ripe environment for their proposition to repeal the state’s clean energy and air standards: skyrocketing unemployment rates, a Tea Party-inspired anti-regulation backlash, and increased skepticism about the science of global warming fueled by the rants of right-wing talking heads Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. Posted. http://www.calbuzz.com/2010/06/big-oils-hazardous-landscape-on-repeal-of-ab-32/ Actions Lag Ambitions On Local Greenhouse Gas Plan. When the Coachella Valley's nine mayors signed a pledge in April 2009 to create a greenhouse gas inventory of the region — the first step in a regional effort to improve energy efficiency, sustainability and air quality — they faced a formidable challenge. Perhaps too formidable. More than a year since signing the pledge, the valley still lacks an audit of greenhouse gases: the carbon dioxide and other emissions from fossil fuels that most scientists say are key contributors to climate change. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100617/NEWS07/6170311/Actions-lag-ambitions-on-local-greenhouse-gas-plan Climate Change Polls. To the Editor: “The Climate Majority,” by Jon A. Krosnick (Op-Ed, June 9), could leave the impression that polls showing a decline in American concern about climate change should be ignored or are incorrect. This would be a mistake. A number of survey questions, conducted by several polling organizations — including Mr. Krosnick’s own recent survey — show demonstrable drops in Americans’ acknowledgment of and concern about global warming. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/17/opinion/lweb17gallup.html?pagewanted=print AIR QUALITY Air Quality Improving, Says Port Of Long Beach Report. Efforts to clean up local air quality are paying off, according to the Port of Long Beach and its recently-released report. The reports shows that in 2009, air pollution fell for the third straight year and some key pollutants saw declines of up to 50-percent. Calculating air quality is always a tricky science, and can be highly controversial when the Port is producing its own study and is a known source of air pollution in the region. Posted. http://www.lbpost.com/ryan/9969 State Launches Kettleman City Environmental Probe. The California Environmental Protection Agency has started testing of the soil, water and air in Kettleman City in the Central Valley following reports of an unusual number of birth defects. State officials are going door-to-door notifying residents of activities that will happen during the next 10 weeks. “This is a matter of urgency for our agency and the people of Kettleman City, and we want to expedite our investigation into potential environmental exposures in this city,” says Secretary for Environmental Protection Linda Adams. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15497 Wood Stoves Under Fire As Health Risk. Chico, Calif. — When Darrell McGillis, 82, steps outside to fetch the newspaper on a winter morning, his lungs serve as his personal barometer. If the air is thick with chimney smoke, his nostrils and lungs begin to burn. “If I spend any time out there, I have to take a breath of my inhaler when I get back inside,” said McGillis, a cardiac patient whose lungs are wracked with a chronic disorder. He relies on three separate prescription devices to ease his breathing. Posted. http://www.fairwarning.org/2010/06/wood-stoves-under-fire-as-health-risk/print/ ENERGY Trade Group Questions Climate Law's Ability To Create 'Green' Jobs. San Francisco -- California's chief manufacturing trade group released a detailed report yesterday attacking the state's climate change law and other policies meant to encourage "green" job creation as a way to reverse one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. The "Truth about Green Jobs and California," by economist Bill Watkins of California Lutheran University, attempts to dismantle the reasoning behind those who anticipate an explosion of clean tech jobs under A.B. 32, the climate change law that would cut greenhouse gas emissions in California to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/17/7 Obama Renews Debate On Energy Bill. The wheels are turning on an issue that was all but dead before the gulf oil spill. Now the president is to meet with senators for broad, bipartisan talks about the legislative path forward. President Obama may not yet have persuaded Congress to approve a sweeping new energy bill, but as Senate Democrats meet behind closed doors Thursday to hammer out a list of proposals, he has clearly rekindled the debate. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-energy-congress-20100617,0,5243021,print.story Drive Over Renewable Energy Picks Up Steam. A landmark agreement requiring California’s utilities to get a third of their power from solar, wind and other forms of renewable power is within striking distance. Negotiations have been under way in the Capitol for months between the Schwarzenegger administration and an array of interests – energy generators, utilities, organized labor, environmentalists. Participants say they are close. At stake are billions of dollars worth of energy production and perhaps 240,000 jobs. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yx5bfsegxuhsgf&xid=yx4hvnklowhgne&done=.yx5bfsegxv6sgf# Catching The Wind: Turbines Play Key Role In Renewable Energy. As California considers boosting its use of renewable energy, wind power is playing an increasingly important role. Wind turbines, which represent a major source of renewable energy, are not to be confused with windmills, which grind stones, cut lumber and pump water. Wind turbines are often placed together in large fields called wind farms, which are large scale green energy producers. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=yx4i1xl09x5htj VEHICLES Obama Stimulus To Pay For 15,000 Home Electric-Car Charging Units. Early buyers of the electric Chevrolet Volt could be eligible to get a free home electric charging station worth up to $2,000 -- paid for with economic stimulus money administered by the Obama administration, General Motors says. The program could give the free electric installation to up to 4,400 Volt buyers from among 15,000 total installations among purchasers of all electric-car brands, according to GM. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/06/obama-stimulus-to-pay-for-15000-home-electric-car-charging-units/1 Battery Supply Could Outpace Electric Vehicle Sales – Analysts. Electric vehicles have a strong future in the United States, but plants producing batteries could outpace vehicle production, analysts warn. Billions of dollars have been invested into battery cell technology and production, according to Michael Crane, managing director of hybrids and electric vehicles for Continental Corp. Crane said he could think of nine battery providers in North America alone, which could result in a large supply-demand gap, as high as 1.3 million units in five years. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/06/17/14 DIESELS Trucking's Carbon Footprint Goes Beyond On-Road Vehicles. A trucking company's carbon footprint goes beyond its on-road vehicle fleet to include other direct emissions, indirect emissions and the optional "life-cycle" emissions, according to the American Transportation Research Institute. ATRI released the findings of its analysis of greenhouse gas reporting tools and emissions models, with the goal of helping carriers quantify potential sources of greenhouse gases within their operations. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=70742 OIL SPILL California Agency Helps With Gulf Oil Cleanup. When the Dubai Star spilled 400 gallons of bunker fuel into the San Francisco Bay in October, the Office of Spill Prevention and Response got right on it, as it does with every spill in California, from the Cosco Busan's 53,000 gallons off the Bay Bridge in 2007, to the 3,000 gallons dumped by an overturned tanker truck east of Donner Summit last month. Currently, 17 staff members of the state agency, a division of the Department of Fish and Game, are helping out in the Gulf of Mexico. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/17/BUBA1DVJ7J.DTL&type=printable BP To Create $20 Billion Compensation Fund. Washington - Under pressure from President Obama, BP agreed Wednesday to set aside $20 billion in a spill recovery escrow account to compensate Gulf Coast fishermen and others who have lost wages and work because of the massive spill from one of the company's deepwater wells. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/17/MNGP1E0COJ.DTL&type=printable BLOGS An Electrifying Vision: 20 Million Plug-in Hybrids in 5 Years (Video). With the backdrop of devastated communities and ecosystems in the Gulf, President Obama took the opportunity to challenge the nation to move our clean energy transition forward--but what would that look like? Marc Spitzer of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) makes his case for a transformation of our vehicle fleet to plug-ins. He is confident that America has the technology to power 20 million plug-in vehicles in the next five years. But is it all that easy? Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-sesno/an-electrifying-vision-20_b_615670.html?view=print Air Quality Less Sooty At Port of Long Beach. Airborne contaminants emanating from the Port of Long Beach, one of the biggest pollution producers in the County, dropped for the third year in a row in 2009, reports the Long Beach Post. Some key pollutants dropped by 50 percent, as well. There's reason to be a little skeptical because the numbers come from a report prepared by the port itself, but the number gathering did utilize techniques approved by the California Air Resources Board and the Air Quality Management District. Posted. http://la.curbed.com/archives/2010/06/air_quality_less_sooty_in_long_beach.php EPA Should Proceed With Market-Based Regulations. The EPA can and must proceed with new rules--but it must do so using market-based mechanisms that will not clash with possible future congressional actions. It is bound by law to proceed, but it can move wisely by laying groundwork that will come at the lowest possible costs to business and will mesh well with the legislation Congress will hopefully enact someday soon. Posted. http://views.washingtonpost.com/climate-change/panelists/richard_revesz/2010/06/epa_should_proceed_with_market-based_regulations.html Shore Power For Cruise Ships Coming To San Diego. Work crews at the Port of San Diego have begun to install equipment to allow docked cruise ships to plug into electrical power from the shore. The project will mean cruise ships won't need to run their diesel engines to power the ships while docked at the port, reducing the amount of air pollution generated along the shore. The $7-million project should be completed by December but will allow only one cruise ship at a time to plug into the power system, according to port officials. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/06/shore-power-for-cruise-ships-coming-to-san-diego.html Electric Cars: How Far Can They Go — Really? Novi, Mich.-One of the big questions hanging over the string of electric cars that the world’s auto makers are preparing to launch is how far they’ll go before needing a re-charge. Increasingly it seems the answer is not as far as the auto makers would like. Nissan Motor Co. has been saying its Leaf, due later this year, would have a range of about 100 miles on one charge. Well, now it’s clear that depends on a lot of factors. Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/06/16/electric-cars-how-far-can-they-go-really/tab/print/ EPA Awards Half a Million Dollars to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Pollution in New York. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided a half million dollar grant to the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board to fund a project designed to reduce greenhouse gas pollution in Central New York, including Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego Counties. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-37631-NY-Green-Products-Examiner~y2010m6d17-EPA-Awards-Half-a-Million-Dollars-to-Reduce-Greenhouse-Gas-Pollution-in-New-York ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:39:21 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 21, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 21, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Democrats Use Oil Spill to Push Energy Bill, McConnell Says -- President Barack Obama and Democratic lawmakers are trying to "seize on a crisis" to pass a "national energy tax," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said. Legislation that charges power plants, factories and oil refineries for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere "doesn't have anything to do with an oil spill in the Gulf," McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said yesterday on the "Fox News Sunday" program. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/06/20/bloomberg1376-L4BZMZ0D9L35-7.DTL&type=printable Major Climate Decisions May Come From Ozone Treaty. Geneva, Switzerland -- Governments moved closer Friday to curbing the use of chemicals commonly used as coolants in refrigerators, air conditioners, hair spray and other household items in what some say would be among their biggest climate decisions ever. The obscure round of U.N. ozone treaty talks in Geneva, which few people are following, laid the groundwork this week for a possible decision in Uganda in November to halt the promotion of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are manmade chemicals not found naturally in the environment, and are considered greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/06/18/international/i112132D08.DTL&type=printable http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_15326738 Climate Takes Backseat As China Hunts For Fossil Fuels. China's three dominant state-owned oil companies spent the past year securing access to major global oil and gas fields, raising fresh questions about the country's commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. CNPC-PetroChina, Sinopec Group and CNOOC Ltd are the three big national oil companies (NOCs). A series of deals in Iraq and Africa puts China on a path to boost its overseas commercial reserves by 40 percent, according to a new Wood Mackenzie report. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/21/2 Deep-Sea Research Aims To Find Coral Off Marin Coast. Researchers are bobbing up and down in the Pacific off Marin's coast this week, casting their eyes into the depths of the ocean looking for life-providing coral. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15340514 Green Impact, By The Numbers. According to Walter Grazer's new book: In 1862, 90 percent of Americans were farmers. Today, only 2 percent are. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_15327495 Long Beach Seminar Looks At Ways To Power Up A Green Auto Grid. Long Beach, California -- New auto-emission rules and a growing market for plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles are spawning investment in quick-charge stations across California. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15330285 Marin County Energy Project Saves Taxpayer Money. There's good news at the Marin Civic Center for taxpayers and environmentalists as officials embark on a conservation program that cuts costs and saves energy. The county is moving ahead with a $2 million energy conservation project that will cut utility bills $127,000 a year, enabling the program to pay for itself in 11 years. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15341035 Editorial: ‘National Mission’. To anyone watching the oil spew into the Gulf of Mexico, the argument for curbing this country’s appetite for fossil fuels could not be clearer. President Obama was right last week when he called on America to unify behind a “national mission” to find alternative energy sources, sharply reduce its dependence on oil and cut its greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/21/opinion/21mon1.html?sq=climate change&st=cse&scp=8&pagewanted=print AIR QUALITY Residents Protest Proposed Railyard Air Pollution Plan. More than 100 residents from rail-adjacent communities protested at the Los Angeles home of the California Air Resources Board chairwoman on Saturday, calling for more stringent and enforceable regulations to combat air pollution. Air quality regulators recently released a plan detailing a number of pollution reduction goals for BNSF Railway but some activists say the proposals are far from enough. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_15338974?source=rss#ixzz0rV9UBY9y http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sanbernardinocounty/ci_15338974 http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15338974 Case Against California Air Resources Board’s LCFS Proceeds. Judge denies the agency’s motion to dismiss the case. GAITHERSBURG, MD – The Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) reports that the case against California Air Resources Board's (CARB) low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) will proceed. On Wednesday, a U.S. district court judge denied CARB’s request to dismiss the case. Posted. http://www.nacsonline.com/NACS/News/Daily/Pages/ND0618104.aspx The Buzz: Official State Rock Is Bad For Your Health, State Senator Says. Serpentine may be stripped of title as official state rock – it's unsafe. Oops! A state senator says there's something very wrong with serpentine, California's official state rock: It's bad for your health. Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, has proposed legislation to strip serpentine of its title because exposure to chrysotile asbestos, a cancer-causing mineral inside it, can increase risk of lung disease, she says. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/21/v-print/1977891/the-buzz-official-state-rock-is.html More Smoke Seen Coming From Valero Refinery. Benicia — For the third time in less than a week, a plume of smoke was seen coming from one of the stacks at the Valero Refinery on Saturday morning, but officials said there was no cause for alarm. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15335262 Valero Vapor Draws Area Fire Crews. Benicia - A vapor release at the Valero refinery Thursday triggered a two-alarm response from area fire departments. Oil company officials said the hydrocarbon release was reported to them at about 10:10 a.m. The emissions, which appeared as a white cloud, posed no threat to the public, Valero officials said. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15325833 Fire Boosted Harbor Area Pollution, But Not To Risky Levels. Air samples collected in the Harbor Area during a recent scrap-yard fire showed elevated levels of some pollutants, but not in concentrations that would cause irreversible health effects, a report has found. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15320937?nclick_check=1 FUELS Ethanol Industry Continues To Prod EPA With Massive Anti-Oil Ad Campaign. Amid a multimillion dollar ad blitz designed to boost ethanol's image as an alternative to oil-laden beaches, a leading ethanol group is pressing for answers from federal agencies and the White House about why approval for higher blends of ethanol fuel are facing new delays. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/21/3 Ask AP: Kudzu As Biofuel, Reporting From Gaza. In parts of the South, it's everywhere—kudzu, an invasive weed that a lot of people would like to see eradicated. Why not use this overabundant plant to produce some sort of fuel? Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15324910 47 Buses Go Green; SB District To Use Natural Gas. San Bernardino - They will still be yellow on the outside, officials say, but school buses are about to get greener on the inside. Starting July 1, San Bernardino City Unified School District will deploy 47 school buses fueled by cleaner compressed natural gas in its new fleet of 280 school buses. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15336519 FORMALDEHYDE U.S. Senate Passes Formaldehyde Bill. Would establish standards for composite panel. Washington — The Senate has passed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Act, which establishes the first national standards for formaldehyde in composite panel. The bill is intended to protect consumers from hazardous levels of the chemical bonding agent in composite panel and applies to domestic and foreign products, according to one of the bill's sponsors, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. Composite wood is used in common household products such as furniture, cabinets, shelving, countertops, flooring and molding. Posted. http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/print/529630-U_S_Senate_passes_formaldehyde_bill.php BLOGS British Newspaper Apologizes to Climate Scientist. In 2007, the top United Nations climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said the Amazon was vulnerable to drought as a result of trends linked to climate change. The panel backed its conclusion with a report prepared for the W.W.F., an environmental group, demonstrating that around 40 percent of the Amazon rain forest could be sensitive to future changes in rainfall. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/climate-scientist-gets-a-media-apology/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:01:48 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 22, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 22, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S President Convenes Senators for Final Chance at Climate Bill This Year. President Obama will attempt to seize control of the Senate's splintered climate debate tomorrow with a goal to achieve some greenhouse gas emission restrictions before midterm elections. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/22/22climatewire-president-convenes-senators-for-final-chance-13775.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/22/1 Supervisor Takes Aim At Climate Change Law. If a 2006 law isn’t repealed, according to Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, Victor Valley households could end up losing $4,000 each. Mitzelfelt took aim at Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Monday afternoon at the monthly Hesperia Chamber of Commerce luncheon, held at the Courtyard by Marriott. Employing a “cap and trade” system that allows companies to trade unused pollution credits, the bill aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. Posted. http://www.hesperiastar.com/news/law-3462-supervisor-aim.html Investment Climate Harsh For Newest Energy Technologies – Report. The inventor with a miracle climate gadget can find it. The corporation with a clean-energy division can attract it. But if you're anywhere in the middle, good luck capturing the prize: money. Such is the assessment of a report released yesterday by Bloomberg New Energy Finance: There's financing available for newborn clean technologies and mature ones like wind and solar, but there's hardly a drop for toddler technologies that need a jolt of cash to reach commercial prices. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/22/4 Skeptics, A Tiny Minority Among Climate Scientists, Have 'Significant Influence' – Study. The vast majority of climate scientists believe that humans are driving global warming, according to a new study. Between 97 and 98 percent of the world's top climate researchers agree with the major conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- that it is "very likely" that greenhouse gases produced by human activity have produced "most" of the "unequivocal" warming of Earth's average global temperature during the latter half of the 20th century. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/22/5 Arctic Sea Ice Melting Unusually Fast. Summer is off to a hot start -- not just in the Washington area, but also in the Far North, where if recent trends continue, Arctic sea ice could reach a new record low that surpasses the foreboding milestone set in 2007. (That's a pretty big if, however). Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/06/arctic_sea_ice_melting_unusual.html UPDATE 1-Kerry Says Obama Intends To Move Votes On Energy. Washington, June 22 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John Kerry, the top sponsor of the climate and energy bill stalled in the Senate, said President Barack Obama intends to pressure lawmakers to vote for a bill that would put a price on emitting greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2212944720100622 Utility-Only Option for Climate Bill Fails to Move the Needle on Capitol Hill. With the clock winding down on efforts to pass a climate bill this year, Senate Democrats are still adding pages to their policy playbook. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/22/22climatewire-utility-only-option-for-climate-bill-fails-to-2745.html Editorial: The Country's Behind A Climate Bill. Polls taken in the aftermath of the BP spill show that we're more a nation of environmentalists than many realize. So much for the climate bill. President Obama's big speech last week on the BP oil spill was expected to mark the start of a major White House push for legislation aimed at clean energy and climate change, but the second part of that package went down like a crude-coated pelican. Obama's failure to mention cap-and-trade, or any other scheme to price greenhouse-gas emissions, suggests he doesn't intend to pursue it. You can't fault Obama's political instincts. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-20100621,0,3842681,print.story Letters: Marriage Of Climate Change Politics And Science. I just want to let the two UCLA professors know, in case they've been sequestered in academia, that the "science" of climate change is so unsettled at this point that the average person trying to make up his mind on the topic should trust no one that claims to have all the answers ["Reader Rebuttal: Climate Change," June 21]. I've done some reading on the topic, and according to one of the books I've read, man is only responsible for 0.3 percent of all the CO2 present in the atmosphere. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/climate-254341-change-global.html ENERGY California Bioenergy Stymied Without Bill Passage. A bill (AB 222) that would expedite the introduction of new conversion technologies to produce advanced biofuels and/or green power from organic waste materials in California has recently gained support from three powerful state regulatory agencies. Without endorsement from two Democrats on the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality, however, AB 222 will not reach the Senate floor and will die at the end of the year, allowing many barriers to bioenergy growth to remain in place. Posted. http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=3904 Biomass Supporters Want Exemption From EPA Regulations. Biomass proponents asserting that the carbon benefits of burning woody products should make them exempt from greenhouse gas emission regulations are taking the fight to U.S. EPA. A coalition of 163 groups sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on Friday pressing her to recognize the carbon neutrality of biomass energy and expressing "dismay" that the agency's final "tailoring" rule, which draws a line in the sand about which large sources will need permits to emit greenhouse gas emissions in the future, does not exempt biomass power. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/06/22/7 Newport Beach Neighbors Are Glaring At Solar Panels. Newport Beach residents say the panels on a hillside home are reflecting too much sunlight and want them moved to the roof. The owners say that the panels are staying. Stephen and Mashid Rizzone long planned on creating a fully "green" dream home and impart a legacy of environmental responsibility to their children. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-newport-green-house-20100622,0,6813562,print.story Oil Spill Pushes Carbon Tax Back Into Spotlight. Washington -- Ever since 1993, when President Bill Clinton's plan to tax fuels was demolished by energy industry lobbyists, farmers, aluminum makers, anti-tax groups, conservative Senate Democrats and Republicans, energy taxes have been Washington's shortcut to political suicide. The Senate is about to test that dictum again this summer, deciding the fate of climate-change legislation that would put a price on carbon, the foundation of all fossil fuels, and remind drivers that the true cost of gassing up includes millions of gallons of crude drenching the Gulf of Mexico. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/22/MNBL1E0PCQ.DTL&type=printable Ways That Urbanites Can Turn Their Waste Into Compost. I live in an apartment in the city with zero outdoor space, and I don't have any plants that would benefit from compost. Is there any reason at all, then, why I should be composting my food scraps? Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/21/AR2010062104047.html SAIC Gets $13M Smart Grid Contract For Fla. City. MCLEAN, Va. -- Government contractor Science Applications International Corp. said Monday it received a contract valued at more than $13 million to manage a "smart grid" project for the city of Lakeland, Fla. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/21/AR2010062103870.html BLOGS Study Affirms Consensus on Climate Change. Many debates about global warming seem to boil down to appeals to authority, with one side or the other citing some famous scientist, or group of them, to buttress a particular argument. The tone is often, “My expert is better than yours!” Against this backdrop, some analysts have been trying for several years to get a firm handle on where climate researchers come down, as a group, on the central issues in the global-warming debate: Is the earth warming up, and if so, are humans largely responsible? Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/evidence-for-a-consensus-on-climate-change/ Economy Exacerbates the High Cost of School Bus CNG Fuel Tanks. Last month, the South Coast Air Quality Management District announced one of its largest CNG school bus awards to the tune of $25 million. In this economy, especially, it sounds like quite a windfall for school districts. The award states that Los Angeles Unified School District will be able to use the funds to purchase 80 new CNG school buses. In all, six Southland school districts received more than $16.6 million for new CNG buses, with L.A. Unified leading the way with more than $13.5 million alone. Posted. http://www.stnonline.com/blogs/school-bus-bay/2358-25-million-going-to-california-school-buses-for-replacements-retrofits What The EPA Can, And Can't, Do. With senators beginning to whine that John Kerry is annoying them by talking climate when they want to talk midterms, it's worth thinking seriously about what can be done on climate change in the absence of a bill that prices carbon. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/what_the_epa_can_and_cant_do.html A Utilities-Only Cap-And-Trade. The big movement on the climate-change bill today is that various power players -- including, most importantly, Rahm Emanuel -- are talking up a "utilities-only cap-and-trade bill." To put this in the simplest terms, it would mean that we price carbon in utilities but not cars. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/06/a_utilities-only_cap-and-trade.html A Partial Price on Carbon. The odds remain slight that Congress will put a price on carbon across the whole economy. But there’s still a chance that it may put a price on carbon for only power plants (but not for factories or transportation.) Posted. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/21/a-partial-price-on-carbon/?src=busln ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:19:53 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 23, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 23, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Bid To Suspend California's Global Warming Law Qualifies For November Ballot. The battle over the initiative, launched by Texas oil giants Valero and Tesoro, will pit that industry against environmentalists and the state's clean-tech businesses. California headed for a high-stakes battle over global warming Tuesday, as an oil industry-backed measure to suspend the state's aggressive climate-change law qualified for the November ballot. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-climate-initiative-20100623,0,4066780,print.story http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/23/BASD1E3A7L.DTL&type=newsbayarea http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/22/2841698/measure-to-suspend-calif-climate.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_15353911?nclick_check=1 http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15543http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-22/california-measure-to-suspend-climate-laws-on-ballot.htmlhttp://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?p=9600http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/california-96310-ballot-law.htmlhttp://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jun/22/in-assessing-ab32-we-called-it-as-we-saw-it/ http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hKPBv6ryL27OX8lhnZ0QgZWhXl7QD9GGM6D80 http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/06/23/5 Calif. Considers 100% Offsets As A Cost-Containment Measure. As California continues to set up its cap-and-trade market, policymakers are considering an even heavier reliance on offsets to limit costs in the event that emission allowance prices soar. Under one scenario now under consideration, greenhouse gas emitters would be allowed to use offsets instead of permits to cover 100 percent of their emissions under the state's cap, which is set to reach 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/23/6 UN Climate Panel Names Authors For 5th Report. Geneva—The U.N. science body on climate change has released a list of 831 scientists who will write its fifth report on global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change received 3,000 nominations and the authors were drawn from fields including meteorology, physics, oceanography, statistics, engineering and economics, the Nobel Prize-winning body said. The IPCC has been criticized by some for flaws in its previous reports. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15356865 Supervisor Takes Aim At Climate Change Law. If California’s 2006 climate change law isn’t repealed, Victor Valley households could end up losing $4,000 each, according to 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt. Mitzelfelt took aim at Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Monday afternoon. Posted. http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/supervisor-20013-aim-takes.html CARBON EMISSION Republicans To Tell Obama To Drop Carbon Caps. Key Republican senators will enter a White House meeting next week with a plan to resist carbon policies, pushing the president to focus instead on a fast response to the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that threatens livelihoods and wildlife. The strategy seeks to sever the politically combustible topic of pricing carbon emissions from an energy bill that could feature popular provisions meant to expedite payments to spill victims, increase oil companies' liability and overhaul regulatory oversight of offshore drilling. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/23/2 Would a Push to Curb Carbon Really Reduce U.S. Dependence on Oil? President Obama and congressional Democrats cite the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster as a powerful reason to pass climate legislation, but economists see a flaw with the link: Leading Senate measures would do little to curb petroleum use. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/06/22/22greenwire-would-a-push-to-curb-carbon-really-reduce-us-d-19627.html AIR POLLUTION/PORT Project Hopes To Lower Cruise Ship Pollution. A Port of San Diego project is hoping to help remove a significant amount of pollution from the air San Diegans breathe. Experts said every time a cruise ship pulls into San Diego, it brings an estimated $2 million to the local economy. However, cruise ships also bring a lot of air pollution. Posted. http://www.10news.com/news/23998144/detail.html Scientist: Oxygen Levels Down In Gulf Oil Plumes. New Orleans—A marine scientist says underwater oil plumes are reducing oxygen in parts of the Gulf of Mexico, but the drop-off isn't steep enough to endanger marine life just yet. Samantha Joye of the University of Georgia said Tuesday that water samples show oxygen concentrations within the plumes are dropping 1 to 2 percent each day. She said at that rate, it would take months for levels to become hazardous for fish and other animals. Vast amounts of methane are leaking from the ruptured Deepwater Horizon oil well. Microbes feeding on the methane also consume oxygen. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15351878 Several Sierra Trails Are Toxic, Group Says. The thousands of mine shafts that pockmark the Sierra Nevada and testify to California's Gold Rush riches have also left a legacy of toxic contamination in some of the state's popular recreation areas, according to a new study. Soil tests on a handful of trails near mine mouths in the foothills have revealed extremely high levels of lead, arsenic and asbestos, said researchers at the Sierra Fund, a small environmental advocacy group. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/23/MN2E1E36I7.DTL&type=printable ENERGY Viewpoints: State Is Ready To Get Smart On Energy Grid. California's Vast Electricity Grid Has Evolved In Incremental Fashion Over The Years. But now the state has a chance to fully embrace "smart grid" technologies that would give consumers control over their electricity bills, create jobs and protect the environment. What is a smart grid? Think of it as a type of "energy Internet." By incorporating communications technology into every aspect of electricity generation, delivery and consumption, the smart grid can "talk" with appliances, solar panels and plug-in vehicles. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/23/2841598/state-is-ready-to-get-smart-on.html Think Tank Tries To Prune 'Redundant' House Climate Policies. When weighing the varying climate and energy bills on the table, it is important to weed out options that do not make the most economic sense. That means some central provisions passed by the House in the energy bill from Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) last year should get the ax in final legislation, a new report finds. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/23/3 FUELS Economic Summit Poised To Weaken Moves Against Fossil Fuel Subsidies. President Obama and other heads of state are poised to water down a commitment to phase out oil and gas subsidies, a draft declaration obtained by ClimateWire shows. The new communiqué indicates that eliminating the estimated $250 billion to $500 billion countries pay to make fossil fuels cheaper to buy and produce will now be "voluntary" and "member specific." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/23/4 BLOGS Utilities' 'Renewable' Power Shows Sharp Uptick. California's utilities, under state order to sharply increase their portfolios of "renewable" power generation -- i.e. solar, wind and geothermal -- are showing major movement, the Public Utilities Commission said today. The commission, in a quarterly report on reaching the goal of 20 percent renewables by 2010 and 33 percent by 2020, said that during the first three months of this year, the utilities hit 15.4 percent, up from 13 percent in 2008. Posted. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/06/utilities-renewable-power-show.html#ixzz0rh2uwnky Money in the Greenhouse. Just in case you doubted the power of money to frustrate attempts to rein in greenhouse gases, read Margot Roosevelt’s news story in the Los Angeles Times about the successful effort, paid for mainly by oil companies, to put an initiative on the fall ballot that could suspend the state’s pioneering, and troubled, climate law, Assembly Bill 32. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/money-in-the-greenhouse/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:06:42 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 24, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 24, 2010. 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. RAIL YARDS 4 Calif. rail yards may face emission reductions. LOS ANGELES—State air regulators this week are expected to consider voluntary emission reductions over the next decade at four rail yards in Southern California. Since 2005 the state has significantly cut pollution from rail yards and the latest proposal could reduce emission levels by more than 130 tons by 2020, according to California Air Resources Board spokeswoman Karen Caesar. The board is expected to take up the issue Thursday. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15359650 http://www.modbee.com/2010/06/23/1222926/4-calif-rail-yard-targeted-for.html http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/06/23/business-financial-impact-us-train-pollution-california_7714788.html?boxes=Homepagebusinessnews http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/ap/4-calif-rail-yard-targeted-for-emission-reduction-97007309.html Long Beach railyard targeted for emission cuts. LOS ANGELES - State air regulators this week are expected to consider voluntary emission reductions over the next decade at four railyards in Southern California. California Air Resources Board spokeswoman Karen Caesar says that since 2005 the state has significantly cut pollution at railyards and this latest proposal will reduce emission levels by more than 130 tons by 2020. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15363667?nclick_check=1 Calif. Regulators To Vote On Rail Yard Emissions. State air regulators on Thursday are expected to vote on a plan that would reduce emissions at the four top particulate producing rail yards in Southern California. California Air Resources Board spokeswoman Karen Caesar said the agency has been working on cutting down pollution from rail yards since 2005. Posted. http://cbs2.com/local/4.Calif.rail.2.1769625.html SB 375/URBAN SPRAWL Cut suburban sprawl, save energy, study urges. New development in California needs to be designed from the start to conserve electricity and water, decrease driving time, improve air quality and promote a sustainable lifestyle, according to a landmark study of the state's future growth. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/23/BA661E3PVD.DTL Smart growth packs in the savings, study finds. A little smart growth goes a long way, a state study has found. Intended to help cities and counties implement SB 375, the analysis weighed 10 years of the status quo against "urban infill and compact growth" geared toward public transit. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=66471 Urban Sprawl Could Make Cities Hotter. WEDNESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- If global warming does drive temperatures upward, cities with urban sprawl may be more prone to extreme heat than less spread-out centers, new research suggests. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/640368.html http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/06/study-sprawling-cities-experience-hotter-summer-temperatures/1 http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2010/06/21/daily27.html CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG CARB Approves FirstCarbon Solutions as GHG Verification Body. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has accredited First Carbon Solutions of West Chester, Pa., as a greenhouse gas (GHG) verification body for the state’s AB 32 program. Under Executive Order H-10-196, the company is certified to verify GHG inventories for approximately 700 facilities that are currently required to report. Posted. http://eponline.com/articles/2010/06/24/carb-approves-firstcarbon-solutions-as-ghg-verification-body.aspx Defense Experts Want More Explicit Climate Models. SAN DIEGO -- Tell us what you don't know. That's the message military and national security experts gathered here want to send to climate scientists. While political leaders on Capitol Hill seek definitive answers about how quickly the world's climate will change, military and national security experts say they're used to making decisions with limited information. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/24/24climatewire-defense-experts-want-more-explicit-climate-m-35887.html Global warming? 97% of experts agree. A new study of climate scientists' opinions shows 97 percent agree that global warming is driven mainly by human activity – emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The study, published this week by the National Academy of Sciences, involved 1,372 climate scientists, most considered top researchers in their field. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/climate-254801-scientists-change.html ENERGY Smart grid technology can address climate change. Over the past 35 years, California's groundbreaking energy policies have saved ratepayers $56 billion and helped avoid the need to build dozens of fossil fuel power plants. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/23/EDGI1E3O2G.DTL Another U.S. Clean Energy Generator Finds a Home Abroad. A decade ago, Americans were fascinated with the idea of a hydrogen-powered economy. The George W. Bush administration projected images of millions of cars zipping down the highway, pumping out nothing but water for exhaust from their fuel cell engines. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/24/24climatewire-another-us-clean-energy-generator-finds-a-ho-60575.html BALLOT INITIATIVE Texas oil firms behind California greenhouse gas initiative. California is headed for another showdown over greenhouse gases. A citizen's ballot initiative approved Tuesday could suspend AB32, the state's landmark 2006 law mandating a 25 percent reduction in industrial greenhouse gases by 2020. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0623/Texas-oil-firms-behind-California-greenhouse-gas-initiative Newsom blasts oil companies trying to suspend emissions law. Mayor Gavin Newsom and his environmental allies came out swinging today, vowing to defeat a November ballot measure that would suspend California's landmark climate change law, which requires major polluters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=66467 Editorial: Voters can chill state global warming law. A November ballot measure will give voters the chance to suspend California's harmful global warming regulations, perhaps saving 1 million jobs and avoiding billions of dollars in economic damage. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/regulations-254767-ab32-jobs.html Gloves off in California over greenhouse gas law. June 23 (Reuters) - California environmentalists opened fire on Wednesday on a measure approved for the state's November ballot that would roll back a landmark law regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2327266720100623 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:07:11 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 25, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 25, 2010. 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. RAIL YARDS Air Regulators Target Four Rail Yards. The State Air Resources Board is pushing to further cut toxic diesel emissions at four of the highest polluting rail yards in the state. One of those is the BNSF yards in San Bernardino. Over the past five years, diesel emissions have been slashed in-half. The ARB’s action Thursday will build on those reductions. As a result of a 12-year-old agreement with the railroads, the ARB claims Southern California has the cleanest fleet of locomotives in the nation. Posted. http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=14857 http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_railplan25.21e1146.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iFLf0FARxzK3LtKTA3dyI7dH6xeQD9GHQ8R81 http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=12703892 http://www.modbee.com/2010/06/24/1224812/calif-panel-approves-voluntary.html http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/market_news/article.jsp?content=D9GHQ8S00 http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=11004131 http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/06/24/california-regulators-vote-rail-emission-cuts/ http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jun/24/calif-regulators-to-vote-on-rail-02/ http://www.nctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/article_7a879754-c447-5459-a079-bfbddab58055.html http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-ca-train-pollution,0,388035.story http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/06/24/financial/f153554D26.DTL http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_15365232?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com http://cbs2.com/local/Rail.Yard.Pollution.2.1771077.html http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/24/2846997/calif-panel-approves-voluntary.html PROP 1B FUNDS ARB Announces $200 Million to Clean the State's Busiest Trade Corridors. Today the California Air Resources Board awarded $200 million in Proposition 1B funds to cut harmful emissions from heavy-duty trucks and other sources in the state's four busiest trade corridors to clean up air pollution and protect community health. Posted. http://yubanet.com/california/ARB-announces-200-million-to-clean-the-state-s-busiest-trade-corridors.php http://www.favstocks.com/california-arb-awarding-200m-to-reduce-diesel-emissions-from-trucks-locomotives-harborcraft/2518794/ http://www.ccjdigital.com/carb-awards-200m-to-clean-busy-trade-corridors/ http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15573 AB 32 Measure Would Suspend State's Global Warming Law. Area business leaders and politicians are lauding a measure that qualified for November’s ballot that, if passed, would conditionally suspend the state’s global warming law. The measure, which supporters call the California Jobs Initiative, was certified by the secretary of state’s office on Tuesday. It would temporarily suspend implementation of Assembly Bill 32, the state’s global warming law, until the state’s unemployment rate stays at 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. Posted. http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/measure-20073-state-leaders.html California Renewable Energy Bill Reemerges, But AB 32 in Peril. A California renewable energy bill that had been given up for dead last year is alive and well, following a 9 to 2 vote Thursday in favor by the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee. The bill (SB 722), introduced by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) would require the state to obtain 33% of its electricity from clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar power by 2020. The Legislature passed a similar bill last year, but Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed it and signed an executive order with the same policy goal instead. Posted. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/20569 Calif. to Vote on Global Warming Law. The California Secretary of State Wednesday June 23 certified for the November ballot the California Jobs Initiative, which would suspend California's global warming law (AB 32). The initiative would halt implementation of AB 32 until the unemployment rate in California is 5.5 percent or less for four consecutive calendar quarters. Posted. http://newsblaze.com/story/20100624114932zzzz.nb/topstory.html Editorial: Voters will have a say on AB32. Our view: Right now, jobs are a critical element for California and the temporary suspension of AB32 could help. With all the town hall meetings that Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda, has conducted in his district, he understands his constituents. Many businesses see problems with AB32, and that's one big reason Logue has been pushing a ballot initiative asking for a temporary suspension of California's anti-global warming law. AB32 became law in 2006, ordering the state to get its greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels. It will be launched in 2012. A study says 1 million jobs will be lost over time because of the law. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/ci_15374576?source=most_emailed CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG Obama Delays Climate Change Bill As Gulf Oil Spill Continues To Scare Environmentalists. The Gulf oil spill is the worst oil spill in the history of mankind. Say what you will, there will be no better argument for environmentalists and clean energy activists to get the ball rolling. Many groups are calling on democrats to pick up the pace with climate change legislation. http://www.examiner.com/x-43343-Energy-Policy-Examiner~y2010m6d24-Obama-delays-climate-change-bill-as-gulf-oil-spill-continues-to-scare-environmentalists McCartney, in Interview, Compares Global Warming Skeptics to Holocaust Deniers. Sir Paul McCartney just can't let it be. The former Beatle predicted in an interview that the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico might expedite a move to cleaner, renewable energy sources in the world. Sir Paul could have stopped while he was ahead, but McCartney went on to compare people who don't believe in global warming to "those who don't believe there was a Holocaust." http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/06/24/paul-mccartney-global-warming-holocaust-deniers/ Democrats Fix Strategy for Undefined Climate and Energy Bill. Emotions surged during a "thrilling" caucus gathering in which Democrats plotted to bring a vote on climate legislation to the floor this summer. They promised to challenge resistant Republicans to oppose a measure focusing on polluters as oil from the site of an exploded rig continues to pour into the Gulf of Mexico. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/25/25climatewire-democrats-fix-strategy-for-undefined-climate-69494.html FUELS Opinion: EPA’s Action On Ethanol Would Harm All Americans. If you own a car, boat, or gasoline-powered equipment such as a lawnmower or a chainsaw, you should be worried about a well-funded advertising and public relations campaign now being waged by ethanol producers to rush through hasty Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for higher levels of ethanol in the gasoline you use. Posted. http://thehill.com/opinion/letters/105449-epas-action-on-ethanol-would-harm-all-americans CLEAN VEHICLES Smart Cars Just Want To Help. The prototype smart cars on display Thursday at UC San Diego may have had the biggest, fastest computerized brains engineers could devise, but they knew who's boss: the people driving them. The display of seven cars and assorted other automotive advances capped a four-day, IEEE Intelligent Vehicle conference dedicated to discussing how cars can better assist drivers. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_ca695470-fdad-5f24-a077-facb7b7bed46.html Fill 'er up. Imagine a world where all it took to power a car was sunshine and tap water. That isn't a pipe dream but, rather, the reality of emerging technology that someday could turn your house into a personal, zero-emission gas station. It's called a residential hydrogen refueler, and only one currently exists. Tucked away on the Torrance campus of Honda R&D behind a security guard and a locked gate, the sleek system is designed to power Honda's limited-production FCX Clarity sedan and other hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-hydrogen-20100625,0,332248.story Silicon Valley Becoming a Hub of Electric Vehicles. A 2006 documentary about GM's ill-fated EV1 famously asked, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" Silicon Valley is helping to bring it back to life. Tuesday's scheduled stock market debut for Palo Alto-based Tesla Motors, the first by an automaker since Ford's in 1956, is only the highest-profile sign of the region's role as a vibrant hub of the growing electric vehicle industry. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/green-energy/ci_15370660?nclick_check=1 ENERGY California Renewable Electricity Bill Comes Back To Life, Passes First Assembly Committee. BERKELEY (June 24, 2010) – A California renewable energy bill that had been given up for dead last year is alive and well, following a 9 to 2 vote in favor today by the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Posted. http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/california-renewable-electricity-bill-0413.html BLOGS California's State Rock Raked Over the Coals. California's official state symbols tell a story of a place of natural wealth and pioneering spirit, not to mention exploitable natural resources. For example, there's the redwood tree-a reminder of rugged coastlines and peaceful mountains. Then there's the state mineral, gold, which tells of the hardy miners of the past. But what's the meaning behind serpentine, the state rock? In 1965, leaders chose this mineral-packed stone as a symbol for the state's mining prowess. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/kalw/detail?entry_id=66514#ixzz0rsexhoTc Is It Energy’s Turn Now? With the overhaul of financial regulation nearing completion, some Democrats are hoping that Congress can turn to the next big legislative challenge – energy and climate change. There is no consensus yet what such legislation should include, but there is strong determination on the part of the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress to try to move something – anything – before Congress leaves town in August. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/is-it-energys-turn-now/?scp=2&sq=carbon%20emissions&st=cse ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:26:14 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 28, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 28, 2010. 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. AB 32 Our View: Voters Can Chill State Global Warming Legislation. A November ballot measure will give voters the chance to suspend California's harmful global warming regulations, perhaps saving 1 million jobs and avoiding billions of dollars in economic damage. The California Jobs Initiative would suspend mandated restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions set to begin next year. The law would remain suspended until unemployment in California drops to 5.5 percent. It is now 12.4 percent. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/common/printer/view.php?db=marysville&id=96507 OPINION: Richard Mazzucchi - Positive Point: The California Jobs Initiative - A Great Step Backwards. Last week Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced that a measure to delay Assembly Bill 32, the 2006 law mandating the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, has qualified for the November ballot. Proponents, who needed to submit at least 435,000 valid voter signatures to make the cut, reached the threshold for qualifying through the random sample process. Posted. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/opinion/ci_15393557 EMISSIONS EPA Behind On Setting Emissions Guidelines. Washington - The Environmental Protection Agency is 10 years behind schedule in setting guidelines for a host of toxic air pollutants, according to a report from the agency's inspector general. The report, which was released last week, found that the agency had failed to develop emissions standards, due in 2000, for some sources of hazardous air pollutants. These included smaller sites often located in urban areas, like dry cleaners and gas stations, but also some chemical manufacturers. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/27/MNTJ1E5J9A.DTL&type=printable CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Govs Consider Alternative Energy, Climate Change. Whitefish, Mont.—Governors from Western states say new transmission lines are critical to developing alternative energy that will be needed in the coming years. The governors are meeting to recognize that climate change poses real threats and that the development of more renewable energy will require more transmission lines. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15393881?nclick_check=1 Stanford Study: Few Experts Support Global Warming Skepticism. Study says skeptics are not well-informed on the topic. Stanford University recently conducted a study that shows a minimal number of scientists who do not accept that human beings have contributed to the Earth's climate change have "far less expertise and prominence in climate research" than scientists who do believe climate change has been affected by humans. Posted. http://www.dailytech.com/Stanford+Study+Few+Experts+Support+Global+Warming+Skepticism/article18863.htm Arctic Overreacts to Climate Change. Geological research shows that whenever Earth heats up a few degrees, the Arctic gets three times as warm. Whether it's 5 million years ago or June 2010, it's becoming very clear that whenever the Earth's climate warms up a few degrees -- for whatever reason -- the Arctic multiples that warming by a factor of about three. Two new studies of past warming and cooling periods going back millions of years have found that the Arctic reliably amplifies whatever global climate is doing. Posted. http://news.discovery.com/earth/arctic-warming-amplification.html?print=true Polar Bear Overseer: Few Tools To Stop Melting Ice. Anchorage, Alaska—Polar bear policy in America can be summed up succinctly: The iconic bears are threatened with extinction, and so far nothing much is being done. Two years after they were listed under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken no major action in response to their principal threat, the loss of sea ice habitat due to climate change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15384968 California Offers Divisive Cost-Control Options For Cap-And-Trade. California officials are floating new proposals to minimize costs on companies and consumers under the state’s proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade scheme, including a plan to expand the use of offsets that most environmentalists strongly oppose. State regulators may also allow companies to borrow future emission allowances to comply with current regulatory obligations -- another controversial measure that is likely to draw criticism in the weeks to come. Posted. http://carboncontrolnews.com/ DIESELS California Funds Go to Reducing Diesel Emissions in Busy Corridors. The California Air Resources Board has allocated $200 million in Proposition 1B funds to go towards reducing diesel emissions from trucks, locomotives and harborcraft in the Los Angeles/Inland Empire, Central Valley, Bay Area and San Diego/Border regions. These are the state's four busiest trade corridors. Previous Proposition 1B funds in 2008 provided $246 million to local agencies putting more than 5,000 cleaner trucks on the state's roads. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=70845 Diesel Technology Forum Commends California Air Resources Board. California Effort to Reduce Emissions by Over 29,000 Tons of Nitrogen Oxides. Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, issued the following statement today regarding the California Air Resources Board’s decision to award $200 million for new technologies to curb nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions and in four major trade corridors. Posted. http://www.dieselforum.org/news-center/press-releases/diesel-technology-forum-commends-california-air-resources-board VEHICLES Silicon Valley Aiming To Be The New Detroit. Silicon Valley is positioning itself as a hub for the electric vehicle industry, with companies like Better Place and Coulomb Technologies taking up shop in the California region known for its technology base. With Tuesday's stock market debut of California-based Tesla Motors, the first new debut since Ford Motor Co.'s in 1956, companies in the region are excited about the promise that electric vehicles hold. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/28/10 http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tesla-20100628,0,5212765.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fbusiness+%28L.A.+Times+-+Business%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Luxury Plug-In Hybrid Car To Make Area Debut Tuesday In Elk Grove. Area auto enthusiasts who have only seen photos of the sleek Fisker Karma luxury plug-in hybrid electric vehicle will have an opportunity to see the real thing Tuesday in Elk Grove. The $88,000 environmentally friendly, four-passenger sedan capable of hitting 60 mph in less than six seconds will be on display from 5 to 8 p.m. at Infiniti of Elk Grove, 8586 Laguna Grove Drive, in the Elk Grove Automall. The vehicle unveiling, which is open to the public, is part of a two-month, 42-city North American tour conducted by Irvine-based Fisker Automotive. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/26/v-print/2850350/luxury-plug-in-hybrid-car-to-make.html Electric Car Maker Tesla Motors To Begin Offering Stock. New York - Tesla Motors Inc. begins selling stock to the public on Tuesday. The sale's success depends on how much investors are willing to bet on a car company that has never made a profit, sells a single vehicle and expects to lose money until at least 2012. As for the car, it's electric - a kind of vehicle Americans have shown almost no appetite for - and it's very pricey. But the Palo Alto startup believes Americans' taste in cars is changing. Posted. http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_15391562?source=rss ENERGY Senate Rejects Bill Extending Biodiesel Credit. The Senate has voted down a bill that would have reinstated the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit through the end of 2010, among other tax extenders, according to the Oil Price Information Service. Earlier this month, the House passed the bill, H.R. 4213, but Republicans in the Senate were concerned about deficits, as the legislation also included an extension of unemployment benefits. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=70847 Senate Democrats Poised To Start Energy Bill. Legislation could include a carbon cap on utility companies. Many Democrats hope a summer discussion on energy will establish a strong contrast with Republicans before this fall's election. With the gulf oil spill creating political opportunity, Senate Democrats will begin crafting a sweeping energy bill this week that could include a first-ever, though more modest, cap on global-warming pollution, believing they must act now despite differences within their ranks and political jitters in an election year. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-energy-congress-20100627,0,5701774,print.story Valley Club Makes Solar Cooking Sizzle. Carl Peters happened upon his first solar cooker at a yard sale. Intrigued, he bought it, tried it and became a fan. A short time later, the retired machinist started building his own sun-powered ovens and spreading the word about cooking without leaving a carbon footprint. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/27/1986985/solar-cooking-sizzles.html AIR QUALITY Federal Money Available To Cut California Agricultural Air Pollution. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in California said today that it is making an additional $10 million available for Golden State farmers and ranchers interested in reducing air-polluting emissions. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/25/1984376/federal-money-available-to-cut.html Hong Kong Air Pollution Blamed On Political System. Hong Kong -- Democracy activists are not the only ones unhappy with a slow pace of electoral reform in Hong Kong. Environmentalists blame the city's political setup - which guarantees a strong voice for business - for stymieing efforts to clean up Hong Kong's increasingly dirty air. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/26/AR2010062600838.html RAILYARDS California Air Agency Seeks Fewer Emissions At Four Rail Yards. Last week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced plans to further reduce air emissions at the four “highest-polluting” rail yards in the state during the next 10 years. The southern California yards include BNSF Railway Co.’s San Bernardino and Hobart facilities, and Union Pacific Railroad’s Commerce yard and intermodal container transfer facility near Long Beach. During the past five years, agreements between CARB, federal regulators and the Class Is have resulted in halving emissions at the yards. Posted. http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=23688 BLOGS Talking Points To Get Energy Policy And Climate Change Ball Rolling In Congress. An executive summary was recently published. The study was done by The National Energy Policy Institute and Resources For The Future entitled "Toward A New National Energy Policy". It contains some interesting findings on where the United States should be headed in terms of energy policy. As Congress is getting ready to debate climate change and green house gas emissions I thought it would be beneficial to take a look at some of their findings in the study. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-43343-Energy-Policy-Examiner~y2010m6d28-Talking-points-to-get-energy-policy-and-climate-change-ball-rolling-in-Congress What Role Will Senator Murkowski Play in Climate and Energy Negotiations? Speaking at a sparsely-attended luncheon in Fairbanks, AK on Friday, Senator Murkowski (R-AL) touted her failed effort to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions as a 'badge of honor.' She went on to explain why she considered the maneuver, which went down by a 53-47 margin on June 10th, a qualified success. "We made our point. Forty-seven members of the Senate said they do not want to allow the agency to set climate change policy," she said. As luck would have it, another institution has plans to 'set climate change policy' in the weeks ahead -- the United States Senate. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-nelson/what-role-will-senator-mu_b_627552.html?view=print A Nobelist’s Energy Pitch for Obama. President Obama is preparing to take another stab at seeking consensus in the Senate on energy legislation with components that could rein in emissions of greenhouse gases. He had tried to round up lawmakers for a White House meeting on the question last week but the blowup over Afghanistan policy pushed the long-simmering energy issue to this week, with a meeting now planned for Tuesday. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/a-nobelists-energy-pitch-for-obama/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:18:21 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ADDENDUM to Newclips for June 28, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV ADDENDUM to Newclips for June 28, 2010. California Offers Divisive Cost-Control Options For Cap-And-Trade Carbon Control News California officials are floating new proposals to minimize costs on companies and consumers under the state’s proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade scheme, including a plan to expand the use of offsets that most environmentalists strongly oppose. State regulators may also allow companies to borrow future emission allowances to comply with current regulatory obligations -- another controversial measure that is likely to draw criticism in the weeks to come. How California designs its cap-and-trade program is being closely followed by numerous government officials and stakeholders, in part because the program could influence climate change proposals at the federal level and because it is expected to have economic and environmental impacts well beyond the state. During a June 22 public meeting, staff with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) floated new options it is considering to minimize costs when it launches its cap-and-trade program in 2012. CARB is expected to adopt the regulations this fall. Some of the key draft measures are: * Set a minimum auction price for allowances, in part to prevent collusion among purchasers, with unsold allowances being held in a special reserve holding account. * Relax the currently proposed limit of GHG offsets from 4 percent of total compliance obligation to 8 percent when a certain allowance price is reached. * Allow limited use of future “vintage” allowances intended for a following compliance period to be used to satisfy a current compliance period. * Release more allowances from the reserve under certain circumstances. Some of the problems associated with relaxing the offset limit include that additional offset supplies may not be available, and that projects may need assured future access to the market to be viable, according to a CARB presentation during the June 22 meeting. Expanding offsets will also lower the amount of GHGs that are reduced at facilities in California. Problems with allowing entities to use future vintage allowances to comply with current obligations include that direct emission reductions will be lagging behind the overall decline in the GHG cap; it results in fewer allowances available in the next period; and it could create a need for continuous borrowing -- at the end of 2020, some entities may have failed to reduce emissions fully, according to CARB staff. With regard to the proposal to establish an allowance reserve, CARB is considering an option to make the reserves available for direct purchase by entities at a “window,” which would require an allocation method when demand for the reserves exceeds the supply. This option could result in directly and freely allocating these reserves to covered entities. Researchers at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions who are helping CARB with its proposals said at the meeting that some of the options being floated by CARB staff are similar to provisions contained in the pending federal legislative proposal by Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), as well as the bill passed by the House last year by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA). Proposed Price Floor Tim Profeta, director of the institute, said at the June 22 CARB staff meeting that the Waxman-Markey bill, for example, proposes a price floor of $10 a ton of carbon dioxide-equivalent. The Kerry-Lieberman proposal also creates a reserve and would expand allowance supplies if certain high prices are reached. At a certain level, the legislation would also create a discount-window approach that is similar to what CARB is considering, he said. Firms would be able to buy directly out of the reserve at a set price but each firm would be limited to buying no more than 15 percent of its compliance obligation, and these allowances could not be banked or re-sold immediately, according to the Kerry-Lieberman proposal. CARB staffers are considering directly allocating the reserve allowances to covered entities in situations that trigger the reserve in part because most entities will be receiving their base allowances freely at the start anyway, one CARB staffer said during the meeting. Utility representatives appeared to be fairly pleased with the direction CARB is heading in the proposed cap-and-trade program. Frank Harris, representing Southern California Edison, one of the state’s major investor-owned utilities, indicated support for the “window” reserve allowance allocation option, but questioned the 15 percent limit included in the federal legislation. The window option “provides some investor certainty and . . . is probably a little more straightforward than developing a price trigger and then creating a mechanism for the ability to access a reserve,” he said. Ray Williams, representing Pacific Gas & Electric, said “utilities have done some shared thinking and are reasonably well-aligned with what [Harris] has outlined,” adding that “we’re looking for a price collar mechanism that has environmental integrity and also provides price and supply assurance.” Norm Pedersen, an attorney representing the Southern California Public Power Authority, which represents municipal utilities including the mammoth Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, said the outfit is “thrilled with the direction staff is taking, and very encouraged with what we’re seeing.” However, Pedersen said CARB may not be adequately containing costs with its reserve proposals because there likely will still not be adequate allowances in the pot. He proposed that CARB consider expanding the number of overall allowances regulated entities receive from CARB based on changes in actual industrial and other GHG emissions that have resulted from the economic recession over the past two to three years. For example, CARB would establish a 2012 cap on emissions based on the best current forecasts of emissions, but then CARB could also establish a “pre-recession” forecast of 2012 emissions, which would be much higher. The difference between the two could then “populate” the allowance reserve, he suggested. Utilities, manufacturers and other industry representatives are supporting the CARB staff option to expand offset use under the California cap-and-trade program, with carbon offset providers and brokerage firms calling on staff to go much further by placing no limits on offset use. However, several environmental organizations are strongly opposing lifting the previously proposed 4 percent cap on the use of offsets to satisfy compliance obligations. Erin Rogers, representing the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), said at the June 22 meeting that expanding offset use threatens to increase GHGs and other pollution in disproportionately affected communities in California. She said this directly conflicts with provisions of AB 32, the state’s 2006 global warming solutions law that required the sweeping climate change regulatory program and the cap-and-trade scheme. Peter Miller, representing the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said the environmental organization does not prefer borrowing allowances from the future to satisfy current compliance obligations, in part because it fails to set an accurate carbon price signal and likely would increase pressure on regulators to relax caps in the future. Further, Miller suggested CARB staff consider lowering the offset limit when allowance prices are low, in addition to expanding it when prices are high. Will Barrett, representing the American Lung Association of California, said expanded offset use would forgo or eliminate pollution-reduction “co-benefits,” which is a key piece of AB 32. Alex Jackson, also representing NRDC, pointed out that cap-and-trade itself is a program aimed at lowering the costs of GHG regulation, indicating that allowing the expansion of offsets might be too generous on the regulated entities and could compromise certain aspects of the program. NRDC is also concerned about allowing borrowing of allowances from future compliance periods, he said. Questions remain over how the distinct provisions of California’s cap-and-trade program will link to the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), a proposed regional cap-and-trade program that includes California and several other states and Canadian provinces. That program is also expected to launch in 2012. For example, Dhaval Dagli, another representative of Southern California Edison, asked CARB staff at the meeting whether a California entity could purchase a GHG allowance from a linked program under a condition in which a price trigger has been reached, or whether the linked state would also have to be in a price-trigger condition. A CARB staffer responded generally that California does not want to link to a system that is “less rigorous” in terms of its cost-containment measures or offset project quality. Further, “we’re currently having those discussions within the WCI about the need for coordination between cost-containment mechanisms.” ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:31:57 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 29, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 29, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S If You Can't Stand The Heat, New Research Suggests Moving Out Of The City. Cities were already known to retain more heat than the rural environments that surround them, but new modeling from researchers in the United Kingdom now suggests that urban areas are also more sensitive to changes in climate. Furthermore, they will experience greater increases in average temperature with rises in atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the cooling effects of night will become more of a memory than a reality. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/29/1 Murkowski Facing Opponent With 'Serious' Questions About Climate Science. There's at least one conservative man in Alaska who might be hoping Sen. Lisa Murkowski leaves the White House today as a supporter of pricing carbon dioxide. It's not because Joe Miller is focused in fixing climate change. That's a liberal theory based on "dubious science," he says, "at best." Rather, a sharp reversal by Murkowski, a moderate Republican who has rejected Democratic appeals to support capping carbon emissions this year, might help him win an election. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/29/2 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/29/29climatewire-murkowski-facing-opponent-with-serious-quest-11961.html Leading Climate Researchers See 'Tipping Point' To Irreversible Change. There are better than even odds the Earth's climate will undergo an irreversible change, according to a new survey of climate scientists. The poll, which will be published this week by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sought the opinions of 14 leading climate researchers. The goal, said the study's lead author, was to tap the scientists' hidden knowledge. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/29/3 Australian Summit to Boost Global Defenses Against Climate Change. Researchers from around the world have gathered for Australia's first international conference focused entirely on adapting to the impact of climate change. Organizers of the meeting say the effects of a warming planet are already being felt and that societies need to learn how to cope. Some 1,000 delegates at the International Climate Change Adaptation Conference, south of Brisbane, will hear that the impact of warming temperatures and rising sea levels is likely to increase in severity. Posted. http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Australian-Summit-to-Boost-Global-Defenses-against-Climate-Change-97383239.html ENERGY U.S. Wind Industry Generates Some High-Hanging Fruit. The U.S. wind industry is following a global trend: It's building more and more of each wind turbine on its own soil. In 2005, turbines built in the United States had 25 percent domestic content, as a fraction of the turbine's total value. In 2009, that figure rose to 50 percent, according to a report released yesterday by the American Wind Energy Association, United Steelworkers and BlueGreen Alliance. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/06/29/4 VEHICLES Assembly Oks Expansion Of Carpool Perk. State lawmakers reached a major compromise Monday that would allow up to 40,000 solo drivers in electric and alternative fuel vehicles to use California's carpool lanes through 2015. On a 64-8 vote, the state Assembly approved legislation to allow electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and cars that run on alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas to be driven in diamond lanes with just the driver inside. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15396794?source=rss Carpool Toll Threatens Popular Practice. Oakland — Three days before their free ride to work was scheduled to end, casual carpoolers were unhappy but resigned about the new Bay Bridge carpool toll, hoping it wouldn't destroy a long-standing practice both drivers and riders said had benefited them greatly. "It's a system that worked well. If the new toll breaks it, that will be a shame," said Ellen Kaiser. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_15395812?nclick_check=1 DIESELS REGION: Study Estimates Surge Of Region's Freight Trucks By 2050. Trucks move 96 percent of region's freight. If you think there are a lot of big rigs on the road now, wait until 2050. A new study estimates that the number of freight trucks passing through the region's border crossings ---- many of which then travel through North County ---- will nearly quadruple to 4.4 million annually, up from 1.2 million in 2007. Those trucks will carry a projected 39 million tons of goods, or three times as many as in 2007, according to the report, titled the San Diego and Imperial Valley Gateway Study. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_d3867e66-1a01-54cd-b397-54bf43af21d5.html BLOGS Electric Car Maker Tesla Prices IPO At $17 A Share. Tesla Motors Inc., the Silicon Valley-based electric sports-car maker, got a warm welcome from investors in the company’s initial public stock offering late Monday. Tesla priced its IPO at $17 a share, above the expected range of $14 to $16. The stock will begin trading on Nasdaq on Tuesday under the symbol TSLA. The deal marks the first IPO by an American car company since Ford Motor Co. went public in 1956. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/06/tesla-ipo-price-17-electric-sports-car-musk.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MoneyCompany+%28Money+%26+Company%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Why Climate Stumps Even the Brightest Scientists. Working climate scientists are almost unanimous in their view that the earth is slowly warming up and that human activity, particularly the combustion of fossil fuels, is the primary cause. But beneath that surface unanimity, predictions vary about how much the planet will warm in the future because of rising greenhouse gases. Scientists’ best guesses range from mild warming, to which the planet and its people might adapt easily, to temperature increases so extreme that life on earth would be radically altered. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/why-climate-stumps-even-the-brightest-scientists/?pagemode=print Air Pollution A New Health Concern . Public outrage over the BP oil spill fouling the Gulf of Mexico has focused on water pollution. But an air pollution health threat may also be serious, according to UCI researchers. A team of UCI scientists, including Nobel laureate F. Sherwood Rowland and Chemistry department Chairman Donald Blake, has detected concentrations of toxic chemicals such as alkyl nitrates, methane, hexane and butane compounds that can irritate or burn skin and eyes or cause dizziness, according to studies. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/06/gulf-oil-spill-air-pollution-health-workers.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 U.S. Options and the Global Greenhouse. With President Obama and 23 senators meeting at the White House today to winnow provisions that might add up to a viable energy (and climate) bill, it’s useful to review the bidding a bit. A decent starting place is “The Real Options for U.S. Climate Policy,” a column by the economist Robert Stavins at Harvard University charting possible paths to reducing American emissions of greenhouse gases. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/u-s-options-and-the-global-greenhouse/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:46:24 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for June 30, 2010 From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 30, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S English Teacher Treks With Antarctica Scientists, Journals About Discoveries. Santa Cruz - When the science gets tough, Tina Sander gets writing. The Cabrillo College and Santa Cruz Adult School teacher is going on a three-month expedition to Antarctica in October with the ICE AGED Project. The project is a group venture between 10 scientists from the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. The scientists will study how human activities affect the ocean climate, and Sander will be journaling about what they find. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15403963?nclick_check=1 Newspapers Retract Faulty Climate Reporting. The reverberations of the scandal many refer to as "climategate," which erupted last December after personal emails between top climate scientists were taken from a British University server and posted online, continue... but they are taking some new twists and turns. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/06/newspapers_retract_faulty_clim.html Obama, Senators Grapple With 'Cap And Trade,' Energy Bill. President Obama and a bipartisan group of senators met today to gear up for political battle over a "cap and trade" system to address global warming -- a "polluter pays" provision in the view of Democrats, an "energy tax" according to critical Republicans. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/06/obama-senators-grapple-with-cap-and-trade-energy-bill/1 LCFS Low Carbon Fuel Standard Could Result in Price Shock. A nationwide low carbon fuel standard would significantly increase the costs of transportation and fuel, according to a study conducted by Charles River Associates. The study found that a standard would result in a price shock, including an increase of about 30 to 80 percent in the cost of transportation fuels within five years of the standard being implemented. This would be caused by the large increase in production of low carbon fuels required to achieve the emissions reductions. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70868 CARBON EMISSIONS Sen. Snowe Is Working Quietly to Find 'Consensus' on Capping Utility Emissions. Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe expressed support yesterday for making electric utilities pay fees for releasing carbon dioxide, giving Senate Democrats a critical Republican supporter in their stalled pursuit of climate legislation. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/30/30climatewire-sen-snowe-is-working-quietly-to-find-consens-81179.html DIESEL More Fleets Keeping an Eye on Emissions. Almost half of fleets are measuring emissions, compared with 40 percent in 2009 and 28 percent in 2008, according to an annual survey conducted by PHH Arval. The survey was designed to gauge fleet managers' insights into environmental issues, how fleets are implementing solutions that would reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and more. Of those fleets that are measuring emissions, 65 percent are using actual fuel data to measure, a more than 10 percent increase over last year. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70873 ENERGY Energy Bill: Can Senators Reach Agreement? Even as the sense of urgency to address the energy issue grows, momentum on the energy and climate bill is still stalled. The idea of a cap on carbon has become a central point of contention between Democrats and Republicans. The death of Sen. Robert Byrd, who, despite hailing from coal-producing West Virginia, became a proponent of fostering clean energy and passing a comprehensive bill, has also cast doubt on whether there will be enough Democratic votes to pass a partisan bill. Posted. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/energy-climate-talks-stalled-cap-trade-debate/story?id=11045476 VEHICLES Roush Takes Propane Vehicles on Tour in California. Roush is taking its liquid propane vehicles to California, to give customers there a first-hand test drive of its propane-powered Ford F-Series pickups and E-Series vans. The 2010 California Propane Road Show kicked off yesterday and continues today at Meeder Equipment in Fresno, Calif. The show features a number of companies involved in propane vehicles, including Roush. Each stop on the tour will begin with a short presentation on the benefits to using propane and end with a participant ride-and-drive opportunity. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70869 Shares of Tesla Increase 40% on First Day of Trading. Shares of the electric carmaker Tesla Motors closed on Tuesday more than 40 percent above their initial public offering price. Tesla’s shares closed at $23.89, up $6.89 from the initial offering price of $17, despite weakness in the broad market and as other auto stocks were hurt by concerns of a global slowdown, giving it a market value of $2.22 billion. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/business/30tesla.html?ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print 2010 BMW 3-Series has diesel power. Germany's BMW car company is known for its sporty cars and not for fuel efficiency. But buyers of the 2010 BMW 335d get sporty performance and the best fuel mileage of any mainstream BMW vehicle. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15410012 O'Brien: With the IPO behind it, let's look ahead to Tesla's uphill battle. Tesla has the kind of romantic narrative that makes us swoon in Silicon Valley. The electric vehicle is potentially a disruptive force. The company reeks of innovation. And it's tackling an enormous problem, global warming, with a sleek and sexy product. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15404151 BLOGS Sorting Myth and Reality in Climate Policy. The Energy Collective is a valuable aggregator of views on one of the prime challenges of our time — how to provide the energy required to foster a smooth path beyond “peak us” while cutting the risks of economic turmoil, resource conflicts or disruptive climate change. In a fresh post, Darrene Hackler summarizes conclusions from a new report she wrote with Robert D. Atkinson (they both hail from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a nonprofit research group) that rebuts 10 prominent strategies for avoiding dangerous human-driven climate change. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/sorting-myth-and-reality-in-climate-policy/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2010 12:20:45 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 1, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July, 1, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Fiorina Says Calif. Climate Law Is Killing Jobs. Sacramento, Calif. - GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina appeared on a national cable news show Wednesday asserting that California's law to fight global warming is killing jobs, but a review shows its economic effects remain uncertain. In an interview on CNBC's "Closing Bell," Fiorina said she is trying to unseat Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in part because of the lawmaker's push for federal greenhouse gas legislation inspired by California's 2006 climate law, called the Global Warming Solutions Act but commonly referred to as AB32. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/06/30/politics/p181758D33.DTL&type=printable http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hWADm_mtEucB70EkgjBRt29WaJbgD9GLVPRG1 Italy Sees Intermediate Steps At UN Climate Summit. Italy's environment minister says an upcoming U.N. climate summit won't broker a global accord on climate change, but may represent a step towards such an agreement. Minister Stefania Prestigiacomo spoke Thursday after two days of talks with the Major Economies Forum, a group created last year to prod the slow-moving U.N. negotiations along. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/07/01/international/i091330D78.DTL&type=printablehttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/07/01/international/i035248D74.DTL&type=printable Something In The Air. WP-3D Orions collect air samples to better understand climate change impacts . Radar planes that typically track hurricanes for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been flying over the San Gabriel Valley in recent weeks in a multi-agency project involving Caltech called CalNex aimed at determining the nexus of pollution and climate over California. Posted. http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/something_in_the_air/8954/ DRY CLEANERS Stricter Dry Cleaning Regulations Take Effect. Today’s the deadline for dry cleaning businesses in California to stop operating machines that use a toxic solvent known as “Perc”. But there’s some flexibility with that deadline – and environmentalists aren’t happy about it. Sacramento, CA - Sarah Lee owns Country Club Cleaners in Sacramento. She’s been in the dry cleaning business for close to 20-years…and for nearly all of those years she’s used “Perc” or perchloroethylene. Posted. http://www.capradio.org/articles/articledetail.aspx?articleid=8454 California Offers Up To One Year To Remove Perc. California cleaners struggling to comply with the July 1 deadline for removing perc machines that are 15 years old or older may get a break from enforcement authorities. Posted. http://www.natclo.com/1007/carb.htm State Passes New Environmental Regulations For Dry Cleaners. If you take your clothes in to get dry cleaned, you may notice a difference in the way they smell when you get them back. That scent comes from a commonly used solvent called perchloroethylene or “Perc." The California Air Resources Board has ordered dry cleaning businesses to start phasing out machines that use the solvent starting July 1st. Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/jun/30/state-passes-new-environmental-regulations-dry-cle/ Electricity Rebate Offer Promotes Wetcleaning. SMUD (The Sacramento Municipal Utility District) in California has set up the Express Incentive scheme, which offers electricity rebates to encourage drycleaners to switch from perc to professional wetcleaning. Posted. http://www.laundryandcleaningnews.com/story.asp?sectioncode=138&storyCode=2056745 ENERGY Home Loan Snafu Halts Green Loans In California. Millions of dollars in green financing for California homeowners is being held up by a dispute between local government agencies and federal housing officials. A new state program allowing homeowners to pay for solar panel installations and other energy efficiency improvements through their property taxes was put on hold in Placer County and San Francisco in May after federally backed mortgage lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began raising questions about such loans. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/01/v-print/2861587/home-loan-snafu-halts-green-loans.html VEHICLES EPA withdraws approval of 200,000 vehicles. The Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn its approval of up to 200,000 off-road vehicles imported from China. The California Air Resources Board has followed suit, voiding its executive orders covering the same vehicles that were sold in California. Posted. http://www.motorcycle.com/news/epa-withdraws-approval-of-200000-vehicles-89697.html DIESEL/DRAYAGE Calif. Truck Registry Updated. For trucks serving California rails and port yards that have been retrofitted with a filter, the Drayage Truck Registry should reflect a 12/31/13 compliance date to avoid being turned away starting today, July 1. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85468 Truckers May Get More Grant Funding. Truckers traveling through the San Joaquin Valley may be able to get more funding from the voter-approved Proposition 1B to help pay for replacing or retrofitting older diesel-fired trucks. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15621 BLOGS What if the Public Had Perfect Climate Information? Not surprisingly, Joe Romm, “America’s fiercest climate blogger,” has assaulted my piece examining ways in which scientists might make scientific information on issues like global warming more impactful. How could I write such a piece — he says — without also including a big dollop of blame for institutions and individuals doling out reams of scientific disinformation to complacent journalists? Of course there’s disinformation on climate and energy, and The Times has long documented it, whatever the source. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/what-if-the-public-had-perfect-climate-information/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2010 10:07:27 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 2, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July, 2, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG Top 5 Pieces of Environmental Legislation. Despite the gushing nudge provided by the Gulf oil spill, the Waxman-Markey climate bill passed last year by the House of Representatives languishes in the Senate. The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act looks to be DOA. All this D.C. gridlock got us thinking: Let's remind our elected officials and their constituents of the major pieces of environmental legislation that Congresses Past were able to pass. Posted. http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=11067662 After White House Meeting, Obama Encourages Carbon Emissions Price. Momentum for a cap-and-trade plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions seems to have changed with the seasons since the U.S. House approved its version of the plan shortly before Independence Day 2009. Different Senate versions of a climate/energy bill were cussed and discussed through the fall, and interest seemed to cool this past winter before picking back up again this spring, as lawmakers grapple with the Gulf coast oil spill. It appears summer may offer another heated round of cap-and-trade debates, even as Congress enters the final months leading up to this fall’s midterm elections. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/June10/062810/070110-02.htm Manufacturers Worry of Pitfalls from Utility-Only Climate Bill. Capping greenhouse gas emissions from only the electric utility sector may present a possible political compromise on Senate climate legislation but that approach raises some concerns for industries that would be left out from the cap. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/02/02climatewire-manufacturers-worry-of-pitfalls-from-utility-3804.html AIR POLLUTION/AIR QUALITY Station to Monitor Air Pollution in the Temecula Valley. The Temecula Valley is getting its first permanent air quality monitoring station to measure microscopic particles that can harm lungs and cause other ailments. Located in the heights above Lake Skinner, the station is being run by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, a Diamond Bar-based agency that monitors air pollution in Orange County and the non-desert areas of Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_smonitor02.22bc70f.html Air Force Awards $8.5 Million Contract for Mather Field Cleanup. The Air Force announced that an $8.5 million contract has been awarded for continued pollution cleanup and monitoring at the former Mather Air Force Base.The contract, which runs through 2015, was awarded to San Francisco-based URS Corp. Mather closed in 1993 but cleanup has been ongoing at the base since the 1980s, according to the Air Force. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/07/01/1235070/air-force-awards-85-million-for.html#ixzz0sXYv4Ehm Secondhand smoke is dangerous. As a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, I know about the harmful effects of tobacco. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 known human carcinogens and has been identified to be cancer-causing in humans. Each year, more than 3,000 non-smoking adults in the United States die of lung cancer as a result of breathing the smoke of others' cigarettes. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_15427228 Shepherd Bliss: No Blow Movement Grows. Peter and Susan Kendall of Orinda, Northern California, are not your typical political activists. This couple really wants some peace and quiet, so they can be comfortable within their suburban home and with their backyard chickens, berries and tomatoes. But wait! While at their home recently a siren-pitched, shrieking scream interrupted that serenity—a leaf blower, which some call a debris blower, since it kicks up far more than leaves. The couple had bought three different kinds of leaf blowers, not to use, but to demonstrate how much noise and air pollution they make, even the allegedly quieter ones. Posted. http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1-/13476-shepherd-bliss-no-blow-movement-grows.html DIESEL Worth Noting: Tilted Kilt Closing, Funds To Reduce Truck Emissions And More. The northwest Bakersfield location of Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery will close Saturday after a two-year run. The Bakersfield franchise of the Tempe, Ariz., based chain occupies a 6,000-square-foot store at 2900 Calloway Drive. Co-owner Jeremy Helper said another restaurant will take the Tilted Kilt’s place. “The owners (Helper and his brother Ian) have other businesses and jobs that they’ve chosen to focus on,” he said. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x457515342/Worth-Noting-in-the-community-Funds-to-reduce-emissions-and-more More for Diesel Retrofits, Replacements. By Margaret Carrero Valley truckers will soon have another chance to secure some extra cash to retrofit or replace their old Polluters. Air officials says a new allocation of $45.5 million in Prop. 1B funds will be made available in the coming months. The state Air Resources Board approved the funding last week. The first round -- distributed last year -- was quickly depleted due to overwhelming demand. Posted. http://thetvrealist.com/gossip/More-for-Diesel-Retrofits-Replacements-2889032.html Clean Energy to Provide LNG to California Solid Waste Fleets. In a new contract with solid waste operator Republic Services, Clean Energy Fuels Corp. will provide liquefied natural gas fuel to Republic Waste Services of Southern California, Consolidated Disposal and Solano Garbage through April 2015. These truck fleets service residents and businesses in 55 California cities and communities, and it's expected they'll need over 3.5 million gallons of LNG per year. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=70892 DRY CLEANERS Bariteau's Dry Cleaners Making a Switch. - A state law phasing out a toxic solvent used in dry cleaning machines is having an impact, with three local businesses meeting a July 1 deadline to replace their equipment. Bariteau's installed a new hydrocarbon system May 24 at 620 Water St., replacing two smaller machines that used perchloroethylene, or "perc," an air contaminant and potential carcinogen. Posted. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/business/ci_15426296 PROP 23 Letter: Clean energy will help California. In response to the June 25 editorial on AB 32: Assemblyman Dan Logue said in January that oil companies were not behind his deceptive proposal to kill California's clean energy and clean air standards. Yet $3 million in contributions — 80 percent from out-of-state and 78 percent from oil companies (including more than $1.1 million from Texas-based Valero) — show who's really behind this special-interest ballot measure. Posted. http://www.orovillemr.com/opinion/ci_15426136 Oil Declares War on Solar. How You (and Twitter) Can Help Defeat Prop 23 for Free. Yes, free. I’m writing this post quickly, so forgive my cross outs and typos. For those of you who want to say “Up yours!” to two polluting oil refinery companies experience the power of social media in action and would like to finally learn how to use Twitter, here’s your chance. It’s for a good solar cause, plus, it’s dirt cheap free! Posted. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2010/07/oil-declares-war-on-solar-how-you-and-twitter-can-help-defeat-prop-23-for-free-yes-free- CALNEX Something in the air. Radar planes that typically track hurricanes for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been flying over the San Gabriel Valley in recent weeks in a multi-agency project involving Caltech called CalNex aimed at determining the nexus of pollution and climate over California. Posted. http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/something_in_the_air/8954/ SOLAR ENERGY Agri Businesses Can Achieve Big Benefits from Solar Energy. While a fruit packing and storage company in California is eliminating its entire utility bill with a 622 kW solar power system, a Georgia pecan farmer is selling all of the power generated by its 200 kW system back to the utility company under a five-year power purchase agreement. Venida Packing, a packing and cold storage operation for California fruit farms, has cut its entire utility bill with a 622 kW dual-axis solar power plant from PV Trackers. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/06/28/agri-businesses-can-achieve-big-benefits-from-solar-energy/ Developer Ditches PG&E Solar Project. Here’s the big risk for utilities trying to meet California’s renewable portfolio standard, which calls for utilities to deliver 20 percent of their electricity from clean power by the end of 2010 and 33 percent by 2020: The clean power projects sometimes fall through. This week various news reports (New York Times, Business Journal) are reporting that Portuguese solar project developer Martifer Renewables has canceled a project that would have sold 106.8 MW of solar power to utility PG&E. Posted. http://earth2tech.com/2010/07/02/developer-ditches-pge-solar-project/ ELECTRIC VEHICLES Toshiba to Develop Batteries for Electric Vehicles. Japanese electronics maker Toshiba said Friday it's jumping into the battery business for electric vehicles in a development deal with Mitsubishi Motors. It's the first EV battery deal with a major automaker for Toshiba, which already makes batteries for laptops and cell phones, said company spokesman Ken Shinjo. Production will start sometime next year, in a new facility in Niigata, northern Japan, according to Toshiba. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/green-energy/ci_15428586?nclick_check=1 BLOGS Hybrid Plant Shelved in California. The developer of a hybrid biomass solar power plant to be built in California has abruptly canceled the project, underscoring the challenges the state faces in meeting its ambitious renewable energy goals. California Energy Commission Design for the canceled hybrid generating plant. Martifer Renewables, a Portuguese company, had signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the California utility PG&E for 106.8 megawatts. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/02/hybrid-plant-shelved-in-california/ California's New Energy Divide. From a nondescript office park here, Solaria, a solar energy company founded in 2000, is planning its move this fall to a much larger facility nearby as it progresses from research and design to full-scale production of its innovative photovoltaic panels. Solaria's growth symbolizes an economic transformation that is reshaping the state's political landscape as California approaches a showdown over climate policy that could rattle the national energy debate. Posted. http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20100703_3065.php Global CO2 Trends Show Scope of Climate Challenge. There’s still thinking in many quarters that if the United States acts to restrict its emissions of carbon dioxide, the long-lived greenhouse gas at the heart of the climate challenge, the fast-growing developing countries of the world will voluntarily follow. Global data on emissions of carbon dioxide vividly illustrate the wishful nature of such thoughts when considered against powerful underlying trends. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/02/global-co2-trends-show-scope-of-climate-challenge/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 13:46:39 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 6, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July, 6, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Dow Chemical Standing Apart From Industry On Cap And Trade. As the climate bill sponsored by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) headed for a showdown in the House last year, critics warned that the energy-intensive U.S. chemical industry would be among the primary victims of a cap-and-trade carbon regime. Now, with time running out on climate legislation in the Senate, officials of Dow Chemical Co., the largest American chemical company, continue to call for a bill that would set a price on carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/06/2 Will China's Consumer Wants Worsen Climate Change? China, which is closing inefficient coal plants and making more fuel-efficient cars, is often seen as the world's superpower in developing wind and solar energy. But despite these eco-efforts, will its surging demand for consumer goods worsen climate change? Yes, suggests an interesting article in today's New York Times. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/will-chinas-consumer-wants-fuel-climate-change/1 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/business/global/05warm.html?src=mv How Climate Change Attitudes Affect the Gov Race. Barely noticed in the stories that ran last week based on a Reuters /Ipsos poll (that showed Democrats Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer with “narrow” leads in their races for governor and U.S. Senate) was this nugget in the piece by Steve Holland of Reuters: “The survey also found a wide disparity between the parties about the state’s climate change and environmental regulations. Posted. http://www.calbuzz.com/2010/07/how-climate-change-attitudes-affect-the-gov-race/ Applied Materials Spent $320,000 Lobbying Government On Renewable Energy Legislation In 1Q. New York - Applied Materials Inc. spent $320,000 lobbying the federal government in the first quarter of the year on energy legislation and other issues. That's more than double the $130,000 the company spent in the same quarter a year ago, according to congressional disclosure forms, but down from $470,000 spent in the quarter before. Applied Materials provides technology used by solar panel and semiconductor manufacturers. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-applied-materials-lobbying,0,4451011,print.story Dutch Agency Takes Blame For Error In UN Report, But Says Climate Change Is Already Happening. The Hague, Netherlands - A leading Dutch environmental agency, taking the blame for one of the glaring errors that undermined the credibility of a seminal U.N. report on climate change, said Monday it has discovered more small mistakes and urged the panel to be more careful. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-climate,0,5759324.story http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15443284 http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/dutch-agency-seeks-clarity-from-climate-panel/?pagemode=print NZ Carbon Price System Hikes Household Costs. Wellington, New Zealand—New carbon-trading laws intended to reduce climate-changing pollution emissions took effect Thursday in New Zealand, immediately sending gas prices higher. Under the scheme, companies are given a pollution allowance, an amount of greenhouse gases they can emit without penalty. If they emit more than allowed, they must buy credits from a company that emits less than permitted and has a surplus to sell. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15417223 Moynihan, As Nixon Aide, Warned Of Global Warming. Yorba Linda, Calif.—Documents released Friday by the Nixon Presidential Library show members of President Richard Nixon's inner circle discussing the possibilities of global warming more than 30 years ago. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15432344 UN Report Fuels Criticism Of Carbon-Cutting Scheme. United Nations—European and U.S. environmentalists demanded action Friday after an obscure U.N. advisory panel lent credence to their claims that industrialized nations are wasting billions of dollars on carbon-cutting projects. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15428783 EMISSIONS CARB OKs $200 Million in Emissions Funding. The California Air Resources Board has awarded $200 million in Proposition 1B funds to help cut emissions from heavy-duty trucks and other sources in the state’s four busiest trade corridors. The Los Angeles/Inland Empire, Central Valley, Bay Area and San Diego/Border regions received the money from the funding approved in a 2006 statewide referendum. The money will be used for grants that will help independent truck owners and others comply early with the statewide truck rule adopted in 2008. Posted. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/printnews.aspx?storyid=24714 EPA Unveils Rules On Smog-Forming Emissions From Power Plants. U.S. EPA released proposed rules today for smog and soot-forming emissions from power plants, setting up the start of a rulemaking process that could influence Senate negotiations on an energy and climate bill. Cleared by the White House Office of Management and Budget last week, the program announced today by EPA air chief Gina McCarthy would supersede the Clean Air Interstate Rule, a George W. Bush-era program that capped emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from power plants. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/06/1 Voices, Some Near The President's Ear, Long Supported Narrower Carbon Caps. Four months ago Energy Secretary Steven Chu listened as a key senator appealed for modesty in the chamber's approach to addressing greenhouse gases. The Senate at the time was being swept toward an ambitious -- and politically titanic -- plan designed to cast the nation's vast majority of emissions into a shopping cart, where it would be counted, priced and paid for. It was an aspiring effort that the senator could not support, so an alternative was discussed: focus on cinching carbon from the smokestacks of electric power plants. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/06/1 SMOG Smog Law Concerns. I am writing this letter to urge citizens to stand up for their rights regarding California's smog laws. CARB; California Air Resources Board is a bureaucracy of individuals who never cease in coming up with new ways to keep themselves employed and give themselves raises. Making it mandatory to smog your vehicle in Lake County every other year serves no purpose accept to line the pockets of bureaucrats in Sacramento. Posted. http://www.record-bee.com/ci_15444971 FORMALDEHYDE California Starts Enforcing Formaldehyde Rules. State is testing goods labeled as CARB-compliant. Industry, Calif. — California has begun enforcing its new formaldehyde emission standard for products including furniture, according to the American Home Furnishings Alliance. A furniture industry supplier here reported to AHFA that earlier this year, a state regulatory agency purchased one of its products to determine its compliance with the standard. Posted. http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/print/529894-California_starts_enforcing_formaldehyde_rules.php California Regs Kick in, Take First Casualty. Sacramento, Calif. — Regulations mandated by California's Air Resources Board (ARB) requiring the elimination of perchloroethylene machinery older than 15 years went into effect Thursday, forcing at least one longtime operator to close its doors. Founded in 1920 by French immigrant Jean Lamoure, Fresno-based Lamoure's Cleaners & Laundry had closed its 12 stores by Wednesday except for its main plant, according to the Sacramento Bee. Posted. http://www.americandrycleaner.com/printFriendly.cfm?articleID=18169 VEHICLES Bay Biz Buzz: Tesla Shares Falling Back To Earth After Its IPO. Palo Alto-based Tesla Motors Inc., the first U.S. automaker to complete an initial public offering in more than a half century, retreated for the third-straight day to trim the gain for its first week of trading to 13 percent. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_15430320 Tesla Refines Its Breakthrough Electric Roadster. For a company that hasn't sold that many cars, you wouldn't expect Tesla would be ready for an upgrade. But now comes what it says is its fourth-generation roadster, the 2.5. The timing couldn't be better, coming the same week as Tesla's initial stock offering. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/07/tesla-refines-its-breakthrough-electric-roadster/1 BALLOT INITIATIVE Valero Helps Bankroll Bid To Suspend Emission Targets. Benicia -- The efforts of two Texas oil companies, one being Valero, to thwart the state's greenhouse gas reduction law has sparked concern among city officials wishing to make Benicia stand out as a green city. Posted, http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15442918?nclick_check=1 ENERGY/GREEN Mortgage Agencies Threaten To Derail Solar Incentive Plan. San Francisco — The Obama administration is devoting $150 million in stimulus money for programs that help homeowners install solar panels and other energy improvements, which they pay for over time on their property tax bills. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_15422405 Santa Clara: 'Energy Innovator' Awards Given To Businesses, University. The city of Santa Clara's electric utility has awarded three businesses and Santa Clara University for their innovations in energy use. According to spokesman Larry Owens, Silicon Valley Power handed "Energy Innovator Awards" to Agilent Technologies, Bay Area Internet Solutions, El Camino Self Storage and Santa Clara University at the 2010 Silicon Valley Energy Summit held in late June at Stanford University. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15428097 Studies in Sustainability: Wood Is Demonstrating Its Green Credentials by Example. There can be no doubt today that the sustainability movement and green building in particular are here to stay. Green building criteria are, in fact, now codified in numerous building codes and national standards, and increasing numbers of local jurisdictions are adopting green building requirements. Posted. http://www.building-products.com/readArticles.aspx?ID=3890 BLOGS Is It Cheaper To Just Let The Planet Heat? Before getting into the debate that Jim Manzi and Brad Plumer are having on the costs of mitigating global warming, it's worth highlighting this bit from Manzi, which is slightly off-topic to the actual disagreement, but could be the most important thing you'll ever read: The consensus scientific estimate is that there is a 1-in-10,000 chance of an asteroid large enough to kill a large fraction of the world’s population impacting the earth in the next 100 years. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/07/is_it_cheaper_to_just_let_the.html San Francisco Home To Most Green Jobs In The Nation. So much for criticism that California's environmental leadership — notably AB 32 — kills jobs: The state has the most green-collar jobs of any in the nation, and San Francisco leads the Golden State with 42,000 positions. For a city with a population of 809,000, that's pretty impressive. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=67217 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2010 10:36:43 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 7, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 7, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S PG&E Opposes Initiative To Block State Climate Law. California businesses are beginning to pick sides in the initiative battle over the state's landmark climate change law. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Tuesday said it will oppose the November ballot initiative, which seeks to suspend Assembly Bill 32, a law that mandates statewide reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. PG&E joins corporations such as Levi Strauss and Co. and eBay Inc. in opposing the rollback. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/07/v-print/2872971/pge-opposes-initiative-to-block.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hKPBv6ryL27OX8lhnZ0QgZWhXl7QD9GPU0KO0 http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-california-climate-law,0,7971672.story http://www.kcba.com/Global/story.asp?S=12767045 'Climategate' Inquiry Mostly Vindicates Scientists. London -- An independent report into the leak of hundreds of e-mails from one of the world's leading climate research centers on Wednesday largely vindicated the scientists involved, saying they acted honestly and that their research was reliable. But the panel of inquiry, led by former U.K. civil servant Muir Russell, did chide scientists at the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit for failing to share their data with critics. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/07/v-print/2873475/leaked-climate-e-mail-inquiry.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/science/earth/08climate.html http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/climategate-inquiry-clears-scientists-of-dishonesty/1 http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-climate-hacked-e-mails,0,3423287.story EU Tightens Timber-Trade Rules to Save Forests, Fight Emissions. The European Union decided to make suppliers of timber to Europe guard against illegal logging, bolstering a push to fight climate change through worldwide forest protection. The European Parliament voted to force companies to use a system of due diligence to ascertain that the timber they sell in the 27-nation EU was harvested legally. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/07/07/bloomberg1376-L54YI907SXKY01-0NSAUGL423TAAIOR2VJQUCHLNS.DTL&type=printable GREEN ENERGY Feds Pull Plug On Cities' Green Home Loans. San Francisco's new, $150 million program to help property owners finance solar and other energy-saving programs is all but dead, according to city officials, after a federal agency announced Tuesday that the program and others like it across the state are potentially risky and inadvisable for mortgage lenders. The programs have been widely championed as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills and to create green jobs. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/07/MNCI1EA8OI.DTL&type=printable Leaders Of Green Religion Movement Hope Gulf Spill Inspires Faithful To Support Cleaner Energy. New Orleans - Where would Jesus drill? Religious leaders who consider environmental protection a godly mission are making the Gulf of Mexico oil spill a rallying cry, hoping it inspires people of faith to support cleaner energy while changing their personal lives to consume less and contemplate more. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-us-rel-religion-today,0,2811614,print.story http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/07/07/national/a083800D15.DTL DIESELS US: CARB To Ease Truck GHG Law Tightening Proposals. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has told trucking representatives that, because of the effects of the recession on the industry, it intends to ease the financial burden on operators through vehicles already in service having to comply with the board’s proposed tightening of greenhouse gas (GHG) limits within the state’s borders. Posted. http://www.automotiveworld.com/news/powertrain/82805-us-carb-to-ease-truck-ghg-law-tightening-proposals AIR POLLUTION EPA Says New Air Pollution Rule Would Cut Smog From Coal-Fired Power Plants. Washington - The Obama administration is proposing a new rule to tighten restrictions on pollution from coal-burning power plants in the eastern half of the country, a key step to cut emissions that cause smog. The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday the new rule represented its most consequential effort yet to tackle deadly pollution that contributes to smog and soot that hangs over more than half the country. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-epa-clean-air,0,4300499,print.story Smog Contributes To Drought – Research. Air pollution is contributing to drought, according to scientists at the Desert Research Institute in Colorado. Sulfate, nitrate and possibly some organic compounds -- byproducts of any combustion process, including natural fires -- attract tiny bits of water moisture that evaporate before they can coalesce into rain droplets or snow. This cuts the amount of snowfall in half, and the amount of water stored in the snowpack by 25 percent, said scientists Randy Borys and Doug Lowenthal. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/07/6 MISCELLANEOUS Oregon Scientists Make Sticky Tape From Vegetable Oil. A professor of wood science and engineering in Oregon State University who won the 2007 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the Environmental Protection Agency has now come up with a vegetable-based, pressure-sensitive glue that is environmentally benign, cheap and doesn't require petrochemicals. The new adhesive is made from vegetable oils instead of the acrylate-based polymers usually used in the $26 billion global pressure-sensitive tape market. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/07/oregon-scientists-makes-sticky-tape-from-vegetable-oil/1 BLOGS The Case For Being Careful With The Climate. To make one more point on the Manzi/Plumer debate, I really think the concept of "the planet" should be more central in the debate over global warming. It's stating the obvious to say that we really don't know how to work this orb we're on, but it's true: Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/07/the_case_for_being_careful_wit.html Lexus Takes Its Comedy-Fueled Debate Series on the Road. The comedians Tracy Morgan, Andy Samberg and Jamie Kennedy, and the singer Mark McGrath probably aren’t the first names that come to mind when you think of the vanguards of environmentalism. But each will moderate a debate in a series covering four major cities and organized by Lexus to promote its new compact hybrid, the CT 200h, which goes on sale early next year. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/lexus-takes-its-comedy-fueled-debate-series-on-the-road/?pagemode=print On Our Radar: A Warming Antarctic. The Antarctic Peninsula is warming at five times the global average, according to a new study in the journal Science. The region’s average winter temperatures have risen 6 degrees Celsius since 1960. Environmental groups announce their intention to sue Exxon for violating the Clean Air Act law “thousands of times” at a Texas refinery over the last five years. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/on-our-radar-a-warming-antarctic/?pagemode=print EPA’s New Air Pollution Rules Crack down on the Dirtiest Power Plants. Are we finally going to clean the skies of smog-causing nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide? The Environmental Protection Agency proposes new rules this week that would force power plants in 31 states, mostly in the East, to cut emissions of both to more than half of their 2005 levels by 2014. Posted. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/07/07/epas-new-air-pollution-rules-crack-down-on-the-dirtiest-power-plants/ And If The Incentives Don't Work... Back in April, the Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Board heard a presentation from state air-quality officials about SB 375, a law that encourages denser growth as a tool to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The new law has caused a lot of trepidation that Californians will all be forced to live in condos by the railroad tracks and that local cities and counties will lose their authority to make planning decisions. Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/bross/archives/2010/07/and-if-the-ince.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 11:28:00 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 8, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 8, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S British Climate Researchers Had High Scientific Standards, Review Finds. Scientists in the 'Climategate' affair failed to respond to critics in an open manner, but did not manipulate climate data, panel says. Climate-change researchers at a British university failed to respond to critics in an open manner but hewed to high standards in their science and did not manipulate their data, according to findings released Wednesday of an independent review of hundreds of hacked e-mails. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-britain-climategate-20100708,0,2326050,print.story Western Climate Group Sees Carbon Cuts And Savings. Vancouver - A coalition of U.S. states and Canadian provinces planning a cap-and-trade market to curb carbon emissions can meet their environmental goals and reap modest cost savings, a study released on Wednesday said. The analysis by the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) said the effort to foster a clean-energy economy can significantly reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases linked to climate change and achieve about $100 billion in net savings by 2010. Posted. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN0716880420100707 OPINION: After Three Strikes, Is The Climategate Scandal Out? The New York Times reports Wednesday that a third independent panel of experts has cleared the scientists behind the notorious "Climategate" e-mails of any scientific improprieties. The report also defends the actions of East Anglia University administrators, and says the work there didn't weaken the global warming evaluation made by the embattled Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change. Will the new report shore up support for climate legislation in Washington? Posted. http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2010/07/after-three-strikes-is-the-climategate-scandal-out.html Do Enviros Need To Reassess Their Big-Picture Climate Strategy? Yesterday, I asked seven of Grist's favorite journos and wonks what policies reformers should focus on this year now that chances for a cap-and-trade bill appear dim. Read their answers. Today, they grapple with a broader question. Today's question: Given that the pursuit of cap-and-trade has fallen short yet again, is there reason for energy reformers to reassess their broad legislative strategy? Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-07-08-do-enviros-need-to-reassess-their-big-picture-climate-strategy/PALL/print AIR POLLUTION OPINION: Breathing The Filth. Hydrocarbons In The Air Are More Toxic Than Oil In The Gulf. What a relief it will be when the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico gets plugged, ending the colossal mess caused by gushing crude. Or will it? Once the spill stops, oil will resume flowing as it always has, to be burned in engines, released to the sky and breathed deep into our bodies. We know now that these emissions contribute to a longer-term and perhaps ultimately more dangerous form of pollution — climate change. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-polakovic-20100708,0,7933558,print.story Pollution? What Pollution? Beijing - Every day, the weather page of the popular New Beijing News gives lots of helpful advice, should readers wish to exercise early in the morning, climb a mountain or wash their car. But like other major newspapers in one of the most polluted cities in the world, it doesn’t tell them something really important: how clean is the air? This week, temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). “Wear short sleeves,” it urged, next to a helpful drawing of a golf shirt. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/world/asia/09iht-letter.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print Industry Chafes Against Public Disclosure Of GHG Data. Companies concerned that disclosing their greenhouse gas emissions data will also give competitors a window into their trade secrets received little solace yesterday when U.S. EPA formally laid out exactly what emissions data will be open to public scrutiny. In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register, EPA said it plans to make public all data on a facility's location, the quantity of emissions, the methodology for how emissions numbers were calculated and any explanations for why data might be missing. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/08/3 EPA Agrees to Review Air Pollution Rules for 28 Industries. In response to a challenge from environmentalists, U.S. EPA has agreed to examine its air pollution rules for 28 industry sectors within the next eight years, setting the stage for review of the emissions control technologies used by large sectors including the paper, furniture and aerospace industries. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/07/07greenwire-epa-agrees-to-review-air-pollution-rules-for-2-46627.html?pagewanted=print ENERGY Germany Could Give Up Fossil Fuels By 2050 – Agency. Germany could be the first nation to derive all of its electricity from renewable energy by 2050, according to the country's Federal Environment Agency. "A complete conversion to renewable energy by 2050 is possible from a technical and ecological point of view," said Jochen Flasbarth, president of the agency. The country already gets 16 percent of its energy from wind, solar and other sources. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/08/9 FUELS Opinion: Ethanol Is A Fuel Alternative That Fits Our Domestic Infrastructure. Last month, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) delayed action yet again on allowing an increase in the amount of ethanol that can be blended with gasoline. Raising the ethanol blend allowance in gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent is in the best interest of our state, our country, our economy and our environment. And, contrary to myths, higher ethanol blends will not harm vehicle engines. In fact, there has been more testing of E15 than there has been of any other fuel additive in the history of the EPA waiver process. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yyycu1bjuc92zk&xid=yywu0guiho1yey&done=.yyycu1bjucw2zk# ELECTRIC VEHICLES Calif. Punting the Prius, Hybrids from HOV Lanes. Special access for hybrid cars to expire at the end of 2010. You may remember that in California, 85,000 lucky owners of three hybrid vehicles were granted special stickers giving them access to High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes, even with only a single occupant in the car. Well, their luck runs out on December 31, the last day those stickers are valid. While Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill yesterday that extends certain HOV-Lane Access stickers for four more years, the ones for hybrids aren't included. Posted. http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/07/08/calif-punting-prius-hybrids-hov-lanes/ OPINION: Roadshow: Carpool Perk For Plug-In Hybrids Could Change The Way We Drive. Getting 71.3 mpg should have made me happy as I tested a Prius plug-in hybrid for the past two weeks. It didn't. I wanted more. And Sacramento may be poised to give us more. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1500 Wednesday, extending the perk that allows electric vehicles and those running on compressed natural gas with white carpool stickers to be driven by solo drivers in California diamond lanes until 2015. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15463342 Electric-Car Lovers Already Lining Up For Tesla's Model S Sedan. Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson was skimming the information packet for his Tesla Motors board of directors meeting last year when he hit pay dirt about page 50. Spotting details for the Model S sedan that the electric-car company had on the drawing boards, he knew he had to have one. Better yet, he had to have the first one. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15462309?source=rss Santa Rosa's Zap merges with China's Jonway. The partnership between a small Santa Rosa electric vehicle manufacturer and a Chinese motorbike manufacturer is now a full-blown marriage. Zap Inc., known for a range of inexpensive, urban-oriented all-electric cars and trucks, announces today a $60 million merger with Jonway Automobile Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of China's Jonway Group. The combined company, to be known as Zap Jonway, will be 51 percent-owned by Zap. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/08/BUC81EAOTE.DTL&type=printable BLOGS San Francisco Home To Most Green Jobs In The Nation. So much for criticism that California's environmental leadership — notably AB 32 — kills jobs: The state has the most green-collar jobs of any in the nation, and San Francisco leads the Golden State with 42,000 positions. For a city with a population of 809,000, that's pretty impressive. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?&entry_id=67217#ixzz0t6vboxET The Link Between Record-Breaking Global Heat Waves and Climate Change. Can you say that a particularly massive heatwave -- or any single weather event, for that matter -- is caused by climate change? Nope. Now, is there a link between a trend of record-breaking hot temperatures over the years and climate change? Indeed. There's a fine line between the two, and it's a fine line that makes it tough for the media to successfully discuss the correlation between, say, a miserable heatwave that's currently sweeping the East Coast and the greater phenomenon of human-caused global warming. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/07/link-record-breaking-global-heat-waves-climate-change.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 11:05:57 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 9, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 9, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Voters To Decide Fate Of Environmental Legislation. Voters in November will decide the fate of a law originally designed to help transform California into a greener state, but has also ignited a storm of debate about the state's business and economic climate. Secretary of State Debra Bowen recently certified a ballot measure to suspend AB32 - also known as the Global Warming Solutions Act - until the state's unemployment rate dropped. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_15470357?source=rss#ixzz0tCRbLeou http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15470357 Slight Majority Opposes Bid To Suspend Climate Law – Poll. Nearly half of the respondents to a statewide California poll released today said they would oppose a referendum on the November ballot that would suspend the state's climate law. The Field Poll found 48 percent of those surveyed would vote against a ballot measure that seeks to suspend the global warming law until unemployment dips to 5.5 percent in the state for one full year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/09/11 CBO Says Climate Bill Would Cut Deficit By $19B. Washington – Congressional budget experts say a climate and energy bill now stalled in the Senate would reduce the federal deficit by about $19 billion over the next decade. The report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office was the second positive analysis of the bill by a government agency in a month, but is likely to carry more weight than a similar report issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5iS14YOIUrpdmPuNylwKcVpSnmAD9GQDHEG0 OPINION: On Climate Change, Let Cool Heads Prevail. It's odd how little we've heard lately from the skeptics who deny that climate change is real. What's the matter, people? Heat stroke? The Venus-like heat that much of the country has been suffering this summer is almost enough to make anybody a believer in global warming. Almost, but not quite: Honesty compels me to acknowledge that a few weeks of record-setting temperatures do not constitute proof of anything. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/08/AR2010070804271_pf.html Researchers Warn Sweltering Americans That Climate Change Could Lead To More Heat Waves. Washington - Folks sweating out the heat wave battering parts of the country may just have to get used to it. As global warming continues such heat waves will be increasingly common in the future, a Stanford University study concludes. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-us-sci-heat-waves-future,0,2802512,print.story http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_15468231 Multiple Heat Waves Cap Planet's Warming Trend. This time, the heat is really on. From Boston to Washington, D.C., temperatures have soared to 100 degrees or more in recent days, stressing electrical grids, scrambling rail transportation and prompting the swift creation of cooling centers for those who lack air conditioning. Central Canada, portions of the Middle East and China are also coping with searing heat. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/09/3 Measures On Pot, Pollution Trail In Field Poll. Sacramento - Voters are poised to reject a ballot measure to legalize adults' recreational use of marijuana in California and another that would suspend the state's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law, according to a Field Poll of to be released today. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/09/BA8B1EBI7V.DTL&type=printable AIR POLLUTION EPA Says Tests Show Moderate Health Concerns With Air 50 Miles >From Gulf Oil Spill. New Orleans - The Environmental Protection Agency says the air in some places along the Louisiana coast poses a health risk to vulnerable people. The EPA says recent air sampling shows a moderate health risk in Venice and Grand Isle, two Louisiana towns about 50 miles from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site. The agency says anyone unusually sensitive to low-quality air should avoid "prolonged or heavy exertion. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-gulf-oil-spill-air-testing,0,447441,print.story http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15470641 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/08/2000124/epa-moderate-health-concerns-with.html A Promise of Cleaner Air. The Obama administration has proposed new air-quality rules that represent another important step in the long, litigious struggle to clean up older power plants. But there is still a considerable distance to go before Americans, especially those in large cities, can enjoy truly healthy air as envisioned by the Clean Air Act of 1970. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/opinion/09fri2.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=air%20pollution&st=cse LEAF BLOWERS Sonoma Leaf-Blower Ban on Hold, For Now. Landscapers and home gardeners can continue using their leaf blowers in Sonoma, for now, after the City Council on Wednesday sent the possibility of a ban on the yard cleanup tools to a subcommittee for more research. The issue of banning leaf blowers has drawn considerable passion from Sonoma residents, and eight of them spoke during the council meeting, urging the city to either ban the noisy tools completely, restrict their hours of use or stay out of it. Posted. http://yourtown.pressdemocrat.com/2010/07/sonoma/sonoma-leaf-blower-ban-on-hold-for-now/ ENERGY Utilities Face The Decision Point Of Big Shifts -- To Gas, Renewables And Efficiency. With or without a climate bill, electric utilities are shifting their investments to efficiency measures that cut long-term costs and integrate more natural gas and renewable energy into their power supplies, according to a new report. "The business landscape for electric utilities is shifting quickly," says a report authored by Navigant Consulting for Ceres, a Boston-based coalition of institutional investors and environmental groups. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/09/2 UC Berkeley's Kammen Recommends Upgraded Feed-In Tariff. A new paper from a leading climate policy expert makes the case that California should have a feed-in tariff like the ones in Germany and Spain that have been credited with creating unprecedented demand for solar power. Dan Kammen is a professor of energy, policy and nuclear engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and was an adviser to President Obama on energy policy during the 2008 campaign. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/09/5 Shareholders Muscle More Companies To Go Green. U.S. investors are putting pressure on companies to take climate change seriously and adopt environmentally friendly policies, according to ethical investor coalition Ceres. More than 100 climate- and energy-related resolutions were put forward by shareholders this proxy season -- up nearly 50 percent over last year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/09/7 SMUD Signs Pact For Solar Energy. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District signed a 20-year agreement with a San Francisco company to provide enough solar energy to power 14,000 households. SMUD said Wednesday that independent power producer Recurrent Energy will install solar panels on 12 pieces of leased farmland in Elk Grove and Galt previously used to grow alfalfa and wheat. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/08/v-print/2875704/smud-solar.html Obama Seeks Billions To Replenish Clean Manufacturing Tax Credits. President Obama today continued his push to extend a widely popular stimulus program that provides billions of dollars in tax credits for renewable energy technologies. "I believe that if an American company wants to create jobs and grow, we should be there to help them do it," Obama said in a speech at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/09/2 http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15476395 Cal Poly Gives Students Extra Incentives To Go Green. Pomona - Getting a buck off a sandwich at Cal Poly Pomona can be as easy as recycling a couple of cans and bottles. The university is now the home to two Internet-connected recycling Dream Machine kiosks that offer recyclers a chance to get rewards every time they decide to go green. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15470456 VEHICLES Coulomb Gets $3.4M From California Energy Commission To Install Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. Coulomb Technologies Inc. said Thursday it was awarded about $3.4 million from the California Energy Commission to install 1,600 home and public charging stations for electric vehicles statewide. Campbell-based Coulomb said the grant was made through matching funds, bringing a $12 million project into California. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/07/05/daily46.html?t=printable BLOGS Hot Weather in a Warming Climate. The headline above is a play on the headline from a March 2008 post, “Cold Weather in a Warming Climate,” written when climate stasists were crowing about snow falling in Johannesburg and Baghdad. The last few days have seen lots of payback, with climate campaigners working hard to build a teachable moment around the brutal heat that first baked, and now is merely poaching, much of the northeastern United States (not to mention many parts of Asia). Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/hot-weather-in-a-warming-climate/?pagemode=print The Heat Wave and the Climate Divide. The temperature hit 103 degrees in Central Park on Tuesday, part of a record-breaking heat wave. Extreme heat also scorched much of the rest of the East Coast, from Boston to Virginia. Brownouts and blackouts threatened as residents reaching for air-conditioner controls strained the power grid. And the heat reached beyond the United States, with record temperatures recorded in Pakistan and China. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/the-heat-wave-and-the-climate-divide/ Battle Over California Climate Law Will Have National Ripple Effect. This is not your father’s classic “tree hugger” vs. “big business” fracas. Instead, a Nov. 2 ballot initiative aimed at derailing California’s landmark global warming legislation pits a coalition of about 400 local business, civic, labor and environmental organizations against a smattering of out-of-state oil refiners and connected groups.. Posted. http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100708/battle-over-california-climate-law-will-have-national-ripple-effect ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:46:18 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 12, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 12, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Lobbyists Heat Up Over Climate Law. The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 is beginning to look like a stimulus package for the lobbying trade. During the past year, oil companies, manufacturers and trade groups have made a big push to shape the rules and regulations behind California's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law, The Bee has found in a review of lobbying disclosure statements filed with the California secretary of state's office. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/12/v-print/2883633/lobbyists-heat-up-over-climate.html http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/07/12/10 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/12/2003150/lobbyists-heat-up-over-climate.html California Schemin' With cap and trade stalled in DC, coal and oil companies are targeting California's groundbreaking climate-change law. Coal is America's cheapest and most plentiful energy source. But in California, coal is a small, shrinking part of the energy picture, and the industry is usually a minor player in state politics. So why are out-of-state coal companies suddenly trying to sink California's groundbreaking climate change law? Posted. http://motherjones.com/print/68492 Mining the Field Poll: Climate Change, Gov, Senate. Buried in last week’s Field Poll were some nifty data that confirm something Calbuzz has been arguing for quite a while: that California’s pioneering climate-change law, and now Prop. 23 which seeks to suspend it, is a key political marker in the governor’s race and in the Senate race as well. The Field Poll found Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman in a statistical tie – 44% for Brown and 43% for Whitman. Posted. http://www.calbuzz.com/2010/07/mining-the-field-poll-climate-change-gov-and-senate/ Climate Concerns Give Clean-Burning Cookstoves A Needed Push. Two words have pushed fuel-efficient cookstoves in a way that millions of deaths and acres of felled forest could not: climate change. Early interest in the cookstoves, initially envisioned in the 1970s and '80s as a means of reducing deforestation in developing countries, waned when well-meaning projects failed to deliver results. Even as the awareness of the health risks that come from poor, inefficient cooking methods grew, cookstove projects largely remained a fringe activity. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/12/2 OPINION: The Climategate Whitewash Continues. Global warming alarmists claim vindication after last year's data manipulation scandal. Don't believe the 'independent' reviews. Last November there was a world-wide outcry when a trove of emails were released suggesting some of the world's leading climate scientists engaged in professional misconduct, data manipulation and jiggering of both the scientific literature and climatic data to paint what scientist Keith Briffa called "a nice, tidy story" of climate history. The scandal became known as Climategate. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704075604575356611173414140.html#printMode OPINION: A Climate Change Corrective. Perhaps now we can put the manufactured controversy known as Climategate behind us and turn to the task of actually doing something about global warming. On Wednesday, a panel in Britain concluded that scientists whose e-mail had been hacked late last year had not, as critics alleged, distorted scientific evidence to prove that global warming was occurring and that human beings were primarily responsible. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/opinion/11sun2.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print Change Coming Slowly On Climate Law. Congress may or may not pass a serious climate bill this year, but one thing is certain: It won’t be business as usual. While Republicans and polluting industries will celebrate, most know their victory will be fleeting and, with or without a bill, they’ll soon face a cascade of onerous and expensive new regulations that could fundamentally reshape the nation’s economic, environmental and legal landscape. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=C379F0BB-18FE-70B2-A838AA2705F1B106 Oil Spill May Influence Climate Bill. The 40th anniversary of Earth Day will go down in history as the start of perhaps the country’s worst environmental disaster. But will the BP oil spill — now on Day 84 — actually change any environmental laws or lead to new ones? If history is any guide, the answer is probably yes. Major catastrophes and large-scale events involving air, water and waste pollution swayed Congress significantly in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s to enact the bulk of the nation’s environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Superfund, which created a waste-management program during that period. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=C3611072-18FE-70B2-A8B9DE8677FA1807 Political Blotter: Prop. 23 Foes Are Strange Bedfellows. In yet another California politics instance of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. is opposing Proposition 23, the measure put on November's ballot by the oil industry to suspend the state's landmark greenhouse gas emissions law. That puts PG&E on the same side as the state's environmental and alternative energy groups, which only a month ago were castigating PG&E on a daily basis for having put Prop. 16 on the June primary ballot. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15482434 http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15482434 OPINION: Most Writers Want AB32 Delayed Or Repealed. For Prop. 23: I am writing to voice my support for the California Jobs Initiative, Prop 23. California voters rarely have had such a clear opportunity to vote for common sense and to save millions of jobs. The politically correct legislation AB32 will clearly further hurt the California economy at a time when 12 percent unemployment is already ravaging the state. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_15480472?nclick_check=1 A Green Retreat. Why The Environment Is No Longer A Surefire Political Winner. Just three years ago the politics of global warming was enjoying its golden moment. The release in 2006 of Al Gore’s Oscar-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth, had riveted global audiences with its predictions of New York and Miami under 20 feet of water. Within 12 months, leading politicians with real power were on board. Germany’s Angela Merkel, dubbed the “climate chancellor” by her country’s press, arranged a Greenland photo op with a melting iceberg and promised to cut Europe’s emissions by 20 percent by 2020. Posted. http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/12/a-green-retreat.print.html Los Angeles Exhibit Traces 65 Million Years Of Evolution. Los Angeles — Part of the oldest museum in Los Angeles County has been turned into a home for the aged — and the ages. With specimens that date back 4 billion years, the Age of Mammals exhibit opens Sunday in the north wing of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. It's the first permanent museum exhibition in the world to trace 65 million years of evolution based on geology and climate, said curator John Harris. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-07-12-los-angeles-age-of-mammals_N.htm What Do Bedbugs Have to Do with Global Warming? So far I have avoided any interaction with bedbugs, but I know a few people who have experienced infestations, and it's starting to become a worrisome trend. Then, the other week I saw a home remedy for catching bed bugs that involved dry ice. Dry ice? It turns out that dry ice is solidified CO2--otherwise known as carbon dioxide. It occurred to me that maybe there is a connection to the excessive amounts of CO2 in our atmosphere (a major contributor to global warming) and a surge in bedbugs. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/what-do-bedbugs-have-to-d_b_642784.html?view=print AIR POLLUTION Uneasy Emission Traders Seek Help From Congress On CAIR Replacement. Experts say the proposed replacement for the Clean Air Interstate Rule unveiled by U.S. EPA last week would do little to relieve the uncertainty that has gripped emission markets since a federal appeals court tossed out the rule two years ago. Congressional action, emissions traders say, is needed to bolster the program. Constraints of the court decision have forced EPA to make choices that could hamper the new program's effectiveness for curbing emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the eastern United States, said Paul Tesoriero, director of emissions markets at brokerage Evolution Markets Inc. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/12/2 ENERGY Calif. Regulators OK Solar Contract Between Edison, Solar Millennium. California regulators last week approved a 20-year power purchase contract between Southern California Edison Co. and Solar Millennium LLC. Edison, based in Los Angeles, agreed to buy electricity generated by a 484-megawatt solar thermal trough plant to be built by Solar Millennium in Blythe, Calif. The California Public Utilities Commission approved the deal. Assuming the project is fast-tracked by the Bureau of Land Management, Solar Millennium intends to break ground this year to begin delivering power in 2014. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/12/13 Manure Helps Power New British Army Barracks. London - Bio-fuel pellets made from horse manure will help power the new barracks of the Royal Horse Artillery, Britain's Ministry of Defense announced. Recycled waste and bedding from the regiment's 111 horses will provide enough low-carbon energy to cover the heating and lighting requirements of the ceremonial unit's new base in Woolwich, southeast London. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071202245.html In The Heat Wave, The Case Against Air Conditioning. Washington didn't grind to a sweaty halt last week under triple-digit temperatures. People didn't even slow down. Instead, the three-day, 100-plus-degree, record-shattering heat wave prompted Washingtonians to crank up their favorite humidity-reducing, electricity-bill-busting, fluorocarbon-filled appliance: the air conditioner. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/09/AR2010070902341.html?hpid=moreheadlines OIL SPILL Scientists Propose Big Experiment To Study Gulf Oil Spill. Washington -- Frustrated with limited data on the BP oil gusher, a group of independent scientists has proposed a large experiment that would give a clearer understanding of where the oil and gas are going and where they'll do the most damage. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/11/2002465/scientists-propose-big-experiment.html Historic Oil Spill Fails To Produce Gains For U.S. Environmentalists. For environmentalists, the BP oil spill may be disproving the maxim that great tragedies produce great change. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/11/AR2010071103523.html BLOGS Mark Landsbaum's Blog: Air Conditioning A Threat, Says Warmist. It's hard to mock global warmists' obsessive fear-mongering more than their own self-parodies do. This item just in: "Washington - As the eastern seaboard continues to endure a record-breaking heat wave, the thought of giving up air conditioning seems about as enticing as switching off the furnace during a bitter cold snap. But a Kansas environmentalist is suggesting just that. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/conditioning-257264-air-heat.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:50:30 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 13, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 12, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Editorial: Don't Let Lobbyists Love AB 32 To Death. Some fossil fuel producers push Proposition 23 to overturn Assembly Bill 32, the landmark law to combat climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But industry lobbyists are focused on an entirely separate and equally significant front: the regulatory process to implement the law. The Bee's Rick Daysog reported Monday that industry lobbyists are focused on shaping the guts of AB 32. They greatly outgun lobbyists for environmentalists and health groups. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/13/v-print/2885777/dont-let-lobbyists-love-ab-32.html Lobbyists Pull Out Checkbooks to Overturn CA Emission Law. Tesoro Corp. and Valero Energy Corp., both of San Antonio, Tx., have spent a combined $1.5 million or 79 percent of the funds collected in an effort to overturn California’s AB 32, which seeks to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2020, and which would begin to go into effect in 2012. That would bring carbon emissions in the state down to levels not seen since 1990. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/07/13/tesoro-valero-spend-1-5m-to-overturn-ca-emission-law/ Kerry Looking to Strike Deal With Utilities on Carbon Emissions Cap. Senate Democrats are searching for a way to entice the utility sector to sign on to an industrywide emissions cap in a final bid to salvage President Obama's goal of pricing carbon this year. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told reporters yesterday that conversations between Democrats and utilities are ongoing and that he remained optimistic that they could strike a deal. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/13/13climatewire-kerry-looking-to-strike-deal-with-utilities-16078.html?pagewanted=print http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071300015.html OPINION: The Science Behind Climate Science. How we as a society use what we have learned from climate science could well define our generation. Right now, our nation — and the world — are at a crossroads. Yet we seem stalled — despite an increasingly clear picture of what human-induced global warming is doing to our planet. The scientific community – often working closely with governments – has produced numerous, carefully reviewed, international and national assessments of the scientific understanding behind climate change. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39664.html Election In Japan Threatens National Climate Bill With Co2 Target. Tokyo -- Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan lost control of the upper house in parliament on Sunday, dealing a severe blow to his Democratic Party's chances of passing a climate bill this year. The bill would attempt to honor his country's pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent. Kan's coalition now has 110 lawmakers in the upper house after half of the 242 seats were up for grabs in Sunday's vote. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/13/1 Acid Rain, Smog Rules to Spur CO2 Law, Traders Say. The threat of power-plant closures under the Obama administration's planned limits on acid rain and smog pollution should revive efforts to pass legislation this year establishing a U.S. carbon market, an emissions trading group said today. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071203783.html CBO: Climate Bill Would Cut U.S. Deficit By $19 Billion. A report released by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation found that the American Power Act would reduce U.S. deficits by about $19 billion from 2011 to 2020. While the legislation would direct spending by $732 billion over the 10 years, it would increase revenues by about $751 billion, the report found. The American Power Act, introduced by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), would establish a hard price collar on carbon emissions credits that operators would have to purchase. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=70984 ENERGY Moment Of Truth For Energy Bill. The next three weeks represent Democrats’ last, best shot at getting an energy and climate change bill passed this year. In the White House and the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, it’s moment-of-truth time. People on every side of the energy debate say that Reid must unveil a concrete plan backed by a full-court press from the president this week, or the entire effort will fall apart in the run-up to the midterm elections. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=C48C3ED6-18FE-70B2-A8ADD497D46918F2 Two Firms Get Funds For Energy Research. Two firms get funds for energy research. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Monday that two San Diego companies have qualified for $2.4 million in federal stimulus grants for “shoot the moon” energy research. General Atomics will get nearly $2 million to work with the University of California San Diego to develop a battery big enough to store power for utilities, in which chemicals would flow through cells as power is needed. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/12/two-firms-get-funds-energy-research/ Green-Tech Projects In State Get Stimulus Funds. The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday awarded $92 million in stimulus funds for research projects that could change the way the country uses and stores energy, with $22 million going to California companies and universities. The money represents the Obama administration's latest round of investments in green technology. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has already funded loans for several green Bay Area companies, such as Solyndra of Fremont and Tesla Motors of Palo Alto. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/13/BUFP1ED9GI.DTL&type=printable California To Get $22 Million In DOE Clean-Tech Grants. The federal Department of Energy on Monday awarded $92 million for 43 clean-energy research projects across the country, including 11 projects in California that will receive a total of $22 million. The projects include $1.6 million to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for energy storage and more than $5 million to HRL Laboratories in Malibu to develop low-cost battery chargers for electric cars. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/business-headlines/ci_15500339?nclick_check=1 Unions, Contractors Spar Over Solar Jobs In Calif. Labor unions and independent contractors are jockeying for position as the solar industry begins to boom in California. An agreement brokered last month after a year of negotiations among the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the National Electrical Contractors Association and the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) would create a new union-approved job classification in California for solar photovoltaic installers working on residential and modular commercial projects. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/13/3 Eco-Friendly Bulbs Hold Hidden Risk. For years, consumers have been urged to switch to "CFLs," or compact fluorescent lights, which use about one-quarter of the electricity of incandescent bulbs. But unknown to many consumers, the lights come with a health risk: They contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin that can be particularly harmful to pregnant women and children. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15499763 Supervisors To Discuss Proposed Solar Plant. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors today will conduct a hearing on a proposed 27-acre solar power generating plant in Newberry Springs that has been appealed. The county Planning Commission approved the project, planned for the northwest corner of Cottonwood and Mountain View roads, on April 22. Newberry Springs residents James and Ramona Doles filed their appeal eight days later. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15500358 Opinion: A Good Energy Strategy Doesn't Fit In A Slogan. It's much easier to look for a magic solution than it is to adapt to reality. Take energy, for instance. These days "clean energy," also known as "green energy," is being presented as the magic solution for global warming, our dependence on foreign oil, and the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071205041.html Obama Sticks With Clean-Energy Goals. President Obama is looking again to convince voters that the billions of dollars he has pumped into embryonic clean-energy firms will build a better economy even if they generate only a modest number of jobs before the middle of the decade. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071205700.html Korea Groups to Invest $18.5 Billion in Clean Energy. July 13 (Bloomberg) -- South Korea's 30 major industrial groups plan to invest 22.4 trillion won ($18.5 billion) by 2013 in clean energy, including batteries and solar power, to benefit from the government's spending on environment-friendly projects. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071300072.html Could Poultry-Litter Power Plants Be In California's Future? In the search for new sources of energy, California policymakers may need to look to the birds.The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday on a company interested in building chicken litter-fueled power plants in poultry-producing states. The company, Fibrowatt LLC, is based in Langhorne, Penn., and is a unit of the privately held Homeland Renewable Energy. Chicken and turkey litter is commonly used by farmers to fertilize croplands. Posted. http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/will-californias-energy-production-go-birds Compact Fluorescent Lamps Save Energy But Need To Be Disposed Of Properly. For years, consumers have been urged to switch to CFLs, or compact fluorescent lights, which use about one-quarter of the electricity of incandescent bulbs. But unknown to many, CFLs come with a health risk if they're broken: They contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin that can be particularly harmful to pregnant women and children. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_15499538 CARBON EMISSIONS Draft Bingaman Bill Would Cap Power Plant Emissions. A climate bill being developed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chairman would impose carbon caps on electric utilities and achieve far fewer emission reductions than more sweeping proposals under consideration in the Senate. A discussion draft by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) would cut emissions by 2020 from regulated sources by 17 percent from 2005 levels and 42 percent by 2030. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/13/1 FORMALDEHYDE California Extends Formaldehyde Deadline To Dec. 31, 2011. Gives retailers another year to sell furniture inventories. Sacramento, Calif. — The California Air Resources Board has granted a one-year extension of to sell-though dates to give retailers another year to clear inventories that don't comply with the first phase of the state's strict new formaldehyde emission standards. The standards affect composite panel, a commonly used product in wood furniture and upholstery frames. Posted. http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/print/530054-California_extends_formaldehyde_deadline_to_Dec_31_2011.php FUELS EPA Releases Proposed Standards For Renewable Fuel Standard Program.The Environmental Protection Agency has released its proposed 2011 percentage standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard program, know as RFS2. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) established the annual renewable fuel volume targets, with the goal of reaching overall level of 36 billion gallons in 2022. Under the standard, each refiner, importer and non-oxygenate blender of gasoline determines the minimum volume of renewable fuel to use in its transportation fuel. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=70985 VEHICLES Calif. Carpool Extension Favors Electrics Over Hybrids. Solitary drivers of the popular Toyota Prius or Honda Insight will no longer be allowed to coast in California carpool lanes starting next year under a rule published yesterday by the state's Air Resources Board. The regulation extends high-occupancy vehicle lane benefits only for vehicles powered by electric batteries, hydrogen and compressed natural gas through Jan. 1, 2015. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/13/11 Tesla-Toyota Will Test Electric SUV Prototypes. Toyota Motor Corp. will team with Tesla Motors Inc. to produce electric vehicles, starting with a battery-powered test version of the RAV4 and Lexus RX. The two prototypes will be delivered to Toyota this month, according to a person familiar with the deal. Toyota is also hoping to add an electric Corolla compact car but will start with the two light trucks because they will better support the weight of Tesla's battery pack, the source said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/13/13 Roadshow: Have An Old Clunker? Air District May Pay $1,000 To Take It Off The Road. Q I got a letter from an agency asking if I wanted to get rid of my old '83 Civic and they would pay me for it. But I have no idea if this is legitimate. Can you help? Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15498753 http://www.contracostatimes.com/traffic/ci_15498752 MISCELLANEOUS The Gulf-Friendly Product Guide: Alternatives To Petroleum-Based Goods. The Gulf disaster has brought into cruel relief our reliance on petroleum-based products and made it all too clear how much that reliance is costing us and our environment. Reducing our dependence on oil means burning less gas by carpooling, taking public transportation, bicycling and walking. But we consume oil in many everyday products without even knowing it and excess plastic packaging only adds to the problem. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/12/v-print/2884258/the-gulf-friendly-product-guide.html BLOGS Will SB 375 Help Achieve The Governor's Vision For California? For those of us who support a healthier, smarter, more sustainable California, the last few weeks have given us much to write home about. The centerpiece of California’s efforts is Senate Bill 375 –the nation's first law to control global warming pollution by curbing sprawl. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aeaken/will_sb_375_help_achieve_the_g.html CNG Buses A Hit In Los Angeles, California. Orders keep coming for low emission trucks and buses at Daimler Trucks North America and Daimler Buses. Around 130 compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses were ordered from Thomas Built Buses—Daimler Truck North America’s school bus manufacturer—alone. That figure is actually the biggest ever purchase of CNG buses for Daimler. You might be wondering who purchased such a huge order. The answer to that is the Los Angeles Unified School District. The CNG buses should be all be delivered by the fourth quarter of this year. Posted. http://www.benzinsider.com/2010/07/cng-buses-a-hit-in-los-angeles-california/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:56:01 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 14, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 14, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S UN Panel Sees Private Help Key To Fulfill $100 Billion Climate Pledge. United Nations - A pledge by rich nations in Copenhagen to provide as much as $100 billion a year of climate-related aid to developing countries by 2020 may depend in part on the generosity of private donors and other non-governmental sources. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-un-un-climate-money,0,950190,print.story Regional Carbon Cap Gets Second Look As 'Template' For National Plan. The climate debate in Congress is prompting a closer look at a mandatory program that has been chugging along for almost two years in the eastern United States with relatively little notice. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, operating in 10 states from Maine to Maryland, restricts emissions just from the utility sector, like one of the leading ideas to address climate change now percolating on Capitol Hill. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/14/1 Ads Backed By Fossil-Fuel Interests Argue 'CO2 Is Green' A group with ties to the fossil fuel industry launched a new ad campaign today pushing the idea that carbon dioxide isn't an environmental pollutant. The organization "C02 is Green" funded a half-page advertisement in The Washington Post urging people to call their senators and seek a vote against "the president's cap-and-trade bill that will increase your cost of living and not change the climate. "The bill is based on the false premise that man-made CO2 is a major cause of climate change," the ad says. "Real, empirical evidence indicates it is not." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/14/2 AB 32 PG&E CEO Outlines Terms Of Continued A.B. 32 Support. San Francisco -- Pacific Gas & Electric's opposition to a ballot initiative that would overturn California's climate change law comes with several caveats, a top utility executive said yesterday. In response to a question about his company's position on Proposition 23, the initiative on the November ballot that would suspend A.B. 32 until the state's unemployment rate falls below 5.5 percent, PG&E CEO Peter Darbee emphasized that the law would need to have as minimal an economic effect as possible. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/14/8 EMISSIONS Reid, Targeting Power Plant Emissions, Hopes Support Arrives Along The Way. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is drafting legislation to limit carbon emissions at the nation's power plants, a risky political maneuver that faces divisions within his own party and a Senate clock that is quickly winding down. Reid (D-Nev.) will place the contentious carbon provision in a broader energy bill that tightens rules around offshore oil drilling, encourages clean energy production and jobs, and reduces oil consumption -- things that might be difficult for some lawmakers to oppose. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/14/2 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/14/14climatewire-reid-targeting-power-plant-emissions-hopes-s-13290.html ENERGY Lancaster Hopes To Outshine All Others. The Antelope Valley city has its sights set on becoming the alternative energy capital of the world. A big step is a deal with a firm to promote the use of solar panels by residents and businesses. In the Antelope Valley, Lancaster is known for its aerospace connections, its annual poppy festival and its arid desert atmosphere. But soon enough, if Mayor R. Rex Parris has his way, Lancaster may be headed for a new reputation as what he calls "alternative energy capital of the world." Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-city-20100713,0,2223734,print.story Letters: Biomass plants aren't in the business of clearing forests. The July 5 editorial "What biomass offers" said that biomass provides some energy benefits but added, "Chopping down and burning forest that gobbles up and stores lots of carbon, on the other hand, could easily do more harm than good." Legislation designed to protect America's forests would probably have very little effect on the biomass industry. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071306246.html VEHICLES Paris Challenge Shows Electric Car's Power. Paris - Driving into the chic Place Vendome in central Paris, lined with up market jewelers and exclusive hotels, a small orange van looked out of place on Tuesday evening amid the sleek luxury cars. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/14/AR2010071401742.html X Prize Deadline Looms For Makers Of Lightweight, High-Efficiency Very Light Car. Lynchburg, VA. -- Mechanic Bobby Mouzayck, 28, stands inside a former textile factory staring ruefully at the shell of something that looks like a cockpit that's missing the rest of the airplane. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071305697.html MISCELLANEOUS Trying to Stop Cattle Burps From Heating Up Planet. Gatton, Australia — To hear Athol Klieve tell it, a key to reducing Australia’s enormous carbon emissions is to make a cow more like this country’s iconic animal — the kangaroo. Both animals are herbivores, and both eat grass that is fermented before entering their main stomachs. But while cattle belch enormous amounts of methane to digest the food, kangaroos release virtually none — they burp only harmless acids that can be turned into vinegar. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/science/earth/14australia.html?_r=1&sq=climate change&st=cse&scp=7&pagewanted=print State Recycling Program Squandered Millions, Audit Finds. Our earth-friendly, Diet Coke-drinking colleague Andrew Galvin recently unmasked the Secrets to getting your bottle-and-can deposits back for avid recyclers everywhere. Now, it turns out, the California State Auditor has poked around the state’s recycling program and done some unmasking of her own, in a critical report titled “Deficiencies in Forecasting and Ineffective Management Have Hindered the Beverage Container Recycling Program.” Posted. http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2010/07/13/state-recycling-program-squandered-millions-audit-finds/60175/ BLOGS Toyota Extends Warranty on Troubled 2001-3 RAV4. Under pressure from the California Air Resources Board, Toyota said on Tuesday that it was extending the warranty nationwide on automatic transmissions and electronic control modules on almost one quarter of a million 2001–3 RAV4s and offering to reimburse owners who had already paid for repairs. Toyota previously refused to help consumers whose vehicles were out of the normal power train warranty (six years or 60,000 miles) when their transmissions were damaged, apparently by a malfunctioning electronic control module. Global Warming: Observing The Effects Of Climate Change So Far. Politico has published an article co-authored by the new head of one section of the IPCC report that says, "The urgent need to act cannot be overstated. Climate change caused by humans is already affecting our lives and livelihoods — with extreme storms, unusual floods and droughts, intense heat waves, rising seas and many changes in biological systems — as climate scientists have projected. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-9111-Environmental-Policy-Examiner~y2010m7d14-Global-warming-Observing-the-effects-of-climate-change-so-far Eco Etiquette: Is The Carbon Footprint Passe? 5 Global Warming Offenders to Know Now (PHOTOS). Somebody said to me that carbon footprint isn't the most important thing anymore, that there are other greenhouse gases out there that are more dangerous. Is this true? –Lincoln. Ah, the illustrious carbon footprint. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-grayson/eco-etiquette-is-the-carb_b_645495.html Circumventing Cap and Trade with an Another Bad Energy Bill. In the midst of a crisis in the Gulf, some Senators are making a final push to pass energy and climate legislation this year. Senators John Kerry (D–MA) and Joe Lieberman (I–CT) are introducing a scaled-back version of their original cap-and-trade bill [2] but still want to maintain a carbon cap. Posted. http://blog.heritage.org/2010/07/14/circumventing-cap-and-trade-with-an-another-bad-energy-bill/print/ Research Desk estimates: How much can the EPA, California and New England do to fight climate change? This is a hard question largely because the EPA has yet to roll out all of its anticipated greenhouse gas regulations. Back in February, when hope for a climate bill started to really dim, Brad Plumer wrote a great primer on exactly what the EPA's game plan is here, and what it can likely accomplish. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/07/research_desk_estimates_how_mu.html Senate Democrats Prepare For An Energy Debate This Month. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Tuesday he had assembled a "rough draft" of an energy bill and would aim to bring the legislation to the Senate floor the week of July 26. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/07/senate-democrats-prepare-for-a.html?wprss=44 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:22:32 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 15, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 15, 2010. 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. Money Gushes In Prop. 23 Fight. Supporters of California's global warming law have raised more than $2 million so far to defend the landmark legislation in what's shaping up as an expensive November ballot battle. Filings with the California secretary of state show that environmental groups and clean energy advocates were big givers to the campaign against Proposition 23, which would suspend AB 32 until the unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/15/2891122/monies-mount-in-prop-23-fight.html Calif. Sues Federal Government Over Green Retrofit Program. California Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) sued the federal government yesterday over interference by two publicly regulated mortgage companies into a state program that allows homeowners to pay for energy retrofits through property taxes. Last week, the Federal Housing Finance Agency effectively ended the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program because the retrofit funds are attached to properties as liens if they are not paid off, which trump banks for the proceeds if a home is foreclosed. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/15/10 Shower Of Toxic Particles Threatens Valley Air. Microscopic chemicals could corrode lungs. A mysterious shower of microscopic chemicals near a Fresno shopping center could be the first evidence of a broad, undetected assault on the lungs of San Joaquin Valley residents. If confirmed in other Valley cities, it means many thousands of people are daily breathing these cocktails of chemicals -- known as ultra-fine particles -- that corrode and damage lungs. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/14/v-print/2006814/toxic-shower-threatens-valley.html A California Campaign with Global Consequences. Proposition 23 Puts Clean Energy in Danger. This November, California voters are in danger of undoing one of the most progressive pieces of environmental legislation ever passed. Texas oil companies have taken advantage of California’s quirky initiative system to place Proposition 23 on the ballot. Posted. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/07/prop23.html/print.html Britain, France, Germany urge EU emissions cuts. Berlin - Britain, France and Germany are urging European Union nations to agree to a 30 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2020 in an effort to combat climate change. Britain's climate secretary, along with the environment ministers of France and Germany wrote in a joint letter published Thursday that the EU must target a 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions from 1990 levels to stop the rise in global temperatures. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_15522006?nclick_check=1 http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100715-709411.html Report: Illegal Logging Down Across The Globe. London -Tougher enforcement and strict new rules have led to a dramatic drop in illegal logging, a British think tank says, saving huge swaths of green and cutting carbon dioxide emissions across the globe. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15521931 OPINION: Logue Says Report Slams AB32. A report requested by Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda, makes the case for AB32 as a job killer with little benefit for California, according to the assemblyman. The report, drafted last month by the state Legislative Analyst's Office, suggests the state Air Resources Board, which will implement AB32, hasn't given enough consideration to the economic impacts of doing so. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/strong-97073-yuba-county.html Study Suggests Rise In Heat Waves By 2039. While skeptics brush off global warming as a distant catastrophe, a new Stanford study suggests that heat waves and extremely high temperatures could become commonplace in the United States by 2039. After nearly two years of research analyzing computerized climate modeling, Noah Diffenbaugh, a professor of environmental Earth system science and a center fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, and former postdoctoral fellow Moetasim Ashfaq found that the number of heat waves per decade within the United States could rise within the next few decades. Posted. http://www.stanforddaily.com/2010/07/15/study-suggests-rise-in-heat-waves-by-2039/ OPINION: Casting Stones At The Oilsands From California. Unlike the naive zealots at San Francisco's Corporate Ethics International, we will not ask Canadians to rethink their travel plans to California, despite the annual slaughter of thousands of birds at the state's Altamont Pass wind farm, an avian killing ground far worse than Alberta's oil-sands. Nor will we urge Canadians to boycott California despite its carbon-intensive heavy oil extraction industry, which supplies the state with nearly half of its oil needs. Posted. http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Casting+stones+oilsands+from+California/3280089/story.html CARBON EMISSIONS Utilities, Signaling Support For Carbon Caps, Want 'Relief' On Other Air Pollutants. Utilities are willing to accept Senate plans to reduce carbon emissions from the nation's power plants, but the industry needs concessions on other air pollutants to avoid rate spikes, a chief negotiator with the industry's leading trade group said yesterday. The assertion comes as the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is preparing to meet with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) today, its first high-level meeting in the Senate since the chamber narrowed its climate aspirations to regulate only the electricity sector. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/15/1 APT Selects FirstCarbon for GHG Reporting. Associated Packaging Technologies (APT) announced it has selected FirstCarbon Solutions to help it create an inventory of its carbon footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the company, FirstCarbon will help APT create an auditable GHG report, align reporting to the standards of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), and help the manufacturer reduce emissions across its supply chain. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/07/15/apt-selects-firstcarbon-for-ghg-report/ VEHICLE(S) Volt Battery To Get GM's Longest Warranty. General Motors Co. will guarantee the battery for its Chevrolet Volt electric car longer than for any other vehicle, the company announced yesterday. The eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty is three years longer than those given to conventional engine and powertrains. The coverage is the longest for any electric vehicle, according to GM officials. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/07/15/9 http://www.detnews.com/article/20100714/AUTO01/7140399/1148/Volt-battery-will-get-GM-s-longest-lasting-warranty#ixzz0tgl9IBH8 http://www.dailytech.com/GM+Brags+About+Volts+100000+Mile+8Year+Battery+Warranty/article19044.htm http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-14/gm-plans-to-offer-8-year-warranty-on-chevrolet-volt-s-battery.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/business/15auto.html?src=busln Stimulus Funds Build U.S. Battery Industry. The White House yesterday credited the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with seeding a domestic electric-vehicle industry that could one day build 40 percent of the world's automotive batteries. Nevertheless, industry observers said, financial independence for the fledgling sector remains years away. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/15/2 Manufacturers Must Help Recycle Used Batteries. More than 500 million batteries are sold each year in California. Those battery sales mean big profits for battery manufacturers and big disposal costs to taxpayers and consumers - in essence, we have privatized the profit and socialized the costs. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of alkaline batteries are illegally disposed of in landfills - roughly 30 million pounds a year of batteries containing zinc, steel and other nonrenewable metals. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/15/EDMJ1EDRR9.DTL&type=printable ENERGY Bay Area Cities Lead The State In New Solar Energy Installations. Richmond ranks No. 1 among large Northern California cities for installing the most watts per capita of new solar energy in 2009, according to a new study. Residents and businesses installed about 34.7 watts per capita last year. The city was the only one in Contra Costa County to win first place from the Northern California Solar Energy Association, which gave out awards Wednesday. Richmond also placed second for the total watts installed. Lafayette nabbed the No. 3 spot among small cities for the total number of systems installed. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15516770?source=rss Solar Wells Displacing Windmills On Western Range. The pump installer toppled the old windmill in about an hour, first climbing up the wobbly 27-foot tower to stop the broken mill's whirling blade and then pulling the underground pipe to make way for a new solar-powered electric pump. Iconic mechanical windmills of metal and wood have pumped life into American ranches and farms for 150 years, their function withstanding rural electrification in remote locations beyond the reach of power lines. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/07/14/national/a002038D43.DTL&type=printable Scaled-Back Energy Bill Takes On Power Plants. Washington - President Obama and Senate Democrats have decided to press ahead in the next two weeks with a scaled-back energy bill that limits carbon pollution by power plants but not by other industries in an effort to salvage the legislation before midterm elections. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/15/MNSP1EEJ2B.DTL&type=printable Lawmakers Ask Salazar To Create New Office For Offshore Wind. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers called for the creation of a new Interior Department office dedicated to reviewing offshore renewable energy projects yesterday. As the Interior Department works to overhaul the former Minerals Management Service, such projects could face significant delays, four senators and five members of Congress wrote in a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/15/4 Senate Democrats to Pursue a Smaller Energy Bill. Washington - President Obama and Senate Democrats have decided to press ahead in the next two weeks with a scaled-back energy bill that limits carbon pollution by power plants but not by other industries in an effort to salvage the legislation before midterm elections. After months of gridlock, the White House and Democratic leaders have concluded that the sweeping measure they once envisioned cannot pass, so they will try to get what they can rather than pass nothing at all. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/us/politics/15energy.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print Alt-Power Projects Outpace New Fossil-Fuel Efforts – Report. United Nations - For the second year in a row more alternative energy power capacity was added to electricity grids in Europe and the United States than power from coal, natural gas or nuclear reactors, according to a report released today. That trend will be seen worldwide by the end of this year or next, with China leading the way in alternative energy projects, a U.N. agency and a Paris-based public policy organization say. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/15/14 Hydrogen Startup Heads To Atlanta. Already the home of solar, wind, nuclear and biomass companies, Atlanta has boosted its growing profile as a renewable energy mecca yet again with the addition of another clean energy -- hydrogen. HydroPhi Technology Inc., a startup hydrogen energy company, announced that it will establish its headquarters, research and development center and factory in the city, eventually creating 300 jobs. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/15/12 AIR POLLUTION Mixed Report on Local Air Quality. In eco-concerned California, the Bay Area can claim at least one environmental bragging right: better air quality. But locals may have their geography to thank as much as fewer vehicle emissions. The Bay Area recently scored better in air quality than Southern California and the Central Valley by two measures—ozone and particle pollution—according to the American Lung Association. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704075604575357613754478720.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_News_SanFranciscoBayArea68_4#printMode MISCELLANEOUS EPA Oks Kettleman Landfill, Targets 2nd Cleanup. Waste Management can keep accepting hazardous wastes at its Kettleman Hills landfill, now that an area where cancer-causing PCBs were found has been cleaned up, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has told the company. But Waste Management is not completely off the hook yet. An EPA official, in a letter that the company made public Wednesday, said the landfill must now find the source of other PCBs that the company found and clean them up. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/15/v-print/2006845/epa-oks-kettleman-landfill-orders.html BLOGS New York City Revs Up for Plug-Ins. New York City has just unveiled the first of about 100 electric vehicle charging stations to be installed under a national program that aims to have nine metropolitan regions ready when automakers begin rolling out some electric vehicles later this year. Jason Post A new charger for plug-in cars. The public car-charging station, at an Edison Properties parking facility on Ninth Avenue between 35th and 36th Streets in Manhattan, is part of ChargePoint America, a federally sponsored program that promotes the quick adoption of electric cars to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/new-york-revs-up-for-plug-ins/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:31:23 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 16, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 16, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE CO2 is Green Launches Ad Campaign against Senate Climate Bill. C02 is Green, a group with ties to the fossil fuel industry, has launched a new ad campaign in the “The Washington Post” that urges people to call their senators and vote against the cap-and-trade bill, reports the New York Times. The half-page ad says the president’s bill will not change the climate and will increase the cost of living, driving up the price for electricity, transportation, fuel and food. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/07/16/co2-is-green-launches-ad-campaign-against-senate-climate-bill/ SLO County Ponders Climate Changes. Water shortages and threats to road and other critical infrastructure were identified by county leaders as two of their top concerns about global climate change. About 100 local elected and government officials as well as concerned citizens participated in a daylong workshop Wednesday in San Luis Obispo to discuss strategies for minimizing and preparing for the severe impacts of climate change that are expected over the coming decades. Posted. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/07/15/1217205/slo-county-ponders-climate-changes.html#ixzz0trO5F2vr A Climate Absolution? The latest study purporting to absolve the scientists involved in November's Climategate scandal was published last week. On predictable cue, the news was followed by a letter from our admirers at the United Nations Foundation and the Natural Resources Defense Council urging us to "set the record straight" on "these bogus scandals." Having devoted considerable space to Climategate, we're happy to explain why we can't do that. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703394204575367483847033948.html Clock Winding Down on Senate's Carbon Cap Efforts. Senate Democrats hoping to negotiate a scaled-down carbon cap on power plants are running out of time to make that happen. At the most, they have two weeks to convince Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that they have the 60 votes needed to pass the bill, something Reid has said is a prerequisite before he includes it in the broader energy bill expected on the floor this month. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/16/16climatewire-clock-winding-down-on-senates-carbon-cap-eff-47736.html PROP 23 In fight over California's global warming law, money is flowing. Supporters of California's global warming law have raised more than $2 million so far to defend the landmark legislation in what's shaping up as an expensive November ballot battle. Filings with the California secretary of state show that environmental groups and clean energy advocates were big givers to the campaign against Proposition 23, which would suspend AB 32 until the unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent. Posted. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/15/1731371/in-fight-over-californias-global.html Staff Report Of The Week: Resolution Opposing California Jobs Initiative. City Manager Fran David of Hayward signed a resolution last month opposing a ballot measure, California Jobs Initiative, which questions the economic impact and job loss the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 is causing. The bill required that California greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions be reduced to 1990 1evels by 2020. Posted. http://www.publicceo.com/index.php/local-governments/151-local-governments-publicceo-exclusive/1707-staff-report-of-the-week-resolution-opposing-california-jobs-initiative Prop 23: A Meaningless Vote? Nearly four months before the Nov. 2 general election, partisans are taking sides on Prop 23. Officially dubbed the California Jobs Initiative, Prop 23 would roll back implementation of the state's global warming legislation, AB 32, until the state's unemployment level goes below 5.5 percent for four straight quarters. Currently, California's unemployment rate stands at 12.5 percent. Posted. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/prop-zero/Proposition-23-A-Meaningless-Vote--98532824.html A California Campaign with Global Consequences. This November, California voters are in danger of undoing one of the most progressive pieces of environmental legislation ever passed. Texas oil companies have taken advantage of California’s quirky initiative system to place Proposition 23 on the ballot. This proposition has one purpose: to undo California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (also known as Assembly Bill 32, or “A.B. 32”), which stands as a landmark piece of bipartisan clean energy legislation and is a model for federal action. Posted. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/07/prop23.html California, Illinois add E85 stations. California-based Pearson Fuels has opened an E85 station in San Jacinto Valley, Calif., with plans for more. Funded by the non-profit Community Environmental Council and the California Air Resources Board, the station offers “alternative fuel now,” according to Mike Lewis, co-owner of Pearson Fuels. Lewis said the company also received funds for two biodiesel terminals in northern and southern Calif. Posted. http://ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=6834 ETHANOL BP Pays Nearly $100M for Local Biofuel Firm. Oil giant BP announced Thursday that it has agreed to pay $98.3 million for the La Jolla-based cellulosic ethanol business of Verenium Corp. The deal includes a San Diego research lab and a facility in Jennings, La., designed to demonstrate large-scale production of ethanol from fibrous materials rather than food crops. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/15/pb-pays-nearly-100m-for-local-biofuel-firm/ GREEN Big Ag Wins Kudos for Being Green. Researchers at Stanford University are trumpeting new findings that they say show agriculture’s so-called green revolution has greatly reduced forest clear-cutting and resulting climate-warming emissions—an unforeseen benefit to industrial agriculture. Because agricultural “advancements” like fertilizers, genetically engineered crops and pesticides have boosted yields, there has been less need to slash and burn for additional fields, and this has meant fewer carbon emissions, the report says. Posted. http://news.santacruz.com/2010/07/16/big_ag_wins_kudos_for_being_green ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:28:37 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 19, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV Newsclips for July 19, 2010. California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 19, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG's Calif. Companies Want Offsets Early And Often. Companies about to be subjected to California's emissions trading system are urging regulators to include as many offsets as possible in the early stages of trading. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) must adopt the final design by Jan. 1, 2011, according to the schedule it has set itself. At its latest workshop on June 22, agency officials laid out their preference for a "soft" price collar rather than a hard one. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/19/6 Letter: Don't Let Government Control Everything. Someone needs to watch the government. In rebuttal to the corporate phobia expressed in many letters, it was the actions of Democrats Chris Dodd and Barney Frank that spurred the wild lending that eventually led to the bankruptcy of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and to the failure of the housing market. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/ci_15543049 Without Carbon Emissions Cuts, The 'Anthropocene' Looms As An Ugly Epoch – Study. Choices the world makes about whether to cut man-made carbon dioxide emissions will determine the severity of climate change over the next thousand years -- or longer, according to a new report by the country's leading scientific advisory body, the National Academy of Sciences. That's because the greenhouse gas lingers in the atmosphere for hundreds or even thousands of years. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/19/2 Lake Superior, A Huge Natural Climate Change Gauge, Is Running A Fever. The Great Lakes are feeling the heat from climate change. As the world's largest freshwater system warms, it is poised to systematically alter life for local wildlife and the tribes that depend on it, according to regional experts. And the warming could also provide a glimpse of what is happening on a more global level, they say. "The Great Lakes in a lot of ways have always been a canary in the coal mine," Cameron Davis, the senior adviser to the U.S. EPA on the Great Lakes, said last week. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/19/1 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/19/19climatewire-lake-superior-a-huge-natural-climate-change-83371.html?pagewanted=print OPINION: Environmentalists And A Clean-Energy Future. Partial solutions won't do; we must move the country, and the world, toward a true clean-energy future. I always felt an uncomplicated pride in the small role I played in protecting the East and West coasts from offshore oil drilling — until the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. We had a great story: Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-teague-bans-20100719,0,3718514,print.story Turf-Makers Settle Calif. Lawsuit Over Warning Labels. Artificial turf-makers who have been keeping their grass greener by adding lead to their products agreed to limit using the toxic metal in a settlement with the state of California, said state officials Friday. Beaulieu Group, the nation's largest turf supplier, and FieldTurf USA Inc., the largest manufacturer, were charged in 2008 with violating California's Proposition 65 law by not including warning labels on their products. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/19/18 California Reviews Emissions Rules. The California Air Resources Board is mulling changes to its regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from certain heavy-duty vehicles. Changes include additional phase-in for large fleets, more flexibility for fleets to report, a storage trailer exemption, clarification of the drayage exemption and clarification of whether modifications to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay-verified equipment will comply. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85550 'Climategate' Fallout May Impact Legislation. Five investigations into the "Climategate" scandal have now cleared a group of scientists accused of twisting data in an effort to prove the world is getting warmer. But many environmentalists and climate researchers fear the damage has already been done. The scandal spawned big headlines and heated blog posts when it erupted last fall after hackers released a stash of unflattering e-mails from a climate research lab in Britain. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/19/MNNS1EFLDU.DTL&type=printable A Climate Absolution? The alarmists still won't separate science from politics. The latest study purporting to absolve the scientists involved in November's Climategate scandal was published this month. On predictable cue, we received a letter from our admirers at the United Nations Foundation and the Natural Resources Defense Council urging us to "set the record straight" on "these bogus scandals." Having devoted considerable space to Climategate, we're happy to do that, though not perhaps as our admirers would want. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703394204575367483847033948.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop#printMode To the Mat on Global Warming. SHORTLY after losing the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore embarked on an arguably even more ambitious campaign: to save the planet from destruction by global warming. His efforts, which included his documentary film “An Inconvenient Truth,” won him a Nobel Prize. But Mr. Gore has not yet achieved his goal of convincing America to limit the industrial pollution that causes climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/business/18shelf.html?_r=1&src=busln&pagewanted=print AIR QUALITY Bad Air in ‘Green’ Buildings. As the “green design” economy grows, consumers tend to equate energy-efficient construction with environmentalism. We assume green buildings are in the interest of both the planet and public health. But a recent dust-up between a nonprofit that certifies energy-efficient buildings and a nonprofit concerned about human health has challenged this easy association, raising questions about the costs of going “green.” Posted. http://inthesetimes.com/article/6191/bad_air_in_green_buildings Mowing Down Air Pollution In SCV. Saving green at cutting green while going green. That’s what more than 200 lawn mower owners did Saturday when they traded in their dirty old grass-cutting machines that pollute the air for clean “green” ones that do not. Everyone who took advantage of the Mow Down Air Pollution exchange program at the College of the Canyons on Saturday morning saved at least $250. Posted. http://www.the-signal.com/section/36/article/31150/ FORMALDEHYDE U.S. law requires less formaldehyde in wood products. President Obama signed a new law this month that limits the amount of formaldehyde, a chemical linked to cancer and respiratory problems, that's allowed in wood products.The law will likely result in more eco-friendly homes but more expensive furniture and cabinetry, reports USA TODAY colleague Jayne O'Donnell. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/law-wood-less-formaldehyde/1?loc=interstitialskip ENERGY Can Wind Power Be Too Much Of Good Thing? On the afternoon of May 19, in a single chaotic hour, more than a thousand wind turbines in the Columbia River Gorge went from spinning lazily in the breeze to full throttle as a storm rolled east out of Hood River. Suddenly, almost two nuclear plants worth of extra power was sizzling down the lines - the largest hourly spike in wind power the Northwest has ever experienced. Posted. http://www.mycentraloregon.com/news/state/ap/99978/Can-wind-power-be-too-much-of-good-thing.html VEHICLES No Evidence That Cell Phones Spark Fires At The Gas Pump. It's dangerous to talk on your cell phone while driving, but what about talking while you are standing at the gas pump, refueling your car? Internet tales suggest cell phones can cause gas pump fires and even explosions, possibly through static electricity. Are the tales truth or myth? Static electricity at the pump definitely can be a fire danger, experts say. But that comes from drivers' clothes, they say, not from cell phones. In California, where most gas pump nozzles have vapor recovery devices, static-caused fires are rare. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15524858?nclick_check=1 Grid Sets Electric Cars' Green Standard. When you drive an electric car in California, you're not just driving on electricity - you're driving on natural gas, nuclear power, hydropower and coal. Drive an electric car in, say, Georgia, and it's mostly coal and nuclear. Public fascination with electric cars is growing, as people and politicians look for ways to fight global warming and wean America off oil. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/19/BU0M1EF33T.DTL&type=printable OPINION: PD Editorial: Make Hybrids Louder, Silence Illegal Motorcycles. A recent article detailed efforts to end “hybrid creep” by adding artificial noise to gas-electric and all-electric vehicles, which can be practically silent at speeds of less than 20 mph. With hybrids making up a larger and larger share of the vehicles on the road, that sounds like a good idea. All puns aside, the case for artificial noise is bolstered by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration findings that hybrid vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in pedestrian crashes in low-speed situations such as backing up, entering or departing a parking space or coming to a stop. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100719/OPINION/100719605/1042&Title=PD-Editorial-Make-hybrids-louder-silence-illegal-motorcycles&template=printart Calif. Recycling Program May Have Paid Millions In Fraudulent Claims. Paying recyclers to keep electronics like televisions and computer monitors out of landfills has backfired on the California government, which has discovered fraudulent claims amounting to millions of dollars. The state's e-waste recycling program is designed to pay only for recycled electronics from Californians. But dishonest recyclers are buying old electronics in other states and recycling them in California for a profit. They make up fake names and addresses for where the objects were collected. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/19/19 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:36:46 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 20, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV Newsclips for July 20, 2010. California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 20, 2010. 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. APPOINTMENTS Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Appointments – July 20, 2010. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the following appointments: Stanley Young, 62, of Davis, has been appointed communications director for the Air Resources Board (CARB). He has worked for CARB as acting communications director since April 2010 and information officer III since 2009. Previously, Young was information officer II at CARB from 2008 to 2009 and special contractor from 2007 to 2008. Posted. http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81560 AB 32 California's Top Economists Agree: Killing AB 32 Will Be Costly for California. More than 100 Ph.D. economists with expertise in California energy and climate issues released an open letter yesterday warning against any delay in the implementation of California clean energy policies. A broad array of the nation's leading economists, including Nobel laureate Kenneth Arrow, a former professor at Stanford University, disagree with those who support suspending implementation of emission reduction policies. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=print/7970 http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/07/19/daily25.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/20/5 Former 'Green Jobs Czar' Van Jones Opposes Prop. 23, Lauds Clean-Tech Sector. President Barack Obama's controversial former "green jobs czar" Van Jones said efforts to roll back California's landmark climate change law will not only hurt Sacramento's budding clean-tech sector but also open the door for competing cities and states to wrest away green jobs and businesses. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/20/2901043/former-green-jobs-czar-van-jones.html California Democratic Party Votes To Stop Prop 23. The California Democratic Party (CDP) unanimously voted on Sunday to oppose Proposition 23, the ballot measure being financed by Texas oil companies to suspend California's clean energy and air standards. Posted. http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4424&ptid=9 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Obama Calls For More Greenhouse Gas Cuts. President Barack Obama wants federal government workers to re-think their commuting and work-related travel in an attempt to further reduce the government’s greenhouse gas emissions. The White House aims to cut the federal government’s indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent from 2008 levels by 2020, said Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, at a clean energy forum held Tuesday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Posted. http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/07/19/daily18.html?t=printable Climate Scientist Stephen H. Schneider Dies. Stephen H. Schneider, an internationally noted climate scientist at Stanford University who gathered powerful evidence for global warming that made him a fierce advocate for policies to combat climate change for four decades, died Monday while on a flight to London from a science meeting in Stockholm. Dr. Schneider had apparently suffered a heart attack, Stanford officials said. He was 65. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/20/BAE71EGMD2.DTL&type=printable http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-stephen-schneider-20100720,0,254147.story http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/science/earth/20schneider.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/19/AR2010071905108.html http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15551070 http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2010/07/great-loss A Russian Warning on Retreating Ice. Associated Press Russia’s prime minister, Vladimir Putin, right, visited an Arctic archipelago in April to help call attention to global warming. He tagged an anesthetized polar bear so it could be tracked. Sea ice in the Arctic is again in rapid retreat this summer, putting the region on pace to match the record lows seen in 2007, the head of Russia’s environmental agency said Tuesday, according to a Bloomberg News report. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/a-russian-warning-on-retreating-ice/?pagemode=print http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-20/arctic-ice-melting-fast-may-reach-all-time-low-russia-says.html 2010 Heats Up News Hype over Global Warming. Morning shows, USA Today focus on 'record' heat; offer dire predictions about droughts, floods and snowfall. While some people can't stand the heat, the news media revel in it. On July 15, USA Today reported that according the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2010 is the hottest year on record. ABC and CBS morning shows have also focused on the "record heat." Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703724104575379313351584040.html?mod=googlenews_wsj DOE: Paint Roofs White To Cool The Earth. The Department of Energy will paint the roofs white on its buildings to save energy and fight global warming. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu ordered DOE offices to “implement cool roof technologies” (paint their roofs white or use reflective coatings) and he encouraged the heads of other federal agencies to give similar orders for their buildings. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/07/19/daily6.html?t=printable U.K. Government Must Guarantee Green Spending Or Miss Carbon Targets – Report. London -- The U.K. government must maintain its current spending on low-carbon energy technologies or risk missing its carbon emission cut targets as well as the opportunity to build a green economy, a special report by the independent Committee on Climate Change says. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/20/6 Climate Change Is Bad For Your Health. While we've been "enjoying" a foggy summer here in San Francisco, the East Coast has been sweltering under some record breaking heat waves. And climate change models show such heat waves will occur more often and last longer, according David Easterling, a climatologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?&entry_id=68191#ixzz0uFRQjS6X Study: Climate Change Grasped Better As Health Issue. Framing climate change as a public health problem helps people, even skeptics, better understand the issue's significance, reports George Mason University researchers. Most of the 74 adults surveyed, who varied in both their demographics and views on climate change, reacted favorably to a short essay on the human health implications of global warming, according to an exploratory study released Monday by the university's Center for Climate Change Communication. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/climate-change-health-problems/1 With Carbon Cap Efforts Stalled, Focus Shifts To RES, Low-Carbon Fuels. With ongoing Senate efforts to price carbon currently sputtering, a number of lower-profile proposals to curb greenhouse gas emissions are drawing the attention of lawmakers and lobbyists. Two of the larger issues under debate as Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) inches closer to unveiling a broad energy package are the strength of the renewable electricity standard that is expected to be included in the bill and whether the legislation will include a controversial low-carbon fuels standard. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/EEDaily/print/2010/07/20/1 BP's Secret Ticket Request Line. For more than a decade, BP has operated a hush-hush phone line that California lawmakers can call to request box seats to NBA games and concerts at the Sacramento stadium named after its West Coast subsidiary. Posted. http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/07/bp-secret-ticket-request-line-california Report accounts for military GHG contributions. A paper to be published Tuesday in Environment Magazine found that the military activities related to acquiring and protecting oil imports from the Middle East generate significant greenhouse gas emissions that have, so far, been unaccounted for in fuel and climate regulations such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuels Standard and California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Low Carbon Fuels Standard. Posted. http://www.feedstuffs.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=F4D1A9DFCD974EAD8CD5205E15C1CB42&nm=Breaking+News&type=news&mod=News&mid=A3D60400B4204079A76C4B1B129CB433&tier=3&nid=794ACDBEF5C6404EB2B1B5AEEE87C72D GAS NOZZLES Nozzle Puzzle: Pumps Becoming More Hands-On. So-called “hold-open clips” can make pumping gas a breeze, but they’re quietly becoming a thing of the past at many service stations statewide. The devices, which lock a gas nozzle’s handle open while fueling, are being removed from pumps at several stations under an agreement between the state and a nozzle manufacturer. The California Air Resources Board, state fire marshal and Dayton, Ohio-based Vapor Systems Technologies in mid-June issued letters to 3,000 stations encouraging the clips’ removal. Posted. http://www.uniondemocrat.com/20100720100557/News/Local-News/Nozzle-puzzle-Pumps-becoming-more-hands-on AIR QUALITY New Air Quality Rules Create A Stink. Developers worry that new air quality guidelines could delay or kill urban housing projects by adding costs and time to the approvals process and exposing developments to more lawsuits. Posted. http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/07/19/story2.html?b=1279512000%5E3653611 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY U-T Editorial: A Different Democrat? ELECTION 2010: Brown's Focus On 'Green' Jobs Won't Revive State Economy. Jerry Brown bills himself as a different sort of Democrat. The attorney general’s unconventional biography certainly backs that up. Over the past 40 years, while secretary of state, governor, presidential candidate, radio host and mayor of Oakland, Brown has variously seemed like a conventional liberal, a rowdy populist and a pragmatic moderate. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/20/u-t-editorial-different-democrat/ U.S. Should Have Clear Policy On Clean Energy – Locke. The United States should follow the example of Colorado and invest immediately in the new-energy economy, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke said yesterday during a visit to Denver. The state has aggressively pursued renewable energy by requiring utilities to get 30 percent of their supply from renewable sources by 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/20/17 Marin Voice: Clean Energy's morphing promises. The Marin Energy Authority started electricity deliveries in May, promising to deliver green energy that meets or beats PG&E prices to municipalities, businesses and high-use residential customers. But cracks immediately appeared in MEA. How green is the power? What are the costs and risks? Posted. http://www.marinij.com/ci_15548903?source=most_emailed The Newest Green Classroom is Ready For California Students. As we first reported a few months ago, the Gen7 line of modular classrooms have gained attention in the state of California due to both their eco-friendly features and a commitment to improving student performance. Posted. http://earth911.com/news/2010/07/20/the-newest-green-classroom-is-ready-for-california-students/ VEHICLES Toyota Settles Suit Alleging Hybrid Patent Infringement. Toyota Motor Corp. has settled a patent-infringement dispute that threatened to derail U.S. imports of its hybrid vehicles, including the Prius. The settlement ends six years of litigation with Paice LLC. Alex Severinsky, a Soviet emigrant who founded Paice, claimed Toyota had used his 1994 patented system for gas-electric hybrid cars without his permission. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/20/8 Industry Groups Urge Obama To Form Electric-Vehicle Task Force. Four automotive and electric alliances are urging President Obama to form a federal task force to help launch electric vehicles and meet the administration's goal of getting a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. The groups said in a letter to Obama that the proposed public-private task force could coordinate government policy with industry needs, make it easier for consumers to buy and use electric vehicles and reduce the country's reliance on oil. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/20/12 Honda Plans 2012 U.S. Launch For New Electric Vehicle. Honda Motor Co. announced plans to sell an electric vehicle as well as a plug-in hybrid starting in 2012 in the United States and Japan, though no other details were released. "Honda has no future unless we achieve significant reduction in CO2 emissions," said Honda President Takanobu Ito. "The next 10 years will be a true test for Honda's survival." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/20/13 Volkswagen Hopes To Lead Electric Vehicle Market. Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn is "deeply convinced" that the German automaker will become a leader in the battery-powered electric car sector. Winterkorn spoke yesterday at the launch of the sixth-generation VW Jetta compact at the automaker's Electronics Research Laboratory in Palo Alto, Calif. Volkswagen, Europe's largest automaker, has already been a leader in diesel technology and fuel-efficient gas engines and is working on electric cars. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/20/14 BLOGS Clean Energy Options: In the Wake of the Oil Spill, Energy Alternatives That Will Create Jobs. With less than 5 percent of the world’s population, the United States produces 25 percent of greenhouse gases, making it the second largest emitter in the world after China. The American public is well-aware of this issue; according to a Pew Research Center Poll, three-fourths of Americans described climate change as a serious problem. Posted. http://www.progressivestates.org/node/25318 As Exxon Continues Climate Denial Crusade, Raw Story Fighting Back. I've decided it's time for us to do our part to ameliorate the coming climate catastrophe -- but let's please stop using the phrase "climate change." In an effort to offset carbon emissions produced by Raw Story and everyone who visits our site (our energy costs and yours), we will begin purchasing carbon credits through Terrapass.com. Posted. http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0719/raw-story-carbon-neutral/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:54:14 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 21, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV Newsclips for July 21, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S California Delays Fee Tied To Climate Change Law. The state, facing a ballot initiative to roll back its landmark climate change law, has pushed back a $63 million fee to pay for the legislation until after the November elections. The California Air Resources Board was supposed to begin collecting fees from oil companies, utilities and other energy producers last year to pay for the greenhouse gas reduction law. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/21/v-print/2903848/california-delays-fee-tied-to.html http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/21/1739997/climate-change-law-63-million.html Don't Fall For The Myths About AB32. We're fortunate to live in a state that is the world leader in the clean energy economy. California's Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) provides a foundation for this leadership by requiring the state to reduce global warming pollution to 1990 levels by 2020. It's a popular goal: An April 2010 Field Poll showed that a majority of voters support California's landmark renewable energy law. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/21/EDVK1EECL1.DTL&type=printable Do-Nothing Approach To Climate Change Heightens Water-Shortage Risks. Residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties are at "extremely high risk" of not having enough water to meet demands by mid-century if changes aren't made to combat climate change and curb water use, according to an analysis released Tuesday by an environmental action group. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_shortages21.317ed8a.html http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/20/climate-change-threatens-states-water-supplies/ EDITORIAL: Remembering A Climate Warrior. Long before the eruption of "Climategate," Stephen H. Schneider had taken up the cause of climate change, armed with the sword of his convictions and the shield of scientific data. His fierceness in battle earned him plaudits as an advocate, and derision from climate-change skeptics. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/20/ED301EH49D.DTL ENERGY Governor Seeks Delay In Renewable Energy Rule. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has asked the state’s air-quality enforcers to postpone a rule to require 33 percent of the power used by utilities to come from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy. Schwarzenegger asked the Air Resources Board to delay until September its adoption of the new regulation, which had been expected this month. The Republican governor said he made the request because of “ongoing discussions with legislative leaders to develop a bill that I can sign.” Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z023wwbpdetly8&xid=z0046kanwp12ve&done=.z023wwbpdfily8# http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/07/21/4 Obama Wants Emission Cuts In Federal Commuting Practices. President Obama is asking more federal employees to bike or carpool to work in order to slash the government's total carbon footprint. Yesterday, the White House set its governmentwide target for reducing emissions from indirect sources like employee driving, stating that federal agencies must curb such emissions 13 percent in the next decade when compared to 2008 levels. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/21/5 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/20/AR2010072005975.html Energy Ministers Endorse Clean-Tech Measures, Back CCS Group. Government energy ministers gathering in Washington, D.C., today launched 11 energy-efficiency and renewable energy initiatives around the world, which they claim will avoid the need to build 500 midsize power plants during the next 20 years. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/20/20greenwire-energy-ministers-endorse-clean-tech-measures-b-89532.html Senate Waits on Reid to Show His Hand on Climate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is either holding his cards close to the vest or he is waiting to be dealt a hand. Regardless, the Nevada Democrat's decision to remain silent on what will be in the climate and energy bill he hopes to take to the floor soon has his own party holding its breath. “We are now waiting for Harry," Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) told reporters on the way into yesterday's caucus lunches, where many had expected Reid to finally get specific about the details of his legislative plan. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/21/21climatewire-senate-waits-on-reid-to-show-his-hand-on-cli-61198.html?scp=10&sq=air%20pollution&st=cse While Reid Ponders, Some Democrats See Time Running Out for Energy Bill. Senate Democrats appear unsure how to proceed on major energy legislation, with just days remaining on the Senate's summer schedule. The uncertainty is prompting grim forecasts for the passage of any bill -- one containing climate provisions or not. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/21/21climatewire-while-reid-ponders-some-democrats-see-time-ru-3776.html CARBON EMISSIONS Beijing Intensifies Carbon Capture and Sequestration Work With U.S. Last year, directors of the U.S. Energy Department's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory signed a memorandum of understanding with researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences to push research and development efforts in carbon capture and storage technologies. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/21/21climatewire-beijing-intensifies-carbon-capture-and-seque-20506.html DIESELS CARB Hears Navistar’s SCR Complaints. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) held a public workshop yesterday to discuss possible changes in the way selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems react to malfunctions or other problems in trucks meeting the Environmental Protection Agency 2010 diesel engine emissions standards. The workshop was part of an agreement with Navistar International (NYSE: NAV). Posted. http://fleetowner.com/green/archive/carb-navistar-scr-complaints-0721/ CA Energy Commission Boosts Cutting-Edge Trucks and Buses with Nearly $20 Million. The California Energy Commission has approved 11 awards for projects that will demonstrate the possibilities for cutting-edge natural gas-powered, hybrid, and electric trucks and buses to reduce petroleum use, cut pollution and provide jobs. The awards leverage almost $20 million in state funding with $9.3 million in federal stimulus money and $39 million in private funds. Posted. http://www.ngvglobal.com/ca-energy-commission-boosts-cutting-edge-trucks-and-buses-with-nearly-20-million-0721 Lassen Transit Service Agency Gets New Buses. A new, beautiful bus with quick-working air conditioning and comfortable seats will be bringing more comfort to south county commuters. During a Monday, July 7 meeting of the Lassen Transit Service Agency, county transportation planner Dan Douglas announced the new 39-passenger Gillig bus had arrived. The LTSA commissioners and others in attendance at the meeting had the opportunity to tour the bus and sit in the seats. Posted. http://www.lassennews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6063:lassen-transit-service-agency-gets-new-buses&catid=2:lassencountynewsheadline&Itemid=1 VEHICLES Tesla And Toyota Agree To Develop An Electric RAV4. One of the unanswered questions from the last couple months is what is Tesla intending to do with the NUMMI factory facility? In May, Tesla and Toyota entered into an agreement to study the sale of the NUMMI factory in Fremont to Tesla Motors. This is a factory with a 450,000 vehicle per year production capacity, while Tesla has previously discussed making perhaps 20,000 Model S sedans per year. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-14333-Green-Transportation-Examiner~y2010m7d20-Tesla-and-Toyota-agree-to-develop-an-electric-RAV4 Zipcar To Expand Santa Cruz Car-Share Services. Santa Cruz - Residents needing a car, but not wanting to buy one, will soon have several options as the car-sharing company Zipcar prepares to expand its operations in Santa Cruz. Currently operating at a handful of depots at UC Santa Cruz and at a lone annex downtown, the program won funding from the local air district to add more cars and pick-up points in the city. The service, which offers members easy, inexpensive and often hourly car rentals, has been praised for limiting the need for vehicle ownership and curbing the harmful emissions that automobiles bring. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15561760 BLOGS In a Climate Quest, the Roof as White Knight. Since he took over as energy secretary last year, Steven Chu, a Nobel laureate in physics, has urged Americans to help cool the planet by painting their roofs a lighter color that reflects sunlight. “When you’re thinking of putting on a new roof, make it white,” Dr. Chu told Jon Stewart’s “Daily Show” audience in 2009. “It costs no more to make it white than to make it black.” Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/in-a-climate-quest-the-roof-as-white-knight/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:26:57 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 22, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 22, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S CA Air Resources Board To Set Cap On Carbon Emissions For San Diego. California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) is scheduled to decide next month on a cap for carbon emissions in San Diego over the next 25 years. There’s a struggle between those who want to see aggressive goals, and those who fear that would harm the economy. Members of CARB were in San Diego to get public input on how aggressive to be with carbon reduction goals. The San Diego region has some of the highest carbon emission levels per capita in the state. Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/jul/22/ca-air-resources-board-set-cap-carbon-emissions-sa/ EDITORIAL: You Can't Explain Away Climate Change. Some hold that global warming stopped in 1998, but scientists know better.You probably won't hear it from columnist George F. Will, Fox News commentators or the plethora of conservative blogs that have claimed global warming essentially stopped in 1998, but recent figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that global land and ocean surface temperatures in June were the highest since record-keeping began in 1880. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-20100722,0,4760187,print.story Calif. Climate Fight Hits Youtube With First Video Spot. A video spot released yesterday by proponents of California's climate change law offers a first glimpse of the media strategies likely to crowd the airwaves during the battle over a ballot measure that will confront the state's voters in the November election. The video, available on YouTube, deploys a bit of Hollywood star power and attempts to connect those who want to suspend the law with the companies behind the oil spill in Gulf of Mexico. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/07/22/4 Study: Global Warming Will Worsen Smog. Rising temperatures in coming decades will have one more unpleasant effect in Southern California, scientists say: They will make smog worse as well. A new report that combines smog statistics with climate models says that in 40 years, global warming could push Southern California toward 25 additional days when smog levels violate federal standards for exposure to ozone. By 2100, that could rise to as many as 50 days. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=258829 http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/printable_news.lasso?id=9557&table=news Agencies Must Fill In Blanks Of Obama's Greenhouse Gas Goals. Earlier this week, President Obama announced a seemingly straightforward goal: Reduce the government's greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging employees to bike, carpool or take public transportation to work. But such indirect emissions are hard to quantify, and federal officials are still figuring out how they will measure agencies' progress. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/22/4 Utility And Enviro 'Working Group' Strike Compromise To Advance Carbon Caps. A core group of utility bosses and environmentalists racing to rescue the fading effort to cap carbon emissions has agreed on a number of provisions group members hope will prompt Senate leadership to pursue greenhouse gas reductions at the nation's power plants. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/22/2 Wonkbook: Fed Says Action Possible; Senate Dems Split On Climate Bill; Jobless Benefits Pass. In testimony before the Senate, Fed chair Ben Bernanke appeared to embrace a sort of reverse-Augustinian view of further measures to help the economy: It will remain chaste now, but reserves the right to intervene more aggressively later. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/22/AR2010072201450.html ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Schwarzenegger Blames Enviros For Transmission Troubles. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger accused environmentalists yesterday of using state planning laws to stall permitting of electric transmission lines needed to take renewable energy from turbine farms to cities. Speaking to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners meeting in Sacramento, the Republican said overblown concerns about the well-being of the Mojave ground squirrel and the endangered California condor were preventing the state from meeting its renewable energy goals. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/22/15 Outlook For U.S. Clean Technology Gains Appears Bleak. Representatives from federal agencies, industry groups, private companies and think tanks met yesterday to discuss the future of U.S. and Canadian manufacturing and energy efficiency. The event, organized by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), brought the group together in honor the organization's 30th anniversary. Overall, the mood was bleak. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/22/3 Calif. Tries To Pin Down Where The Green Jobs Are -- And Aren't. The influx of federal stimulus dollars to create millions of "green jobs" needs significant manipulation to become reality, California workforce experts are saying. In Sacramento yesterday, the California Energy Commission heard from analysts, employers and policymakers trying to put the pieces together. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/22/5 Gulf Coast Residents Need Clean Energy Jobs. Just because BP seems to have stopped the oil spill does not mean we should go back to business as usual in the Gulf of Mexico. I've been visiting Gulf Coast communities over the last three months, and I've seen the despair. The people of the region need job opportunities - but not in the oil and gas industries that have taken such a heavy toll on the health and environment. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/22/v-print/2907387/gulf-coast-residents-need-clean.html California Appliance Rebate Program Expected To Expand. A few hundred bucks for new, energy-efficient refrigerators, clothes washers and room air conditioners was not enough to send recession-pinched Californians rushing to appliance stores. So the state is going to sweeten the offer. When it meets next Wednesday, the California Energy Commission is expected to approve a major expansion of the state's Cash for Appliances program, adding energy-efficient dishwashers, freezers, water heaters and heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/22/v-print/2906697/california-appliance-rebate-program.html Pampered Pets And Their Owners Going Green. New York - Whether it is organic coconut chip treats, eco-friendly rope toys, hemp and bamboo collars or beds made from recycled material, pampered pets and their owners are going green. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/21/AR2010072103578.html AIR QUALITY Peak Ozone Levels In Calif. To Rise Along With Temperatures. Rising temperatures will mean increased ozone and smog levels in California's major air basins, according to a new state-sponsored study from University of California researchers. The report cites previous global and regional studies that show an increase in ozone coincides with an increase in maximum daytime temperature. The South Coast Air Basin and the perennially polluted San Joaquin Valley will suffer the most, the study found. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/22/6 Health Profile Of Santa Clara County Shows Need For Improvement. While the number of smokers and teens who got pregnant in Santa Clara County declined in the past decade, obesity and life expectancy among adults is on the rise, according to Santa Clara County health officials who released a 180-page profile of the county's health Tuesday. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_15562387 Citizens Group Is Suing The City Of San Jose Over Amendment To Airport Master Plan. Citizens Against Airport Pollution filed a suit in Santa Clara County superior Court July 19 against the city of San Jose over its recent approval of a major amendment to the Airport Master Plan without a supplemental environmental impact report. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15568806?nclick_check=1 Methyl Iodide Is Needed Replacement For Ozone-Depleting Methyl Bromide. I proposed the use of methyl iodide because it will not destroy the ozone layer as does methyl bromide, the fumigant it replaces. Much like other potent materials that are part of our everyday lives, methyl iodide can be used safely. This compound is the most researched and most tightly controlled fumigant yet registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/22/EDPM1EHQ4V.DTL&type=printable GAS NOZZLES State To Gas Stations: Lose The Clip. Gas Pump Convenience Targeted After Spills. Sacramento, CA - A story about inconvenience at the gas pump. The State of California wants to do away with the clips that let you fill up your car without holding the nozzle. The recommendation is going out to gas stations after there have been 10 fuel spills statewide link to the clips. So California, is it time to get a grip? "Pft. Why?" asked driver Jason Mckenzie. "Annoying. I don't like touching it because it's dirty," said driver Dany Chuong. But pumps have kept the gas flowing in those ten cases, even after they were supposed to have switched off. Posted. http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-news-californiawantsgasstationstoremovepumpclip,0,145322,print.story VEHICLES Ford Will Sell Lincoln Hybrid, Gas Sedans For Same Price. Ford Motor Co. has announced plans to sell a hybrid car at the same price as its gas-powered counterpart, removing an oft-cited barrier to adoption. The 2011 Lincoln MKZ sedan will retail for just more than $35,000 in both versions. The hybrid, which debuts in the fall, will get double the mileage of the conventional version. Aaron Bragman, an analyst with IHS Automotive, said other automakers may try to mirror the move if Ford uses it with more models. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/22/12 DIESELS Navistar Presents “Pollution Loopholes” During Cali Workshop. El Monte, Calif. -- Earning a public workshop by dropping its lawsuits against environmental regulators, Navistar took the opportunity to debate “compliance loopholes” in liquid-based SCR systems for diesel engines. While every other engine maker adopted SCR systems to meet stringent new NOx reduction rules for 2010, Navistar decided to continue with EGR-based engine technology. Posted. http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=24346 BIOFUELS/FUELS Airlines To Use Biofuels For 1 Percent Of Fuel Use By 2015 – Boeing. Commercial airlines may get 1 percent of their fuel from biofuels derived from plants, including algae, by 2015, according to Boeing Co.'s environmental chief. "We need to get to 1 percent to get that foundation and then the trajectory will be significantly steeper," said Billy Glover, managing director of environmental strategy for Boeing's commercial airplanes unit. "We're aiming for a 1 percent penetration around the middle of this decade and we think that's quite achievable." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/22/13 Ethanol Could Be Wiped Out Without Subsidy, Advocacy Group Says. Almost 40 percent of the U.S. ethanol industry could be wiped out if a 45-cent-per-gallon tax credit given to oil companies for mixing ethanol with gasoline expires on Dec. 31, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. "We need to have that tax credit renewed," said Bob Dinneen, the association's president. The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee is considering cutting the credit to 36 cents per gallon. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/22/14 Authors See Military Emissions As Crucial Part Of Gasoline's Lifecycle. The greenhouse gas emissions associated with oil-related military operations are hard to delineate and hard to quantify, a new report argues. But they are just as important to understanding gasoline's lifecycle impacts as a similarly hard-to-calculate factor, indirect emissions from land-use change, are to biofuels. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/22/16 ASBESTOS Lobbyists Push Use Of Deadly Asbestos In Developing Nations. Washington - A global network of lobby groups has spent nearly $100 million since the mid-1980s to preserve the international market for asbestos, a known carcinogen that's taken millions of lives and is banned or restricted in 52 countries, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has found in a nine-month investigation. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/20/2893567/lobbyists-push-use-of-deadly-asbestos.html BIOFUELS Farm to Fork Tour In Brentwood Offers Organic Fun. Brentwood — Eating fruits and vegetables shouldn't be a chore, and with the Farm to Fork tour, it actually might be fun. Nonprofit Bay Area Green Tours is teaming up with Berkeley's Gather restaurant and two Brentwood farms to show local consumers how organically grown produce is harvested. The tour will begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 15. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_15568843 BLOGS How's That Energy Bill Coming? Kate Sheppard reports: "We're really not at the point where I can determine what I think is best for the caucus," Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) told reporters following the meeting, when asked if there were any new details on the package, which they are supposed to start debating next week. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/07/hows_that_energy_bill_coming.html Did Melting Ice Cause D.C. Earthquake? The news rang out across the nation: Mild earthquake shakes D.C. area. A real earthquake it was -- not the rumblings so often emanating from "inside-the-Beltway" political battles. Although the largest earthquake in the area since tracking of such began in 1974, it was minor in intensity (3.6 on the Richter scale) and no injuries or damage were reported.But, could there be more to this? Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/07/did_melting_ice_cause_dc_earth.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:07:18 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newclips for July 23, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 23, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Senate Abandons Climate Effort, Dealing Blow To President. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid abandoned efforts to reduce carbon emissions from the nation's power plants yesterday, marking the first major legislative setback for President Obama, who entered office vowing to address climate change. Reid (D-Nev.) was cornered into the decision after a handful of Democrats and Republicans failed to be swayed by an 18-month effort in Congress to charge corporate polluters for releasing carbon dioxide. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/23/1 Can The Climate Bill Be 'Rebranded' As A Republican Solution? When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said climate legislation would be delayed, a few blocks down, on Pennsylvania Avenue, Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) had just finished sketching out what could become the next act of this long-playing political drama. He was telling a group of utility executives and others that combating climate change would require pricing carbon and that pushing such legislation through Congress would partly require rebranding it as a smart market-based, Republican solution. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/07/23/2 Federal And State Regulations Can Drop CO2 Emissions, But Not To Obama Goals – Study. The collapse of climate legislation in the Senate yesterday raises the question of how far existing state and federal policies can reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their own. In that regard, an environmental think tank is releasing a study today concluding that the most aggressive implementation of current state and federal law would fall short in cutting greenhouse gases to levels called for by the Obama administration, although such action could bring the nation "within range" of government targets for 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/07/23/3/ As California's Temperature Rises, So Does The Ozone. First you’ll get cooked and then you’ll get choked. That's what a new state government report is predicting: As climate change causes temperatures to rise in California, ozone levels will climb, too. The report predicts that by the year 2050, Californians will experience between six to 30 more days per year that exceed the federal government’s ozone safety standards. Posted. http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/235-californias-temperature-rises-so-does-ozone Efforts to Block EPA's Greenhouse Gas Regulations Back in Play. Over the past two years, cap-and-trade advocates used the threat of U.S. EPA climate regulations as a key driver in the push for climate legislation on Capitol Hill. Now, Democratic leaders face the challenge of renewed bipartisan interest in handcuffing EPA before it takes action. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/23/23climatewire-efforts-to-block-epas-greenhouse-gas-regulat-50829.html Climate And Energy Bill Delayed As Political Support Withers. Bowing to a lack of support, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Thursday said there would be no vote this summer on a bill that would put the nation's first limits on the carbon pollution responsible for global warming. The decision could doom the measure's long-term chances as well. Posted . http://www.modbee.com/2010/07/22/1263489/climate-and-energy-bill-delayed.html You Can't Explain Away Climate Change. The following editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Thursday, July 22: You probably won't hear it from columnist George F. Will, Fox News commentators or the plethora of conservative blogs that have claimed global warming essentially stopped in 1998, but recent figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that global land and ocean surface temperatures in June were the highest since record-keeping began in 1880. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/07/23/1264167/you-cant-explain-away-climate.html Senate Abandons Climate Effort, Dealing Blow to President. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid abandoned efforts to reduce carbon emissions from the nation's power plants yesterday, marking the first major legislative setback for President Obama, who entered office vowing to address climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/23/23climatewire-senate-abandons-climate-effort-dealing-blow-88864.html Federal Agencies Must Fill in Blanks of Obama's Greenhouse Gas Goals. Earlier this week, President Obama announced a seemingly straightforward goal: Reduce the government's greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging employees to bike, carpool or take public transportation to work. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/22/22greenwire-federal-agencies-must-fill-in-blanks-of-obamas-39825.html Moss Landing Cement Venture Wins $20 Million In Stimulus Funds. Los Gatos start-up Calera, which is pioneering a way to make cement from greenhouse gas emissions, was awarded $19.9 million in federal stimulus funds Thursday. The 3-year-old company, which harnesses carbon dioxide from the Dynegy power plant in Moss Landing, was one of six nationwide ventures recognized by the Department of Energy for turning a harmful exhaust into a useful industrial product. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15579687 AB 32/ Prop 23 California's Prop. 23 Fuzzy On Jobless Tally. Proposition 23 says California's greenhouse gas rules should be suspended until the state's sky-high unemployment rate drops. The problem is, the measure doesn't specify exactly what that means. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/23/2015928/californias-prop-23-fuzzy-on-jobless.html http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/23/2909536/californias-prop-23-fuzzy-on-jobless.html#mi_rss=State%20Politics Economists: Blocking California's Clean Energy Law Will Be Costly. More than 100 economists with expertise in California energy and climate issues have released an open letter, warning against any delay in the implementation of California clean energy policies. The letter was organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists. A broad array of the nation's leading economists disagree with those who support suspending implementation of emission reduction policies, saying that delaying action now will be more costly than taking action now. Posted. http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content_lt.php?content.6264 Proposition 23 Puts California’s Recovery at Risk. With so many sectors of the economy faltering, Californians have reason to celebrate the leadership our state is showing in promoting clean energy and the dramatic potential for job growth it presents. Since 2005, employment in the clean energy sector has grown ten times faster than the statewide average. Posted. http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4433&ptid=9 Proposition 23, State Cuts Protested In Oroville. About 25 people converged on a representative of state Assemblyman Dan Logue (R-Linda) on Wednesday afternoon in Oroville to protest state cuts to In-Home Supportive Services and Proposition 23. Outside Butte County Supervisor Bill Connelly's office on Lower Wyandotte Road, members of the Northern California State Budget Alliance, the Butte Environmental Council and the Peace and Justice Center held signs protesting Proposition 23. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/oroville/ci_15574805 CARBON EMISSIONS Study Points To Limits On Arctic Ocean Carbon Absorption. The Arctic Ocean may be reaching its limit as a carbon sink, suggests a new study. Some scientists had projected that, as sea ice cover receded and the ocean warmed, its waters could sop up increasing amounts of carbon dioxide. Removing the barrier between ocean and air, the reasoning went, would help provide a steady stream of CO2 to feed microbes in the surface waters. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/07/23/6 U.S. Funds Efforts to Turn CO2 Emissions Into Products. Can industrial CO2 emissions come in handy? The Department of Energy is betting these carbon dioxide emissions, a culprit of climate change, can be turned into useful products such as fuel, plastics, cement and fertilizers. DOE announced Thursday $106 million in Recovery Act funding for six corporate projects that will research the potential to use CO2 as an inexpensive raw material. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/doe-funds-co2-efforts-/1 ENERGY $122 Million Grant To Convert Sunlight To Fuel. New light at the end of the carbon tunnel? Scientists from UC Berkeley, Stanford University and the California Institute of Technology have been given $122 million to come up with ways to produce fuels directly from sunlight. The U.S. Department of Energy announced the grant Thursday to a team led by Caltech in Pasadena, also including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Berkeley and Stanford. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/23/BUP51EIF3H.DTL&type=printable Manufacturers Push Energy Efficiency And Urge Caution On Natural Gas. In the absence of a climate bill that puts a price tag on greenhouse gas emissions, a group of U.S. manufacturers is recommending that Congress pass major new incentives for energy efficiency it says would cut emissions 13 percent and create U.S. manufacturing jobs. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/23/4 'Green Revolution' In Cross-Border Energy Investments Is Sputtering -- U.N. Report. United Nations -- Government policy, both national and international, is largely failing to spark a flood of cross-border investment into low-carbon technologies and processes, a U.N. trade research agency concludes in a new report. While some Kyoto Protocol systems like the Clean Development Mechanism and the Joint Implementation program are making some inroads, overall levels of foreign direct investment into alternative energy and environmental manufacturing are low, the report shows. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/23/5 Senate Dems Abandon Energy Bill, Blame GOP. Washington - Senate Democrats on Thursday abandoned plans to pass an energy bill that caps emissions of carbon dioxide, saying Republicans refuse to support the measure. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15578702?nclick_check=1 Climate And Energy Bill Delayed As Political Support Withers. Washington -- Bowing to a lack of support, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Thursday said there would be no vote this summer on a bill that would put the nation's first limits on the carbon pollution responsible for global warming. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/22/2015695/climate-and-energy-bill-delayed.html Reid Will Introduce Scaled-Back Energy Bill, Lieberman Says. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to introduce an energy bill next week that won't include a cap-and-trade program in which power plants buy and sell a declining number of carbon dioxide pollution rights, said Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/22/AR2010072203510.html Soul Searching For Enviro Groups -- And Desperate RES Push -- In Wake Of Senate Defeat. Senate Democrats' decision yesterday to dump major energy and climate legislation has some environmentalists and carbon-cap advocates taking a long hard look in the mirror, while others are pivoting today to a last-gasp summer push for a renewable electricity standard. One energy and environmental lobbyist is spreading the word that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is considering tacking an RES provision onto a small energy package that he plans to bring to the floor next week. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/23/1 California Farms Take Risks When Going Green. California dairy farmers might soon start converting their cow waste to fuel, but in doing so, they may be taking on more insurance risks — risks that their insurance agents might not be aware of, said James D. Redinger, principal engineer-director of engineering and standards for The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co. Posted. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2010/07/23/111832.htm Sludge Power Plant Moving Forward. A $200 million project outside Lost Hills that will make electricity from sewage sludge will soon head to county planning commissioners for a vote. The Liberty Energy Center will essentially be a major upgrade of an existing composting facility -- formerly called San Joaquin Composting, now called Liberty Composting -- that opened in 1989. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x1062112162/Sludge-power-plant-moving-forward AIR QUALITY Climate Change Could Bring Back Smog Episodes. Sacramento – A warming climate could mean a harsher smog season. A University of California report found that rising temperatures stemming from climate change will increase ozone levels. Dimitri Stanich at the State Air Resources Board says that applies to the South Coast Air Basin and the state’s other major air basins. “California could experience as many as six to 30 more days with ozone concentrations that exceed federal air standards depending on the higher temperatures and assuming that the emissions stayed at 2004 levels.” Posted. http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=15235 DIESELS EPA, CARB Workshop Examines Driver Defeat of SCR Engines. Changes to the EPA's 2010 emissions regulations relating to selective catalytic reduction technology are being proposed as a result of a suit brought against the EPA by Navistar. During a California workshop Tuesday, both sides had a chance to present comments. The Navistar lawsuit challenged guidelines issued during the implementation of the SCR technology. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=71106 CARB’s SCR Workshop Draws Fire. Truck and engine manufacturers that have chosen selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to meet new diesel emissions requirements are not happy that regulators are considering changes to rules governing SCR use. “We question the need to make modifications to SCR strategies just six months after SCR products were brought to market,” said Steve Berry, Volvo Powertrain dir. of government relations. Posted. http://fleetowner.com/green/archive/carb-navistar-scr-complaints-0721/ CARB Fines 16 Companies for Diesel Violations, Distributes $100,000. The California Air Resources Board reached settlements last month with 16 companies that had violated state diesel regulations. Violations included failure to: Conduct smoke inspections on heavy-duty diesel vehicles; Report diesel-powered cargo handling equipment; Comply with trash truck regulations; and Install certified emissions reduction equipment on diesel engines. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/July10/071910/072210-05.htm AG BURNING Fate of Open-Field Burning Up In The Air At Florez Hearing. The battle over burning is heating up again. The local air district has continued allowing open-field burning of agricultural waste in cases where it considers the alternative methods too expensive, prompting State Sen. Dean Florez to schedule a hearing next Wednesday in Sacramento. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x1062112144/Fate-of-open-field-burning-up-in-the-air-at-Florez-hearing FUELS Ethanol, Biodiesel Fuels Now Available. Drivers of vehicles that run on ethanol and biodiesel fuels can now fill up in Ventura. Silvas Oil Co., which for 30 years has specialized in commercial fleet fueling stations, has opened its first station open to the general public. The station offers E85 Flex Fuel, a mix of 85 percent corn ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, and B20 Biodiesel, a blend of 80 percent petroleum diesel and 20 percent biodiesel made from soybean oil. It also offers two other types of diesel and three grades of conventional gasoline. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/22/ethanol-biodiesel-fuels-now-available/ BLOGS Pelosi: No Regrets Passing Climate Change. On the same day that Senate Democrats rolled out a more limited energy proposal, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she didn’t think it was a mistake to push a comprehensive climate change bill through her chamber last year. At her weekly briefing on Thursday, Ms. Pelosi said the House had “staked out a bold position” and rattled off a number of reasons why she said it was “absolutely essential” to pass the measure – including to help reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil and to be competitive in producing green jobs. Posted. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/pelosi-no-regrets-passing-climate-change/ California Mandates Tire Pressure Checks--Is It All Hot Air? The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has mandated that all service centers are required to check and inflate customer’s tires to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure--regardless of whether or not the car’s service has anything to do with tires. California’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars driving around with under-inflated tires, which have higher rolling resistance. Posted. http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/07/california-air-resources-board-carb-mandates-tire-pressure-checks.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:35:59 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 26, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 26, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE Warming Climate Means Harsher Smog Season For California. Rising temperatures from climate change will increase ozone levels in California’s major air basins, according to a new report to the California Air Resources Board from scientists at UC Davis and UC Berkeley. The study also predicts that peak concentrations of dangerous airborne particles will increase in the San Joaquin Valley due to the effects of climate change on wind patterns. Posted. http://www.physorg.com/news199107947.html http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_15604129 http://www.examiner.com/x-59146-Bakersfield-Environmental-News-Examiner~y2010m7d22-Scientists-claim-warming-climate-will-mean-more-smog The Right and the Climate. Climate change legislation has been dying in the Senate for months now, but Harry Reid’s decision to finally admit as much — in the midst of an endless East Coast heat wave, no less — has supporters of cap-and-trade casting about for somebody to blame. They’ve blamed the Obama administration, for prioritizing health care reform over an energy bill. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/opinion/26douthat.html Climate Change Plan Collapses In Senate. There is plenty of blame to share for the political demise of climate change legislation in Washington. Timid Democrats, obstinate Republicans, a risk-averse White House and a sour public outlook that green groups couldn't counter. Each played a role. Following a health care fight, a $1 trillion stimulus package and new financial regulations, there was neither the will nor patience for another major showdown. The doomed plan was built on the much-mocked cap and trade approach that set limits on carbon emissions (think mainly coal-fired power plants) and allowed polluters to buy and sell credits to stay within the caps. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/25/EDSL1EJ0V5.DTL Four Ways to Kill a Climate Bill. IF President Obama and Congress had announced that no financial reform legislation would pass unless Goldman Sachs agreed to the bill, we would conclude our leaders had been standing in the Washington sun too long. Yet when it came to addressing climate change, that is precisely the course the president and Congress took. Lacking support from those most responsible for the problem, they have given up on passing a major climate bill this year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/opinion/26wasserman.html?src=mv Health Rules Could Cut Greenhouse Emissions. A proposed rule on mercury, a pollutant bad for fish and the people who eat too many of them, could help the administration of President Barack Obama get near its short-term climate goal, even if the U.S. Congress fails this year or next to pass a bill tackling greenhouse gases directly. Senate Democrats crafting an energy bill have abandoned it until September, and for the rest of the year they probably will not debate climate measures like carbon caps on power plants and mandates for utilities to produce more power from renewable sources like wind and solar. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/business/global/26green.html?src=busln AB 32 AB32 to Face 2 Challenges on November Ballot. Californians will vote twice in November on the state's groundbreaking law to reduce emissions that contribute to global warming - once on an oil company-backed initiative to put the law on hold indefinitely, and once in the governor's race, where Republican Meg Whitman has promised to suspend the rules for a year. Governors are normally required to enforce all state laws, including those they dislike. But AB32, which requires the state to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases 25 percent by 2020, has a built-in escape hatch. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/25/MN3N1EIKOC.DTL Claim: Anti-AB32 Measure Could Cost Thousands of Jobs. Passage of California's Proposition 23 this November might cost as many as 500,000 jobs and threaten 12,000 companies and billions of dollars of private investment in California, claims a group calling itself the “Clean Economy Network.” Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15819 Climate Law Adds Jobs to State Payroll. The state's landmark global warming law has yet to create the promised bonanza of green jobs, but it has boosted payrolls in another sector of the economy: state government. At a time of budget cuts and state worker furloughs, the state agency primarily responsible for regulating global warming has bulked up its staff as it prepares to enforce AB 32, the climate change law signed in 2006 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/26/2914294/climate-law-adds-jobs-to-state.html Biz Leaders: Prop 23 Could Stall Renewable Energy Investments. If California’s Proposition 23 passes this November, it could put at risk 500,000 clean tech jobs, 12,000 companies and billions of dollars of private investment in California, say business and investment leaders, according to a report from the Clean Economy Network (CEN). The Nov. 2 ballot measure would delay the implementation of certain parts of Assembly Bill 32, the 2006 law requiring that the state reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, until the state’s 12.3 percent unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent for four consecutive calendar quarters, reports The Sacramento Bee. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/07/26/business-leaders-say-californias-prop-23-would-stop-efforts-to-boost-renewable-energy-investments/ Proposition 23: Be Careful What You Wish For, You Might Get It! Climate change continues to appear on the electoral agenda globally, but this November in California it will be front and centre for the state’s voters. AB 32, the landmark emissions reduction legislation of the Schwarzenegger administration is under threat. Specifically, a proposition is now on the November ballot to suspend AB 32 until the economy improves. Posted. http://theenergycollective.com/davidhone/40507/proposition-23-be-careful-what-you-wish-you-might-get-it Editorial: A Good Time to Rethink. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is seeking a delay of a new rule to require 33 percent of power used by utilities to be from renewable sources like wind and solar power. We urge the governor to use the extra time to rethink the entire idea that state government should impose such uneconomical and unreliable requirements. Mr. Schwarzenegger has asked the state Air Resources Board to postpone adopting the rule until September, reported the Capitol Weekly, a newspaper covering the capitol and politics. The rule was expected to be adopted this month. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/state-258999-renewable-sources.html AIR POLLUTION Mow Without Polluting Your Yard. It is a weekly chore for many this time of year — mowing the lawn. What you probably don't realize is that your gas-powered mower is also contributing to bad air quality, right there in your own backyard. Until recently, gas-powered lawn mowers were not required to regulate emissions. The good news is that new regulations and a selection of greener alternatives can help you Do Your Part to reduce air pollution so close to home. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/sns-home-electric-lawn-mowers,0,106341.story Orinda Couple Revs Up Fight against Leaf Blowers. Sure, rock concerts, trains and traffic are noisy. But there's something about leaf blowers that really amps up neighborhood tensions. Peter and Susan Kendall founded Quiet Orinda a year ago to try to persuade the city to ban leaf blowers. They've been collecting signatures to present to the City Council, but haven't revealed how many signatures they have, or when they'll go before the council. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15563448 http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15563448 Business Travel Groups Bristle At Obama's Anti-Pollution Idea. President Obama's call for government workers to cut back on driving and travel to reduce air pollution has angered business travel leaders who say he is once again hurting the travel industry. Obama issued a directive last week ordering government workers to commute and travel less to reduce greenhouse emissions 13% by 2020. The move, he said, would eliminate 101 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase-20100727,0,7803431.story FUELS Berkeley Lab Co-Leads $122 Million Sunlight-To-Fuel Effort. Plants fuel the world with their ability to convert sunlight into a usable form of energy. Now, the Department of Energy is putting up $122 million to help humans capture the energy of the sun and create renewable liquid fuels through "artificial photosynthesis." Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_15587963?source=most_emailed Azusa Unified Dedicates New CNG Fueling Station. A fueling station and new fleet of buses will cut Azusa Unified's fuel costs in half, decrease carbon emissions and curb health hazards for students, officials said. Thanks to grants from two environmental agencies, the district installed a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station at its main office earlier this year. Officials unveiled and dedicated it during an event Thursday. Posted. http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_15593700 Zapping High Fuel Costs. Electric vehicles are on their way to Riverside with the opening of the Inland region's first Zap dealership. Ramon Alvarez C., owner of Alvarez Jaguar and Alvarez Lincoln-Mercury in the Riverside Auto Center, has opened Alvarez Zap alongside his other businesses with plans to market the company's existing lineup of low-speed vehicles primarily to commercial buyers, and to be a part of Zap's next step into the consumer market. Posted. http://www.pe.com/business/local/stories/PE_Biz_D_zap24.3a14e6e.html Navy Adding Green to Haze-Gray Arsenal. An experimental “Green Hornet” fighter jet that uses biofuel. The “Prius” warship running on a hybrid engine. The Navy is increasingly going green thanks largely to a desire to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels that come from hostile places in the world. The Navy, the Pentagon’s second-largest user of oil, also sees it as an expensive bill to pay as budgets get leaner. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/25/navy-adding-green-to-haze-gray-arsenal/ ENERGY In Central California, Solar Power Dawns as a Major New Cash Crop. California's Tulare County produces about 26 percent of the state's milk supply and 55 percent of its oranges, and is one of the few places in the world where giant Sequoias reproduce. What it doesn’t seem to do is produce anywhere near enough electric power to meet its needs. While the county has a few generating facilities – mostly small hydroelectric plants dating from the early 20th century – altogether they produce only about 50 megawatts of power. Posted. http://sunpluggers.com/news/in-central-california-solar-power-dawning-as-major-new-cash-crop-0742 Livermore Recognized As Bay Area Leader In Solar Power. The city of Livermore was recently recognized by the Northern California Solar Energy Association as a Bay Area leader in solar power. The city took home a number of awards recently during a solar energy convention at San Francisco's Moscone Center. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15590264 GREEN GUEST OPINION: Ten Ways to Help Save the Planet. In 2008, Planet Watch posted a series of suggestions of what we can do personally to lower energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gasses. While these individual steps will not solve the problem of energy dependence or global warming by themselves, they should be part of process of changing our way of thinking and challenging the assumption that energy sources are not finite and their use harmless. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100725/OPINION/100729728/1350?Title=GUEST-OPINION-Ten-ways-to-help-save-the-planet RECYCLING Boat of Plastic Bottles Ends 4-Month Pacific Sail. A sailboat largely constructed from 12,500 recycled plastic bottles has completed a 4-month journey across the Pacific Ocean meant to raise awareness about the perils of plastic waste. The Plastiki, a 60-foot (18-meter) catamaran, and its six crew weathered fierce ocean storms during its 8,000 nautical miles at sea. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15603022?nclick_check=1 BLOGS Next Steps on Climate and Energy. The 20th century ended on Friday, at least in relation to the discourse over what to do about global warming. The end came with the failure of a seven-year effort in the Senate to pass a climate bill centered on a cap-and-trade system for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Such a system had worked effectively for easily measured, and mitigated, emissions of conventional pollutants from power plants and other industrial sources. But carbon dioxide, the most important human-generated greenhouse gas, poses an entirely different set of challenges. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/next-steps-on-climate-and-energy-2/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:36:31 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 27, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 27, 2010. 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. AB 32 Opinion: Environmental Regulations Threaten Minority Community Jobs. California is known as a leader, a progressive state that is regularly in the forefront on a wide variety of issues. Taking this leadership role, however, comes with a great responsibility to make sure that our forward-thinking policies don't negatively affect minorities, lower-income families and other at-risk Californians. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15608169 No on Prop 23 Campaign Gets Big Backing from Major Democratic Donor, Releases Report on Valero's $9 Billion Export of California Energy Dollars. Tom Steyer, a major Democratic donor, has been named co-chair of No on 23, Californians to Stop the Dirty Energy Proposition. He joins former Secretary George Schultz in leading the effort to defeat the ballot measure bankrolled by two Texas oil companies that will kill California's clean energy and clean air standards. Posted. http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4443&ptid=9 http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/147893190 Fiorina Backed By Coal-Mining Firms. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina has received about $63,000 in donations this year from Appalachian coal-mining interests, much of the money from an outspoken Ohio mine owner who dismisses global warming as "hysterical global goofiness." Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/27/MNUA1EK2FC.DTL&feed=rss.news AIR QUALITY Dry Lightning Hits State; Most Wildfires Small. More than 4,000 lightning strikes lashed California over the past three days in an unusually intense midsummer electrical storm that sparked dozens of fires and sent crews rushing to beat back flames from Yosemite to Oregon. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/26/MN551EK4IP.DTL CLIMATE CHANGE Study: Climate may push more Mexicans to U.S. Los Angeles — Climbing temperatures are expected to raise sea levels and increase droughts, floods, heat waves and wildfires. Now, scientists are predicting another consequence of climate change — mass migration to the United States. Posted. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012456277_climate27.html Cap-And-Trade Advocates See Tougher Battle After Elections. With Republicans expected to pick up seats in both the House and Senate on Election Day, most advocates of carbon caps say they face a tougher playing field in 2011. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/27/27climatewire-cap-and-trade-advocates-see-tougher-battle-a-78288.html Opinion: Ball dropped. There are two questions flying around Washington, now that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has officially declared the demise of a climate-change bill: Who killed the bill? And what does this mean for President Barack Obama’s energy plan? Posted. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/49994840-82/bill-energy-senate-climate.html.csp Kerry's Lonely Push On Climate Change. He fell just short of winning the White House in 2004. Four years later, he was rumored to be a leading contender to be secretary of state, until President-elect Barack Obama stunned everyone by tapping his former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/26/AR2010072605538.html Report: U.S. Faces Climate Change-Driven Water Shortages. As global warming accelerates, the world will become not only hotter, flatter, and more crowded but also thirsty, according to a new study that finds 70 percent of counties in the United States may face climate change-related risks to their water supplies by 2050. Posted. http://theenergycollective.com/toddwoody/40554/report-us-faces-climate-change-driven-water-shortages U.K. Carbon Calculator Shows 80% Emissions Reduction Is Achievable By 2050. The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change announced a “carbon calculator” that shows the country’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent in the six decades through 2050 is achievable. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-27/u-k-carbon-calculator-shows-80-emissions-reduction-is-achievable-by-2050.html Spread of Deadly Cryptococcal Disease in Northwest Linked to Global Warming. A deadly infectious disease once thought to be exclusively tropical has gained a toehold in the Pacific Northwest, and health experts suspect climate change is partially to blame. Posted. ENERGY Giant Wind Farm Unveiled In Mojave Desert. Mojave, Calif.—One of the world's largest wind farms is being unveiled on a gusty ridge in the Mojave Desert. Terra-Gen Power plans a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday on the Alta Wind Energy Center in Mojave, about 60 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Dozens of wind turbines already are operating near the Kern County site. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15612800?nclick_check=1 http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN2622761620100727 http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-windfarm-20100727,0,7972223.story?track=rss GAS PUMPS State: 1/3 Of Gas-Pump Clips May Leak Fuel. Sacramento (KABC) -- Many people use the locking clip on the gas pump while fueling their vehicles so the nozzle doesn't need to be continuously held. State lawmakers say "no more," and want to do away with those clips. Posted. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=7576541 TIRE INFLATION Revised CARB Inflation Rules Still Set for September. The California Air Resources Board has resubmitted final rules that will force California repair shops to check and reinflate tires on customer vehicles. The Regulation to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Vehicles Operating with Underinflated Tires takes effect on Sept. 1. The resubmittal featured minor changes from the previously announced scheme. Posted. http://www.tirereview.com/Article/77665/revised_carb_inflation_rules_still_set_for_september.aspx DIESEL Port Trucks Test The Limits of Emission Rules. Oakland, CA – While more than a thousand Oakland port trucks were replaced with taxpayer assistance or cleaned up to meet federal engine emission standards, companies serving the port say that non-compliant vehicles known as “dirty trucks” are still rolling through Oakland to pick up cargo. Posted. http://www.oaklandvoices.us/2010/07/port-trucks-test-the-limits-of-emission-rules/ Navistar Says SCR Systems Can Be Defeated. Navistar Inc. recently attacked competitors’ 2010 selective catalytic control engines on two fronts, telling environmental regulators that pollution controls on the engines could be easily defeated, and telling fleet managers that every gallon of diesel fuel an SCR engine saves will come at the cost of at least that much diesel exhaust fluid consumed. Posted. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/lmtbase.aspx?storyid=953 VEHICLES Hybrid Car Sales Fueled By Affordability. Buyers of hybrids and first-generation plug-in electric cars are driven more by affordability and reducing gasoline consumption than recapturing the performance of a traditional gas-only car, said a California expert on future trends in transportation. Posted. http://www.freep.com/article/20100727/BUSINESS01/7270306/Hybrid-car-sales-fueled-by-affordability GM Prices the Chevy Volt at $41,000. Will Buyers Plug In? General Motors finally has the answer for how much the Chevy Volt will cost: $41,000. That's been the big -- and lingering -- question consumers have had about GM's first plug-in hybrid electric car. Posted. http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/gm-prices-chevy-volt-electric-car-41000/19569806/# BLOGS $100,000 In CARB Settlement Funds Go To Colleges, Clean-Air Fund. The California Air Resources Board announced that it distributed more than $100,000 to community colleges and a state clean-air fund last month as a result of settlements with 16 companies that violated clean air laws. Posted. http://www.ccjdigital.com/100000-in-carb-settlement-funds-go-to-colleges-clean-air-fund/ The Senate Punts Recklessly on Energy and Climate. Even in hyper-partisan modern Washington one would have thought that, in the end, the Senate would have more plain sense than to turn its back on comprehensive energy and climate legislation this year. But that's exactly what it did last week. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mindy-s-lubber/the-senate-punts-reckless_b_659753.html They've Failed -- And We Must Hold Them Accountable. I am furious and frustrated. We're sweltering here in Washington DC -- living on a planet that just survived the hottest six months in recorded history -- and yet last week the Senate announced it plans to do absolutely nothing for the foreseeable future about our climate crisis. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gillian-caldwell/theyve-failed----and-we-m_b_660623.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:50:44 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 28, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 28, 2010. 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. AB 32 Prop. 23 Backers File Challenge Over Wording. Backers of a voter initiative to suspend California's landmark climate change law have filed a legal challenge to the wording of the rollback measure. In legal papers filed Tuesday, the Yes on Proposition 23 committee alleged that the state attorney general's office used misleading and unfair descriptions in voter materials. Proponents of the climate change law, or AB 32, said the court filing is another smoke screen from a group backed by out-of-state oil interests who will profit from a rollback. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/28/v-print/2919009/prop-23-backers-file-challenge.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/28/3 http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_15617802?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Oil Industry Is Driving Force Behind Proposition 23's Attack On California's New Greenhouse Gas Regulation. If a ballot initiative is known by the company it keeps, we should be just a teeny bit suspicious of Proposition 23, the Nov. 2 measure designed to eviscerate California's new greenhouse gas regulation. The driving force behind the initiative is the oil industry, which has contributed more than $2.3 million to getting it passed. The biggest single contributor is San Antonio-based Valero Energy ($1.05 million, according to the latest state campaign disclosures), with San Antonio-based Tesoro Corp. in second place with $525,000. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20100727,0,4733595,print.column CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S California, New Mexico And 3 Canadian Provinces Outline Regional Cap-And-Trade Program. The Western Climate Initiative would cut greenhouse gas emissions 15% below 2005 levels by putting restrictions on the energy sector, large industrial plants and transportation. California, joined by New Mexico and three Canadian provinces, outlined a detailed plan Tuesday to curb greenhouse gas emissions in a regional cap-and-trade program by January 2012. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-pact-20100728,0,7168879,print.story http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hgABVefweI7bvthTYMEmiTSahocQD9H7LN801 http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics/California-Leads-the-Way-to-Climate-Change-99338024.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/07/27/1268895/western-climate-initiative-offers.html#ixzz0uzeyhAJk http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/27/climate-initiative-offers-cap-and-trade-system/ Our View: Breathe Easier: We Dodged Climate Bullet. After scaling back ambitious plans to cap and effectively tax greenhouse emissions in nearly every industry, Senate Democrats recently conceded they couldn't get the necessary 60 votes to pass even a bill to regulate only electric utilities. The failure to impose a cap-and-trade regimen before the August recess is a major loss for the Obama administration, which deemed the bill necessary to fulfill the president's campaign pledge to heal a "planet in peril. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/campaign-97464-bill-votes.html Rising Temperatures Harm Ocean Plant Life, Research Finds. Rising temperatures can have a harmful effect on the tiny plant life that forms the base of the marine food chain and also likely affects marine diversity, new research has found. Over the years, humans have stressed the oceans through pollution, over-fishing and habitat alteration such as dredging. Less well understood is the role of higher sea temperatures, which many scientists believe is linked to global climate change. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704895004575395273977526844.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#printMode Climate Study: Expect Refugee Inflow to U.S. Global Warming Study Sees Big Rural Refugee Migration to U.S. Over Next Decades. Every time governments fail to take serious steps on climate change, it seems the parlor game of predicting what our warmer world will look like heats up. And the newest of those predictions, appearing this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pokes at what is presently one of the country’s most sensitive spots: immigration. Posted. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/28/tech/main6721031.shtml ENERGY California's Clean Energy Future Threatened By Federal Delays, State Officials Say. The U.S. Department of Energy is accused of foot-dragging in approving loan guarantees to finance several major projects worth an estimated $30 billion. Plans for a massive expansion of clean energy in California are being jeopardized by federal foot-dragging, according to state officials who say that more than 20 nearly shovel-ready solar and wind projects are being held up by the U.S. Department of Energy. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-energy-20100728,0,4486511,print.story Energy Bill, Focusing On Conservation, Can't Shake Calls For RES. The Senate's small energy package unveiled last night flirts with Republican opposition and turns its cheek to clean-power Democrats. Its first vote, nonetheless, is planned for next week. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) resisted mounting efforts in his own party to include a renewable electricity standard (RES) in his last-ditch attempt to pass an energy bill this summer, even as several Democratic senators openly questioned his assertions that the electricity standard lacks support. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/28/2 DOE And DOD Join Forces To Push Clean Energy Research. The Energy Department and Defense Department unveiled plans yesterday to chart a new course speeding clean energy development. DOE's deputy secretary, Daniel Poneman, announced that his agency signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pentagon geared toward increasing collaboration on clean energy research through the exchange of ideas and even personnel. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/28/5 Homebuilders And Efficiency Advocates Push For Overhaul In Residential Energy Use. Increasing the energy efficiency of private homes through changes in the nation's building codes is an essential tool to direct meaningful reductions in energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, asserted efficiency advocates at a congressional briefing yesterday. The best opportunity to introduce energy-efficient technologies into a home is during its construction or its sale, or when it is otherwise vacant, panelists said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/28/6 Wind Farm 'Mega-Project' Underway In Mojave Desert. The Alta Wind Energy Center — with plans for thousands of acres of turbines to generate electricity for 600,000 Southern California homes — officially breaks ground Tuesday. It's being called the largest wind power project in the country, with plans for thousands of acres of towering turbines in the Mojave Desert foothills generating electricity for 600,000 homes in Southern California. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-windfarm-20100727,0,7972223.story Sonoma County Sues Feds Over Energy Retrofit Policy. At issue is whether the federal agencies have the power to set rules affecting home loans on properties where the owners have participated in retrofit programs. Sonoma County has sued federal housing officials and agencies for new rules that it maintains have undermined its energy retrofit program and harmed participating homeowners. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100727/articles/100729543&tc=ar&template=printart. VEHICLES GM Takes On Nissan In Electric Car Battle. The next phase in the rebirth of the electric car is turning into a battle between General Motors and Nissan Motor Co. GM executives, speaking Tuesday at a plug-in car conference in San Jose, said their Chevrolet Volt will cost $41,000 when it hits the market later this year. The price had been the subject of intense speculation for years. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/28/BUMA1EKNEO.DTL&type=printable http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/27/business/la-fi-autos-volt-20100727 http://www.examiner.com/x-42287-Chicago-Green-Technology-Examiner~y2010m7d27-Chevy-Volt-to-cost-41000-before-rebates Electric Carmakers Focus On Incentives, Not Carbon Prices. Livonia, Mich. -- With climate legislation seemingly dead in Congress, many clean-energy advocates are going back to the drawing board. But the electric-car industry, which is relying on other federal incentives to get ahead, remains upbeat. Industry officials have met just outside Detroit for the past two days to discuss the state of the growing industry: whether the United States can build enough batteries, at a low enough price, to compete globally. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/28/1 Calif. To Convene Plug-In Advisory Group. San Jose, Calif. -- California is forming a cross-agency group to figure how to improve the rollout of plug-in electric vehicles, a top state air regulator said today. The "Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative Council" will consist of about 25 state employees, legislators and industry representatives and will be led by Diane Wittenberg, formerly executive director of the Climate Action Reserve and the Climate Registry, which work on greenhouse gas reporting and offset protocols. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/28/8 http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1047618_2011-chevy-volt-no-5k-rebate-hov-lane-access-for-ca-buyers TIRE PRESSURE CA Dealers Prepare To Comply With Air Check Rule. Starting on Sept. 1, tire dealerships and auto service providers in the State of California will be required to check and inflate the tires on every vehicle that rolls into their shops, according to a final regulation order from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Also starting on that date, all tire dealerships and other auto service providers will be required to: Posted. http://www.moderntiredealer.com/News/Story/2010/07/CA-dealers-prepare-to-comply-with-tire-check-reg.aspx DIESELS Changes Proposed To California Emission Regulations. New emission regulations for transport refrigeration units on trucks that operate in California are causing headaches for owner-operators and others involved in transporting fresh produce. Although the California Air Resources Board — which developed and enforces the regulations — is looking to amend the rules again to make things easier, it is also looking at stricter enforcement, possibly holding brokers, wholesalers and anyone who make transportation arrangements responsible for trucks that do not comply. Posted. http://thepacker.com/m/default.asp?contentid=1181225&FeedId=0 http://refrigeratedtrans.com/refrigeration/equipment/carb_proposes_to_amend_tru_compliance_standards_0728/ AG BURNING Agricultural Burning Exemption to Be Examined. So-called “regulatory loopholes” that would allow more than 90 percent of all agricultural burning to continue in the San Joaquin Valley are to be examined Wednesday by the Senate Select Committee on Air Quality, chaired by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15843 BLOGS Western Climate Initiative: California, New Mexico And 3 Canadian Provinces Push Greenhouse Gas Controls. California, joined by New Mexico and three Canadian provinces, outlined a detailed plan Tuesday to curb greenhouse gas emissions in a regional cap-and-trade program by January 2012. The Western Climate Initiative, two years in the making, comes as Congressional legislation for a federal climate legislation has stalled and the focus of U.S. action to curb global warming shifts to the states. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/07/western-climate-initiative.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 A Glimpse of How Regional Carbon Trading Might Work. After three years of deliberations, participants in the regional carbon trading pact known as the Western Climate Initiative have released a "comprehensive strategy" for how the coalition will achieve its goals of reducing emissions 15% below 2005 levels by 2020. The plan, "Design for the WCI Regional Program" lays out details for a regional cap-and-trade system, offsets and incentives, and energy efficiency programs. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/07/27/a-glimpse-of-how-regional-carbon-trading-might-work/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader New Emission Control Rules for California’s Truck Drivers. In California, there are over 1 million diesel-end “rot with tons of fine particles into the air every day. It is not surprising that several California cities are ranked among the most polluted air. A trucking company is not police, they fall and their platforms with better control of air pollution, the state had step in. Posted. http://www.truckingjoball.com/new-emission-control-rules-for-californias-truck-drivers/ Cap and Trade Is Dead. Long Live Cap and Trade. Hard on the heels of the Senate Democratic leadership’s decision to put aside climate legislation intended to cap carbon dioxide emissions, another carbon-capping precinct was heard from this week. On Tuesday, representatives of some of the Western Climate Initiative, a group of seven states and four Canadian provinces, unveiled a rough blueprint for a cap-and-trade program that would begin operating in 2012. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/cap-and-trade-is-dead-long-live-cap-and-trade/?src=mv A Push for Action on Renewables. With a cap on carbon dioxide an apparent nonstarter in the Senate these days, some clean energy and climate advocates have shifted their sights to a scaled-back but still ambitious goal: passage of a national renewable energy standard. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/a-push-for-action-on-renewables/ On Global Warming And Techno-Optimism. Sometimes," Ross Douthat says, "it makes sense to wait, get richer, and then try to muddle through." He's talking about global warming, and giving voice to a common line of thinking. Sure, the argument goes, global warming is real. But it's a long-term problem. By the time it becomes a serious threat, we'll have more money, and more technology, to deal with it. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/07/on_global_warming_and_techno-o.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:02:49 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for July 29, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 29, 2010. 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. AB 32 State Poll Finds Support For A.B. 32 Is Strong But Uninformed. San Francisco -- More than half of a group of Californians surveyed by a public policy group recently said they had no idea the state was moving forward with a cap-and-trade system to regulate greenhouse gas emissions starting in 2012. A poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found that more than two-thirds of voters support the state's climate change law, A.B. 32, but 54 percent of the same respondents had never heard of the cap-and-trade concept. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/29/5 Proposition 23 Backers Sue Over Ballot Language. The suit, filed against Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, says the wording describing the measure is 'false, misleading and unfair.' The ballots will be printed in mid-August. Backers of Proposition 23, a November ballot initiative to suspend California's 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act, filed suit in Sacramento County Superior Court on Tuesday against Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown for what they called "false, misleading and unfair" language that would describe the measure on voters' ballots. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-ballot-20100729,0,4161170,print.story Oil Industry Attacks California Greenhouse Gas Legislation. California put greenhouse gas legislation into place in 2006, aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions 1990 levels by the year 2020. The law will not be in effect until 2012, but naysayers are hoping to defeat the legislation in this fall's election. California's legislation is under fire from California's industrial barons, most notably the oil industry, who believe the new requirements to curb emissions would cost them profits. Posted. http://www.digitaljournal.com/print/article/295267 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S California Republicans Shunning One Traditional Path To Victory: The Environment. In previous elections, GOP candidates have been rewarded for responding to voters' environmental concerns. Those concerns continue, a study finds, but Fiorina and Whitman are focusing elsewhere. For decades, Republicans who won statewide office in California found success, at least in part, by showing sensitivity to voters' commitment to protecting the environment. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-environment-20100729,0,7606985,print.story Scientists Say Global Warming Is Continuing. Washington - Scientists from around the world are providing even more evidence of global warming, one day after President Barack Obama renewed his call for climate legislation. "A comprehensive review of key climate indicators confirms the world is warming and the past decade was the warmest on record," the annual State of the Climate report declares. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15622402 Plankton, Base Of Ocean Food Web, In Big Decline. Washington - Despite their tiny size, plant plankton found in the world's oceans are crucial to much of life on Earth. They are the foundation of the bountiful marine food web, produce half the world's oxygen and suck up harmful carbon dioxide. And they are declining sharply. Worldwide phytoplankton levels are down 40 percent since the 1950s, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. The likely cause is global warming, which makes it hard for the plant plankton to get vital nutrients, researchers say. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15622137 OFFSHORE DRILLING In Big Shift, Californians Oppose Offshore Oil Drilling. Support For Policies To Counter Global Warming Holds Steady. San Francisco, July 28, 2010— Three months after a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Californians’ support for more drilling off their coast has plunged, according to a survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). A solid majority of the state’s residents now oppose more offshore drilling (59% oppose, 36% favor)—a 16-point increase in opposition from last year (43% oppose, 51% favor). Posted. http://www.ppic.org/main/pressrelease.asp?p=1037 PPIC: Voters Oppose Offshore Oil & AB 32 Rollback. By large margins, California’s likely voters oppose expanded offshore oil drilling and believe that enforcement of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions law will create more jobs – not kill them – a new Public Policy Institute of California poll shows.. Posted. http://www.calbuzz.com/2010/07/ppic-voters-rejecting-offshore-oil-ab-32-rollback/ Drilling Foes Pose Challenge For GOP Hopefuls. San Francisco -- Californians' opposition to offshore oil drilling has skyrocketed in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, while two-thirds of residents support the state's landmark climate change law and believe it will create jobs, a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/29/MND61EL4B1.DTL&type=printable New Poll Shows Steady Support For State's Climate-Change Law, While Opposition To Drilling Shoots Up. The state’s climate-change law, AB 32, has been a hot topic on the campaign trail this year — with the Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate branding it as a “job-killer,” as opponents of the law marshal support for a November ballot measure that would suspend implementation until the state’s unemployment rate drops to 5.5% for a year. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/07/new-poll-shows-steady-support-for-states-climate-change-law-opposition-to-drilling-shoots-up.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Brown Holds Edge Among Environment-Minded Voters In Survey. If the environment is a very important issue to you, you’ll probably be voting for Jerry Brown this November. If it’s just kind of important to you, Meg Whitman is your candidate. At least, that's what the Public Policy Institute of California is saying. The institute released a statewide survey yesterday that analyzed Californians’ opinions on a variety of environmental issues. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/3survey-reveals-59-californians-opinions-environment 59% In State Oppose Offshore Drilling. Support for offshore oil drilling took a steep dive in California after the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico: 59 percent of Californians now oppose offshore drilling, up 16 percentage points from last year, according to a just-released survey. “There was a dramatic shift in attitudes about expanding offshore oil drilling,” said Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California — which calls itself a nonpartisan, independent research organization. Posted. http://sciencedude.ocregister.com/2010/07/28/59-in-state-oppose-offshore-drilling/106737/ Most Californians Support Tougher Pollution Standards For New Vehicles. For Californians, The Most Important Environmental Issue Facing The State Is Air Pollution, According To A New Statewide Survey By The Nonpartisan Public Policy Institute Of California. Air pollution is most often mentioned, as it has been since 2000. But it has declined in importance to residents from 33 percent in 2000 to 23 percent today, says PPIC. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15856 Ocean Drilling Losing Support In California. Californians' support for new offshore oil drilling has plunged following the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a new poll shows. The results reverse a two-year flirtation in which a slim majority of residents said they supported new oil rigs off the state's coast. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_15625989?nclick_check=1 AIR QUALITY Florez, Valley Air District Leader Debate Ag Burning. Sacramento -- State Sen. Dean Florez held what could be his last legislative hearing Wednesday doing what he has done for most of his Capitol tenure -- grilling Valley air regulators over their pollution-fighting policies. Florez, D-Shafter, who terms out after this year, spent more than two hours arguing with the head of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District over how the district is enforcing a ban on farm burning. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/28/v-print/2022300/florez-valley-air-district-head.html EPA Reviewing Air Pollution Rules For Oil, Gas. Denver -- Federal air pollution standards for the oil and gas industry are sorely outdated amid ramped up drilling, leaving thousands of emissions sources "under the radar," citizens groups said Wednesday. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/28/AR2010072805104.html ENERGY Sonoma County Resists Feds On Home Energy Loans. Renee Hyde, an insurance agent who lives in Sonoma County, could not afford to have solar panels installed on her home until a local program provided $30,000 and allowed her to repay the funds gradually through her property taxes. California and 21 other states have backed such programs because they help solve pressing national problems by cutting homeowner costs, reducing carbon emissions and creating construction jobs, and are easy to finance. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/29/MNBH1EK5HM.DTL&type=printable DIESELS CARB Could Ease Reefer Rules For '03 Model Trucks. Sacramento -- The California Air Resources Board is considering easing emission standards for model-year 2003 transport refrigeration units, set to take effect Dec. 31, 2010. As it stands, model-year 2003 engines are required to meet the ultra-low emission TRU (ULETRU) in-use standard requirement, but the proposed amendment would require these engines to meet the low emission TRU (LETRU). Posted. http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=24393 LOW CARBON FUELS CARB Proposes LCFS Soil Sustainability Provisions. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is far from over on discrediting biofuels as part of their mandated policy known as the Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS). For the past year, the ethanol industry has been embroiled in a fight for proper reflections of biofuel’s indirect greenhouse gas emissions, aka indirect land use. Now, CARB has created a working group to study soil sustainability provisions of biofuels. The specific crops under review at this time include corn ethanol, sugarcane ethanol, wood based fuels, palm oil, and soy biodiesel. Posted. http://domesticfuel.com/2010/07/28/carb-proposes-lcfs-soil-sustainability-provisions/ GAS STATIONS Gas Stations: Latest Fight Of Tribes Against The Locals? At a Porterville City Council meeting last week, a group of gas station owners got up and spoke out against a plan by the Tule River Tribe to open up a 40-acre retail complex near that town’s airport. They said they were afraid that the tribe would open up a gas station and put them out of business because it wouldn’t be required to pay state and local taxes. The tribe hasn’t proposed building a gas station on the site. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z0pont7hqyl09o&xid=z0p6snufsp1rtc&done=.z0pont7hqza09o# MISCELLANEOUS Study: S.F. Compost No More Toxic Than Others. Compost made from the effluent that San Franciscans flush down their toilets does not contain any more toxins than the soil treatments and animal excrement available in garden stores, according to a San Francisco Public Utilities Commission study released Tuesday. The $25,000 study found that the biosolid compost that until recently had been given out free to San Francisco residents once a year is not, as critics contend, a stew of toxic excrement. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/28/BAC31EKITQ.DTL&type=printable FURLOUGHS Schwarzenegger Orders Government Worker Furloughs. Sacramento — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on today brought back furloughs for thousands of state workers until California passes a budget that addresses a $19 billion deficit. Schwarzenegger released a new executive order requiring state workers to take three unpaid days off per month starting in August. State workers were furloughed a total of 46 days when Schwarzenegger issued a similar order in February 2009, which translated to a pay cut of about 14 percent. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15623222 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:38:27 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newclips for July 30, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 30, 2010. 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. AB 32 AB 32 A Breath of Fresh Air That Saves Money and Adds Jobs. Some in California worry that by regulating carbon emissions we'll be putting our economy on the back burner. But nothing in our recent history has indicated that California must choose between economic stability and environmental responsibility. Innovative energy policies established in the 1970s have saved California consumers $56 billion and created 1.5 million full-time jobs with a payroll of $45 billion. From 1995 to 2008, clean, safe energy generation jobs in the Inland Empire grew by 85 percent with the highest concentration in solar and wind. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100730/COLUMNS26/7290387/AB-32-a-breath-of-fresh-air-that-saves-money-and-adds-jobs Jerry Brown Calls State's Global Warming Law The Key Difference Between Him, Meg Whitman. Calling the issue the defining difference between himself and Republican Meg Whitman in the governor's race, Democrat Jerry Brown gave an impassioned defense Thursday of California's landmark global warming law. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_15633473 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S EPA Rejects Petitions To Reconsider Danger Of Greenhouse Gases. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday re-affirmed its ruling that greenhouse gases are a danger to public health, rejecting petitions from two states, industry groups and conservatives who said it was based on shaky science. Posted. http://views.washingtonpost.com/climate-change/post-carbon/2010/07/epa_rejects_petitions_to_reconsider_that_greenhouse_gases_are_a_danger.html Climate-Change Bill: A Piece Of Change Is Put On Hold. Senate Democrats have formally given up on attempts to enact comprehensive energy and climate-change legislation this summer. Backers have hinted at trying again in the fall, perhaps even in a post-election lame-duck session, but that seems unlikely. Even if President Barack Obama doesn't lose his House and Senate majorities, he will almost surely be working with narrower margins. If, as Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid observed, the votes just weren't there for the bill this year, there will be even fewer next. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_15639405 City Oks $881K Climate Action Plan. The city will spend more than $881,000, most of it grant funded, to complete an elaborate climate action plan aimed at curbing Stockton's greenhouse gas emissions, under a contract approved earlier this week. In a separate action Tuesday, the City Council also approved a new set of environmentally focused building rules - minus a provision that would require some homes to undergo energy-efficiency audits. That rule was put on hold pending further review. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100730/A_NEWS/7300317/-1/A_NEWS14 U.S. DOE Puts $106M Into Carbon Capture. Is there any positive role that greenhouse gases can play? Secretary Steven Chu of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says ‘yes,’ with an announcement that the DOE will be providing $106 million in partial matching funds for six projects that aim to find ways to convert captured carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources into useful products such as fuel, plastics, cement, and fertilizers. Posted. http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/07/u-s-doe-puts-106m-into-carbon-capture/ Controlling Soot Might Quickly Reverse a Century of Global Warming. A massive simulation of soot’s climate effects finds that basic pollution controls could put a brake on global warming, erasing in a decade most of the last century’s temperature change. Compared to the larger, longer term task of getting greenhouse-gas pollution under control, limiting soot wouldn’t be hard. Unlike new energy technology and profound changes in lifestyle, the tools - exhaust filters, clean-burning stoves - already exist.. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/soot-control/ EPA Chief Rejects Challenges To Greenhouse Gas 'Endangerment' Finding. U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson rebuffed recent efforts to prevent her agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions yesterday; stating that the evidence proving climate change is a problem remains "robust, voluminous and compelling." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/30/3 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/07/epa-rejects-challenge-to-credible-compelling-climate-science.html ENERGY Community Leaders Push For Energy Efficiency Funds. City and county leaders launched a lobbying campaign yesterday pushing for a steady flow of money for energy efficiency projects. Two dozen mayors, county commissioners and county council members from across the country visited Capitol Hill, the Energy Department and Office of Management and Budget to press for continued funding for the Department of Energy's energy efficiency and conservation block grants, or EECBG. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/30/6 Homeowners Save Money With Eco-Savvy New Homes in Carlsbad. CARLSBAD, CA, Quality new-home construction practices and the commitment by one local builder to take a more sustainable approach to building have resulted in an eco-savvy new home neighborhood that saves homeowners money. At Rockrose at The Foothills in Carlsbad, builder Brookfield Homes (http://www.BrookfieldSD.com) has incorporated numerous tactics for energy-efficiency and water conservation, saving homeowners money on their utilities. Posted. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/homeowners-save-money-with-eco-savvy-new-homes-in-carlsbad-2010-07-29?reflink=MW_news_stmp Money Awarded For Projects. The California Energy Commission has awarded more than $2.2 million to help spur research on projects including using waste vegetable oil processed from fast food restaurants as a power source. Funds for the seven research grants come from the Commission's Public Interest Energy Research program. Posted. http://www.sgvtribune.com/business/ci_15635817 Energy Commission Cancels $30M In PACE Funding. The California Energy Commission on Thursday canceled $30 million in awards that would have supported Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs in 23 counties and 184 cities, including an award of about $1.3 million that would have gone to Sacramento and Yolo counties. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/07/26/daily65.html http://www.topix.com/county/sonoma-ca/2010/07/energy-commission-cancels-30m-in-pace-funding U.S. Crackdown Forces Calif. To Yank Home Solar, Energy-Retrofit Loans. California pulled funding for its home solar and energy-retrofit loans yesterday in response to federal mortgage overseers' negative ruling on the program. The California Energy Commission's (CEC) decision removes $30 million in federal stimulus funds awarded by the state last February to five counties for county and municipal home energy loans. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/29/29greenwire-us-crackdown-forces-calif-to-yank-homae-solar-42451.html Appliance Rebate Program. Note from Editor: First round of checks were mailed the week of June 14th. Current stats on Appliance Rebate Program: Apps received: 78,840; cash remaining: $19,854,000 (as of 07/30): More Appliances Eligible For Cash Rebates. California is expanding a rebate program for shoppers purchasing energy efficient appliances. The state's "cash for appliances" program is adding dishwashers ($100), freezers ($50), water heaters ($300-$750), and heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems ($500-$1,000), to the list of appliances eligible for rebates beginning July 29. Posted. http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-more-appliances-eligible-for-cash-rebate,0,6385036.story Cash For Appliances List Grows. California is expanding a rebate program for shoppers purchasing energy efficient appliances. The state's "cash for appliances" program is adding dishwashers, freezers, water heaters and heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems to the list of appliances eligible for rebates. Posted. http://www.ksbw.com/money/24431002/detail.html California Cash for Appliances Expands To Energy-Efficient Dishwashers, Water Heaters And HVAC Systems. When rebates for refrigerators and money for washing machines won’t do the trick, try adding dollars for dishwashers to the mix. That’s what state energy officials are offering Californians, starting Thursday, in an attempt to boost lagging interest in a 3-month-old rebate program for energy-efficient appliances. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/07/california-cash-for-appliances-expands.html US Defense Department Vows To March To A Greener Drum. Memorandum signed with Energy Department to use more renewables. The US Department of Defense (DoD) has inked an agreement with the Department of Energy (DoE) to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technology intended to provide better protection for troops and secure the country’s energy supply. Posted. http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2267402/defense-department-vows-march Home Efficiency Pros Cross Fingers Home Star Will Pass. Home Star--the program nick-named Cash for Caulkers designed to kick start the home energy-efficiency services market--stands a chance of passage as part of an offshore drilling-focused energy bill. But more than just driving demand for efficient hot water heaters and insulation, the bill demands that contractors provide data on home efficiency performance in order for consumers to qualify for the biggest rebates. Posted. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20012189-54.html State Panel Redirects Green Loan Money. In what appears to be a blow to innovative programs that allow home energy retrofits to be funded through property taxes, the California Energy Commission announced Thursday that it would divert $30 million in public money allocated to help the initiatives get off the ground. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/29/BU231ELSBN.DTL National Campaign to Save PACE Solar Financing Is Energized. A nationwide campaign to muster political support for stalled financing programs that help homeowners and businesses save money with solar electric systems is gaining traction, proponents say. "We're not there yet, but we've made a good bit of progress," said Jeffrey Tannenbaum, founder of an advocacy group called PACENow.org, in a conference call Thursday to supporters around the country.... http://sunpluggers.com/news/campaign-to-save-pace-solar-financing-picks-up-steam-0751 Mayor Puts Up Fight For Clean Energy Programs. Mayor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday introduced a resolution urging San Francisco's congressional representatives to work with the Federal Housing Finance Agency to allow for the continuation of clean energy programs, including San Francisco's Green Finance loan program. Green Finance SF, a low-cost loan program that allows residents and business owners to "green" their properties, was suspended several weeks ago. Posted. http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/under-the-dome/Mayor-puts-up-fight-for-clean-energy-programs-99442109.html County Sues FHFA Over PACE Program. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors initiated a law suit in federal district court in San Francisco on Monday challenging a ruling by the Federal Housing Finance Agency that has blocked continuation of the energy-efficiency retrofit program known as PACE. http://www.sonomanews.com/news/article_c52e7ee0-9b76-11df-b884-001cc4c03286.html Energy Bill Could Save PACE Clean-Energy Program—If A Republican Will Help. PACE programs may soon run up against the same barrier that's blocked so much progress of late: a Senate that can't manage to get much done. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he is willing to add PACE-restoring legislation to a scaled-back energy bill, but only if a Republican cosponsor signs on to the plan, according to Brad Penney of the Alliance to Save Energy. Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-07-27-senate-energy-bill-could-save-pace-clean-energy-program-if-a-rep/ Outlook Dims For Popular Energy-Efficiency Loans. A White House-backed program that allows property owners to pay for energy improvements like solar panels or efficient furnaces through an additional assessment to their property taxes may soon be shut down. The federal agency that oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has slammed the door on the program — known as PACE, or Property Assessed Clean Energy — saying it poses a risk to mortgage lenders. Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128700648 Federal Home Finance Agency (FHFA) vs Clean Energy. Until local programs like Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) allowed homeowners to repay their energy loans gradually through their property taxes, there were few opportunities for Americans to pay for sustainable energy systems like solar panels. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-41355-San-Francisco-Green-Culture-Examiner~y2010m7d29-Federal-Home-Finance-Agency-FHFA-vs-Clean-Energy Kern County Considers Developing Big Solar, Wind Energy Projects. There’s growing interest in California in developing large solar and wind energy projects. Utilities have to meet a state mandate to increase their use of renewable sources over the next several years. Some counties see alternative energy as a potential economic boon. One of them is Kern County. If you drive about half an hour north of Palmdale, you’ll find yourself in the foothills of Kern County ’s Tehachapi Mountains. http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/07/30/kern-county-developing-big-solar-wind-en/ Chevron Energy Commences 1.8MW Solar And Energy Efficiency Project. Chevron Energy Solutions, a unit of Chevron, and the City of Brea have announced the beginning of the construction of an energy efficiency and solar project which is reportedly expected to save the city $13 million in net energy savings over the life of the project. Brea will become the municipal producer of solar energy in Orange County once the 1.8MW of solar panels are installed at the community center, civic and cultural center and reservoir city pump yard. Posted. http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/eslu_chevron-energy-commences-1-8mw-solar-and-energy-efficiency-project-1077665.html Solar Makes a Splash at Business Competition for Entrepreneurs. Solar energy figured prominently in San Jose, Calif., at the first national conference of Cleantech Open, a nonprofit organization supporting clean-technology entrepreneurs. Visitors toured almost 100 exhibits of new technology from this year’s semifinalists in the organization’s national business competition, and those of competitors from previous years. Posted. http://sunpluggers.com/news/nonprofit-group-sees-its-task-as-helping-to-create-green-jobs-0752 Editorial: Federal Commission Has Potential To Help Close Achievement Gap. A tiny federal commission announced this week stands to have a big impact on one of the most difficult problems facing California and the nation: closing the achievement gap. Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Wednesday heralded the formation of the Equity and Excellence Commission, which will gather public input about disparities in school financing and how they exacerbate the achievement gap between white and minority students — a gap that exists regardless of income levels. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15634369 GULF OIL SPILL Oil Spill Waste Raises Concerns In The Gulf. BP has hauled more than 35,000 tons of solid waste to regional landfills. But one Mississippi county, worried about safety, has stopped it. Even though BP's busted well has stopped spewing oil, the disaster is still generating tons of soiled boom and other oily waste that federal and state laws allow to be buried at specially designated dumps, some near residential neighborhoods. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-waste-20100730,0,4258802.story Gulf of Mexico Has Long Been Dumping Site. Houma, La. — Loulan Pitre Sr. was born on the Gulf Coast in 1921, the son of an oysterman. Nearly all his life, he worked on the water, abiding by the widely shared faith that the resources of the Gulf of Mexico were limitless. As a young Marine staff sergeant, back home after fighting in the South Pacific, he stood on barges in the gulf and watched as surplus mines, bombs and ammunition were pushed over the side. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/us/30gulf.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper FUELS LS9 May Have Just Solved Biofuels’ Scaling Problem. The biofuel market is turning into a diverse romp of venture-backed companies auditioning different microbes, catalysts and feedstocks, all with the same goal: to quickly, efficiently and cheaply transform renewable, non-food products (ranging from sugar cane to switch grass to carbon dioxide) into viable forms of fuel that can work in today’s gas tanks. Posted. http://green.venturebeat.com/2010/07/29/ls9-may-have-just-solved-biofuels%E2%80%99-scaling-problem/ House Lawmakers Raise Concerns On Higher Ethanol-Fuel Content. Leading members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee raised concerns about increasing the ethanol content in gasoline without adequate testing proving it won't harm vehicle, marine and equipment engines. Posted. http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201007292141dowjonesdjonline000866&title=house-lawmakers-raise-concerns-on-higher-ethanol-fuel-content VEHICLES Calif. Gov. Schwarzenegger Applauds PUC Decision to Help Spur Electric Vehicle Charging Market. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today applauded the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decision to not regulate companies that sell electric vehicle charging services to the public as “public utilities,” pursuant to the Public Utilities Code: “I applaud the CPUC for making this important decision that takes another step towards making California one of the most attractive places in the world for green technology. Posted. http://californianewswire.com/2010/07/29/CNW7694_232404.php EPRI Survey Assesses EV Adoption. If you work for a utility that’s trying to anticipate how consumers will respond to the launch of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) coming this fall—and possible impacts on your operations and business—you may want to check out pioneering work by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Or say you’re a legislator or regulator at the state or federal level, determining public policy options for (presumably) encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles. You too may find the data or tools you need in the link above. Posted. http://www.donatdawn.com/content/?p=20683 DIESELS Letters: California Air Resources Board responds. The July 17th Union-Tribune editorial (“Air board still scandalous”) repeats discredited claims that the health science related to fine particles emitted from diesel-fueled engines and other sources is too uncertain to support the California Air Resources Board’s tough emissions limits. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/24/letters-california-air-resources-board-responds/ Agencies To Consider SCR ‘Loopholes’ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board have presented preliminary proposals aimed at the alleged compliance loopholes found in current 2010 liquid-based selective catalytic reduction systems on diesel engines. SCR technology doses hot diesel fuel with a urea-based diesel exhaust fluid. The resulting chemical reaction reduces emissions of nitrous oxide (NOx) pollutants to levels mandated by EPA’s 2010 diesel emissions regulations. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85620 EPA Awards $5.6M To Spur New Clean Diesel Technologies. The more than $5 million in grants recently awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) won’t be funding the use of commonplace components to reduce emissions. Instead, the clean diesel grants will support emerging technologies not yet verified or certified by the EPA or the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The $5.6 million in awards will fund port, locomotive and bus projects for recipients including CARB, the University of Houston and the City of Los Angeles. Posted. http://www.myettnews.com/2010/07/epa-awards-5-6m-to-spur-new-clean-diesel-technologies/#more-2232 Bringing Fresh Eyes To California Air Regulation. A year ago June, PLF filed a lawsuit on behalf of a coalition of California construction and transportation businesses challenging the outdated appointments of members of the Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Air Contaminants (SRP). The SRP is a group of scientists who advise the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the state's chief air quality agency, on whether certain air pollutants qualify as a danger to human health and should be regulated. Posted. http://plf.typepad.com/plf/2010/07/bringing-fresh-eyes-to-california-air-regulation.html#more 1991 Ford L9000 It therefore could be subject to retrofit or accelerated turnover equipments to reduce emissions of air pollutants. For more information, please visit the California Air Resources Board website at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/diesel. ... Posted. Http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucindx/ HIGH SPEED RAIL SMART Whiffs On Funding Endorsement, Will Go It Alone. SMART has swung and missed for the second time in making a pitch to a key funding agency as it seeks millions of dollars to bail out its beleaguered rail plan. The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit agency is $155 million short in funding its 70-mile rail line and pedestrian pathway from Larkspur to Cloverdale and is seeking funds to close the gap. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15633992 AIR POLLUTION Fires Mean Poor Air Quality for Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District. With the worst part of the fire season still ahead, air quality is in jeopardy according to the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District. In preparation for wildfire smoke impacting people's health, the District is reminding residents what they should do if they are in an area affected by smoke from a wildfire. According to Air Pollution Control Officer Mat Ehrhardt, "Many variables will determine how much smoke is in the air and where the smoke is located. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_15639431 Dunes Dust Reduction Deal OK’d. The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District approved a cooperative deal Wednesday with State Parks to find ways to reduce dust pollution generated at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. The agreement was unanimously approved by the air pollution control board and has also been signed by State Parks officials. The memorandum of agreement is also expected to be approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors. Posted. http://www.timespressrecorder.com/articles/2010/07/29/news/news03.txt Keep Clearing the Air. The general consensus about air pollution among San Joaquin Valley residents is hardly, well, a breath of fresh air. Fifty-four percent of Valley residents polled see air pollution as a significant health risk, according to a poll released this week by the Public Policy Institute of California. That means 46 percent - the largest number in the annual survey since 2003 - think air pollution is either not very serious or not serious at all when it comes to health risks. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100730/A_OPINION01/7300307/-1/A_OPINION Air District Report Examined By Florez at Hearing. Officials on both sides of the debate over open-field burning in the San Joaquin Valley said they were encouraged by a hearing in Sacramento earlier this week. The meeting was called by State Sen. Dean Florez to challenge the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District on its recent report, which claims that disposal of agricultural waste in more environmentally friendly ways is not economically feasible for certain area farmers. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x534570021/Air-district-report-examined-by-Florez-at-hearing SMOG CHECK Vital Components to Smog Checks. Assemblyman Eng's Bill, AB 2289, proposes relying more on the model year 2000 and newer vehicles' OBD-II systems for the test and not subjecting them to an emissions or visual inspection. Here are just a few reasons that approach is inadequate and ill-conceived. Many vehicles pass the OBD-II test but fail for emissions or fail the visual inspection. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/pointofview/ci_15635559 VEHICLES Riverside Buys Electric Trucks from ZAP Dealer. Riverside took another bite out of air pollution Thursday with the expected delivery of six electric trucks purchased from a local dealership. The trucks, which cost $92,401 total, are from the new ZAP dealership opened by Ramon Alvarez, who also owns Jaguar and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships in Riverside. Alvarez was recently named president of ZAP USA, which distributes the vehicles in the U.S. and Mexico. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_welectric30.32bc050.html Calif. Gov. Schwarzenegger Applauds PUC Decision to Help Spur Electric Vehicle Charging Market. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today applauded the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decision to not regulate companies that sell electric vehicle charging services to the public as “public utilities,” pursuant to the Public Utilities Code: “I applaud the CPUC for making this important decision that takes another step towards making California one of the most attractive places in the world for green technology. Posted. http://californianewswire.com/2010/07/29/CNW7694_232404.php MISCELLANEOUS Do Cleaning Products Cause Breast Cancer? Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health asked more than 1500 women about their cleaning product usage and found that women who reported using more air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control had a higher incidence of breast cancer. Posted. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100719205630.htm Environmentalists Say Pollution Makes Baptism At Sacred Spot In Jordan River Unsafe. Qasr Al-Yahud, West Bank -- Environmentalists claim that the hallowed spot along the Jordan River where Christians believe John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ has become too filthy for human use. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/07/29/ST2010072905952.html?sid=ST2010072905952 BLOGS Solid Support for Tougher Diesel Truck Standards. Polls on Californians’ attitudes on the environment released today show strong support across all regions, races and political affiliations for tougher air pollution standards on diesel trucks. The Public Policy Institute of California poll showed that 75% of adults expressed willingness to see more stringent diesel standards right now, despite the economic downturn. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dbailey/solid_support_for_tougher_dies.html Lessons from Two Important Climate Forecasts. This is a tale of two climate forecasts — one successful, the other not. The successful forecast is described in a nice post on Realclimate.org commemorating the approaching 35th anniversary of “Climatic Change: Are We on the Bring of a Pronounced Global warming?” This pivotal paper was written by Wallace Broecker, one of the deans of modern climate science. (To get a feel for Broecker’s work and approach, please read this fine 1998 profile by my onetime colleague William K. Stevens.) Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/lessons-from-two-important-climate-forecasts/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 14:54:11 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 2, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 2, 2010. 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. AB 32 Opinion: AB32 Will Improve Lives of Low Income and Minority Californians. This November, California voters have a clear choice: Accept our continued dependence on foreign oil or embrace the opportunity to lead the worldwide clean-energy revolution. Texas oil companies have taken advantage of our initiative system to place Proposition 23 on the ballot in an attempt to undo California's Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15649900 Senate's Energy Bill: What a Disappointment. The following editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Thursday, July 29: After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., unveiled an energy bill Tuesday that was so watered down from earlier versions that it was practically leaking on the carpet; President Obama insisted that he was still committed to meaningful action on climate change. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/02/1276528/senates-energy-bill-what-a-disappointment.html#ixzz0vSmoA2iG ARB Sees REDD in AB32 Future. With the fall of the US federal climate bill, eyes are shifting west to California's Air Resources Board (ARB) as it nears the November release of its cap-and-trade regulations under AB32. On Friday, the Board met with stakeholders about inclusion of reduced emission from deforestation and degradation (REDD). And as far as updates on the latest REDD developments are concerned, ARB and its stakeholders delivered the goods. Posted. http://eko-eco.com/archive/arb-sees-redd-in-ab32-future.php CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Cutting Soot Emissions May Slow Climate Change In Arctic – Study. A new study confirms that black carbon -- more commonly known as soot -- is a significant player in global warming. The work by Mark Jacobson, director of Stanford University's Atmosphere/Energy program and a fellow at the university's Woods Institute, argues that cutting emissions of black carbon may be the fastest method to limit the ongoing loss of ice in the Arctic, which is warming twice as fast as the global average. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/02/2 Study Claims Conventional Ag Limits Greenhouse Gas. Advances in conventional agriculture have dramatically slowed the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, in part by allowing farmers to grow more food to meet world demand without plowing up vast tracts of land, a study by three Stanford University researchers has found. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/02/1276307/study-claims-conventional-ag-limits.html#ixzz0vSnuKBhx The Truth About Global Warming. IN A DEPRESSING case of irony by juxtaposition, the death of climate change legislation in the Senate has been followed by the appearance of two government reports in the past week that underscore the overwhelming scientific case for global warming -- and go out of the way to repudiate skeptics. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/01/AR2010080102850.html EPA Developing Tool to Assist in Enviro Justice Initiative. U.S. EPA is working on a coarse screening tool as part of its "environmental justice" initiative to help its employees spot pockets of people whose health has suffered disproportionally over the years. The Environmental Justice Strategic Enforcement Assessment Tool uses a complex combination of census data, a respiratory hazard index, poverty levels, toxic emissions, infant mortality, an index of documented pollution events and other such numbers to assign a score to a geographical area. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/30/30greenwire-epa-developing-tool-to-assist-in-enviro-justic-11341.html Calif. Gives Guidance On Offsets' Eligibility. Offset providers rejoiced last week at California regulators' announcement that they would accept offsets from existing projects and use existing protocols for at least four arenas of emissions reductions. Air Resources Board staff members released a white paper last week outlining their thinking. The paper marks an official embrace of offsets registered through the Climate Action Reserve, an offshoot of a nonprofit set up by California in 2001 to oversee voluntary emissions reporting. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/02/5 AIR QUALITY Cleaner Air In '09: County Met Federal Clean Air Standard For First Time In Five Years. Regulators are crediting Chico-area residents for helping curb air pollution in 2009 so successfully that Butte County met a key federal clean air standard for the first time in years. The decrease in so-called particulate matter — microscopic grains that can harm the lungs and heart — may be the result of local residents reducing their use of wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, said Sylvia Zulawnick, manager of the particulate matter analysis section at the California Air Resources Board in Sacramento. Posted. http://www.orovillemr.com/news/ci_15645536 Air District Guidelines Cloud Issue. New guidelines by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on greenhouse gas emissions relating to construction projects have the potential to set forth clearer standards, but concerns have been raised that some provisions could increase the time and cost for the already-complex process of environmental impact reviews. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/23513/air-district-guidelines-cloud-issue/ Farm Burning Takes Center Stage In Sacramento. The debate over the burning of agricultural waste is heating up once again. During an informational hearing Wednesday in Sacramento, Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) called into question how some farmers have been able to continue to set ablaze uprooted trees and clippings. Florez wrote a law in 2003 to phase out farm burning for good. The three-phase legislation, which took effect in 2005, eliminated some burning the year it was put into practice, more in 2007 and was scheduled to ban all burning this year. Posted. http://www.recorderonline.com/common/printer/view.php?db=porterville&id=46078 Eye on The Environment: Ozone Spikes In Summer; Here Are Ways To Help. Ozone season is in full swing. Smog season, usually May through October, is when weather conditions are most conducive to ozone production. At ground level, ozone can be harmful to your health. High levels are usually recorded in summer months when temperatures are high and wind is stagnant or light. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/31/ozone-spikes-in-summer-here-are-ways-to-help/#ixzz0vSlIPn5o Mild Valley Weather Brews Record Clean-Air Year. If the San Joaquin Valley violated the federal ozone standard every day for the rest of the summer, this still would be the cleanest season on record. Cool weather in spring and early summer is the most obvious reason, but there is more to it than pleasant temperatures, say air quality experts. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/30/2024901/mild-valley-weather-brews-record.html#ixzz0vSneZvhk Mild Weather, Summer Breezes Keep Ozone Low. No sweat. Breathe easy. Mild temperatures in the Sacramento region this summer have meant something more than freedom from perspiration. Cool weather has brought better air quality, and fewer respiratory problems for those who suffer when ozone levels rise. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/31/2927152/mild-weather-summer-breeze-keep.html#ixzz0vT3pI1yj Fears Of Pervasive Air Pollution Stir Up Politics In Texas Shale Gas Country. Fort Worth, Texas -- For nearly a year Christine and Tim Ruggiero have battled the powerful Texas oil and gas industry and the inertia of regulators responsible for protecting air quality and public health. Aruba Petroleum Inc. started moving dirt on the horse pasture of the couple's 10-acre lot north of Fort Worth in September. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/02/1 PORTS California Ports Recognize Clean Air Award Winners. Five California maritime and cargo companies that have taken steps to improve air quality collected honors last week at the third annual San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan Air Quality Awards presented by the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The recipients include a wide array of port businesses: a trucking firm, a scrap metal recycler, a marine terminal operator, a tugboat company and a port-pilot service. All voluntarily went above and beyond required air quality measures, the ports say. Posted. http://www.ccjdigital.com/california-ports-recognize-clean-air-award-winners/ ‘Clean Ports Act’ Introduced; Could Have Impact On Trucking Beyond Ports. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the senior Northeastern Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced the Clean Ports Act of 2010 on Thursday, according to a statement on his website. The bill, which has 57 original co-sponsors, would amend the Federal Motor Carrier Act to allow ports to enact and enforce clean truck programs and implement environmental programs “above the current federal requirements.” Posted. http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/7/30/CleanPortsActintroducedcouldhaveimpactontruckingbeyondports.aspx Bill Introduced to Empower Ports in Clean-Truck Fight. A bill just introduced in Congress would give federal approval to local cities and ports to enact their own clean-truck programs, similar to what the Port of Los Angeles has done. The idea of regulating the air around ports, though, has the port community split. “[The American Assn. of Port Authorities (AAPA)] supports port activities to improve the environment and reduce the environmental impacts of port operations,” Aaron Ellis, spokesman for AAPA told Fleet Owner. “ Posted. http://fleetowner.com/news/topstory/bill-introduced-empower-ports-0730/ Bill Would Allow Stricter Clean Trucking Regulations For Ports. “Unsustainable” is how officials at the Port of Los Angeles describe their Clean Truck Program. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and 57 congressional co-sponsors want to fix that with a new bill. On Thursday, Nadler introduced the "Clean Ports Act of 2010" that would amend the Federal Motor Carrier Act to allow ports to enact and enforce clean truck programs that exceed current federal requirements. Posted. http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/23-legislation-could-5-let-port-cities-enforce-stricter-clean-trucking-programs VEHICLES Tesla Subsidy Vanishing Amid Electric Vehicle Boom. Twenty years ago the California Air Resources Board established the zero emissions vehicle mandate requiring the largest automakers to build and sell electric vehicles. Twelve states adopted the same aggressive targets, creating what remains the strongest regulatory force driving the development of battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Posted. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/08/tesla-subsidy-vanishing-amid-electric-vehicle-boom/#ixzz0vT3FXtEk RECYCLE Calif. E-Waste Program Beset By Fraud. California's groundbreaking program to recycle electronic waste has been hounded by fraud, and smuggling from out of state has become rampant. A McClatchy Newspapers investigation found that recyclers and collectors may have submitted $30 million worth of ineligible claims that were paid out by the state, on top of $23 million that were weeded out. More than 24 e-waste firms have been investigated for fraud, but none were fined or prosecuted. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/02/8 BLOGS Going Green: Is It About Jobs or the Environment? The latest hickup over Proposition 23, which its backers call the California Jobs Initiative, is about the nature of the law it seeks to suspend, AB 32, known as Global Warming Solutions Act. AB 32 was enacted in 2006, and the heart of the law puts California on a path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 by 2020. The Schwarzenegger administration has said that the law would create 100,000 "green" jobs in new industries, thereby making the law a jobs-creation effort, which is supposed to be phased in beginning next year. Posted. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/prop-zero/Proposition-23-Is-It-About-Jobs-or-the-Environment-99719424.html Villaraigosa's Harbor Clean Air Fight Shifts to Washington. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s fight to clean up the air in the heavily polluted Los Angeles harbor—stymied in the courts---has shifted to Congress where his labor and environmental allies have more clout. At stake is the air quality in the harbor communities of San Pedro and Wilmington as well as in the small cities of Southeastern Los Angeles County, where the predominantly Latino low income residents are afflicted with bad air as well as—in many cases—bad government. Posted. http://www.laobserved.com/boyarsky/2010/07/mayor_antonio_villaraigosas_fi.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 13:03:34 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 3, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 3, 2010. 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. AB 32 Climate Initiative Biggest Draw Among Ballot Props. Sacramento, Calif.—An initiative seeking to suspend California's landmark global warming law is attracting more money than any other proposition on the November ballot, according to campaign-finance reports filed Monday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15662079 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/08/02/politics/p182900D30.DTL&type=printable http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15661727 George Shultz Challenges California To Lead. Voters should defeat Proposition 23 and fight global warming, the former secretary of State says. Former U.S. secretary of State George P. Shultz believes it's crucial to fight global warming to protect national security. Global warming is created by burning fossil fuel, he says, and payments for foreign oil sometimes wind up financing terrorism. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cap-20100802,0,948457,print.column CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S US Says It's Committed To Cutting Greenhouse Gases. Amsterdam—The United States assured international negotiators Monday it remains committed to reducing carbon emissions over the next 10 years, despite the collapse of efforts to legislate a climate bill. U.S. delegate Jonathan Pershing told a climate conference in Bonn, Germany, Washington is not backing away from President Barack Obama's pledge to cut emissions 17 percent from 2005 levels. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/traffic/ci_15658700 Sierra Club, States File Challenges To EPA 'Tailoring' Rule. The Sierra Club is challenging U.S. EPA's "tailoring" rule for greenhouse gases in a federal appeals court, asking judges to review the agency's determination about when greenhouse gases ought to be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The group, along with a host of states and industry groups, wants the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to review the EPA rule, which would limit greenhouse gas permitting rules to only the largest emitters. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/03/1 Overseas Frustration Grows Over U.S. Domestic Impasse On Climate Policy. Top climate change leaders from Europe to Africa are wondering if it's time to give up on the United States. Frustrated by the U.S. Senate's recent abandonment of climate legislation and baffled by Congress' seeming inability to cut emissions, several officials told ClimateWire that countries are uncertain about America's role in upcoming treaty negotiations. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/03/1 Stern Says U.S. Bargaining Position For Cancun Remains Unchanged. The United States still stands by its promise to slash global warming pollution despite the Senate's decision to abandon climate legislation this year, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern said yesterday. In an interview with ClimateWire, Stern said the Obama administration is "not backing away" from its Copenhagen pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels in the coming decade and more than 80 percent by mid-century. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/03/2 People Care Less About The Environment As Unemployment Rises – Study. Confirming conventional wisdom, a new study from the University of California has found that as unemployment rises, interest in the environment and climate change in particular, drops. The study [subscription required] authors, Matthew Kahn of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Matthew Kotchen of the University of California, Santa Barbara, used three independent data sets: ..Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/03/6 CARBON EMISSIONS US Tells Climate Negotiators It Will Stick To Carbon Emissions Reduction Pledge. Amsterdam - The United States assured international negotiators Monday it remains committed to reducing carbon emissions over the next 10 years, despite the collapse of efforts to legislate a climate bill. U.S. delegate Jonathan Pershing told a climate conference in Bonn, Germany, Washington is not backing away from President Barack Obama's pledge to cut emissions 17 percent from 2005 levels. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-climate-change,0,6240271,print.story http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/02/2930770/us-says-its-committed-to-cutting.html DIESEL EMISSIONS UC Riverside Researchers Measure Diesel Emissions on the Freeway. Research could help set the framework for strengthing standards for diesel particulates. The 53-foot-long tractor trailer that houses UC Riverside’s mobile emissions laboratory was back on the road Friday and Monday on Interstate 10 between Redlands and Beaumont testing ways to better measure particulates from diesel trucks and buses. Posted. http://newsroom.ucr.edu/news_item.html?action=page&id=2400 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Stanford Claims A 'Breakthrough' That Could Harness Lost Heat. Engineers at Stanford University may have developed a way to double or triple the efficiency of solar power, in a potential breakthrough that could drop the price of solar-generated electricity to a level more competitive with fossil fuels. Stanford's Department of Materials Science and Engineering published a paper in the journal Nature Materials yesterday that claimed researchers there have managed to prove in laboratory tests that heat usually lost in the solar generation process can be saved by improving semiconductors. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/03/5 After Years Of Delay, Green Chemistry Rules Take Center Stage. Environmentalists and industry representatives will square off at a three-hour hearing Tuesday over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s long-delayed Green Chemistry regulations. Schwarzenegger first announced his Green Chemistry initiative back in 2007. It got under way the next year. Since then, a growing number of environmental groups have criticized the process as being too friendly to industry. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=z14dttegpwxs31# Clean Energy Too Popular in Marin. Demand for renewable power outstripped new program's supply. Marin can’t get enough clean energy—literally. Marin Clean Energy — a brand-new program that gives people a greener alternative to PG&E — didn’t buy enough power to keep up with Marinites who wanted to switch to 100 percent renewable energy in June. Posted. http://www.baycitizen.org/environment/story/clean-energy-too-popular-marin/print/ VEHICLES Feds Push Efficiency, But SUV Sales Rising. Even as the auto industry tests low-emission and electric cars, full-size SUVs are experiencing a jump in sales. According to Autodata, which tracks car sales, the rise in sales of full-size SUVs outpaced the increase in the rest of the auto market during the first half of this year. Small cars still outsell their large counterparts -- by 974,000 to 121,000 in the first half of 2010. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/03/7 OIL SPILL EPA Says Gulf Dispersants Not More Toxic Than Oil. Washington -- A new federal study of chemical dispersants used to break up oil in the Gulf of Mexico shows that when mixed with oil, the dispersant is no more toxic to aquatic life than oil alone. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/02/2026985/epa-says-gulf-dispersants-not.html BLOGS Clean-Tech Investment Booms To $1.5 Billion In Second Quarter 2010. There aren’t that many clean-tech deals being made in the U.S., but the ones that are making it through just came off a mighty fine quarter. Electric car manufacturers and support companies especially. The big winner of the quarter was Palo Alto EV infrastructure firm Better Place, which landed $350 million in funding. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/08/cleantech-investment-q2-2010.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 First U.S. Battery Recycling Facility in 20 Years Gets Green Light. It's the first air permit issued in almost 20 years for a new, fully-integrated battery recycling facility in the U.S., says Johnson Controls Inc. The company secured the permit from South Carolina environmental regulators. And they did it in cooperation with local and national groups including the Coastal Conservation League and League of Women Voters of South Carolina. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/first-us-battery-recycling-facility-in-20-years.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 15:38:00 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 4, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 4, 2010. 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. AB 32 Poll: Most Oppose Halting Calif. Emissions Law. Most readers in a recent poll opposed a fall ballot question that would freeze California's emissions rules until the unemployment rate dropped to 5.5 percent. Prop. 23 was opposed by 50 percent of those who responded to the Business Pulse survey and supported by 42 percent. The unscientific online survey was conducted by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal between July 27 and Aug. 3. Posted. http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/08/02/daily56.html Editorial: Rebuke of Jerry Brown good news for Prop. 23. Attorney General Jerry Brown used misleading and prejudicial language in drafting the description of Proposition 23, the ballot measure to temporarily suspend implementation of California's Global Warming Solutions Act, a judge ruled Tuesday. This is good news for several reasons, and bad news for at least one reason. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/brown-260575-news-law.html Judge Rules Proposition 23 Ballot Language Must Be Reworded. A state judge Tuesday ordered the ballot language of Proposition 23 -- a November measure that would suspend California's landmark global warming law -- to be rewritten, handing a victory to supporters of the measure who said Attorney General Jerry Brown wrote misleading and biased wording. Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley ruled in favor of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which filed the lawsuit last week. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_15670531 http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/04/2934769/prop-23-ruling.html http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/03/1759588/judge-sides-with-supporters-of.html Gov Candidate Whitman Claims Environmental Label. Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman labeled herself an environmentalist during a visit to a green-tech firm Tuesday, but said support for the environment needs to be tempered with a reduction in regulations for California businesses. "I am an environmentalist. Everyone probably in this room is an environmentalist," she said to a crowd of about 40 people at SynapSense, in the Sacramento suburb of Folsom. "But the truth is we've got to bring back some balance between the environment and the needs of jobs and people. So whether it is the farmers, whether it is, you know, your business, the permitting, the regulation is strangling businesses." Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15669340?nclick_check=1 Minorities Drive California Environmental Movement. Ethnic Californians are at the forefront of support for environmental policies in the state, according to a new poll released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). The poll, which asks state residents their perspectives on a wide range of environmental issues, found that ethnic Californians were more likely than whites to perceive air pollution and climate change as a serious threats, and favor a role for government in fixing the problems. The survey was conducted in English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Vietnamese and Korean. Posted. http://newamericamedia.org/2010/08/minorities-drive-california-environmental-movement.php Carly Fiorina: A Global Warming Denier. On July 27, California Watch reported that Senator Wannabe Carly Fiorina accepted $25,000 in donations from Murray Energy Corporation of Cleveland, a major coal producer, whose CEO Robert Murray called global warming "hysterical global goofiness." Murray has an economic interest in the global warming debate because global warming legislation will probably restrict the burning of coal and thus, effect his economic interests. Posted. http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2010-08-03/article/35994?headline=Carly-Fiorina-A-Global-Warming-Denier CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change: It's Time to Talk, and Act, Tough. Try to fit these facts together: According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the planet has just come through the warmest decade, the warmest 12 months, the warmest six months and the warmest April, May and June on record. A "staggering" new study from Canadian researchers has shown that warmer seawater has reduced phytoplankton, the base of the marine food chain, by 40% since 1950. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mckibben-climate-20100804,0,251896,print.story EPA Left to Pick Up Climate Change Where Congress Dropped The Debate. The Obama administration told Congress to find a way to regulate greenhouse gases -- or else. Last month, Congress refused: Democratic leaders in the Senate declined to take up climate legislation before their August break, which means it looks effectively dead for this session. Now the White House is stuck with "or else." The Environmental Protection Agency will soon begin regulating greenhouse gases factory by factory, power plant by power plant. That could be unwieldy, expensive and unpopular -- even President Obama has said it's not his preferred solution. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/03/AR2010080306366.html Greens Turn To Small-Scale Issues. Climate change wasn’t the only environmental issue on Congress’s agenda over the past three years — it just seemed that way. With the cap-and-trade bill dead in the Senate, lawmakers and environmental groups are looking to shine the spotlight on a slew of problems that received almost no attention in recent years, such as acid rain, overfishing, polluted drinking water and toxic chemicals in consumer products. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40607.html#ixzz0vepxT1mv Climate Bill Years Away After Senate Surrenders. No one expected a bang, but the idea of a cap on America’s carbon emissions died with barely the bathos of a whimper. Despite months of legislative fiddle piled on procedural faddle, no one ever drafted a bill with a carbon cap, and the sort of trading system necessary for industry to meet its demands, that stood a chance on the Senate floor. So the majority leader, Harry Reid, finally decided the whole issue should be quietly flushed away. With the midterm elections sure to swing heavily away from Reid’s Democrats, there is now no possibility of comprehensive climate-change legislation in America for years. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100804/OPINION/100809892/1042?Title=Climate-bill-years-away-after-Senate-surrenders Breakaway Clean Energy Coalition Splits US Chamber of Commerce. A new split over climate policy is brewing within the ranks of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a breakaway group of local chambers is getting ready to publicly split with the business lobby's hardline stance against climate legislation. The new climate coalition, known as the Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE), will press Congress to take stronger action on climate and energy issues. It has already signed up about a dozen chambers and will officially launch later this year. Posted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/04/clean-energy-coalition-chamber-commerce GHG Energy Reform Needs a Voice. The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Monday, August 2. It is tragic that Congress has run out of gas, so to speak, on energy reform that would include tackling the greenhouse gas emissions that warm the planet. At best, that means the issue could make good fodder for the campaign debates that will take place this fall. But Americans live in an at-worst economy, and the environment will surely take a back seat to concerns about jobs, taxes and other aspects of everyone's financial security. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/04/1279726/energy-reform-needs-a-voice.html http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/04/2935632/energy-reform-needs-a-voice.html Nationwide Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Would Increase Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Study Finds. The implementation of a nationwide low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in the United States would increase global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 19 million metric tons each year – contradicting the claim of LCFS advocates that the standard would reduce such emissions – according to a study issued today. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/03/2933669/nationwide-low-carbon-fuel-standard.html Refiners Say Low-Carbon Laws Worse Than Cap-and-Trade. Plans to reduce the carbon content of U.S. transportation fuels are likely to boost oil imports from the Middle East and lead to more pollution from diesel-fueled tankers, according to a report commissioned by the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association. A low-carbon standard is “even worse” than the “terrible” cap-and-trade legislation for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that recently collapsed in the U.S. Senate, said Charles Drevna, president of the refining industry group. The association estimated that plan would have cost the industry more than $20 billion a year. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/08/03/bloomberg1376-L6L0D30D9L3501-7KJHNKQHQUV1LV0VUG89V422KB.DTL http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-03/refiners-say-low-carbon-laws-worse-than-cap-and-trade.html AIR POLLUTION Deal To Reduce Pollution On Mesa OK’d. County supervisors on Tuesday gave final approval to an agreement to reduce the amount of dust blowing onto the Nipomo Mesa from Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area amid concerns that the deal lacks teeth and meaningful deadlines. “This is an incomplete agreement, to say the least,” Supervisor Bruce Gibson said. Posted. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/08/03/1238406/deal-to-reduce-pollution-on-mesa.html#ixzz0veViyQ00 San Diego Having Least Smoggy Year on Record. San Diego County is having its cleanest year on record for ozone. Ozone, better known as smog, is an air pollutant that stings the eyes and can damage the lungs, and San Diego county has yet to record a day this year in which its air quality has exceeded federal standards for ozone. Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/aug/04/san-diego-having-least-smoggy-year-record/ EPA Undertakes Overdue Review On Oil, Gas Rules. The Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing four air emission rules for oil and natural gas operations, albeit many years later than it should have done so. The EPA is supposed to review the standards every eight years under the Clean Air Act, but some of the regulations in question haven't been updated since 1985, while others were last fully reviewed in 1999. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/03/2934533/epa-undertakes-overdue-review.html VEHICLES 'Smogtruck' Charts Big Rig Fumes. UC Riverside researchers took their science to the streets this week -- in the back of a tractor-trailer rig equipped to test emissions from diesel trucks under real-world conditions. The rolling laboratory zipped past homes and businesses in Redlands and chugged up hills outside Cherry Valley for two full days. Inside the 53-foot trailer, computers and gauges analyzed microscopic particles spewed by the trucks. Green spikes on a computer graph showed the increased output of dangerous diesel soot and aerosols when the rig accelerated uphill. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_smogtruck04.326f784.html On The Money: Drydock Boats. A State agency purchased more than two dozen power boats that are now collecting dust on a government auction lot in Davis. The California Air Resources Board is now planning to sell the vehicles after using them for only a year. Following a tip from a CBS 13 viewer, On The Money discovered eight of the vehicles hidden behind a government gate in Davis. Posted. http://cbs13.com/onthemoney/drydock.boats.money.2.1841269.html Leaf Beats Volt in Race for State Rebate Cash. Buy Nissan's new electric car, the Leaf, in California, and you may qualify for a $5,000 rebate from the state. Buy the Leaf's closest competitor, the Chevrolet Volt, and the state will give you nothing. The Leaf and the Volt represent the next wave of plug-in cars, both of them hitting the market in California later this year. Nissan and General Motors are already taking reservations. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/03/BUG31EOCH9.DTL ENERGY BP Collecting Millions in Government Stimulus Funds for California Power Plant. The federal government is giving a joint venture involving oil giant BP millions of dollars in stimulus money to build a power plant on farmland near the tiny Kern County town of Tupman, even as the company faces heavy government pressure and a criminal probe into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP is benefiting from a $308 million federal grant over several years for the cutting-edge power plant on cotton and alfalfa fields seven miles from the western edge of Bakersfield. More than half of the money, $175 million, is coming from stimulus funds. The rest is coming from another federal program. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/environment/325-bp-collecting-millions-9-government-stimulus-funds-california-power-plant U.S. Needs Clean Tech Investment. Innovative technological ideas that originate from small American manufacturing companies often go unrewarded. Why? Because often those companies don't have the ability to take their innovations to the world through an aggressive exporting program. Although the United States is the unequivocal leader in energy innovation, we lose out to countries like China and Germany when it comes to manufacturing equipment for solar energy, biofuels, fuel cells, water remediation and renewable power generation. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/03/ED5Q1ELGDS.DTL#ixzz0veuhpRGM BP Project Pockets Stimulus Funds. The federal government is giving a joint venture involving oil giant BP millions of dollars in stimulus money to build a power plant on farmland near the tiny Kern County town of Tupman, even as the company faces heavy government pressure and a criminal probe into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/04/2935019/bp-project-pockets-stimulus-funds.html Senate Dems Delay Vote On Oil Spill, Energy Bill. WASHINGTON -- The worst oil spill in U.S. history and a year on track to be the hottest on record were not enough to push an energy bill through the Senate this summer. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/03/2933923/senate-dems-delay-vote-on-oil.html BLOGS Why 2 Million (Promised) Green Jobs Couldn't Sell a Climate Bill. >From the early days of the Obama administration, environmentalists believed that they had found the message to carry them to victory in what promised to be a grueling debate over energy and climate policy. It was this: At a time of soaring unemployment, a climate bill would create thousands or millions of new “clean energy” jobs. Climate activists spent 18 months and millions of dollars pushing that message, contending that legislation to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change would spur investments and create jobs in solar, wind and other alternatives to fossil fuels. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/08/why-2-million-promised-green-jobs-couldnt-secure-a-climate-bill.html Global Warming: Judge Softens Proposition 23 Ballot Language. A Sacramento judge Tuesday softened the ballot description of Proposition 23, a November initiative to suspend the state’s sweeping global warming law. Proponents of the initiative called the ruling “a tremendous victory,” but initiative opponents dismissed it as “cosmetic.” Language drafted by Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown referred to “major polluters,” which the judge changed to “sources of emissions.” The judge also narrowed the wording of the title from “suspends air pollution control laws” to “suspends implementation of air pollution control law (AB 32).” Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/08/global-warming-prop-23-ab-23-california-climate-change.html Pessimism Clouds Climate Meeting. This time last summer, there was considerable optimism that the world’s nations just might be able to approve a pact to limit a global increase in greenhouse gases at a United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen last December. That meeting, overseen by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, ended with a weak agreement known as the Copenhagen Accord. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/pessimism-reigns-at-climate-powwow/ The Broken Senate and the Energy and Climate Challenge. The riven Senate, with the decision today not to close out a modest package of energy initiatives focused on oil drilling, is basically saying the following: Don’t look for the vital 21st-century energy quest, let alone a reality-based approach to global warming, to begin within the borders of the United States. George Packer’s latest piece in The New Yorker can fill you in on the Senate’s broken machinery and norms. David Roberts at Grist has been pointing to the 60-vote impediment to sane energy policy for a long time. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/the-broken-senate-and-the-energy-and-climate-challenge/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 12:01:13 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 5, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 5, 2010. 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. AB 32 Judge Rules Proposition 23 Ballot Language Must Be Reworded. A state judge on Tuesday ordered the ballot language of Proposition 23 -- a November measure that would suspend California's landmark global warming law -- to be rewritten, handing a victory to supporters of the measure who said Attorney General Jerry Brown wrote misleading and biased wording. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15670533 Democrats Seek Federal Probe Of Prop. 23 Donor. State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Pérez have asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to open an investigation into a tiny Missouri nonprofit organization that has pumped nearly $500,000 into a voter initiative to suspend the state's landmark climate change law. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/05/2030402/democrats-seek-federal-probe-of.html http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/05/2937811/democrats-seek-federal-probe-of.html#mi_rss=State%20Politics Whitman Leans Against Suspension Of Climate Law. Sacramento - Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said Wednesday that she probably will vote against a November ballot initiative that would suspend AB32, California's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law. Whitman, appearing on the conservative John and Ken radio show on KFI in Southern California, said, "In all likelihood I will vote no on Prop. 23," adding that she still backs a one-year moratorium that she would impose if elected. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/05/BANA1EP1BG.DTL&type=printable Stop Prop. 23. We cannot let oil companies ruin our environment, our future any longer. Green jobs are the fastest-growing sector in the economy because we are finally realizing that we must undo the damage done by oil companies. What Proposition 23 will do is stop this process and allow these oil companies to continue making millions of dollars in profit. Unemployment rates may increase for a short period of time, but in the long term it will decline if AB 32 is protected. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/ci_15679827?source=rss_commented#ixzz0vkxWG2kr CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Dems, Enviros Won’t Abandon Legislation For Green Chemistry Initiative. Since 2007, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has cited his Green Chemistry initiative as a reason not to pursue “chemical-by-chemical” bans. At a hearing on that initiative on Tuesday, a pair of Democratic legislators sounded a defiant tone. Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, and Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, are known as two of the stronger environmental voices in the legislature. Feuer is the author of AB 1879, the 2008 bill that authorized the Green Chemistry regulations. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=z1aleqrrzwdbwe# Diplomats Ponder Temporarily Extending The Kyoto Protocol. With the clock ticking on the current international climate change treaty, negotiators are considering a set of stopgap measures to protect the European trading system and years of emission reduction efforts from collapse. One option under serious study is a proposal to extend the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for two years, which presumably would keep countries bound by their existing obligations until a new agreement can be finalized. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/1 UN Panel: New Taxes Needed For A Climate Fund. Bonn, Germany -- British economist Nicholas Stern says a U.N. economic panel is discussing carbon taxes, add-ons to international air fares and a levy on cross-border money transfers as ways to raise $100 billion a year to fight climate change. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/05/AR2010080503124.html ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Calif. Upholds Solar Installer's Apprenticeship Program. California regulators have given the green light to the state's first training program for solar installers. The California Apprenticeship Council last week rejected 13-2 a complaint that unions filed against a small Northern California solar company's plan to train its own apprentices. Renewable Power Solutions, a 25-employee company based in San Jose, had received approval for its program last year from the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (ClimateWire, July 13). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/6 Plans To Build World's Biggest Solar Plant In California's Mojave Desert Clear Hurdle. An Oakland company's plans to build the world's largest solar thermal power plant in California's Mojave Desert have cleared a major hurdle by winning approval of a key state energy commissioner. California Energy Commissioner Jeffrey Bryon late Tuesday issued a 576-page report recommending that the project be approved. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_15677786 VEHICLES GM Still Waiting On Fuel Rating For Volt. General Motors Co. officials say U.S. EPA is not close to finalizing the label and rating the fuel economy on the Chevrolet Volt. Larry Nitz, the GM executive director for hybrid and electric powertrain engineering, said the company is still talking to the federal agency about fuel economy ratings. The figure is expected later this year before the car goes on sale. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/8 Costs Will Keep Hybrids From Eclipsing Gas Engines For Now, Engineers Say. Even though hybrids and electric cars are capturing the headlines, old-fashioned gasoline engines are here for a while longer, top automotive engineers say. Barb Samardzich, Ford Motor Co.'s vice president for powertrain engineering, told the Center for Automotive Research's annual Management Briefing Seminar that in a decade, 80 percent of the world's cars will still use gasoline or diesel engines. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/9 FUELS Biotech Offers Promise For Producing Fuel. The announcement of an altered bacterium with fuel-production abilities is the latest breakthrough in the fast-expanding field of 'synthetic biology.' Fuel may be a messy business now, as the oil spill fouling the gulf reminds us. But it might not always have to be. Scientists envision facilities that churn out black gold by enlisting engineered bacteria, yeast and algae to do all the dirty work. Recently, scientists reported a significant step toward that futuristic goal: an engineered strain of the gut bacterium Escherichia coli that can make a diesel-like mixture of hydrocarbons. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-biofuels-20100805,0,5064847,print.story Enviros Call For Probe Into Fracking With Diesel. Dozens of environmental and community groups are urging Congress and U.S. EPA to investigate energy companies' injections of diesel fuel into the ground during a controversial oil and natural gas production technique. The groups today fired off letters to EPA and the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging them to determine whether the companies violated the Safe Drinking Water Act by using diesel fuel during hydraulic fracturing. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/05/13 Ethanol Promotes Clean Attributes While Lobbying EPA. With the Gulf of Mexico oil spill fresh in the minds of Americans, the ethanol industry is touting its clean, renewable attributes while lobbying U.S. EPA to increase the proportion of ethanol mixed with gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. "The choice between the dangers of our addiction to oil and the promise of American renewable fuels is as clear today as the contrast between the blackened estuaries of the Gulf Coast and the sparkling green fields of rural America," said Robert Dinneen, president of the Washington-based Renewable Fuels Association. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/10 Fremont To Get First Commercial Alternative Fuel Station. Fremont -- In a city with no shortage of places to fill up with regular unleaded, one gas station is now offering something different. Starting today, the Chevron at the corner of Paseo Padre Parkway and Stevenson Boulevard is leasing four pumps to a company that provides cleaner burning alternative fuels. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15670514 Emmer, Dems Skirmish Over Biofuels At Farmfest. Redwood Falls, Minn. -- The sharp differences on ethanol and biofuels between Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer and the three Democrats vying to challenge him in the fall became clear Wednesday during a farm-focused debate. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/04/AR2010080406010.html LOW CARBON FUELS Nationwide LCFS Would Raise Ghgs In US, Study Finds. Implementation of a nationwide low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) would increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by as much as 19 million tonnes/year, a new study commissioned by the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association concluded. The findings contradict claims by LCFS advocates that such a requirement would reduce GHG emissions, NPRA said. Posted. http://www.ogj.com/index/article-tools-template/_printArticle/articles/oil-gas-journal/processing-2/2010/08/nationwide-lcfs_would.html BLOGS Research Desk counts: How Much Does The U.S. Subsidize Clean And Dirty Energy? jeirvine asks: I'd love to see some graphics on where all US Gov't subsidies (tax breaks, incentives, direct funding) for energy go -- dirty vs. clean. The Environmental Law Institute did a study (PDF) on this last year, tallying up how much the U.S. spent, either in grants and direct spending or tax subsidies and foregone revenue, to support fossil fuels and renewable energy from fiscal years 2002 to 2008. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/08/research_desk_counts_how_much.html Even Without Legislation, Obama Is Leading On Energy. Q: Now that even China has put a price on carbon emissions, the U.S. is the only major economy yet to take action on global warming. Why does this issue seem to defy political leadership? Who, in your opinion, is MOST responsible for the leadership failure--President Obama and Senate leaders for not forcing a deal? Posted. http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/panelists/2010/08/even-without-legislation-obama-is-leading-on-energy.html Wind Picks Up Nationally, California Lags. Wind power generators added nearly 40% to their total capacity in the US last year, as several states blew past California, according to a new report from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. According to the tally, four states now generate more than 10% of their total electricity (excluding exports) from wind. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/08/04/wind-picks-up-nationally-california-lags/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader California College Is First To Go 'Grid Positive'. Dozens of colleges in the Mid-Atlantic and beyond have become community leaders in sustainability, producing alternative energy en masse and scaling back energy consumption dramatically. American University, for one, says it will be carbon neutral by 2020. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/college-inc/2010/08/california_college_is_first_to.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 14:52:50 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 5, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 5, 2010. 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. AB 32 Judge Rules Proposition 23 Ballot Language Must Be Reworded. A state judge on Tuesday ordered the ballot language of Proposition 23 -- a November measure that would suspend California's landmark global warming law -- to be rewritten, handing a victory to supporters of the measure who said Attorney General Jerry Brown wrote misleading and biased wording. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15670533 Democrats Seek Federal Probe Of Prop. 23 Donor. State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John Pérez have asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to open an investigation into a tiny Missouri nonprofit organization that has pumped nearly $500,000 into a voter initiative to suspend the state's landmark climate change law. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/05/2030402/democrats-seek-federal-probe-of.html http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/05/2937811/democrats-seek-federal-probe-of.html#mi_rss=State%20Politics Whitman Leans Against Suspension Of Climate Law. Sacramento - Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said Wednesday that she probably will vote against a November ballot initiative that would suspend AB32, California's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law. Whitman, appearing on the conservative John and Ken radio show on KFI in Southern California, said, "In all likelihood I will vote no on Prop. 23," adding that she still backs a one-year moratorium that she would impose if elected. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/05/BANA1EP1BG.DTL&type=printable Stop Prop. 23. We cannot let oil companies ruin our environment, our future any longer. Green jobs are the fastest-growing sector in the economy because we are finally realizing that we must undo the damage done by oil companies. What Proposition 23 will do is stop this process and allow these oil companies to continue making millions of dollars in profit. Unemployment rates may increase for a short period of time, but in the long term it will decline if AB 32 is protected. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/ci_15679827?source=rss_commented#ixzz0vkxWG2kr CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Dems, Enviros Won’t Abandon Legislation For Green Chemistry Initiative. Since 2007, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has cited his Green Chemistry initiative as a reason not to pursue “chemical-by-chemical” bans. At a hearing on that initiative on Tuesday, a pair of Democratic legislators sounded a defiant tone. Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, and Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, are known as two of the stronger environmental voices in the legislature. Feuer is the author of AB 1879, the 2008 bill that authorized the Green Chemistry regulations. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=z1aleqrrzwdbwe# Diplomats Ponder Temporarily Extending The Kyoto Protocol. With the clock ticking on the current international climate change treaty, negotiators are considering a set of stopgap measures to protect the European trading system and years of emission reduction efforts from collapse. One option under serious study is a proposal to extend the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for two years, which presumably would keep countries bound by their existing obligations until a new agreement can be finalized. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/1 UN Panel: New Taxes Needed For A Climate Fund. Bonn, Germany -- British economist Nicholas Stern says a U.N. economic panel is discussing carbon taxes, add-ons to international air fares and a levy on cross-border money transfers as ways to raise $100 billion a year to fight climate change. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/05/AR2010080503124.html ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Calif. Upholds Solar Installer's Apprenticeship Program. California regulators have given the green light to the state's first training program for solar installers. The California Apprenticeship Council last week rejected 13-2 a complaint that unions filed against a small Northern California solar company's plan to train its own apprentices. Renewable Power Solutions, a 25-employee company based in San Jose, had received approval for its program last year from the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (ClimateWire, July 13). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/6 Plans To Build World's Biggest Solar Plant In California's Mojave Desert Clear Hurdle. An Oakland company's plans to build the world's largest solar thermal power plant in California's Mojave Desert have cleared a major hurdle by winning approval of a key state energy commissioner. California Energy Commissioner Jeffrey Bryon late Tuesday issued a 576-page report recommending that the project be approved. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_15677786 VEHICLES GM Still Waiting On Fuel Rating For Volt. General Motors Co. officials say U.S. EPA is not close to finalizing the label and rating the fuel economy on the Chevrolet Volt. Larry Nitz, the GM executive director for hybrid and electric powertrain engineering, said the company is still talking to the federal agency about fuel economy ratings. The figure is expected later this year before the car goes on sale. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/8 Costs Will Keep Hybrids From Eclipsing Gas Engines For Now, Engineers Say. Even though hybrids and electric cars are capturing the headlines, old-fashioned gasoline engines are here for a while longer, top automotive engineers say. Barb Samardzich, Ford Motor Co.'s vice president for powertrain engineering, told the Center for Automotive Research's annual Management Briefing Seminar that in a decade, 80 percent of the world's cars will still use gasoline or diesel engines. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/9 FUELS Biotech Offers Promise For Producing Fuel. The announcement of an altered bacterium with fuel-production abilities is the latest breakthrough in the fast-expanding field of 'synthetic biology.' Fuel may be a messy business now, as the oil spill fouling the gulf reminds us. But it might not always have to be. Scientists envision facilities that churn out black gold by enlisting engineered bacteria, yeast and algae to do all the dirty work. Recently, scientists reported a significant step toward that futuristic goal: an engineered strain of the gut bacterium Escherichia coli that can make a diesel-like mixture of hydrocarbons. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-biofuels-20100805,0,5064847,print.story Enviros Call For Probe Into Fracking With Diesel. Dozens of environmental and community groups are urging Congress and U.S. EPA to investigate energy companies' injections of diesel fuel into the ground during a controversial oil and natural gas production technique. The groups today fired off letters to EPA and the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging them to determine whether the companies violated the Safe Drinking Water Act by using diesel fuel during hydraulic fracturing. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/05/13 Ethanol Promotes Clean Attributes While Lobbying EPA. With the Gulf of Mexico oil spill fresh in the minds of Americans, the ethanol industry is touting its clean, renewable attributes while lobbying U.S. EPA to increase the proportion of ethanol mixed with gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. "The choice between the dangers of our addiction to oil and the promise of American renewable fuels is as clear today as the contrast between the blackened estuaries of the Gulf Coast and the sparkling green fields of rural America," said Robert Dinneen, president of the Washington-based Renewable Fuels Association. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/05/10 Fremont To Get First Commercial Alternative Fuel Station. Fremont -- In a city with no shortage of places to fill up with regular unleaded, one gas station is now offering something different. Starting today, the Chevron at the corner of Paseo Padre Parkway and Stevenson Boulevard is leasing four pumps to a company that provides cleaner burning alternative fuels. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15670514 Emmer, Dems Skirmish Over Biofuels At Farmfest. Redwood Falls, Minn. -- The sharp differences on ethanol and biofuels between Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer and the three Democrats vying to challenge him in the fall became clear Wednesday during a farm-focused debate. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/04/AR2010080406010.html LOW CARBON FUELS Nationwide LCFS Would Raise Ghgs In US, Study Finds. Implementation of a nationwide low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) would increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by as much as 19 million tonnes/year, a new study commissioned by the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association concluded. The findings contradict claims by LCFS advocates that such a requirement would reduce GHG emissions, NPRA said. Posted. http://www.ogj.com/index/article-tools-template/_printArticle/articles/oil-gas-journal/processing-2/2010/08/nationwide-lcfs_would.html BLOGS Research Desk counts: How Much Does The U.S. Subsidize Clean And Dirty Energy? jeirvine asks: I'd love to see some graphics on where all US Gov't subsidies (tax breaks, incentives, direct funding) for energy go -- dirty vs. clean. The Environmental Law Institute did a study (PDF) on this last year, tallying up how much the U.S. spent, either in grants and direct spending or tax subsidies and foregone revenue, to support fossil fuels and renewable energy from fiscal years 2002 to 2008. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/08/research_desk_counts_how_much.html Even Without Legislation, Obama Is Leading On Energy. Q: Now that even China has put a price on carbon emissions, the U.S. is the only major economy yet to take action on global warming. Why does this issue seem to defy political leadership? Who, in your opinion, is MOST responsible for the leadership failure--President Obama and Senate leaders for not forcing a deal? Posted. http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/panelists/2010/08/even-without-legislation-obama-is-leading-on-energy.html Wind Picks Up Nationally, California Lags. Wind power generators added nearly 40% to their total capacity in the US last year, as several states blew past California, according to a new report from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. According to the tally, four states now generate more than 10% of their total electricity (excluding exports) from wind. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/08/04/wind-picks-up-nationally-california-lags/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader California College Is First To Go 'Grid Positive'. Dozens of colleges in the Mid-Atlantic and beyond have become community leaders in sustainability, producing alternative energy en masse and scaling back energy consumption dramatically. American University, for one, says it will be carbon neutral by 2020. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/college-inc/2010/08/california_college_is_first_to.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2010 11:07:40 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 6, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 6, 2010. 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. AB 32 California: Brown Puts Whitman on the Defensive over Greenhouse Gases. How does California attorney general Jerry Brown fight billionaire Meg Whitman in the battle to be the next governor of the Golden State? Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, spends nearly as much per day (an average of $531,378 over the past six weeks) as Brown has spent all year — $633,205. Yet the cagey and frugal Brown leads the free-spending billionaire in the latest poll 37% to 34%. By necessity, Brown is running a low-budget guerrilla campaign against Whitman, whose spending has now zoomed past the $100 million mark. Posted. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2009013,00.html#ixzz0vqFkYCrv ‘False' Language Banned From Prop. 23 Ballot. The fight over plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California turned on a legal ruling this week, with a Sacramento judge barring certain language on ballots for a proposition that would suspend the state's landmark emissions law. A county Superior Court judge found state Attorney General Jerry Brown's language in voter pamphlets about Proposition 23 to be “false, misleading and prejudicial.” Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100806/NEWS/100809834/1006&parentprofile=1053 Calif. Climate Law Foes Face Uphill Battle, Despite Court Ruling. Political strategists in California, asked to assess a judge's decision this week to tweak the state's ballot initiative on climate change, said the ruling could affect the November election for a small group of voters but not enough to change the final outcome. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/06/06climatewire-calif-climate-law-foes-face-uphill-battle-de-69622.html Prop 23’s Mystery Money. There are two new stories today on the funding of Prop 23, the Texas oil companies' effort to kill California's clean energy and clean air standards. This afternoon, the Center for American Progress posted a story about the Texas oil companies' attempt to enlist other oil companies in their campaign. The report includes slides from their presentation, which are insightful (http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/08/05/tesoro-powerpoint/). Posted. http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4467&ptid=9 Whitman's Jab at Poizner May Cost GOP Votes. The California Republican Party, already challenged to win key races this year in a blue-leaning state, has a new problem to deal with: The two GOP gubernatorial primary candidates are still tangling two months later. Meg Whitman's recent attacks on Steve Poizner, who lost the primary, could cost her the support of his backers, some GOP officials say, when she needs every Republican vote and many of the state's independent voters to beat Democrat Jerry Brown in November. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/05/MNQ01EPF2D.DTL#ixzz0vqTLhVNI Laird, Blakeslee Tackle the Issues in First Public Forum. State Senate hopeful John Laird chided his opponent Sam Blakeslee for not supporting California's landmark greenhouse gas law, AB 32, during their first face-to-face meeting Thursday in Santa Clara in the high-stakes race for District 15, a territory that runs up the coast from Santa Barbara County to Santa Cruz and inland to the Almaden Valley. "I'm the only person up here who voted for it," said Laird, a former Democratic assemblyman from Santa Cruz, at a forum sponsored by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. "It was a very important act. It was good the way it was done. It is guiding jobs here, and it should not be repealed." Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_15691041?nclick_check=1 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG Texas Joins Challengers to EPA's Greenhouse Gas 'Tailoring' Rule. The state of Texas stepped up its legal campaign against U.S. EPA's climate program this week, asking a federal appeals court to review the agency's plans for the regulation of greenhouse gases from stationary sources under the Clean Air Act. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/05/05greenwire-texas-joins-challengers-to-epas-greenhouse-gas-25612.html Obama Gets a Menu of Climate Actions He Can Take Without Congress. President Obama could invoke strong climate policies, like gasoline carbon limits, without congressional input before world leaders convene this fall to negotiate an international global warming treaty, a research group says in a plan provided to the administration. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/06/06climatewire-obama-gets-a-menu-of-climate-actions-he-can-35377.html Climate Talks Appear to Slip Backward. Global climate talks appeared to have slipped backward after five days of negotiations in Bonn, with rich and poor countries exchanging charges of reneging on agreements they made last year to contain greenhouse gases. Delegates complained that reversals in the talks put negotiations back by a year, even before minimal gains were scored at the Copenhagen summit last December. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g1JSga_CNGr6cpuIGcVrNxOuOBOAD9HE2KNO1 http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/06/1283349/climate-talks-appear-to-slip-backward.html http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-climate-change,0,2689663.story Diplomats Ponder Temporarily Extending the Kyoto Protocol. With the clock ticking on the current international climate change treaty, negotiators are considering a set of stopgap measures to protect the European trading system and years of emission reduction efforts from collapse. One option under serious study is a proposal to extend the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for two years, which presumably would keep countries bound by their existing obligations until a new agreement can be finalized. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/05/05climatewire-diplomats-ponder-temporarily-extending-the-k-54406.html PORTS Congress Joins Fight Over Control of Port Truck Drivers. The fight over control of port truck drivers spilled out of the courtroom into Congress last week when Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., offered a bill that would give ports more authority over drayage operations. Under current law, states and local authorities such as ports are barred from regulating truck prices, routes or service. Nadler's Clean Ports Act would create an exemption to let these entities set requirements "reasonably related" to improving pollution, congestion, and safety operations at ports. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=71253 AIR POLLUTION Balloon Measures Gas Created By Dairies. An orange balloon floated 50 feet above California State University, Fresno's small dairy herd last week, helping in the unsavory task of gathering air samples from a plume of pungent gases. On the ground, a gas chamber held more samples while massive Holstein and Jersey cows drooled and munched feed nearby. Researchers sweated in the barnyard stench, making sure sampling instruments worked properly. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/06/2941657/balloon-measures-gas-created-by.html http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/08/06/1520833/balloon-measures-gas-created-by.html#ixzz0vqBWnxW2 Air Pollution Increases Asthma Rates at Schools. LA Testing provides both outdoor and indoor air quality (IAQ) testing solutions to help identify airborne contaminants to protect students and teachers. Asthma is a common childhood disease that new research indicates may be made worse for some children due to air pollution at their schools. The Environmental Health Perspectives journal recently published research implicating traffic-related air pollution as a cause of children developing asthma. Posted. http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=121015 ENERGY/GREEN Edison to Offer Zero Interest On Energy-Saving Equipment. In its latest surge to offer energy efficiency incentives, Southern California Edison this week announced a zero-interest financing plan for business customers to purchase and install energy-saving equipment. Modeled on a pilot program last year, On-Bill Financing will bill customers for loan payments on their utility bills. Business customers can apply for up to $100,000 with a five-year term. The limit for institutional and government customers is $250,000 with a 10-year term, and the minimum amount for all loans is $5,000. Posted. http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_15689663 Innovate and Grow: Mapping California’s Growing Green Economy. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve recently called the nation’s economic outlook “unusually uncertain.” Here’s something that is certain: California has a growing green economy. Want proof? Check out a first-of-its-kind map compiled by Environmental Defense Fund that features 3,500-plus entities providing green solutions or using sustainable practices to improve their bottom lines. The map is searchable by seven industry categories and by county and state legislative district. Posted. http://www.favstocks.com/innovate-and-grow-mapping-california%E2%80%99s-growing-green-economy/0522248/ State Rejects Union Appeal to Block Solar Apprenticeship Program. California has approved and upheld the state’s first solar installation apprenticeship program. The California Apprenticeship Council voted 13-4 to reject an appeal filed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to block the state’s approval of the program. “It’s a relief,” said Jose Radzinsky, CEO of Renewable Power Solutions, a Bay Area solar-panel installation company. Posted. http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/california-rejects-appeal-256-block-solar-apprenticeship-program-4 Liberty Sludge Incinerator Isn't a Job-Creating, Environmentally Friendly Project as Portrayed. The Californian's July 27 editorial, "Sludge power? Smells like a winner," was incorrect on several points as it discussed the supposed benefits of the proposed Liberty Energy sewage sludge incinerator in Lost Hills.First, this project does not create renewable energy. Incinerating sewage sludge does not qualify as renewable energy in California. That is why there is a tipping fee paid of $60 to $80 per ton to haul the stuff away. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/community/x2120046186/Liberty-sludge-incinerator-isnt-a-job-creating-environmentally-friendly-project-as-portrayed Clean-Coal Project Advances with $1 Billion in Funding. The Obama administration Thursday awarded $1 billion to an Illinois project that aims to sharply reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from coal-fired power plants, the latest in a long-running saga aimed at proving coal's viability amid widespread pressure to combat climate change. The new project, known as "FutureGen 2.0," replaces an earlier plan to build a first-of-a kind, "clean coal" power plant in Illinois using a different technology. Supporters of the latest version say it will create jobs and reduce greenhouse-gas pollution. Opponents contend it is a waste of money and thinly veiled reward for President Barack Obama's home state. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704657504575411784292302468.html?mod=googlenews_wsj U.S. Changes Plan for Capturing Emissions from Coal. The Energy Department abruptly shifted course on Thursday on a flagship federal effort to capture and sequester carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants, saying it would not finance construction of a new plant in Mattoon, Ill. Instead of underwriting that project, which would have turned coal into a hydrocarbon gas, filtered out the carbon and burned the hydrogen, the government said it would contribute $737 million to remake an obsolete oil-burning plant in Meredosia, Ill. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/business/energy-environment/06coal.html?src=busln US Needs To Act Quickly To Develop Renewable Energy. The devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico dramatically raises the stakes in confronting the challenges we face in balancing America's energy needs with protecting its precious natural resources. In his recent address to the nation, President Obama made a compelling case for passing a comprehensive energy bill that would reduce the nation’s dependence on oil, noting that the spill is, “the most painful and powerful reminder that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.” Posted. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/08/us-needs-to-act-quickly-to-develop-renewable-energy OIL / GASOLINE / ALTERNATIVE FUEL Tracing Oil Reserves to Their Tiny Origins. In 1913, as the automobile zoomed into American life, The Outing Magazine gave its readers a bit of background on what fueled the new motorcars in “The Story of Gasoline.” After a brief vignette describing the death of “old Colonel Stegosaurus Ugulatus,” the article explained that “yesterday you poured the remains of the dinosaur from a measuring-can — which, let us hope, held five gallons, full measure — into your gasoline tank.” Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/science/03oil.html?th&emc=th BLOGS Can Injecting Carbon Emissions Underground Really Be Safe? In Kern County, a joint venture with energy giant BP is getting federal stimulus money to build a power plant that will bury millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions underground. Which leads to a natural question: Is that even safe? Supporters of the "carbon capture and sequestration" technology – including many scientists, the government, and some environmentalists – insist that it is. They point to several projects around the world that are doing it successfully. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/01-can-injecting-carbon-emissions-underground-really-be-safe-234 California Law Breathes New Life Into REDD. The winds of change are blowing across the climate change policy landscape. With legislation stalled in the U.S. Senate, attention now shifts to state and regional initiatives. In California, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, better known as AB32, establishes a statewide mandate for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, including participation in a regional cap-and-trade system. Posted. https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/08/06/california-law-breathes-new-life-redd#ixzz0vqDHR74i Prop. 23 is a Hot Potato For State GOP: Confusion Reigns On Endorsement. One day after GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said she's unlikely to support Prop. 23, the controversial November ballot measure, the California Republican Party issued a statement today saying it may not take position on it -- even though the GOP endorsed the measure earlier this year. The move set off a tremor after Prop. 23 proponents noted that the exact wording of the ballot measure -- minus the numbered title, which hadn't yet been decided on -- was overwhelmingly endorsed by party members when the state GOP met at its Santa Clara spring convention. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=69475#ixzz0vqH3N31C Adam Smith Would Roll in His Grave. The Texas Oil Companies behind the Dirty Energy Prop seem to be up to some new tricks, including using Adam Smith's name in vain! The latest news on this front is that their fundraising campaign is raising the federal government’s eyebrows. As reported here before, the campaign is desperate to save big oil’s bottom line, and their legally questionable tactics are proving it. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/dkennedy/detail??blogid=175&entry_id=69537 Air Regulators to Provide $5 Million for Electric Vehicle Chargers. Electric vehicle charging stations will be installed across the Bay Area with the help of millions of dollars in grants from air regulators. A lack of charging stations is seen as a barrier to the adoption of electric cars, with would-be owners fearful of being stranded without access to a charger. Posted. http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/under-the-dome/air-regulators-to-provide-5-million-for-electric-vehicle-chargers-100052949.html#ixzz0vq9ZVpZb ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 11:58:54 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 9, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 9, 2010. 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. AB 32/ PROP 23 Laird, Blakeslee Disagree Over Prop. 23 In Debate In Arroyo Grande. Arroyo GRANDE - The two leading candidates for state Senate agreed during a Friday night debate in Arroyo Grande that global warming is real, but disagreed on what to do about it. Republican Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee and former Assemblyman John Laird, a Democrat, disagreed on whether voters should repeal Proposition 23 on the November ballot. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15697535 Valero Adds $3M To Oppose Calif. Climate Law. Sacramento, Calif. A Texas-based oil company has added another $3 million to the ballot campaign seeking to suspend California's landmark global warming law. Valero Services Inc. made the contribution Friday, according to the secretary of state's campaign finance website. Proposition 23 on the November ballot seeks to delay regulations that are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions until California's unemployment rate, now at 12.3 percent, falls to 5.5 percent and stays there for a year. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15699075 http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/06/1284017/valero-adds-3m-to-oppose-calif.html#ixzz0w7rybLIB http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/aug/06/valero-adds-3m-to-oppose-calif-climate-law/ CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Air Board To Release Proposed Greenhouse Gas Targets. Sacramento - Communities in Inland Southern California would need to expand public transit, curb sprawl and take other steps to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets soon to emerge from state air-quality regulators. The proposed targets, to be released as early as Monday, will be a major step in the implementation of SB 375, a 2008 bill that aims to reduce emissions linked to global warming by influencing local governments' land-use and transportation policies. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_landuse08.2d43e84.html White House Still Hopes To Pass Bill This Year --The White House is "deeply disappointed" that Congress hasn't passed climate legislation but won't give up on getting it done this year, President Obama's top climate and energy adviser said yesterday. Carol Browner said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the administration is still holding out hope for a legislative victory on climate and energy, despite the political challenges of passing a controversial bill through the Senate after the chamber returns from its August recess." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/09/1 Editorial: More Evidence Of Global Warming. What's most discouraging about the politicized debate over climate change is seeing the distrust of science sharply rise. The climate change denial caucus is so vocal that even as new evidence reinforces the conclusion that human activity is warming the planet, people refuse to see it. Scientists must keep reporting the data as it is collected, though, so this month the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its State of the Climate report. Posted. http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/news_columnists/x1028351467/Editorial-More-evidence-of-global-warming On Leadership: Carbon and climate change: Why are we behind? The United States suffers from a severe case of what my Thunderbird colleague Gregory Unruh termed years ago "carbon lock-in." Carbon lock-in refers to the self-perpetuating inertia created by interlocking institutional forces and cultural norms that inhibit efforts to develop alternative energy systems. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080606029.html Dimmer view of Earth. When Stanford climate scientist Christopher Field looks at visual feeds from a satellite monitoring deforestation in the Amazon basin, he sees images streaked with white lines devoid of data. The satellite, Landsat 7, is broken. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15689267 UN panel: New Taxes Needed For A Climate Fund. Bonn, Germany—Carbon taxes, add-ons to international air fares and a levy on cross-border money movements are among ways being considered by a panel of the world's leading economists to raise a staggering $100 billion a year to fight climate change. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15683210 Climate Talks Appear To Slip Backward. Bonn, Germany—Global climate talks appeared to have slipped backward after five days of negotiations in Bonn, with rich and poor countries exchanging charges of reneging on agreements they made last year to contain greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15693765 Relentless Heat Wave Roasts Russia. While the mid-Atlantic has suffered through a sultry summer so far, conditions have not been nearly as extreme as in parts of Europe, particularly Russia. The Russian heat wave of July and August, along with related drought conditions and wildfires, have garnered international headlines in recent weeks, and will surely be studied by climate scientists and public health experts for years to come, both for its intensity and duration. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/08/relentless_heat_wave_roasts_ru.html http://www.examiner.com/x-10722-Austin-Science-Policy-Examiner~y2010m8d9-Record-heat-waves-and-floods-could-become-the-norm ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Jerry Brown Emphasizes Green Energy In Jobs Plan. The Democrat says investment in renewable energy should create 500,000 new jobs in the state in the next 10 years. He would consider tax breaks to encourage creation of manufacturing jobs. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown quietly unveiled a jobs plan Sunday that calls for creating green-energy jobs, investing in the state's infrastructure and education, increasing manufacturing jobs and improving job-training programs. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-brown-jobs-20100809,0,3647153,print.story http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/09/2945626/brown-adds-details-to-clean-energy.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/08/v-print/2034493/capitol-alert-brown-beefs-up-jobs.html L.A. Tops in Calif. Clean-Tech Companies. Los Angeles County has the most clean-tech companies in the state, with Orange, Santa Clara, San Diego, Alameda and San Francisco counties following it, according to a report released Thursday by the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund. According to the report, which includes an online mapping tool, the green economy reaches every major metropolitan area in the state. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2010/08/02/daily29.html Fairfax Enacts Ban On Smartmeter Installation. Fairfax -- The Fairfax Town Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance banning the installation of remote-controlled utility meters within the town's borders Wednesday, despite a last-minute promise by PG&E that it would stop installing its trademarked SmartMeters in Fairfax. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15684293 AIR QUALITY Obama Acts As Clean-Tech Venture Capitalist. Racks of lime-green batteries awaited inspection on the factory floor when the well-connected investor swept through Smith Electric Vehicles in Kansas City, Mo., last month. A week later he broke ground on an advanced vehicle battery plant in Holland, Mich., the ninth battery facility his money has helped jump-start in the last year. Meet the country's venture capitalist-in-chief, President Obama. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/09/BUGN1EQ09H.DTL&type=printable Clean-Air Grants Should Help Farmers Curb Burning. On July 28th in Sacramento, State Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter) convened a hearing to review rulings by the governing board of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) and the California Air Resources Board to continue to allow the open field burning of agricultural waste products in the San Joaquin Valley. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/commentary/28-commentary/5844-clean-air-grants-should-help-farmers-curb-burning Smog Over Moscow Worsens As Wildfires Rage. Moscow—A suffocating smog from wildfires hung over the Russian capital Saturday, raising the concentration of dangerous pollutants to a new high as exasperated residents donned masks and dozens of flights were delayed or diverted at the city's airports. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15703526?nclick_check=1 http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15716495 Fresno State Balloon Tracks Dairies' Acrid Gases. An orange balloon floated 50 feet above California State University, Fresno's small dairy herd last week, helping in the unsavory task of gathering air samples from a plume of pungent gases. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/05/2031238/fresno-state-balloon-tracks-dairies.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/06/1284375/fresno-state-studies-valley-dairy.html#ixzz0w7pWLz64 VEHICLES Car Rental Companies To Offer Electric Nissan Leafs. Beginning as early as January, electric cars will be available at the nation's two largest auto rental companies. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, North America's largest car rental firm, unveiled plans last week to offer about 500 Nissan Leaf all-electric cars, initially at dealerships in Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland and Seattle. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase-20100809,0,698051,print.story $5 Million to Go Towards Electric Car Charging Plan. Electronic car owners in the Bay Area may soon have easier access to charging stations as the Bay Area Air Quality Management District approved $5 million in funding last week to go toward developing a regional electric vehicle charging infrastructure program. Posted. http://sfappeal.com/alley/2010/08/5-million-to-go-towards-electric-car-charging-plan.php It's Not Just The Weather That Attracts Start-Up Manufacturers Of Alternative-Fuel Vehicles To California. The state's Zero Emission Vehicle program has created a marketplace for credits earned by selling electric and other low-emission vehicles. That means a potential source of income for small electric-vehicle makers that earn the credits but don't need them. Indeed, part of the business plan of some small companies trying to break into the electric-car business involves selling credits to larger manufacturers. Posted. http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20012374-48.html BLOGS Diesel vs. Gasoline Pollution- Diesel Making Improvements. Engine technology has come a long way in just the past few decades. Perceptions have changed- well some of them- as people begin to branch out and try newer cars powered by new engines and the technology in them. Posted. http://blog.gasbuddy.com/posts/Diesel-vs-gasoline-pollution-diesel-making-improvements/1715-416825-364.aspx ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:41:13 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 10, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 10, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Global Warming Mission Could Survive Prop. 23, Experts Say. Passage of the ballot measure would put some programs on hold, including the cap-and-trade provision, but most of the effect would be political, not practical. Even if voters decide to suspend California's landmark global warming law at the polls in November, most of its goals to reduce greenhouse gases can still be met, according to experts. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/la-me-global-warming-20100810,0,1147658,print.story ARB Staff Moves Forward With SB 375 Goals. The Air Resources Board took another step today toward its implementation of a state law meant to encourage local governments to adopt planning and transportation policies that cut automobile use and lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The ARB released a staff recommendation that will likely lead to goals for regions around the state to reduce their per capita emissions of the gases believed to contribute to global warming. Posted. http://www.healthycal.org/arb-staff-moves-forward-with-sb-375-goals.html/print/ California SB 375 Report Proposes GHG Reduction Targets to Curb Sprawl Emissions from Transportation. The California Air Resources Board released a draft report that proposes targets for land use and transportation planning in 2020 and 2035 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with passenger vehicle travel in the state’s eighteen Metropolitan Planning Organizations, including the four largest: Southern California, San Diego, the Bay Area, and the Sacramento region. Posted. http://www.favstocks.com/california-sb-375-report-proposes-ghg-reduction-targets-to-curb-sprawl-emissions-from-transportation/1022467/ Missouri Conservative Group Fights For Prop. 23. Sacramento - One of the largest single contributions to the campaign for a November ballot measure to suspend California's greenhouse gas reduction law has come from an obscure, Missouri-based conservative organization that ended 2009 with just $109. Yet four months later, the Adam Smith Foundation made a $498,000 contribution to the campaign to pass Prop. 23, prompting some Sacramento officials to call for a federal investigation into whether it was a legal move for the designated nonprofit. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/08/BANO1EQFE6.DTL&type=printable Study Says Rising Temperatures Thwart Rice Growth. MANILA, Philippines—A projected rise in temperatures because of climate change will slow the growth of rice production in Asia, an international team of scientists says in a new study. The study published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal of the U.S.-based National Academy of Sciences builds on previous findings that rising temperatures during the last 25 years have already cut the rice yield growth rate by 10 percent to 20 percent in several parts of Asia. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15724396 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Solar Power Steps Up To The Starting Line. Although they haven’t gotten the go-ahead yet, several major solar power plant proposals in California have advanced to the starting line. According to E&E News PM, in just the past few days, the California Energy Commission and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management have issued final environmental impact statements for a handful of major solar power plants and recommended final approval for others. Posted. http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/california-solar-power-moves-toward-creating-4-plants-23 Clorox Goes Green With New Natural Product Line. Wearing a white lab coat and blue plastic gloves, Inderjeet Ajmani needed just a few minutes and five ingredients to whip up a batch of dish soap in her lab at the Clorox Co.'s research and development facility in Pleasanton. Ajmani, a master technician who holds five patents related to Liquid-Plumr, was promoting the eco-friendliness of Clorox Green Works, the company's line of "natural" cleaners derived from plants. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/10/BULS1EOETD.DTL&type=printable Nuclear Energy Has Environmental Pluses; Safety Remains An Issue. Some environmentalists are indeed coming around to nuclear energy. That's because the nuclear fission process produces virtually no greenhouse gas emissions, unlike the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. (Those two fossil fuels accounted for about 70 percent of U.S. electricity in 2008. Nukes made 20 percent.) Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/09/AR2010080904141.html FUELS Modesto Irrigation District Wood-Burning Plant Debated. It made sense to cavemen: If you need fuel, start with the branches and twigs all around you. Eons later, the Modesto Irrigation District is thinking along the same lines. A plant proposed for the Beard Industrial District would burn wood from the region's orchards to make electricity. Proponents see this as an ideal source for the MID's power customers: It would create local jobs, unlike fossil fuels from distant places. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/09/v-print/1287472/wood-burning-power-plant-debated.html Butter Holds The Secret To The Latest Biodiesel Fuel. Butter is not the fuel of the future, but it is possible to churn perfectly good diesel fuel out of it. “It was something we wanted to show could be done,” said Michael J. Haas, a research biochemist at the United States Department of Agriculture. “It’s quirky,” he acknowledged of the dairy-to-diesel research, which was published in June in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The impetus was an 800-pound sculpture of Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Bell. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/science/10butter.html?ref=science&pagewanted=print http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/08/10/9 VEHICLES Only 16 Electric Cars Sold In Spain Despite Government Push. The good news: Spain's ambitious electric-car effort has spurred 16 times as many sales of electric cars this year as last. The bad news -- that's just 16, total, so far this year, vs. 1 last year, the Associated Press reports from Madrid. The country said it would invest close to $800 million in electric cars and infrastructure, hoping to hit sales of 2,000 electrics this year. Those 16 are little two-seat, Swedish Think cars, not the nifty sedan shown above that's the teaser on the government-project's website. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/08/ap-only-16-electric-cars-sold-in-spain-despite-government-push/1 DIELSELS CARB Eyes Changing Guidelines For SCR 2011 Technology And Beyond; Engine Battle Continues. Sacramento, Calif. — The California Air Resources Board is considering changing the guidelines for manufacturers to certify their 2011 and future SCR (selective catalytic reduction) engines, says a CARB spokesman. “As presented in the July [SCR] workshop,” said Karen Caesar, an information officer for CARB, “the focus is on tightening up or shortening time or mileage that a vehicle would be allowed to operate when out of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), using improper DEF [fluid] such as water or tampering with their systems. Posted. http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/8/10/CARBeyeschangingguidelinesforSCR2011technologyandbeyondenginebattlecontinues.aspx New Science And Technology Study Findings Have Been Reported From University Of California. Current study results from the report, 'Effects of retrofitting emission control systems on in-use heavy diesel vehicles,' have been published. "Diesel engines are now the largest source of nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) and fine particulate black carbon (soot) emissions in California. The California Air Resources Board recently adopted a rule requiring that by 2014 all in-use heavy trucks and buses meet current (2007) exhaust particulate matter (PM) emission standards," scientists in the United States report. Posted. http://www.powergenworldwide.com/index/display/wire-news-display/1238739619.html CARBON OFFSETS Japan to Subsidize Studies for Carbon-Offset Projects. (Adds details of projects in fourth paragraph.) Toshiba Corp., Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Mitsubishi Corp. are among 15 Japanese companies selected by the government to carry out feasibility studies for pollution-cutting projects to earn carbon credits overseas. The government will provide about 500 million yen ($6 million) for research into projects aimed at exporting low- carbon technology to developing countries, the trade ministry said in a statement released in Tokyo today. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/08/10/bloomberg1376-L6X7O06TZ02401-4FKFUTQPHLNPS0V00CC8JQN0CI.DTL&type=printable CEMENT PLANTS EPA Limits Mercury And Other Pollutants From Cement Plants. Officials say the rules will save lives, especially in California, but the industry warns they could send jobs abroad. The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday completed regulations limiting the release of mercury and other toxic air pollutants from cement plants, a move the Obama administration said would save lives but that cement makers warned could drive jobs overseas. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-cement-epa-20100810,0,3197552,print.story MISC ChicoBag To Be Honored By Products Council. Sacramento — ChicoBag will the first business in the state to receive the California Product Stewardship Council's inaugural Green Arrow Award. The award will be made Tuesday to founder and executive Andy Keller, along with awards to Assembly members Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) and Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City). Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15721534?nclick_check=1 Maine Lobsterman In Tiny Boat Pulls Traps By Hand. Matinicus Island, Maine -- It's muscle power - not a diesel engine's horsepower - that propels Nat Hussey's lobster boat as he tends to his lobster traps. In a throwback to the past - with a nod to the environment - Hussey pulls his traps by hand from the cold ocean waters around this island 23 miles out to sea. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/10/2035964/maine-lobsterman-in-tiny-boat.html BLOGS The Technology Imperative for Energy and Climate. If you care about fostering prosperity in poor places while limiting the buildup of greenhouse gases in the globe’s shared atmosphere, it’s time to recognize the technology imperative that lies behind the world’s entwined climate and energy challenges. Without greatly intensified work to advance and disseminate energy choices that don’t come with heat-trapping emissions, there’s no smooth path as human populations and appetites crest in the next two generations. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/the-technology-imperative-for-energy-and-climate/?scp=7&sq=climate%20change&st=cse Secretary General Appoints A Panel On Global Sustainability. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on August 9, 2010 appointed a panel on global sustainability that is tasked with finding ways to lift people out of poverty while tackling climate change and ensuring that economic development is environmentally friendly. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/x-56403-Montgomery-United-Nations-Examiner~y2010m8d10-Secretary-General-appoints-a-panel-on-global-sustainability Iceberg As A Metaphor For Inaction. Last week a vast block of ice broke off from the Greenland ice sheet, creating the largest iceberg to form off the country in nearly 50 years. On Saturday, Representative Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachussets, and chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, used the unusual event to fire a salvo at Republican opponents of climate change legislation in the Senate. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/iceberg-as-a-metaphor-for-inaction/?pagemode=print First They Came For The Climate Scientists. Everyone knows that the American right has problems with science that yields conclusions it doesn’t like. Climate science — which says that we face a huge global externality that requires not just government intervention, but coordinated international action (black helicopters!) has been the target of a sustained, and unfortunately largely successful, attempt to damage its credibility. Posted. http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/first-they-came-for-the-climate-scientists/?scp=9&sq=climate%20change&st=cse ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:05:13 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 11, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 11, 2010. 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. AB 32 Cleantech Industry Coming Out Against Prop. 23. If voters roll back California's landmark climate change bill in November, the state's burgeoning Cleantech economy and the jobs it has created will face serious jeopardy. That was the consensus of Cleantech leaders who gathered Tuesday morning at Google's Mountain View campus to talk about the state's leadership in clean energy and to rally opposition to Proposition 23. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15733576?nclick_check=1 Google & Khosla: If AB32 Dies, So Goes CA’s Greentech Market. If California’s climate change bill AB32 — which was passed back in 2006 and creates a plan to reduce the state’s carbon emissions — is repealed, California’s greentech markets will be seriously jeopardized, said venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and Google’s Green Energy Czar Bill Weihl at an event at Google HQ on Tuesday morning. Posted. http://earth2tech.com/2010/08/10/google-khosla-if-ab32-dies-so-goes-cas-greentech-market/ Yuba Supervisors Split On Prop. 23. On the one hand, former Yuba County Supervisor Dan Logue could take heart in the fact some of his current counterparts seemed inclined Tuesday to support the Nov. 2 ballot measure, Proposition 23, he's written since becoming a state assemblyman. But on the other hand, the board ultimately decided to take no direct action on that or any of the other seven statewide measures, instead agreeing to each make their individual feelings on the initiatives known publicly. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/common/printer/view.php?db=marysville&id=97959 Oil Companies Behind The Ballot Drive To Suspend Calif Climate Law Are Major Polluters. Sacramento, Calif. The Texas-based oil companies that are the primary backers of a November ballot effort to suspend California's global warming law are among the state's biggest polluters, according to a report issued Tuesday by two groups advocating for inner-city residents. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-ca-california-climate-law,0,7385283,print.story Report: Prop. 23 Supporters Are Major Polluters. The Texas-based oil companies that are the primary backers of a November ballot effort to suspend California's global warming law are among the state's biggest polluters, according to a report issued Tuesday by two groups advocating for inner-city residents. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i88n1n-XB9x5ghSrCIniF31YyAnwD9HGS6800 http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/10/1288401/report-prop-23-supporters-are.html Races Put Climate Pacts in Jeopardy. States have set the pace over the past decade as the nation’s leaders in implementing climate change policy, but much of their work could be on the line this fall. Nineteen gubernatorial races involve states that participate in the regional climate initiatives that have emerged as important alternatives to federal policy, given Congress’s failure to pass a cap-and-trade system to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40919.html#ixzz0wJhzAo8t CLIMATE CHANGE/GHS’S California Targets Housing Plans To Tackle GHG. Sacramento, California – The California Air Resources Board (ARB) plans to tackle the issue of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by focusing on the growth of cities and transportation planning. The ARB released a draft report marking the first major milestone in implementation of a law designed to improve the way cities and counties plan for growth and development. Posted. http://www.canadiandriver.com/2010/08/11/california-targets-housing-plans-to-tackle-ghg.htm http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/08/11/california-sets-out-greenhouse-gas-reduction-targets/ When The Smoke Clears In Russia, Will Climate Policy Change? As temperatures in Russia climb to historic highs, parching crops and igniting large tracts of forest and peatland, analysts are watching to see if these conditions heat up the country's climate change policies. "I don't know what it would take to produce an active stance on climate change in Russia, but I hope this is enough," said Samuel Charap, a senior fellow for the Center for American Progress who studies Russian climate and energy policy. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/11/2 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/11/11climatewire-when-the-smoke-clears-in-russia-will-climate-18501.html Climate Regulation's Newest Foe: Enviros? The Environmental Protection Agency's plan to roll out regulations on planet-warming gases may hit a snag in the coming months—opposition from environmentalists. While industry groups are mounting major legal challenges to the agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gases, the EPA's decision to scale back the number of pollution sources subject to these new rules has raised the ire of greens who worry the agency isn't being aggressive enough. Posted. http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/08/epa-faces-climate-backlash-enviros UCD Professor: Climate Change Past 'Tipping Point'. The unseasonably cool summer weather across much of Northern California has served as a stark counterpoint to much of wild weather sweeping the rest of the globe, and a UC Davis professor warns the extreme conditions may be a symptom of worsening climate change that may already be past the "tipping point." Posted. http://cbs13.com/local/climate.change.uc.2.1853869.html S.B. County Approves Study Of Greenhouse Gas Plan. San Bernardino County took another step Tuesday toward completing a plan to track and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Pacific Municipal Consultants of Torrance for $107,735 to complete an environmental study of its greenhouse gas reduction plan. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_ngreen11.326d6ac.html A Call For Alternative International Climate Forums. A leading U.S climate change policy analyst is calling for countries to go beyond the United Nations to rein in harmful emissions. In a new Council on Foreign Relations report, author Joshua Busby said last year's clamorous summit in Copenhagen, Denmark -- at which the United States and a handful of other countries hammered out a political agreement only to have it blocked by an even smaller handful enraged at being left out of the discussions -- underscored the weakness of global conferences in solving global problem. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/11/4 Think This Summer Is Hot? Get Used To It. Staudt, the summer of 2010 might actually be considered mild compared with the typical summers in the future. "We all think this summer is miserable, but it's nothing compared to what's in store for us," she says. Death: Summer heat brings danger for seniors National Extremes: August 2010 temperatures. The East just sweltered through one of its hottest Julys on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/extremes/2010-08-11-heatwaveonline_ST_N.htm?csp=34news EMISSIONS Western Governors Push Exception For Biomass Burning. Western governors yesterday urged the Obama administration to move quickly to resolve lingering questions about the "carbon neutrality" of smokestack emissions from biomass plants. In a letter to Carol Browner, the president's adviser on energy and climate change, the Western Governors' Association asked the White House to make the decision about how to regulate the emissions of biomass plants a "top priority. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/11/5 OMB Reviewing Regulations on Underground CO2 Storage. The White House Office of Management and Budget is reviewing a proposed rule from U.S. EPA that would require carbon storage facilities to report their emissions, ensuring they are keeping the carbon dioxide they inject out of the atmosphere. The rule, which was proposed in March and taken up for review Friday, supplements the greenhouse gas reporting rule finalized last year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/10/10greenwire-omb-reviewing-regulations-on-underground-co2-s-97799.html ENERGY Mayor Introduces Ecofriendly Bill. San Francisco already has some of the nation's toughest green building standards for new construction. On Tuesday, Mayor Gavin Newsom introduced legislation aimed at making existing commercial buildings as ecofriendly as possible. The legislation submitted to the Board of Supervisors would require the owners of large commercial buildings to conduct an energy-efficiency audit every five years and to supply annual updates - all of which would be available in a public database. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/11/BA5I1ES12J.DTL&type=printable New CSUS Dorm Wins 'Gold' Energy-Efficiency Ranking. The newest dormitory on the California State University, Sacramento, campus has received high honors for its energy-efficient design. The U.S. Green Building Council has given CSUS' American River Courtyard residence hall a "LEED gold" certification, which is the middle level in the three-tier ranking for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/11/1289027/new-csus-dorm-wins-gold-energy.html#ixzz0wJZZ2m7j NorCal College to Save $150M by Going 'Grid Positive'. Butte College in Northern California will begin generating more renewable energy next year than it uses, saving the school an estimated $150 million over the next 30 years. The Butte College Board of Trustees gave the campus the go-ahead to finish a major solar energy project next year that will push the school's generating capacity to 4.55 megawatts (DC). Posted. https://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/08/10/norcal-community-college-save-30m-going-grid-positive#ixzz0wJeDzcWm 1MW Solar Plan for California High Schools. Two schools in Petaluma, California, are to start generating their own solar power in a program from San Jose firm Cupertino Electric. The firm’s Energy Alternatives division has started work designing and engineering 1MW of generating capacity for the Petaluma Joint Union High School District. The project will see a 675-kilowatt array installed on parking lot canopies at the Casa Grande High School campus, along with a 385kW system on canopies at the Petaluma High School campus. Posted. http://www.brighterenergy.org/15089/news/solar/1mw-solar-plan-for-california-high-schools/ AIR QUALITY Letter: Weather Helped With Chico Pollutants. In Sunday's editorial you wrote: "The California Air Resources Board said last Friday that Butte County met an important clean air standard in 2009 for the first time in five years. Butte County knew it had a problem with particulate matter in the cold winter months. Air-quality officials threatened a ban on fireplace smoke on bad-air days, and the Chico City Council seemed willing to pass the ban. This bit of good news — the second straight year of better particulate levels — should make them back off for a while." There's a bigger factor you failed to mention. Posted. http://www.orovillemr.com/opinion/ci_15738329 Report Highlights Split Among Utilities On 'Transport' Rule. U.S. EPA's plan to limit interstate air pollution from power plants would not hurt the reliability of the electric grid despite complaints from coal states, according to a new utility-funded report that highlights the battle lines that have formed within the industry. Utilities will be able to adapt to the agency's proposed "transport" rule, which would seek stiff reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the eastern United States, according to a report released Monday by consulting firm M.J. Bradley & Associates LLC. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/11/2 By Messing With Texas Air Pollution Permits, EPA Unleashes Power Struggle. After simmering behind closed doors for more than 15 years, a disagreement between U.S. EPA and Texas environmental officials over air pollution permits has boiled over in a big way. Al Armendariz, the administrator of EPA's Region 6 office, has threatened to take over state programs, revoking three major permits and ordering the state's second-largest refinery to apply directly to EPA officials. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/10/10greenwire-by-messing-with-texas-air-pollution-permits-ep-43859.html VEHICLES Electric Car Scheme Stalls In Spain. Spain's ambitious goal of getting a million electric vehicles on the country's roadways by 2014 is off to a bumpy start. Despite government subsidies covering 20 percent of the cost, 16 electric cars have been purchased this year. Getting even 2,000 electric or hybrid cars on the road by the end of the year seems an unlikely target, some say. However, the government-sponsored wind power and electric vehicles group is still optimistic. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/11/8 Coming Soon: Cars That Run On Fumes, Literally. Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have isolated an enzyme that can convert the carbon monoxide in car exhaust into propane fuel. The development could lead to cars that run twice on the same fuel or travel along converting the air pollution around them into natural gas, which is environmentally gentler than gasoline. Researchers say the enzyme might also eventually be able to produce gasoline, a development that could double-down on our addiction to the stuff. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?&entry_id=69703#ixzz0wJrjprRg 4 Teams To Trace Route Of Solar Taxi For Zero Emissions Race Around The World. Geneva — A Swiss inventor who last year circumnavigated the globe in a solar taxi says four teams will follow in his tire tracks next week. Louis Palmer says the teams from Australia, Germany, South Korea and Switzerland will fire up their electric vehicles Aug. 16 in Geneva in an effort to race around the world in 80 days without producing any carbon emissions. They will finish there again after 18,642 miles (30,000 kilometers) on the road in Jan. 2011. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-switzerland-zero-emissions-race,0,1689285,print.story PORTS Crowley Awarded San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan Air Quality Award. Award Recognizes Company that Demonstrates a Significant Commitment to Reduce Air Pollutant Emissions. (Long Beach, Calif) Crowley Maritime Corporation’s efforts to significantly reduce carbon emissions at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach were recognized Thursday, July 29 during the third annual San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan Air Quality luncheon at the Maya Hotel in Long Beach. The Clean Air Award recognizes companies who make great strides to reduce pollutant emissions at both ports. Posted. http://www.advertisertalk.com/crowley-awarded-san-pedro-bay-ports-clean-air-action-plan-air-quality-award-14002.zhtml/print/ BLOGS Bay Area to Install Over 5,000 EV Charging Stations. The San Francisco Bay Area is set to receive $5 million to install charging stations for electric vehicles throughout the area, the Department of Energy announced Wednesday. The $5 million will cover the installation of 50 fast-charging EV stations along highways, 2,000 public stations for public parking lots and participating company-owned parking lots, and 3,000 residential charging stations. Posted. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20013283-54.html The Fight For the Future Starts in California. When California passed AB32, the landmark greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction bill in 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger said; "Using market-based incentives, we will reduce carbon emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. That's a 25 percent reduction. And by 2050, we will reduce emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels. Posted. http://www.care2.com/causes/global-warming/blog/the-fight-for-the-future-starts-in-california/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:18:15 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 12, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 12, 2010. 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. AB 32 CARB Report Sets Goals for Sustainable Communities. The California Air Resources Board released a draft report on Monday that proposes ambitious targets for land use and transportation planning in 2020 and 2035 to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with passenger vehicle travel. The report divides the state into 18 “Metropolitan Planning Organizations,” including the four largest: Southern California, San Diego, the Bay Area, and the Sacramento region. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/08/12/carb-report-sets-goals-for-sustainable-communities/ Google Comes Out Swinging for California Climate Law. Mountain View, CA — Google threw its considerable weight behind California's landmark climate change law this week, when it hosted an event where it argued an upcoming measure to kill the law would derail past and future gains made in cleantech job growth. Posted. http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/08/11/google-comes-out-swinging-california-climate-law http://theenergycollective.com/toddwoody/41539/silicon-valley-prop-23-will-kill-googles-green-tech As Whitman And Brown Dance Toward The Political Center, They Risk Alienating Their Bases. When Meg Whitman went on the air last week with two red-meat-conservative talk show hosts, they mercilessly grilled her on what they characterized as inexcusable shifts on illegal immigration and the state's landmark global warming bill. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_15734161 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHGs WCI Members Not Fazed By Calif.'s Climate Law Referendum. The Canadian members of the Western Climate Initiative aren't thinking yet about jumping ship if heavyweight California is forced to withdraw. Robert Noël de Tilly, Quebec's climate change adviser in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, said in an interview that no one is considering backing out if California turns out not to be able to participate. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/12/6 Climate Change Could Increase Heart-Related Deaths. Extreme temperature fluctuations lead to more heart-related deaths, and that could prove disastrous as the number and severity of heat waves and cold snaps are expected to rise with climate change, according to researchers. For every 1-degree-Celsius drop in temperature per day, an extra 200 people had heart attacks in the United Kingdom, according to a study in the British Medical Journal. Heat waves have also increased heart deaths from other causes. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/12/9 Calif. Project Spurs Debate Over A 'Decarbonized' Energy System. Bakersfield, Calif. -- Mayor Harvey Hall can get very excited about efforts to "decarbonize" California's energy system. His city is the hub of Kern County. Its two major businesses, agriculture and oil, are in a severe slump. Unemployment is running about 17 percent. "I've lived here all my life," explains Hall, 69. "This economy is probably the worst that I've ever seen." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/12/1 An Ancient Emission-Cutting Idea Seeks Incentives And Standards. To shrink the world's carbon footprint up to 12 percent, look to an ancient farming technique employed by Amazonian farmers, suggests a new study. Burning plant waste, woody chips and manure into a charcoal-like substance and burying it in farmers' fields -- as was a common practice centuries ago to enrich soils -- could have the added benefit of locking carbon up for perhaps thousands of years, wrote an international team of researchers. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/12/5 Climate Change Skeptics Get Their Own Smart-Phone App. Months after the launch of a smart phone application aimed at fighting common arguments from climate change skeptics, the "Our Climate" app seeks to balance the equation. John Cook's "Skeptical Science" app offers pre-written responses, with links to scientific papers, to frequently used climate change denier arguments. It is one of many apps tied to climate change, although nearly all fall on the believers' side (Greenwire, March 11). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/12/11 How the GOP and a Slumping Economy Killed a 'Republican Instrument'. As the air leaked out of climate legislation in the Senate last month, Elizabeth "Betsy" Moler was still on the case, working on a cap-and-trade plan for utilities that might salvage something useful from the disintegrating debate over carbon policy. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/11/11climatewire-how-the-gop-and-a-slumping-economy-killed-a-52437.html?sq=cap%20and%20trade&st=cse&scp=4&pagewanted=print Solar Taxi Driver Plans Global Zero Emissions Race. Geneva—A Swiss inventor who last year circumnavigated the globe in a solar taxi says four teams will follow in his tire tracks next week. Louis Palmer says the teams from Australia, Germany, South Korea and Switzerland will fire up their electric vehicles Aug. 16 in Geneva in an effort to race around the world in 80 days without producing any carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15742907?nclick_check=1 Valley Officials Ask Parents To Help Cut Ozone. Hoping to head off a spike in lung-corroding ozone, air officials are asking parents to have their children walk, bicycle, take the bus or ride in a car pool next week when many schools open. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/11/2038540/valley-officials-ask-parents-to.html DOE Awards $21.3M To Study CO2 Underground Storage. Lubbock, Texas -- U.S. Department of Energy officials on Wednesday announced $21.3 million in funding for facilities to create safe and economical technologies nationwide for storing carbon dioxide in geologic formations. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/11/2038105/doe-awards-213m-to-study-co2-underground.html Long, Hot Summer Of Fire, Floods Fits Predictions. New York -- Floods, fires, melting ice and feverish heat: From smoke-choked Moscow to water-soaked Pakistan and the High Arctic, the planet seems to be having a midsummer breakdown. It's not just a portent of things to come, scientists say, but a sign of troubling climate change already under way. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/12/AR2010081201162.html Carbon Pricing Called Key To Coal Pollution Plan. Washington -- The key to developing technology to store coal plants' pollution underground is charging them for the carbon dioxide they release into the air, an administration task force says. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/12/AR2010081203164.html AIR QUALITY Smoke From Russian Fires Could Endanger Arctic Ice. Russia's wildfires are adding to the "brown cloud" problem that has been blamed for dimming sunlight, reduced crop growth and causing health hazards. Brown clouds contain pollution from cars, power plants, fires and burning of other materials and have been reported across Asia, Africa and the Amazon. The fires in Russia have only compounded the problem, leading to concern that citizens may be at risk for disease. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/12/8 Russia Breathes Easier as Moscow Skies Clear. Moscow -The skies cleared and air quality significantly improved for a second straight day in Moscow on Thursday, bringing the skyline of gothic, Stalin-era skyscrapers back into focus after a trying week when the city was choked with wildfire smoke. The wind shifted direction to blow the smoke out of the city beginning Wednesday, and firefighters have succeeded in extinguishing a number of the forest fires burning near the capital. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/13/world/europe/13moscow.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=print BUSES How Schools Can Save Teachers And Cut Emissions At The Same Time. A trade group says it's found a way to help school districts get around the "sticker shock" of switching their buses to alternative fuels. The National Association for Pupil Transportation, which represents the school transport industry, has a $5 million grant from U.S. EPA to reduce diesel emissions from school buses. Thanks to ever-shrinking budgets, school districts rarely have the luxury of thinking about climate -- or even the soot that belches out of old diesel buses and harms student health. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/12/7 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:13:16 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 13, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 13, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Extreme Weather May Be Signs Of Climate Change. New York - Floods, fires, melting ice and feverish heat: From smoke-choked Moscow to water-soaked Iowa and the High Arctic, the planet seems to be having a midsummer breakdown. It's not just a portent of things to come, scientists say, but a sign of troubling climate change already under way. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/13/MNLL1ET3B7.DTL&type=printable BC Premier Praises California On Climate Change. Sacramento, Calif. The premier of British Columbia stressed the link between environmental legislation and economic opportunity in an address to California lawmakers on Thursday. Premier Gordon Campbell said California has played an important role in creating policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He addressed the state Assembly and Senate separately. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HIKUO80.htm http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/12/1291838/bc-premier-praises-california.html#ixzz0wVPtzeST http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HIKUO80.htm http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15761817 Cypress CEO Not Green For Green's Sake. If you think cap and trade, and therefore California's AB32, is a bad idea, a carbon tax is probably worse, and man-made global warming is unproven, can you still be considered a good eco-citizen? Yes, if you're T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. and chairman of SunPower Corp., both headquartered in San Jose. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/13/BUDP1ET3FJ.DTL&type=printable Long, Hot Summer Of Fire, Floods Fits Predictions. New York- Floods, fires, melting ice and feverish heat: From smoke-choked Moscow to water-soaked Iowa and the High Arctic, the planet seems to be having a midsummer breakdown. It's not just a portent of things to come, scientists say, but a sign of troubling climate change already under way. The weather-related cataclysms of July and August fit patterns predicted by climate scientists, the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization says — although those scientists always shy from tying individual disasters directly to global warming. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/08/12/national/a023114D30.DTL&type=printable http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/13/AR2010081300582.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15759356 Editorial: No Solitary Suicide Pact. In a monumental concession to common sense – or maybe a cynical political ploy – the chairwoman of the state Air Resources Board said this week that California won't go it alone to implement cap-and-trade to combat global warming. If we give Mary Nichols the benefit of the doubt, we can applaud her recognition of reality. Of seven U.S. states and four Canadian provinces in the so-called Western Climate Initiative, only California, New Mexico and Quebec are prepared to develop such a carbon trading market, reports San Francisco-area public broadcasting station KQED. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/cap-261911-trade-nichols.html Chilly West, scorching East: There's a link. While the East Coast swelters under scorching temperatures, Bay Area residents are reaching for sweaters during one of the coldest summers in memory. As Washington, D.C., prepared today to endure a 53rd consecutive daily high temperature of 90 degrees or higher, some Bay Area cities were expecting low temperatures similar to those that, for example, gave Redwood City a record-cold July. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15761096 Scientist: Huge Greenland Iceberg A Sign Of Warming. When a massive ice island broke off Greenland last week, it looked quite familiar to UC Irvine climate researcher Eric Rignot. Rignot, who has attracted global attention for research showing rapid melting of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica in response to global warming, was heading to Greenland from Europe this week for more climate research. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=261971 EPA Proposes Rules Pushing The States To Prepare For Greenhouse Gas Limits. U.S. EPA took steps yesterday designed to ensure that when Jan. 2, 2011, rolls around, the system will be in place for the country's largest greenhouse gas emitters to proceed with planned construction projects without being held up waiting for newly required air permits. The agency proposed two rules aimed at smoothing the way for new emissions restrictions to take effect next year, filling the gap for any state that can't -- or won't -- ….Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/13/6 http://www.examiner.com/ecopolitics-in-los-angeles/epa-requires-greenhouse-gas-permits-next-year-1 The Pulse: A Cooling Trend on Cap and Trade. Like much of the Northern Hemisphere, Chicago is suffering through one of the hottest summers in recent memory, raising more discussion about global warming. One might think that business would then be good at the Chicago Climate Exchange, the nation’s only bourse dedicated to trading companies’ emission-related carbon credits. Instead, things have cooled significantly at the exchange, where volume has fallen off. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/13/us/13cncpulse.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print AIR POLLUTION Judge Orders Trial Over Chicken Waste Pollution. Sacramento -- A federal judge says a lawsuit filed seeking penalties against one of the state's largest egg-producing facilities over pollution from its manure lagoon should go to trial. U.S. District Judge John Mendez in Sacramento rejected a motion to dismiss the case by Olivera Egg Farm. The egg farm, located outside of Stockton, has more than 700,000 chickens in cages at its facility. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/13/BA4M1ETC5U.DTL&type=printable http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/12/1291818/judge-orders-trial-in-case-over.html#ixzz0wVMBODAE http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15987 http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/aug/12/judge-orders-trial-in-case-over-chicken-waste/ http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15761630 What Business Owners Hate About California. In 2009, managers of FMI Products LLC in Santa Ana bought the company through the bankruptcy courts to save more than 150 jobs. But California restrictions on wood-burning fireplaces in homes that go into effect next year could kill a big chunk of the fireplace manufacturer's business, said Chief Executive Mark Klein. Fireplace manufacturers, including FMI, and trade associations have worked with federal, state and regional air quality agencies trying to meet stricter standards and still stay in business, he said. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=261691 Walk To School — Air Officials Ask Parents To Help Cut Ozone. Hoping to head off a spike in lung-corroding ozone, air officials are asking parents to have their children walk, bicycle, take the bus or ride in a car pool as schools open throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Reducing the annual surge in traffic not only would be healthier for the children, it might help the region's economy, according to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/12/1292294/walk-to-school-air-officials-ask.html#ixzz0wVJVFUuS Businesses Face $29M Penalty for Ozone Violation. The local air district is asking residents to try and reduce car trips at the start of the school year, or else Valley businesses may face a $29 million penalty. The penalty would be imposed by the federal government for failing to meet the 1-hour ozone standard by 2010. So far this year, there have been no violations of the 1-hour standard, while there were four last year that occurred after the start of the school year. In 1990, there were 50 violations. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/environment/5908-businesses-face-29m-penalty-for-ozone-violation Smoke-Shrouded Moscow Gets Welcome Break From Smog. Moscow—The skies were clear over Moscow Thursday, giving residents a desperately needed break from air pollution thanks to favorable winds and some success in fighting wildfires that have choked the capital with clouds of acrid smog. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15753400?nclick_check=1 Rain Refreshes Moscow, But Wildfires Still Burning. Moscow - Heavy downpours cooled the Russian capital after weeks of no rain and unprecedented heat, but dozens of wildfires still raged around Moscow on Friday and a new blaze was spotted near the country's top nuclear research center. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15766651 ENERGY Report Offers Liability Options for CO2 Storage. An administration task force is proposing several options aimed at overcoming liability obstacles that could hinder the development of "clean coal" technology. The experimental technique involves storing carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants and other sources underground, in an attempt to reduce pollution blamed for contributing to global warming. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/12/1291209/apnewsbreak-carbon-pricing-called.html#ixzz0wVNkgpmD Federal Task Force Reasserts the Need for a Price on Carbon. Last February, when President Obama asked federal agencies for a plan to commercialize carbon capture and storage (CCS) within a decade, the chessboard looked very different. An economywide climate bill had emerged from the House. Energy and climate proposals were still circulating in the Senate. Health care reform had yet to pass, and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill had not yet occurred. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/13/13climatewire-federal-task-force-reasserts-the-need-for-a-95489.html Carbon Traders And Asset Managers Struggle After U.S. Policy Disappointments. For investors with clean energy and carbon-trading assets, a sobering splash in the face accompanied the Senate's decision to forgo climate legislation until sometime after this year's midterm elections. And as a result, the biggest financiers and carbon trading houses are reassessing their U.S. business, and the Chicago Climate Exchange is cutting staff. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/13/4 Low-Carbon Power Creates New Foreign Dependencies And Other Problems – Study. The movement to develop domestic wind, solar and biomass energy resources as a way to lessen U.S. reliance on imported oil risks exchanging one kind of foreign dependency with another, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Staff Scientist David Fridley warns. In a paper, "Nine Challenges of Alternative Energy," Fridley describes a range of major obstacles confronting the "greening" of the American economy. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/13/5 EMISSION Can 'Green Cement' Make Carbon Capture And Storage Obsolete? The conventional wisdom among utilities, the Obama administration, many scientists and some major environmental groups is that the future of coal-fired electricity under an eventual cap on carbon dioxide emissions will require an overhaul that will be technologically complicated, politically difficult and financially expensive. Policy experts say that to "decarbonize" the future power system, we will need a new generation of power plants that can separate CO2 from their emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/13/1 VEHICLES No Deal. Local Auto Dealers Feeling Used By ‘Cash For Clunkers’ Program. Mike Macaulay has been in the automobile industry for 42 years. As a used-car dealer, he has a unique perspective on the economy, its volatility and its effect on his customers. “I break people’s hearts every day, unfortunately,” said Macaulay, owner of Car Systems in Roseville, specializing in trucks and sport utility vehicles. He’s referring, of course, to the economy, and the fact that so many would-be car buyers have seen their credit take a nose dive. That makes them ineligible for cars that don’t involve “sub-prime” financing, which Macaulay doesn’t offer because of the risk. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1485455 POWER PLANT PG&E Won't Back Lifting Calif. Moratorium. San Francisco -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Chairman and CEO Peter Darbee yesterday stopped short of saying he would support reversing California's moratorium on nuclear power plant construction, even as he urged federal regulators to relicense its only operating nuclear power station in the state. Darbee, during a speech at the Public Utilities Commission here, said PG&E -- the largest utility in California -- does believe in pushing for nuclear power expansion in other parts of the United States but not in CaliforniaPosted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/13/3 BLOGS How Calif. Mid-Terms Will Decide the Future of Federal Climate Laws. History is in the making in California with one of the biggest political battles over climate set for the state's mid-term elections this fall. The November ballot represents the Normandy Invasion equivalent for national climate legislation -- a historic battle whose outcome will likely have major impact on the future of efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.greenbiz.com/print/37612 “Ground Control To Major CARB …” “We can be a valuable resource to CARB [California Air Resources Board] in providing real world data on the impact of regulations.” –Patrick O’Connor, U.S. legislative counsel for the NAFA Fleet Management Association, on the formation of the group’s new CARB Advisory Council. There’s certainly no dearth of opinions out there about the many federal, state, and local regulations governing daily life in the trucking industry. Posted. http://blog.fleetowner.com/trucks_at_work/2010/08/13/ground-control-to-major-carb/ Book Explores Use of Technology to Reverse Global Warming. There are efforts worldwide to control the release of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to stop global warming. Some experts are now considering the idea of saving the planet through so-called "geoengineering." The controversial idea is the subject of a new book called How to Cool the Planet. Jeff Goodell thinks geoengineering is a somewhat crazy idea. Posted. http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Book-Explores-Use-of-Technology-to-Reverse-Global-Warming-100630014.html Prop. 23 Funders Are Big Polluters. Last week, supporters of Prop. 23 – an initiative that would suspend the state’s global warming law -- scored a small victory when a judge ordered a title change for the proposition. The original title written by California Attorney General Jerry Brown, who is also the Democratic candidate for governor, was as follows: “Suspends Air Pollution Control Laws Requiring Major Polluters to Report and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions that Cause Global Warming Until Unemployment Drops Below Specified Levels.” Posted. http://ethnoblog.newamericamedia.org/2010/08/prop-23-funders-are-big-polluters.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:40:40 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 16, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 16, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Global Warming Measure Could Suspend Other Landmark Environmental Rules. A November ballot measure that would suspend California's landmark global-warming law could also end up rolling back some of the state's other sweeping environmental standards -- including rules that require utilities to generate a third of their electricity from renewable sources and programs requiring oil refineries to make cleaner-burning fuels. How broadly courts might interpret Proposition 23 is setting off alarm bells among Silicon Valley executives and environmental groups. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_15790337?source=rss&nclick_check=1 http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/15/1777426/california-landmark-global-warming.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15790337 Global Warming Skeptic Leading Charge On Solar, Renewables From Silicon Valley. Even though he thinks man-made global warming is unproved, T.J. Rodgers is still pioneering renewable energy at his Silicon Valley companies Cypress Semiconductor Corp. and SunPower Corp. Cypress has saved $75,000 a year on energy bills by generating 75 percent of its energy from rooftop solar panels and gas-powered fuel cells. The company is working to completely disconnect from the energy grid by 2015. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/16/7 Feeling Abandoned By Congress, State Regulators Push For U.S. Carbon Cap. Congress has "left state regulators in the lurch" by failing to set new national climate policy that could guide regulators' decisions on the fate of coal-fired electric power generators in their states, the new chairman of a task force on climate policy says. Ron Binz, who heads the climate task force of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), said in an interview that U.S. EPA will provide some help for state officials next year to fill the vacuum created by Congress' inaction. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/16/1 Researchers Race To Catch Up With Melting, Shifting Polar Realities. When the Petermann Glacier calved an ice island four times the size of Manhattan earlier this month, GPS sensors embedded in the ice and time-lapse cameras sitting on nearby rock were watching. But scientists who put them there were caught off guard. Traveling to northwestern Greenland to retrieve the data that equipment recorded will cost them roughly $93,000, money they currently don't have. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/16/16climatewire-researchers-race-to-catch-up-with-melting-sh-44001.html?pagewanted=print http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/16/2 Official: Russian Disaster Sign Of Global Warming. Moscow — Russia's heat wave, drought and wildfires — which have killed dozens of people and destroyed millions of acres (hectares) of wheat — are another indication that global warming is causing more weather extremes around the world, a Russian official said Monday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15792718 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iX-16FttPkCulMdckFjFJyOJCXlAD9HKJ1VO0 http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15786060 Dan Walters: Schwarzenegger's Legacy Is On The Edge. It's fairly evident that Arnold Schwarzenegger is now in legacy mode, trying to close out his roller-coaster governorship on an upswing. It's equally evident that circumstances – especially a serious recession and an equally serious budget crisis – will make leaving a positive legacy difficult. One casualty is Schwarzenegger's hopes of winning voter approval in November of an $11.1 billion water bond issue. Fearing voter rejection, Schwarzenegger and the Legislature have delayed a vote for two years. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/16/v-print/2960884/dan-walters-schwarzeneggers-legacy.html PG&E Executive Takes a Cold Hard Look at Global Warming. Peter A. Darbee, a utility executive who is ultimately responsible for keeping the lights on for 15 million people, has a message some may not want to hear: "Climate change is real, it’s urgent, it's most likely a result of human interactions and what human beings have done in their emissions to the atmosphere, and the need for action is now." Posted. http://sunpluggers.com/news/pge-executive-takes-cold-hard-look-at-global-warming-0835 EMISSIONS California Regulators Release Draft Report on Sustainable Communities. The California Air Resources Board last week released a draft report marking the first major milestone in implementation of a law designed to improve how cities and counties plan for growth and development. The draft report proposes targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 and 2035 associated with passenger vehicle travel in the state's 18 Metropolitan Planning Organizations, including the four largest: Southern California, San Diego, the Bay Area, and the Sacramento region. Posted. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.printerfriendly/id/20862 In This Case, Zero Is A Good Target For Gas Emissions. Shasta County is a tiny part of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions problem, transportation planners say. So the greater Redding area will play a minor role in the proposed solution to that problem — at least in the near future. The California Air Resources Board will ask Shasta County to hold the line on its car and small truck emissions per capita during the next decade while it requests substantial cuts for the major metropolitan areas. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/aug/14/in-this-case-zero-is-a-good-target/?print=1 Xcel Energy Unveils Plan To Cut Plant Emissions. Denver -- Xcel Energy is proposing to spend $1.3 billion to convert coal-fired power plants to natural gas and close a plant to comply with a new Colorado law aimed at cutting pollution from power plants. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/13/AR2010081305835.html Teams Set Off On Global 'Zero Emissions' Race. Geneva—Two drivers, three wheels, $350 and zero carbon emissions. That's how Australian father-and-son team Nick and Jason Jones hope to circle the globe in their custom built electric vehicle. The duo joined teams from Germany and Switzerland on Monday for the start of a round-the-world race aimed at showcasing green technologies. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15793492 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Calif. Leads In Clean Energy, But Challenges Loom. First of five stories on renewable energy in California. California has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to renewable power, and the state's clean energy business is flourishing. One of the first large-scale wind farms in the country was built just outside the Bay Area at the Altamont Pass, and this year, California regulators are reviewing twice as many renewable power contracts as last year. More of those projects are coming online, including a 16-acre solar farm outside of Sacramento a few weeks ago. Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129128750 PG&E Demands Revisions To 33 Percent RPS. California's largest utility is pressing for changes to a 33 percent renewable portfolio standard that lawmakers in Sacramento had hoped to pass by the end of August, when the state's legislative session ends. With the clock ticking on the session and the pressure mounting, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. sent a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and Democratic leaders over the weekend that outlines several points of opposition to S.B. 722, which would enact a 33 percent RPS. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/16/20 Labor-Enviro Alliance Plans Cross-Country Push For Climate Action. Labor and environmental interests will launch a cross-country bus tour today pushing for Senate action on clean energy jobs. Saying they are unwilling to accept inaction on climate legislation, BlueGreen Alliance members will hold events in 30 cities starting with a rally today at a steelworkers union hall in Carson, Calif., a Los Angeles County suburb. "America has a clear unemployment crisis and 30 million people who need jobs," said David Foster, executive director of BlueGreen Alliance. "We have no national strategy on putting people back to work." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/16/6 City Officials Think LA Might Fall Short Of Green Initiative Goals. The day he was sworn into office in 2005, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proclaimed his desire to see Los Angeles become "the greenest big city in America." As mayor he committed to boosting the city's renewable energy portfolio, promised to make traffic flow faster to reduce emissions and launched the Million Trees L.A. initiative to literally make the city greener. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15775393 VEHICLES Back-Seat Driver: Prius Will Lose California Diamond Lane Luster. Toyota Prius drivers, prepare to move over. Your days of riding solo in carpool lanes are numbered. The yellow stickers that gave high-mileage hybrid cars diamond lane access the past five years will no longer be valid next year. They will be replaced by stickers for a new, even more exclusive generation of eco-friendly cars. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/16/v-print/2960933/back-seat-driver-prius-will-lose.html Fix For Civic Hybrids' Dying Batteries May Hurt Gas Mileage, Acceleration. Honda says its software patch, which limits the role of the electric motor while boosting use of the gasoline engine, prolongs battery life but 'is not a financial decision. 'When Honda Motor Co. rolled out its latest-generation Civic hybrid, it was sold as the automaker's green car of the future. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/print/2010/aug/14/business/la-fi-honda-20100815 http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/08/16/10/ HIGH SPEED RAIL Who will pay for California's High-Speed Rail System? For the next minute, imagine yourself at a car dealership. You're strapped for cash but find a sleek new ride and ask the salesman for a deal. He quotes you a number that's four times what you have in the bank. And, he warns, even that price isn't fixed -- there's no guarantee you won't pay more in the end. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15746975 NOISE POLLUTION Trying to Dial Down the Volume of Noise Pollution. Hong Kong — Car exhaust: Pollution. Oil slicks: Pollution. Toxic fumes: Pollution. But noise? Yes, noise, too, is a form of pollution, often little recognized and regulated. Mostly man-made, it bears potential health and environmental hazards in much the same way that physical pollutants do. “Noise,” said Alex Jochelson, principal consultant for P.C.C.D., an acoustical and environmental engineering consulting firm based in Sydney, “is one of the most complex and least understood forms of pollution.” Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/business/energy-environment/16iht-green.html?_r=1&src=busln&pagewanted=print DIESELS Help For California Drayage Trucks Nears Passage. Certain small-business trucking operations in California could soon have another opportunity to qualify for grants to bring their trucks into compliance with new emissions regulations. The full Senate could soon vote on a bill that would make available $20 million for drayage trucks that have yet to comply with the California Air Resources Board’s drayage truck regulation. If approved by the Senate, the bill would advance to the Assembly. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Aug10/080910/081310-05.htm EPA To Release Draft Emission Limits For Heavy Trucks. The Obama administration is preparing to issue new fuel economy standards and the first-ever greenhouse gas limits for large trucks and buses. U.S. EPA and the Transportation Department sent draft rules Friday to the White House regulatory review office that would limit heavy-duty vehicles' emissions under the Clean Air Act and boost fuel economy standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, according to a federal website that tracks new rules. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/16/2 OPINION: Yuba County Supervisors Split On Whether To Support Dan Logue-Written Proposition 23, Which Would Suspend The AB32 Climate Bill: "Logue's bill is just as draconian as AB32. It set's a ridiculously high standard to actually implement AB32 (4 consecutive quarters of 5% unemployment or lower, which has only happened a couple times in the last 30 or so years) which means it could be a decade or more before it ever gets implemented. Based on that, I'll be voting against it. If Logue had simply written a more reasonable restriction, I might be in favor of it, but what he proposes is tantamount to not implementing it at all." Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/ab32-98113-gay-marriage.html BLOGS Report: Honda's Civic Hybrid Software Fix Hurting Real-World Mpg For Some. Late last week, we heard that Honda was updating the software in all 2006 through 2008 Civic Hybrids sold in the U.S. to prevent the batteries from wearing out sooner than expected. At the time, Honda spokeswoman Christine Ra told Bloomberg that the fix would not impact the car's fuel economy or performance. But is this the case? Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2010/08/16/report-hondas-civic-hybrid-software-fix-hurting-real-world-mpg/ TWC's Stu Ostro Talks Weather-Climate Links. Extreme weather has dominated world headlines recently, with a record-smashing heat wave in Russia as well as deadly flooding in Pakistan that may rank as that country's worst natural disaster. Here at home, we've endured a sizzling summer, and NOAA announced last week that 2010 is still on track to be the warmest year on record (although La Nina may knock it back a rank or two). Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/08/one_meteorologists_view_of_ext.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:06:39 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 17, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 17, 2010. 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. AB 32 The Overspray from Prop 23. On Monday, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu became the latest high-profile voice against California's Proposition 23, the statewide initiative to suspend AB 32, the state's four-year-old climate strategy. "AB 32 was a good bill and continues to have California in a leadership role in developing clean energy and the efficient use of energy," Chu told reporters at a dedication in Menlo Park. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/08/16/the-overspray-from-prop-23/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Prop. 23 OK May Scuttle Air Rules. Just as Long Beach and surrounding communities are making progress on cutting toxic pollution from freight ships, trucks and trains, a November ballot initiative threatens to overturn hard-won port emission rules. Policy experts believe Proposition 23, which seeks to suspend AB 32, California's landmark greenhouse gases law, could have significant impacts on recent measures passed to curb port emissions. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_15800494 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Obama Renews Call For Carbon Limits. President Obama yesterday continued his push to set national limits on greenhouse gas emissions even though it appears he won't be able to get a climate bill through Congress this year. Speaking at a Los Angeles fundraiser last night, Obama touted the need for carbon limits to spur domestic job creation. "On energy, we're willing to compromise on a whole host of different issues, but we've got to have a strategy that starts reducing carbon," he said. "Because we want those clean energy jobs built here in the United States, not in China, not in Germany." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/08/17/9 DIESEL EMISSIONS Dan Walters: Storm Blows Again Over Diesel-Soot Rule. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger staged a set-piece media event in a Southern California railyard Monday and, among other things, echoed the assertions of his air quality regulator, Mary Nichols, that diesel truck and locomotive soot is a major health hazard. But is it? There's actually an intense argument in scientific and regulatory circles about diesel "particulates" – so intense that the leading academic critic of proposed diesel soot regulations has been ousted from his professorship at UCLA for, he says, not going with the academic and political flow. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/17/v-print/2963222/dan-walters-storm-blows-again.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/17/1296935/dan-walters-storm-blows-again.html Governors Schwarzenegger And Rendell Discuss Importance Of Infrastructure Investment. Commerce, California - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today joined Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Mechanical Diesel Facility in Commerce where they toured retrofitted locomotives as part of the Building America's Future coalition (BAF). The Governor discussed how California is investing in smart infrastructure upgrades that will help improve air quality and increase economic competitiveness. Posted. http://imperialvalleynews.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7830&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=2 http://thepinetree.net/index.php?module=announce&ANN_user_op=view&ANN_id=19095 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Sacramento Mayor To Roll Out Green Carpet For S.F. Mayor Newsom. It's a mayor-to-mayor meeting and the topic is green. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom rolls into town today as the guest of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who's hosting his monthly "Greenwise" gathering. Johnson invited his Bay Area colleague, who leads a city often touted as one of the greenest in the nation, to outline San Francisco's green-tech initiatives. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/17/v-print/2963298/sacramento-mayor-to-roll-out-green.html S.F. Shares City-Okd Green Products On Website. Consumers and businesses wary of toxics and eco-unfriendly chemicals have new places to research cleaning, cosmetics, automotive, food storage and other products. San Francisco's Environment Department on Monday powered up a website that offers guidelines on everything from hand sanitizers and auto antifreeze to light bulbs and garden hoses. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/17/BABG1EUS3P.DTL&type=printable Calif. Mayors Go On Offensive For More Block Grants. San Francisco -- Big-city mayors converged yesterday to make the case for more federal funds for energy efficiency. Cities and counties have spent only a fraction of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act's $2.8 billion for energy efficiency and conservation block grants -- 8 percent, according to a recent report from DOE's inspector general (Greenwire, Aug. 16). But they are putting the pressure on Congress and DOE to continue funding the grants, which fund local efficiency and emissions-reduction projects. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/17/5 Coal Industry In Midst Of Expansion, Despite Push For Clean Technologies. WYODAK, Wyo. Utilities across the country are building dozens of old-style coal plants that will cement the industry's standing as the largest industrial source of climate-changing gases for years to come. An Associated Press examination of U.S. Department of Energy records and information provided by utilities and trade groups shows that more than 30 traditional coal plants have been built since 2008 or are under construction. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-old-coal,0,7487745,print.story AIR QUALITY Experts: Russia Heat, Smog Trigger Health Problems. Moscow, Russia - Russian health experts warned Tuesday that unprecedented heat and suffocating smog from wildfires will lead to more suicides, higher alcohol abuse and other problems, and they accused the government of failing to address the long-term health dangers. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/08/17/international/i060615D65.DTL&type=printable BATTERIES Are Batteries The Key To Electric Cars And A More Responsive Grid? The Obama administration is betting that some of its stimulus grants for batteries will have a double whammy -- helping electric cars as well as the electric grid. Yesterday, the president gave remarks at ZBB Energy Corp., a company northwest of Milwaukee. ZBB builds large batteries that can cushion the grid when there's a power hiccup -- and, it is hoped, that can eventually smooth out the electricity generated from the fickle forces of wind and sun. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/17/2 OPINIONS Prop. 23 Concern Voiced. A November ballot measure that would suspend California's landmark global-warming law could also end up rolling back some of the state's other sweeping environmental standards -- including rules that require utilities to generate a third of their electricity from renewable sources and programs requiring oil refineries to make cleaner-burning fuels. How broadly courts might interpret Proposition 23 is setting off alarm bells among Silicon Valley executives and environmental groups. Posted. http://www.thereporter.com/wirenews/ci_15792579 Opinion: Temporary Fix Of Arctic Oil Not Worth Steep Price To Polar Bears. Political habits die hard in the Alaska governor's office, and Sean Parnell seems determined to carry on Sarah Palin's war against the polar bear. Parnell's recent op-ed in the Mercury News ("Habitat designation won't help polar bears but will kill Alaska's jobs," Aug. 8) revealed the depths of his willingness to let this iconic Arctic species -- the planet's largest bear -- accelerate toward extinction in exchange for a few months of fuel for our oil-addicted economy. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15797259 BLOGS Weather Extremes and Climate Change. Getty Images A car sat in floodwaters near the state Capitol in Nashville in May after massive rainstorms. In an article on Sunday, I outlined the relationship between climate change and a rise in extreme weather. Scientists cite several statistical indicators that suggest the number of extreme events like heat waves and floods is rising. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/weather-extremes-and-climate-change/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:35:13 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 18, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 18, 2010. 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. AB 32 Texas Oil Vs. California Clean Tech: The Battle Over Proposition 23. The Climate War Has Shifted To California. Proposition 23, an initiative that would suspend Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), the state's landmark global warming law, provides the first ballot box test for climate change legislation -- and for the prospects of reviving a national cap-and-trade bill. So far, much of the media attention has focused on Prop 23's funding. It's being underwritten by the Texas oil companies Tesoro and Valero along with other mostly out-of-state petrochemical and fossil fuel interests. Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-08-17-texas-oil-v.-california-clean-tech-the-battle-over-Prop-23/PALL/print CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Newsom Touts Business Sense Of Climate Change Law. The state's global climate change law not only makes good environmental policy but it also makes sense economically, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said today. Newsom, the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor, told a packed crowd at Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's monthly "Greenwise" initiative meeting that sustainability efforts spearheaded by his administration helped create jobs and attract new clean-tech businesses in San Francisco. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/17/v-print/2965299/newsom-touts-business-sense-of.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/17/2044576/newsom-touts-business-sense-of.html EPA Push On Emission Regs Sparks State Permitting Scrambles, Fury. U.S. EPA is planning to take over permitting programs for states that can't or won't comply with the Obama administration's climate rules by next year, and that isn't sitting well with some state regulators. Officials in Texas and Arizona are staunchly opposing EPA's plans to force states into compliance with controversial climate regulations, while others fear the agency is rushing forward without giving states enough guidance as they prepare to begin regulating greenhouse gases for the first time. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/18/1 California's Choice: Build The Future, Or Burn The Planet. The most important decision Californian voters might ever make: Yes or no on the state's global warming law. As midterm elections go, California faces a doozy this November. There's a juicy governor's race, with former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, a Republican, determined to spend whatever it takes to deny Jerry Brown a second go-round in Sacramento. Posted. http://www.salon.com/technology/how_the_world_works/2010/08/17/california_burning Cap and Trade Makes a Comeback. Many of us thought that earlier this year we saw the end of cap and trade. But with the oil disaster, cap and trade is poised to make a big comeback. But is emissions trading the answer or just a Band-Aid on a bullet hole? Though there has been a great deal of debate surrounding cap and trade in its most recent context of carbon trading, cap and trade in history has had its successes. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/08/18/cap-and-trade-makes-a-comeback/ Indonesia's Coral Reefs Dying At Alarming Rate. Jakarta, Indonesia—Coral that survived the 2004 tsunami is now dying at one of the fastest rates ever recorded because of a dramatic rise in water temperatures off northwestern Indonesia, conservationists said, warning Wednesday that the threat extends to other reefs across Asia. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_15814776 ENERGY Many Americans In The Dark About Saving Energy – Survey. Governments and utilities are trying many ways to get people to save energy, but one of them -- old-fashioned education -- may be underperforming. Despite decades of public awareness campaigns, some Americans are still misinformed about which habits would save the most energy, according to a new survey. The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, surveyed 500 Internet users. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/18/4 SBA Loan Is Wind At Back Of San Leandro Firm. Inside a graffiti-tagged warehouse in San Leandro, Louis Rigaud leads a team of 11 people who recently took over the site to rebuild giant wind energy turbines. "If we don't have enough space to lay things out, it ends up taking too much time and costing more to do things," said Rigaud, 38, who recently received a $2.1 million loan from Wells Fargo that is backed by a guarantee from the Small Business Administration. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/18/BUSC1EV7T9.DTL&type=printable POLLUTION Court Rules Mud From Logging Roads Is Pollution. Grants Pass, Ore. A federal appeals court decided Tuesday that mud washing off logging roads is pollution and ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to write regulations to reduce the amount that reaches salmon streams. A conservation group that filed the lawsuit said if the ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stands, logging roads on federal, state and private lands across the West will eventually have to be upgraded to meet Clean Water Act standards. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/18/BAMV1EVF36.DTL&type=printable County Agrees To Reduce Pollution, But Questions By How Much. County leaders on Tuesday agreed on their common goal to curb future planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, but they differed on how much those emissions should be reined in. The discussion was called as the state's Air Resources Board and the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments are in talks to limit the amount of greenhouse gas pollution created by transportation - in other words, vehicle exhaust - that is emitted by Central Coast residents. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15807335 Coal Plants Emitting Less SO2, NOx This Year, EPA Says. Coal-fired power plants have continued to cut their soot- and smog-forming emissions this year, according to newly released estimates from U.S. EPA. Preliminary emissions data (pdf) for the first two quarters of 2010 show declines in total emissions as well as emissions intensity -- the amount of pollution produced per unit of electricity. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/17/17greenwire-coal-plants-emitting-less-so2-nox-this-year-ep-17893.html The Buzz: Official State Rock Is Bad For Your Health, State Senator Says. Serpentine may be stripped of title as official state rock – it's unsafe Oops! A state senator says there's something very wrong with serpentine, California's official state rock: It's bad for your health. Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, has proposed legislation to strip serpentine of its title because exposure to chrysotile asbestos, a cancer-causing mineral inside it, can increase risk of lung disease, she says. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/06/21/1299004/the-buzz-official-state-rock-is.html#ixzz0wyRbdl00 VEHICLES G.M. to Develop Small Engines With China Partner. SHANGHAI — Deepening cooperation with one of its major partners in China, General Motors said Wednesday that it planned to jointly develop small, fuel-efficient engines and advanced transmissions here with S.A.I.C. Motor Corp. The agreement is part of the American automaker’s plan to create more environmentally friendly technologies and expand its range of offerings in China’s fast-growing auto market, which has overtaken the United States as the world’s largest. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/business/global/19engines.html?_r=1&ref=business&pagewanted=print RAIL ROAD Activists Take On Railway. SAN BERNARDINO - Community activists on Tuesday attempted to deliver a certificate to BNSF Railway managers naming the company as "Polluter of the Year" but were locked out of the firm's offices here. The protest took place outside BNSF Railway's offices near Hospitality Lane. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15809666?nclick_check=1 FUELS Drink, Then Drive? Whisky Fuel Could Power Cars. London—How about a whisky to go? Scientists say they have developed biofuel for cars from waste produced in distilling Scotch whisky. Researchers at Edinburgh Napier University have produced a type of fuel called butanol using "pot ale"—the liquid residue from copper stills—and "draff," or leftover grain. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_15813578 GAS New Australian Discovery Could Pave Road To World Dominance. Australia could emerge as the world's top natural gas exporter as three new gas discoveries were made off its west coast this week by Chevron Corp. and Woodside Petroleum Ltd. The Acme well, 150 kilometers (about 93.2 miles) off the coast of Western Australia state, had a net gas pay of 896 feet, making it the largest such find in the country, according to Chevron. Since August 2009, the company has found nine other pockets of gas, but this is the largest by twice the size of the previous finds. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/18/6 OPINION: Thank God Global Warming Is A Hoax. I mean, right? You know? Because gosh Jesus in angry apocalyptic heaven, wouldn't it be just terrible if it were all true? Wouldn't it be horrible if all this stunning, insanely mounting, irrefutable evidence -- death, floods, fires, heat waves, the worst this and the most violent that in 1,000 years -- were some sort of surefire, cumulative sign that we have, if not directly caused, then wildly accelerated and amplified the imminent implosion of this planet? Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/08/18/notes081810.DTL&type=printable ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:23:25 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 19, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 19, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Frustrated Scotts Valley Council Recommends Reining In Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Scotts Valley - City leaders on Wednesday expressed frustration with state-requested goals to rein in greenhouse gas emissions that council members say are baseless but fear could be used against them if not met. "This is nuts that we're even having this discussion," said Scotts Valley City Councilman Dene Bustichi. "We don't have any data. What we do if we don't make it?" Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15820616 Democrats, After Opposing Climate Bill, Still Face GOP Attacks. A group of Democrats who defied their party to oppose a landmark climate bill last year is facing attacks by political challengers from an unexpected direction: Cap and trade is being used against them, despite the fact that they voted no. Forty-four Democrats broke ranks last summer on the muscular measure seeking to create a carbon limit for thousands of factories and power plants. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/19/1 Scientists: Blame Climate Change, Not Man, for Ancient Species Loss. Blame a vast reduction in grasslands and not hunting humans for the disappearance of the woolly mammoth and other animals from the Earth. That's the conclusion of a new study which likely will trigger a new debate within scientific circles. The study points to a sharp decline in the amount of habitat available for grazing after the last ice age. Posted. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20014091-501465.html Oxford Dictionary Adds Climate Change Terms To New Edition. Climate change vernacular is being officially recognized in the latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English, which reflects how language is commonly used. Among the new additions are "carbon capture and storage," the process of trapping and storing carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels; and "geo-engineering," the manipulation of environmental processes to counteract the effects of global warming. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/19/8 Caribbean Storm Damage Costs May Rise 505 With Global Warming. Climate change may add 50 percent to the storm damage costs incurred by some Caribbean nations over the next two decades, said Swiss Reinsurance Co., the world’s second-largest re-insurer. Wind, storm surges and inland flooding already cost some Caribbean nations up to 6 percent of their economic output each year, the Zurich-based company said today in a statement on its website. Global warming could add costs amounting to another 1 to 3 percent of output by 2030, it said. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-19/caribbean-storm-damage-costs-may-rise-505-with-global-warming.html AIR QUALITY Cooler Weather Means Cleaner Air For Bay Area. This summer's cool, clammy weather has undoubtedly thwarted many a day at the beach. But all that unwelcome fog and wind has had one major upside: better air. So far this summer the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has not issued one Spare the Air alert - days when ground-level smog reaches harmful concentrations. "We've been fortunate this year," said Kristine Roselius, spokeswoman for the air district. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/19/MNBG1EVCUE.DTL&type=printable EMISSIONS Communities Get Rolling on Developing Sustainable Transit, Land Use Plans. SBCAG's approach for meeting SB 375 standards to curb emissions and sprawl is raising red flags for one environmental group. Communities in Santa Barbara County and throughout California have been working to meet the state’s Senate Bill 375 obligations by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, curbing suburban sprawl and expanding public transit. SB 375, also known as the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008, is designed to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by revamping regional transportation and land use strategies for the next 25 years. Posted. http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/081810_sb_375/ Focus Back On Regional Emission Trading Programs For Analysts. Market analysts training their sights on regional trading schemes view the Western Climate Initiative as the "second coming" for carbon trading in the United States. A new analysis from British investment bank Barclays Capital finds that the seven-state, four-province WCI could actually see allowance prices rise in the later years of its cap-and-trade regime, which is slated to start in 2012 and end in 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/19/3 A New EPRI Computer Model Makes The Case For Regional Climate Solutions. The utility industry's top research group is making the case that regional solutions to the nation's climate policy challenges offer the best deal for consumers. A new economic analysis being developed by the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, Calif., indicates that the ideal responses to future federal limits on carbon emissions -- from economic and technical standpoints -- would vary greatly across major regions of the country, as utilities replace conventional coal-fired power plants with different mixes of generation and efficiency programs. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/19/2 Researchers Find Carbon Offsets Aren't Justified For Removing Understory. Correction appended. Reducing forest fire risk by thinning thickets of understory can have many benefits for communities, but in the short term, providing carbon offsets for this does not appear to be justified, according to government-funded research to be published this fall. During the past four years, a team of researchers tried to quantify how removing smaller fuels from forests and conducting prescribed burns helps stave off intense wildfires and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/19/5 U.K. Companies Slow To Track Emissions For Mandatory Program. Only a quarter of British companies have begun measuring their greenhouse gas emissions for a mandatory government program that began in April, officials say. The Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme, or CRC, requires the United Kingdom's biggest energy users to report emissions and trade carbon dioxide permits. Companies that reduce their footprints will be rewarded with program proceeds. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/19/7 Old Tugboats Slowly Make Way for Cleaner, Energy Efficient Hybrid Tugboats. Conventional diesel tugboats are significant sources of pollution in the world’s seaports, but that is on the verge of change. The Foss Maritime Company is adding a second energy efficient hybrid tugboat to its Southern California fleet. Its first hybrid vessel, the Carolyn Dorothy, was launched in 2009 and at the time it was believed to be the first and only tugboat of its kind in the world. Posted. http://cleantechnica.com/2010/08/19/old-tugboats-slowly-make-way-for-cleaner-energy-efficient-hybrid-tugboats/ ENERGY Full Steam Ahead For California Geothermal Plans? Right below your feet is enough potential clean energy to keep the whole country humming with electricity for 30,000 years, according to Department of Energy calculations. And this geothermal energy could play a big role in California as the state strives to reach an ambitious clean energy target by 2020. But there is a catch: We have to get to it. Running Out Of Steam. About two hours north of San Francisco, atop a ridge crisscrossed with pipes, is the world's biggest field for producing geothermal energy: Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129282183 Can A Stiff Carbon Price And Generous Rebate Policy Change Energy Use? A report out this week is revisiting a basic question of climate policy: Can it be designed to benefit the poor rather than the wealthy? The cap-and-trade schemes that have led the debate haven't ignored the poor; they have tried to shelter the broad public from higher energy prices, and they've also targeted the least wealthy with programs. Nevertheless, some economists say these approaches still skew toward the well-off. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/19/4 Greenpeace Pushes For Renewable Energy In Safrica. Johannesburg -- South Africa has renewable resources that can provide solutions to the country's energy problems and create jobs - while fighting global warming, Greenpeace officials said Wednesday. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/18/AR2010081803443.html DIESELS EPA Agrees To Examine Truck Emissions Claims In Navistar Settlement. U.S. EPA has finalized a settlement with truck manufacturer Navistar International Corp., which agreed earlier this week to drop three lawsuits on the condition that EPA examine whether truckers can cheat the emissions control technology used by Navistar's competitors. In filings with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Navistar claimed EPA had failed to consider that selective catalytic reduction (SCR) might not reduce tailpipe emissions as intended. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/19/2 Rypos Provides Early CARB Compliance Coupon Program. Assisting transport refrigeration unit (TRU) owners and operators to comply early with the new TRU model year 2003 California Air Resources Board (CARB) advisory, Rypos is offering up to a $400 savings on its Rypos diesel particulate filter/low-emission TRU (DPF/LETRU) and Proventia flow-through filter (FTF) trailer-mount filter products. The deadline for the model year 2003 CARB Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) compliance is December 31, 2010. Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/2010-emissions/rypos_provides_early_carb_compliance_coupon_program_0819/ BUSES Fresno Unified Rolls out 30 Clean-Air Buses. The Fresno Unified School District this week unveiled 30 new compressed-natural-gas buses thanks to more than $5 million in federal, state and local air quality grants. The buses replace 30 diesel-powered buses built in 1977. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District estimates that the new CNG buses will emit 98% less particulate pollution over their lifetimes. The old buses emitted over 330 tons of particulates in their lifetimes, while the new buses will emit less than seven tons. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/transportation/5986-fresno-unified-rolls-out-30-clean-air-buses 'Straddling Bus' Could Clear Roads, Reduce Emissions In China. A company in southern China has designed a bus that can carry up to 1,200 passengers while taking up almost no road space and has the added benefit of partially running on solar power. The "straddling bus" is extra wide and extra tall and runs high above the road. The passenger compartment is the width of two traffic lanes and runs on a pair of wide stilts, leaving the road below free for cars to pass underneath. The bridge-bus hybrid runs along a fixed route and draws some of its power from solar panels on the roof of the vehicle. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/19/8 FUELS Air Resources Board Is Clinging To Old Science. This week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) convened a group of experts to discuss issues related to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) that was approved last year. The Expert Working Group has been working to examine the gaps in the original research produced by CARB staff which was used as the basis for fuel regulation, including the highly disputed indirect land use change (ILUC) theory which threatens the future of biofuels in California and across the country. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z2hzjlnvfipb86&xid=z2hzat2bm7l9z5&done=.z2hzjlnvfjeb86# Finding New Ways to Fill the Tank. Cambridge, Mass. — Most research on renewable energy has focused on replacing the electricity that now comes from burning coal and natural gas. But the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the reliance on Middle East imports and the threat of global warming are reminders that oil is also a pressing worry. A lot of problems could be solved with a renewable replacement for oil-based gasoline and diesel in the fuel tank — either a new liquid fuel or a much better battery. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/business/energy-environment/19fuel.html?_r=1&ref=science&pagewanted=print Whiskey Byproducts Used To Craft Fuel. Scientists in Scotland are using the byproducts of whiskey distillation to make a biofuel that could be used in conventional cars. Using spent grains and the liquid from copper stills, researchers at Edinburgh Napier University have created a method that produces butanol, which provides 30 percent more power than traditional ethanol. The fuel could be used in cars and jet planes and as the basis for acetone and other chemicals. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/19/9 VEHICLES Hybrids Running Out of Gas. Despite the region's eco-friendly image, the appetite for fuel-efficient hybrid cars in the Bay Area appears to be on the decline. According to R.L. Polk & Co., which analyzes the auto industry, new hybrid-car registrations in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland area have steadily declined since peaking in 2007. That year in the region, there were new 27,292 registrations of hybrid cars, which are more fuel-efficient than cars that run only on gasoline. By 2009, that number had dropped 36%, to 17,575 registrations. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704868604575433491885339452.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_News_SanFranciscoBayArea68_4 Electric Car Stations Coming To Santa Cruz County. With new plug-in electric cars scheduled to arrive in Santa Cruz County soon, so too should a means to juice them. That's why a coalition of public and private stakeholders has secured tens of thousands of dollars to begin laying out a network of vehicle charging stations across the Monterey Bay Area. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15820802 BLOGS EPA Decides To Take e-Waste (Sort of) Seriously. Finally. The Environmental Protection Agency has been frustratingly lax on e-waste issues, paying little attention to quality enforcement of policies, or even putting stringent policies in place at all. But finally, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said on Tuesday that e-waste is now one of the top five priorities for the agency. While vague in exactly what the EPA would do to improve the immense problem of e-waste, it was at least put down in writing that it is a major concern, and one that will get at least some attention. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/epa-decides-to-take-e-waste-sort-of-seriously-finally.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29 Could Going Green Mean Trashing Our Landscape? Environmentalists may spend a lot of time battling against the fossil fuel lobby, but the awkward truth is that there is plenty of fighting between "green" groups too—perhaps most notably when it comes to what constitutes 'sustainability', and how do we manage the sometimes competing demands of clean energy and conservation. From Earth First! protesting against wind turbines to concerns over luxury LEED condos and gentrification, one person's green panacea can easily be another person's worst nightmare. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/going-green-trashing-landscape.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:49:41 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 23, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 23, 2010. 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. ARB California’s Clean-Air Chief Encourages Others To Join The Movement. The Terminator, said Mary Nichols in Thursday’s morning lecture, has proven himself an “unlikely champion” of clean air. Nichols, the California Air Resources Board chairman, said that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger — despite the fact that he drives Hummers, flies to work on a private jet and lives in a mansion — “genuinely embraced the cause,” successfully lobbying for the nation’s first comprehensive law to reduce greenhouse gases “economy-wide.” Posted. http://www.chqdaily.com/post/979133012/californias-clean-air-chief-encourages-others-to-join#disqus_thread AB 32 Victor Valley Politicians Come Out In Support Of Prop. 23. Politicians from the Victor Valley’s three largest municipalities gathered Friday afternoon at Hesperia City Hall to speak in support of Prop. 23, a ballot initiative that would roll back a 2006 environmental law. With the county in the “vice-like grip” of the recession, the county cannot afford to abide by the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, said Hesperia mayor Thurston “Smitty” Smith. Posted. http://www.hesperiastar.com/news/politicians-3590-valley-victor.html Clean Energy Investors Flash Cash for Ads in California Climate Law Battle. California’s clean energy investors are raising millions of dollars for an advertising battle with oil refiners who want to delay the state’s new law on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The campaign, supported by investors such as Tom Steyer, founder of San Francisco-based hedge fund Farallon Capital Management LLC, aims to convince residents to vote against the so-called Proposition 23 when it comes up for approval in November. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-20/clean-energy-investors-flash-cash-for-ads-in-california-climate-law-battle.html CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Lawyers Watch Calif. Waiver Case For First Clues On Greenhouse Gas Challenges. An upcoming court case on U.S. EPA's decision to allow California to implement its own strict tailpipe emissions rules may yield the first clues on how judges will respond to the Obama administration's interpretation of its authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases. Under the current court schedule for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the California waiver case may be the opening legal salvo ahead of controversial lawsuits challenging EPA's endangerment finding and its "tailoring rule." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/23/3 Global Warming Measure Sets Off Alarms. A November ballot measure that would suspend California's landmark global-warming law could also end up rolling back some of the state's other sweeping environmental standards -- including rules that require utilities to generate a third of their electricity from renewable sources and programs requiring oil refineries to make cleaner-burning fuels. How broadly courts might interpret Proposition 23 is setting off alarm bells among Silicon Valley executives and environmental groups. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/ci_15837869?source=most_emailed Earth Burns Through Environmental Capital, Group Says. Saturday has earned a dubious distinction among conservationists as Earth Overshoot Day -- the estimated point when the planet's 6.8 billion people have consumed all of the biological resources that Earth can provide annually. "From now until the end of the year, we will meet our needs by liquidating stocks and accumulating greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere," said Pati Poblete, at the nonprofit Global Footprint Network in Oakland. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/20/earth-burns-through-environmental-capital/ As We See It: Setting a Limit For Greenhouse Gases Really Might As Well Be Anyone's Guess. Pick a number. Any number. Say, between zero and 13.7. You can even pick a negative number if you'd like. How about 7; it's pretty much a middle-of-the-pack pick. Maybe 3. Eleven has a nice ring to it. Found one you like? Well, it might be just as good as the guesses local officials are tossing out as they try to figure out how much we should reduce vehicle exhaust, or more specifically, greenhouse gas emissions, over the next 25 years. Posted. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_15855960 The Cost of Reducing Greenhouse Gases. Federal efforts at developing climate change legislation have petered out. But the cost of climate policy is figuring strongly in California politics this fall. A new report aims to figure out how American families will feel the price of making “greenhouse gases” fall. Cutting carbon emissions means setting a price on polluting, like burning coal, and making someone pay it. There’s research that claims the price will be too expensive. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/08/23/climate-cost/ AIR POLLUTION EPA Delays Release Of Final Ozone Standards. U.S. EPA won't meet its goal of releasing new nationwide standards for ground-level ozone this month, the agency told a federal court Friday. Finishing the standards has taken longer than expected, EPA said in a filing with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The agency will now move forward "on or around the end of October," according to the filing. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/23/1 Editorial: Diesel Upgrades Help Everyone Breath Easier. Anyone who’s ever stood on a busy street corner while a truck accelerated past has surely cursed the day Rudolf Diesel invented his engine. Despite diesel’s many advantages as an engine technology, it can be sooty and ugly for anyone who might need to breathe in a truck or bus’s vicinity. But diesel engines can also be cleaned up dramatically — indeed, they already have been. And the north state’s air will enjoy the benefits. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/aug/23/diesel-upgrades-help-everyone-breath-easier/ New Smog-Fighting Tactic Planned For San Bernardino. Southern California's regional air quality agency wants to make San Bernardino a testing ground for a new, neighborhood-focused approach to protecting people's health in communities hammered by multiple pollution sources such as freeways, rail yards and heavy industry. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_airplan22.30c073e.html EPA Agrees to Examine Truck Emissions Claims in Navistar Settlement. U.S. EPA has finalized a settlement with truck manufacturer Navistar International Corp., which agreed earlier this week to drop three lawsuits on the condition that EPA examine whether truckers can cheat the emissions control technology used by Navistar's competitors. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/19/19greenwire-epa-agrees-to-examine-truck-emissions-claims-i-75190.html Obama Accelerates Crackdown on Dirty Trucks. Tough new U.S. rules governing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large trucks and buses edged forward last week when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent draft proposals to the White House. The agency has been working with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) since May to craft improved emissions standards after President Barack Obama announced that he wanted new rules to come into effect for medium and heavy-duty trucks between 2014 and 2018. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS256749797120100823 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY BLM Releases Final EIS On 1,000 MW Calif. Power Plant. The Bureau of Land Management has issued its final environmental analysis of a large-scale, 1,000 megawatt solar power plant that Chevron Energy Solutions and Solar Millennium LLC want to build just east of Joshua Tree National Park in California. Clearing the BLM environmental review is one of the final steps the developers must take before they can begin construction. Also under way in parallel is a review from the California Energy Commission, which has yet to release its proposed decision on the plant. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/23/11 10 Eco-Tips for College Students. Headed off to college? Here are 10 ways to green your dorm, your classes and even your beer while you're off at school. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_15831402?nclick_check=1 Campus Receives Perfect Score in Green 'Honor Roll'. For the second year in a row, the Princeton Review has placed UC Berkeley on its "Green College Honor Roll" as one of the 18 schools to receive a perfect score this year. The company tallied the scores of 703 institutions on a scale of 60 to 99 based on survey results from the 2009-10 school year concerning the schools' environmental policies, practices and academic offerings. Posted. http://www.dailycal.org/article/110079/campus_receives_perfect_score_in_green_honor_roll_ RAILYARDS 2 Studies Monitoring Pollution At Rail Yard. San Bernardino - The potential ill effects from diesel pollution around BNSF Railway's yard have received increasing attention since state officials warned two years ago of elevated cancer risks, but scientists have yet to quantify exactly how dangerous trains' emissions actually are. That's expected to change in the next couple of years. Loma Linda University researchers are preparing a two-year study to measure cancer incidents and respiratory ailments around the Westside yard. Posted. http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sanbernardinocounty/ci_15863585 OPINION/EDITORIALS Another View: No Serious Dispute Over Diesel's Role In Dirty Air. Despite Dan Walters' assertion in his Aug. 17 column, "Storm hits again over diesel rules," there is no scientific debate about the health dangers of diesel soot. To the contrary, there is strong scientific consensus. While the danger of breathing diesel fumes is obvious to anyone engulfed in smoke spewing from a dirty diesel truck or bus, researchers also have carefully studied the health impacts. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/22/v-print/2972914/no-serious-dispute-over-diesels.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/22/1304860/another-view-no-serious-dispute.html#ixzz0xRkVPmvL VEHICLES Playing Up the Sporty Side of a Honda Hybrid Coupe. GIVEN the sputtering economy, it is hard enough for a marketer to sell a familiar product, much less interest consumers in trying a new one. And if the new product is a durable good like a car, the challenge could be as formidable as getting a mad man like Don Draper to stop smoking or drinking. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/business/media/23adco.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print Stalling Problems Could Affect 1.2 Million Toyotas. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has intensified a safety investigation on 2005-7 Toyota Corollas and Matrixes. Above, a 2007 Corolla LE. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has intensified an investigation into stalling problems on almost 1.2 million Toyotas. The models are the 2005-7 Corolla and Matrix. The safety agency began an investigation, called a preliminary evaluation, last November. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/stalling-problems-could-affect-1-2-million-toyotas/?pagemode=print MISCELLANEOUS UCLA Purge of Professor Who Blew Whistle on CARB Researcher Raises New Questions about Runaway Environmental Correctness in California. The environmental wars have turned even uglier in California with the firing of controversial UCLA professor James Enstrom, whose outspoken views have made him the target of the environmental community and a friend to business folks who have to comply with some of the strictest pollution regulations in the country. Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1341 When a Superfund Site as a Neighbor Isn’t the Biggest Hazard. For the past three years, Manuel Pimentel and his wife and two small children lived half a block from a toxic Superfund site in West Oakland. The site — a gated concrete lot with the Environmental Protection Agency’s yellow testing wells and a few buildings covered in graffiti — was the old AMCO chemical distribution facility. The ground is full of cancer-causing contaminants like vinyl chloride, and the chemicals have seeped under the old row houses on Third Street. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/us/22bcmiguel.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print BLOGS Study Finds No Link Tying Disaster Losses to Human-Driven Warming. The pull of the “ front-page thought” and the eagerness of climate campaigners to jog the public have sometimes created a tendency to tie mounting losses from weather-related disasters to human-driven global warming. But finding a statistically robust link between such disasters and the building human climate influence remains a daunting task. A new analysis of nearly two dozen papers assessing trends in disaster losses in light of climate change finds no convincing link. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/study-finds-no-link-tying-disaster-losses-to-human-driven-warming/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:51:28 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 24, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 24, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Cap And Trade Gets Environmental Analysis. No regulation escapes environmental review in California -- even cap and trade. The upcoming program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will undergo an environmental assessment, including comparing it to a carbon tax, according to the California Air Resources Board (ARB). The analysis, known as a Functional Equivalent Document, is scheduled to be released along with the actual cap-and-trade regulations in October. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/24/4 Are Chemical Companies Gaming the Carbon Credit System? A controversy is brewing over whether some chemical companies are abusing a program that gives them carbon credit revenues for destroying a potent greenhouse gas created as a by-product in their operations. At issue is whether some companies are intentionally overproducing trifluoromethane (HFC-23) in order to destroy it and generate certified emissions reduction (CER) units under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). HFC-23 projects account for more than half of all CDM carbon credits sold to date. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS271914704820100824 GAS NOZZLES 3,000 Gas Stations Must Take Latch Off Nozzle. Life just got a little more inconvenient for Californians who like to wash their windshields or grab a snack at the mini mart while filling up the tank. The state fire marshal ordered about 3,000 gas stations - about one third of all the stations in California - to remove the latches that allow patrons to fill up their gas tanks hands free. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/24/BAO11F28BC.DTL&type=printable http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/24/2979289/calif-orders-removal-of-gas-nozzle.html http://www.10news.com/news/24737971/detail.html http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16089 http://www.ocregister.com/news/fire-263353-gas-nozzle.html ENERGY Power Plants' Cooling Heats Up In Capitol. A sharp dispute is brewing in the Capitol over a plan pushed by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to ease new state rules over the way power plants use ocean water to cool their engines. Three plants affected by the new rules – Harbor, Haynes and Scattergood – provide nearly 40 percent of Los Angeles’ available power generation and are critical to the stability of the grid, according to the DWP. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=z2wjmxrnji1vxn# Factories Shuttered En Masse To Keep Up With Emissions Deadline. China has shut down 2,087 highly polluting factories, fearing that it will otherwise miss a high-profile environmental deadline set for 2010. The government had pledged to reduce China's energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent before the end of 2010. Official data has suggested that the country will miss its mark despite top leaders' efforts to curb emissions growth and develop renewable energy. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/24/6 VEHICLES Bay Area Officials Push To Build Chargers For Electric Cars. The Bay Area is expected to soon become one of America's hottest markets for the first mass-produced electric cars, the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt. But in the rush to drive electric, one thing is missing -- places to charge up. Concerned that the next generation of green drivers not be left stalled by the roadside, air officials have approved a $5 million plan to install 5,000 electric car chargers around the nine-county Bay Area in the next five years at homes, apartments, office buildings, parking garages and other locations from San Jose to Santa Rosa. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_15872290 http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_15872292?nclick_check=1 EPA, CARB to Review SCR Policies. The Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board have agreed to begin a “thorough review” of their policies regarding the operation of selective catalytic reduction-equipped heavy-duty diesel engines when diesel engine fluid tanks run dry. The review outlined in legal settlements disclosed in federal and state court documents filed earlier this month, are the result of lawsuits filed last year against EPA and CARB by engine maker Navistar Inc. Posted. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=25053 DIESELS CARB Recommends Compliance Extension. The California Air Resources Board staff is recommending an extension of the compliance deadlines for the state’s emission-reduction rule for 2003 transport refrigeration units. The “reduced in scope” recommendations call for an extension of the deadline for model year 2003 ultra-low-emission TRUs to the end of 2017. Low-emission reefers must be in compliance by Dec. 31. CARB officials outlined their suggested amendments to the rule at an Aug. 18 workshop. Posted. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/printnews.aspx?storyid=25055 MISCELLANEOUS Green Groups Backing City's America's Cup Bid. San Francisco officials backed off from plans Monday to seek a legislative exemption to state environmental law for facilities to host the next America's Cup after some environmentalists pledged to support the city's bid for sailing's premier race. The moves defuse a potentially embarrassing showdown between green-credentialed Mayor Gavin Newsom and environmental groups worried that the city's efforts would create a road map for wealthy interests to circumvent state environmental law on big projects. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/24/BA161F26LI.DTL&type=printable BLOGS Unemployment Vs. Global Warming. Is “thinking green” an economic luxury? Intuition implies that it may be, but so far there’s been little empirical evidence on the subject. Two economists recently changed that: using data from Google keyword searches between 2004 and 2010, Matthew E. Kahn and Matthew J. Kotchen found that “higher unemployment rates within a state decrease internet search activity for global warming, but increase search activity for unemployment. Based on this revealed preference for interest in global warming, therefore, it appears that recessions crowd out concern for the environment…” Posted. http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/unemployment-vs-global-warming/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:12:55 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 25,2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 25, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Local Governments Commit To Reducing Greenhouse Gases. Salinas - Government leaders from across the Monterey Bay region committed this week to reducing per-capita greenhouse gas emissions of passenger vehicles by 5 percent over the next 25 years. The commitment by the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, expected to be fulfilled through responsible transportation and growth policies, comes as state regulators seek to implement California's ambitious greenhouse gas regulations. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15882875 New Yorkers Begin To See How Much They Have To Lose From Climate Change. New York -Lowering the energy consumption of the Empire State Building may seem bold and significant -- and it is. But the real challenge lies among the city's lesser-known buildings that extend into the horizon, to the north and south and in adjacent boroughs. Unless New York can lower its $15 billion annual energy bill and show the world that there are successful ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it could find itself teetering on the edge of disaster indefinitely. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/25/25climatewire-new-yorkers-begin-to-see-how-much-they-have-51507.html?pagewanted=print http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/25/1 U.S. Pushes China, India To Cut Emissions By Tapping Into Natural Gas Boom. The U.S. State Department is pitching natural gas to China and India as a strong alternative to using coal for power generation, boosting the prospects of a global gas rush and tying it closely to global climate change solutions. "If gas is cheap, plentiful and available to countries like China and India -- they have a choice versus coal -- it's competitive on a cost basis, and the climate implications are huge," said David Goldwyn, State's coordinator for international energy affairs. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/25/3 Prop 23: Compromising the Environment to Create Jobs. In 2006, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) – one of the first and most comprehensive climate change laws passed in America. But today, a new measure to appear on California’s ballot in November seeks to remove the protections put in place four years ago. Posted. http://www.energyboom.com/policy/prop-23-killing-environment-create-jobs HELMER: Global Warmists Abandoned Fact for Fancy. Around the world, the fight against "cli- mate change" and carbon dioxide e emissions is costing literally hundreds of billions of dollars - and this at a time when the Western world is ravaged by recession. We can ill afford these sums. Many scientists think CO2 emissions have a trivial effect on climate, but even those who support the theory of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) generally agree that the efforts we are making will result in changes so small that they cannot even be measured. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/24/around-the-world-the-fight-against-cli-mate-change/ Obama Admin Urges Supreme Court To Vacate 'Nuisance' Ruling. The Obama administration has urged the Supreme Court to toss out an appeals court decision that would allow lawsuits against major emitters for their contributions to global warming, stunning environmentalists who see the case as a powerful prod on climate change. In the case, AEP v. Connecticut, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a coalition of states, environmental groups and New York City. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/25/1 How Influential Are The Koch Brothers? New Yorker investigates. The Koch brothers are leaving their mark everywhere. On Aug. 19, Progressive Media reported that the Kansas-based Koch Industries is the lead funder of a “grassroots” group organizing support for Proposition 23, the ballot initiative that would kill California’s energy climate change law. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/new-yorker-investigates-koch-brothers-4261 Are Conservatives Waking Up to Global Warming? Conservatives who acknowledge global warming is a critical issue of our time are calling out their colleagues to wake up to the issue, and some of them seem to be listening. Is global warming denial finally on its way out? A handful of recent events make me feel like a big row of conservative dominoes might have started falling on the issue of global warming. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS210083623920100825 GAS NOZZLES Fire Marshall Orders Removal of Defective Gas Nozzle Latches. Video: KTVU http://www.ktvu.com/video/24751899/index.html POWER PLANTS L.A. Officials Launch Campaign To Roll Back State Environmental Rule. A bill in the Legislature would delay new regulations that require the DWP to overhaul three coastal power plants to reduce the amount of seawater used for cooling. The city of Los Angeles has launched an aggressive lobbying campaign to roll back tough new state regulations meant to limit the environmental damage that power plants inflict on the oceans. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-water-20100825,0,3758556,print.story DIESELS Costly Rules To Hit Truckers. New California regulations coming in January will hit the wallets of Oregon truckers. The rules are meant to significantly reduce greenhouse gas and particulate matter emissions by 2014, according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The regulations have a combined national economic impact of $17 billion. More than 800,000 trucks crossed the Oregon-California border in 2009, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. Posted. http://www.oregonbusiness.com/articles/90-september-2010/4009-california-regulations-affect-wallets-oregon-truckers Natural Gas-Diesel Hybrid Fuel Cuts Emissions, Boosts Efficiency. A Nevada refiner has received alternative fuel status for a cleaner, more efficient diesel that mixes low-sulfur diesel with natural gas. Produced by Reno-based Advanced Refining Concepts, GDiesel is the first "alternative" fuel to be certified by state regulators as reducing emissions of one or more pollutants compared to conventional gasoline. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/25/8 VEHICLES California Amends Copper Bill Following Negotiations. California has amended a bill that restricts the amount of copper in brake friction material sold in the state, following negotiations between the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association, environmentalists and automakers. Under the change, motor vehicle manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers or retailers of replacement brake friction materials can deplete their inventory of non-compliant materials until Dec. 31, 2023. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=71464 Hyperefficient Student-Built EV Defies Odds. The coolest thing about this electric car isn’t the Lola racing car chassis, or the clear plastic bodywork or even the fact it gets the equivalent of 300 mpg. The coolest thing about this car is the kids who built it. The car was a class project at the Automotive Design Studio at the DeLaSalle Education Center, an alternative high school in Kansas City, Missouri. Posted. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/08/student-built-ev-defies-the-odds-may-break-a-record/#ixzz0xdcnzIx4 Brother, Can You Spare Some Volts? Bay Area Officials Push To Build Chargers for Electric Cars. The Bay Area is expected to soon become one of America's hottest markets for the first mass-produced electric cars, the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt. But in the rush to drive electric, one thing is missing -- places to charge up. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_15884227 PROP 1B Boxer Touts Stimulus Money For Buses. Sen. Barbara Boxer on Tuesday visited the Fresno Unified School District’s transportation yard, where she touted the use of federal stimulus money to replace aging diesel buses with ones powered by compressed natural gas. The district replaced 30 of the old diesel-powered buses, which were built in 1977. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/24/v-print/2052303/boxer-touts-stimulus-money-for.html ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Marin County Certifies 21 'Green Businesses'. Twenty-one more Marin enterprises were saluted as "green businesses" by county supervisors this week, bringing the number of local organizations certified in the program to 406. The Marin green business program, part of a Bay Area regional project now involving 2,200 businesses, agencies and organizations, was launched in 2002 to encourage recycling, energy efficiency, conservation and related opportunities to boost both economic and environmental resources. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15880784?nclick_check=1 Calaveras to Apply For State Grant. Calaveras County's battle over sustainability continued Tuesday, with the Board of Supervisors narrowly approving a plan to join Tuolumne County in applying for a $1.6 million state grant to plan for a future in which residents are less dependent on cars, towns are more compact and officials have regional data on greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100825/A_NEWS/8250323/-1/NEWSMAP EMISSIONS Air District To Fund Charbroiler Emission Controls. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is offering help for businesses with charbroilers to cut down on their emissions. Launching today, the Char Broiler Incentive Program (CHIP) will make $500,000 in funding available for the purpose of retrofitting commercial char broilers, which can spew both harmful particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/environment/6056-air-district-to-fund-charbroiler-emission-controls Two Central Valley Neighborhoods Cited For Sustainability. The California Department of Housing and Community Development says two Central Valley communities have been named “Catalyst Projects” as part of the Catalyst Projects for California Sustainable Strategies Pilot Program. Funded by Proposition 1C, the program embodies the goals of SB 375, the state law that requires regional planning and promotes denser and “greener” urban growth. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16097 FUELS Report Offers Roadmap to Cleaner Biofuels from Non-Food Sources. Almost 200 corn ethanol refineries across the country, but still not a single cellulosic ethanol plant. Cellulosic biofuel was once widely heralded as the key to cutting United States' dependence on foreign oil, without the adverse environmental effects of corn ethanol. Posted. http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100825/report-offers-roadmap-cleaner-biofuels-non-food-sources MISCELLANEOUS UCLA Scientist Who Doubts CARB Science May Lose Job. Truckers who violate a CARB diesel rule can face thousands of dollars in fines. Speak out against the science behind these air rules? If you’re a researcher, it might cost you a faculty job at UCLA. A longtime academic researcher at UCLA may lose his job for speaking out against the California Air Resources Board and that agency’s claims about the dangers of diesel exhaust. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/Special_Reports/2010/Aug/082410-exclusive.htm Send Bills To Governor. Some bills by local state senators are close to being passed by the Legislature and sent to the governor's desk. One of them, Senate Bill 1402 by Sen. Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga, would require that the California Air Resources Board to explain to any business that it fines the reason for the violation, the specific code section violated and how the penalty was determined. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/editorial/ci_15883551 Global Warming Deniers Aren't "Experts" At All: It's Time for a New View of Science. Imagine a gigantic banquet. Hundreds of millions of people come to eat. They eat and drink to their hearts’ content— eating food that is better and more abundant than at the finest tables in ancient Athens or Rome, or even in the palaces of medieval Eu rope. Then, one day, a man arrives, wearing a white dinner jacket. He says he is holding the bill. Posted. http://www.alternet.org/books/147668/global_warming_deniers_aren't_%22experts%22_at_all%3A_it's_time_for_a_new_view_of_science/ Rules Will Halt Ship Wastewater Dumping. The Environmental Protection Agency today will declare California's coastline, bays and estuaries - including the Delta - as a no-dumping zone for large commercial cruise and cargo ships. The rule will include oceangoing ships at the Port of Stockton, the EPA said. In 2009, the port hosted 115 ships and barges. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100825/A_BIZ/8250309/-1/a_news14 BLOGS Safety Order Issued For Gas Pumps. Filling up your gas tank may take a little more work. The state fire marshal on Monday sent a letter to about 3,000 gas stations — one-third of all stations in the state — ordering them to remove the latches on gas nozzles that let drivers lock the nozzle in place to keep pumping gas while they clean their windows, check the oil and such, according to reports by the Associated Press and Sacramento Bee. Posted. http://roadwarrior.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/10771/pumping-gas-to-take-a-little-more-work/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:41:32 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 26, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 26, 2010. 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. AB 32 Business Owners, Leaders Back Prop. 23. Local community leaders and small business owners said Wednesday that Central Coast commerce and government would be devastated if Proposition 23 does not pass in the November election. The proposition would suspend Assembly Bill 32, a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction program, until the state’s unemployment reaches and remains at 5.5 percent for at least four quarters. Posted. http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_65f23098-b0d9-11df-8a40-001cc4c002e0.html?print=1 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S In Alaska, Doubts About Climate Change Rise With a New Politician. Alaska's cliffhanger primary is poised to propel a climate skeptic toward the U.S. Senate, observers say, likely bolstering the number of nominations achieved by conservative candidates who challenge manmade global warming. Republican Joe Miller, a former judge with a Yale law degree, showcased Sen. Lisa Murkowski's past support for climate legislation, among other things, before slipping by her at the voting stations Tuesday to capture a 1,900 vote lead with several thousand absentee ballots still being counted. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/26/26climatewire-in-alaska-doubts-about-climate-change-rise-w-72310.html?pagewanted=print FUELS Opinion: ARB On Ethanol: Science Shows Greenhouse Gases Linked To Land-Use Changes. In a recent article, the California Ethanol Vehicle Coalition stated that the Air Resources Board is clinging to “discredited” theories on the impact on global land use changes associated with the production of corn-based ethanol for use in transportation fuels. This is not true. The science clearly and unequivocally supports the fact that there are greenhouse gas emissions associated with land use changes resulting from the growing of corn to produce fuel. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z34h9zbyjkte2q&xid=z34gbk55lc98ug&done=.z34h9zbyjlie2q# ENERGY Big California Solar Energy Push Moves Forward. California's long-awaited boom in solar power plant construction took a major step forward Wednesday when state regulators approved the first in a string of projects that will soon blanket thousands of acres of desert with mirrors harnessing the energy of the sun. The California Energy Commission unanimously approved the Beacon Solar Energy Project, which a Florida company plans to build on the Mojave Desert's western edge. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/26/BUPV1F396C.DTL&type=printable http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/26/4 http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/california-approves-first-u-s-thermal-solar-plant/?pagemode=print Bill Would Delay Labels For Calif's TV Rules. Sacramento, Calif.—A labeling requirement related to the nation's first energy-efficiency standards for televisions would be delayed by six months if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs a bill approved by the California Senate. The bill sent to his desk Wednesday would push back the deadline for manufacturers to post details about the energy use of their TVs to July 2011 from January. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15897474?nclick_check=1 DIESELS Corning To Hike Filter-Making Capacity In Germany. Corning Inc. said Thursday it will spend $44 million to increase its capacity for making light-duty filters in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The expansion is expected to begin in the second half of 2011.The company said tighter restrictions on emissions are driving demand for filters for diesel engines. The company said more than half the passenger cars in Europe are diesel and will be equipped with a filter by 2011. The filters are designed to remove soot particles from diesel vehicle exhaust. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HR7PS80.htm MISCELLANEOUS EPA Rules Will Bar Ships From Discharging Sewage Near California Coast. EPA officials say the new rules taking effect next year prohibit cruise and cargo ships from releasing about 20 million gallons of sewage into coastal waters every year. New federal regulations will bar cruise vessels and large commercial ships from discharging sewage within three miles of California's coastline, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cruise-sewage-20100826,0,5777712,print.story http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/keeping-ship-sewage-from-the-california-coast/ Bacteria Seem To Be Doing A Good Cleanup Job In Gulf. Data collected months ago show populations of carbon-eating bacteria rising in parts of a plume of oil. Now, in the area where the bugs were collected, scientists 'do not see detectable oil.' As efforts continue to clean the oil that gushed from the blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico, a team of scientists has found that nature's microbial helpers are hard at work too — and doing a better job than researchers had expected. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-oil-bacteria-20100825,0,1182073,print.story Prop 26 Pits Corporate Interest “Goliaths” Against Public Interest “David’s”. Putting a white hat on a November ballot measure funded almost exclusively by big oil, tobacco, and alcohol companies is no easy task, but the Yes on Proposition 26 campaign found a way. If approved by voters, the measure would make it much tougher for state or local government to collect industry-specific mitigation fees on business activities that cause harm to the environment or public health. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=print/8098 Improving Infrastructure in CA vs. Green At All Costs. California’s public transportation system has made for ripe comedic fodder for many years. Particularly in Southern California, the transit system is a joke on wheels. Over the last year, however, state leaders have been working to obtain funding for a high speed rail project to run the length of the state. On November 23, Governor Schwarzenegger’s Office informed the public that he, alongside California’s two Democratic senators, sent a letter to President Obama in an attempt to speed the process of obtaining federal funding for the transit project. Posted. http://caivn.org/print/7196 AIR QUALITY Air Quality Takes A Costly Hit On 110-Degree Day. This week's sudden heat wave, along with back-to-school traffic, has caused an ozone spike that air officials had been hoping to avoid this summer -- and as a result, Valley businesses will owe a $29 million dirty-air penalty next year. The air monitor in Parlier on Tuesday measured 141 parts per billion of ozone, well above the federal one-hour threshold of 125 ppb and the Valley's highest reading of the summer. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/25/v-print/2054190/another-triple-digit-day-today.html BLOGS San Francisco Shares Its Long List of Green Vendors. In 2005, the City of San Francisco instituted strict purchasing standards requiring municipal departments to buy products that met certain environmental, health and toxicity guidelines. Now the city has put online the database it has developed over the past five years to serve as a resource for other cities as well as for corporate purchasing agents and consumers. Called the SF Approved List, the Web site lists more than 1,000 products, like bathroom disinfectants and computer keyboard cleaners, that do not emit greenhouse gases. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/san-francisco-shares-vetted-list-of-green-vendors/?pagemode=print Global Warming: Can The San Bernardino Flying Squirrel Be Saved? Environmentalists have petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the San Bernardino flying squirrel, a nocturnal glider native to Southern California mountains, as an endangered species, threatened by climate change. The petition, filed Tuesday by the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity, opens a new front in an effort to combat global warming through the Endangered Species Act. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/08/global-warming-san-bernardino-flying-squirrel.html Clean Energy Investors, Google Fight Prop. 23. The battle for the future of California’s landmark climate legislation, AB32, is heating up, with clean energy investors and venture capital stepping in to combat this November’s Proposition 23 ballot initiative. Proposition 23, whose primary backers include oil companies Valero and Tesoro (and now, the Adam Smith Foundation of Jefferson City, MO,) aims to “suspend” AB32 by making enaction contingent on a sustained and unrealistic 5.5% unemployment rate in California. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/08/clean-energy-investors-google-fight-prop-23/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:09:40 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for August 30, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 30, 2010. 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. AB 32 Governor Signs AB 1846 by Assemblyman Manuel Pérez. Sacramento, California - A flurry of activity on the Friday before the end of Legislative Session saw the approval of several more bills by State Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez, as well as the signing of AB 1846 by the Governor (Chapter 195, Statutes of 2010). “Today, with the enactment of AB 1846, the state took another step toward the successful and responsible implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32),” said Pérez. Posted. http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7866&Itemid=1 OPINION: Don Polson The Way I See It: Pay, Sacrifice Keep Oceans >From Rising? For your late-summer vacation reading my vacation, your reading I've left a series on the issues surrounding California's Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32, and the repeal effort The photo was meant to be a bit dramatic: Governor Schwarzenegger in front of a large, detailed, computer-generated Google-type map of San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge, featuring a disappearing Treasure Island for the desired effect. Posted. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/opinion/ci_15939709 OPINION: The Urgent Islands. If a country sinks beneath the sea, is it still a country? That is a question about which the Republic of the Marshall Islands — a Micronesian nation of 29 low-lying coral atolls — is now seeking expert legal advice. It is also a question the United States Senate might ask itself the next time it refuses to deal with climate change. According to the world’s leading scientists, sea-level rise is one of the greatest dangers of global warming … Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/opinion/30mon4.html?sq=global warming&st=cse&scp=4&pagewanted=print Prop. 23: Will It Save Or Eliminate State Jobs? Politicians, voters at odds over environmental issue. Supporters and opponents of Proposition 23 agree on one thing — it's all about jobs and whether California's aggressive policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will create or kill them. The November ballot initiative would put a hold on Assembly Bill 32 — the law requiring the state's greenhouse gas emissions to be cut to 1990 levels by 2020 — until unemployment in the state drops to 5.5 percent for a full year. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100829/BUSINESS02/8290316/Prop-23-Will-it-save-or-eliminate-state-jobs- OPINION: AB 32: Dissembling And Gamesmanship Galore. In the debate over AB 32, the state’s landmark 2006 anti-global warming law, there’s been a remarkable amount of slippery talk, dissembling and inconsistency from both its critics and its admirers. The law forces California to shift to cleaner but much costlier forms of energy that create fewer of the gases that contribute to global warming. Some critics of the law – who support Proposition 23, the Nov. 2 ballot measure targeting its implementation – play a double game. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/30/ab-32-dissembling-and-gamesmanship-galore/ OPINION: The Rest of the Story. In his Fox and Hounds opinion piece [1] on August 27, Jeremy Leffler COO of BayBio, an industry consortium, touts the growth in biotechnology and bemoans the effects of Proposition 23 could have on that industry. He's got many facts wrong and misses the bigger picture. Mr. Leffler states that AB32 was adopted in "bi-partisan fashion." In 2006, on a party-line vote, legislative Democrats passed AB32 over the objections of Republicans. Posted. http://foxandhoundsdaily.com/print/7692 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’s Flaws Found in U.N. Climate Structure. United Nations — The scientists involved in producing the periodic United Nations reports on climate change need to be more open to alternative views and more transparent about their own possible conflicts of interest, an independent review panel said Monday. Those were among numerous recommendations made by the panel appointed last March to assess how a few glaring errors — including a prediction that the Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035 — made it into the last such United Nations report released in 2007. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/world/31nations.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=print Greenhouse-Gas Regulation Backed by a Majority in Defense Council's Poll. A majority of U.S. voters say the government should regulate greenhouse gases linked to global warming and that the Environmental Protection Agency is up to the job, a poll for the Natural Resources Defense Council found. Regulating global-warming gases from power plants and refineries is supported by 60 percent of likely voters and opposed by 34 percent, according to the survey commissioned by the environmental group, which backs such curbs. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-08-30/greenhouse-gas-regulation-backed-by-majority-in-u-s-poll-by-group-nrdc.html Environmental Groups Face Their Future In Climate-Change Debate. On Thursday, some of the country's most respected environmental groups - in the midst of their biggest political fight in two decades - sent a group of activists to Milwaukee with a message. We're losing. They put on what they called a "CarnivOil" - a fake carnival with a stilt-wearing barker, free "tar balls" (chocolate doughnuts), and a suit-wearing "oil executive" punching somebody dressed like a crab. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/29/AR2010082903699_pf.html ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY TV Energy-Efficiency Push Faces 6-Month Delay. A portion of California's bid to save energy and cut greenhouse gas emissions by forcing tough efficiency standards onto flat-screen televisions will be delayed until July 2011 if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) decides to sign legislation that landed on his desk this week. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/27/5 Calif. High-Speed Rail Line Would Create Thousands Of 'Green' Jobs – Report. A high-speed rail line in California would prevent nearly half a billion pounds, or 220,000 metric tons, of carbon dioxide emissions a year by 2035, while also creating thousands of new jobs in the green sector, according to a new report from the University of California, Irvine. "Thinking Ahead: High-Speed Rail in Southern California," prepared by the school's Institute of Transportation Studies, says a train network would have vast economic and environmental benefits for the state. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/08/27/12 Public Housing Could Save $1 Billion Annually On Energy Bills – Report. A new report is urging the Department of Housing and Urban Development to chop a fifth of its energy budget with efficiency measures. The study released yesterday by Charlie Harak of the National Consumer Law Center said HUD has been slow to act on congressional mandates to reduce its energy use, and that the delay is harming Americans in assisted housing who could use the financial relief. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/08/27/6 State Awards Local Energy Firm $1 Million. The California Energy Commission has awarded $1 million in funding to Sacramento-based Propel Fuels Inc. for alternative fuel pumps. Propel will install 10 new dispensers for its ethanol-based fuel, which will annually displace more than 3.2 million gallons of petroleum-based fuels with a low-carbon alternative, the commission said. The commission said Propel will provide nearly $3 million in additional funds for the project. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/27/v-print/2987327/state-awards-local-energy-firm.html VEHICLES Ford's Road To An Electric-Vehicle Future Starts In The Pacific Northwest. The city of Seattle and Ford Motor Co. inked a partnership yesterday to prepare the region's consumers and electric grid for a day when millions of automobiles charge up at outlets and emit less greenhouse gas emissions. In the coming months, the Detroit-based automaker will work with the municipal utility Seattle City Light to educate consumers about everything from how much it would cost to charge up an electric sedan to how far it would go on nary a drop of fuel. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/27/11 EMISSIONS Tighter Emission Standards For S.J. Valley Getting Closer. Valley communities must reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks by 5 percent per capita over the next decade under a draft proposal to be considered by state regulators next month. The plan also calls for a 10 percent decline by 2035. But can it be done? The San Joaquin Valley faces unique hurdles in designing communities that encourage walking, biking or public transportation. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100830/A_NEWS/8300308/-1/NEWSMAP DIESELS State Grant Program Helps Farmers Get More Fuel-Efficient Equipment. When the old tractor Ferndale dairyman Chris Cahill uses to mix feed for his cows breaks down, he has to stop and do the work by hand or borrow equipment from a neighbor -- making the feed amount inconsistent or slowing down his day. This mostly happens in the winter cold, he said, but like most other dairy farmers, Cahill said he didn't have the money to replace aging equipment on his farm. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15938425?nclick_check=1 How to Stop Idling Trucks from Wasting 1.2 Billion Gallons of Fuel Annually in the U.S. Idling costly for truckers, consumers and the environment, but electric auxiliary power units (APUs) could change that. If you've ever traveled on a U.S. Interstate Highway at night, you've likely come across large numbers of trucks idling at rest areas and truck stops. Long-haul truckers are required by law to rest for 10 out of every 24 hour period. Posted. http://earthandindustry.com/2010/08/how-to-stop-idling-trucks-from-wasting-1-2-billion-gallons-of-fuel-annually-in-the-u-s/ Judge Upholds L.A. Port's Truck Emissions Rules. A federal judge has given the nation's busiest port complex authority to require shipping trucks to reduce air pollution. U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder ruled yesterday that the Port of Los Angeles' Clean Trucks Program can require trucks coming in and out of the port to meet diesel emissions standards. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/08/27/13 Earthtalk: Newer Diesel Engines Kinder To The Environment. Dear EarthTalk: I've been hearing about the great gas mileage for Volkswagens that use diesel fuel. But is it better for the environment to use diesel or unleaded gasoline? -- K. Cronk, Bay City, Mich. In the past, diesel fuel was always considered dirtier than gasoline. But newer standards regulating sulfur content and improved technology in diesel engines have made diesel somewhat kinder to the environment. Posted. http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/article_165e936f-0764-5304-bb12-179d72a3f5a5.html BLOGS New Labels Could Make Finding Efficient Cars Easier. Looking for the most efficient vehicle that meets you daily needs? Look for the car that gets an “A” for efficiency. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed new fuel economy labels for cars and light-trucks coming to showrooms. The new labels come on the heels of recently improved standards for fuel economy and global warming pollution finalized last April. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ltonachel/new_labels_could_make_finding.html Cow Power Not Cutting It. Three years ago, KQED's QUEST visited a Central Valley dairy that was taking an innovative approach to its waste problem. Instead of collecting thousands of pounds of cow manure in open holding ponds, Joseph Gallo Farms uses it in a renewable energy technology known as a methane digester. Methane gas is a natural byproduct of cow digestion. It's produced as bacteria inside their stomaches break down food. That process continues on the back end (so to speak) as cow manure decomposes. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/08/29/cow-power-not-cutting-it/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:40:34 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips September 1, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 1, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Global Warming Will Increase Migration, Report Says. A new report says global warming will increase illegal migration across the U.S.-Mexico border. Climate change in Latin America will exacerbate the political instability, economic problems and social tensions that already impel so many to make the dangerous and illegal journey to the United States, according to the report by the American Security Project, a bipartisan nonprofit research group focused on national security issues. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/1/global-warming-will-increase-migration-report-says/ OPINION: Global Warming. In his Aug. 16 letter, "Kill AB32," Ken Hambrick gave his opinion why Proposition 23 should be supported. His letter attacks Mark Altgelt, a person who has written a number of letters about his concern about global warming. Hambrick suggests two websites to visit that support his opinion. Why two sites, when one can go to Google and do a search on global warming? Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_15952227 AB 32 L.A. Mayor, Latino Activists Take On Oil Companies Over Proposition 23. They say the ballot initiative to suspend the state's climate change law would hurt low-income communities already suffering the most from pollution. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday rebuked Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp., which operate refineries in Wilmington, for bankrolling a measure that would effectively scuttle the state's efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-change-prop23-20100901,0,7306791,print.story City Council Unanimously Opposes Prop. 23. The Sacramento City Council has unanimously opposed a November ballot measure that would short-circuit the state’s global warming law. Council members decided Tuesday to formally oppose Proposition 23, which would halt AB 32, a law that aims to scale back greenhouse gas emissions in California. Prop. 23 is officially known as the “California Jobs Initiative.” Its supporters argue that AB 32 rules harm businesses. Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro have contributed large sums to Prop. 23. Posted. http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/35914/City_Council_unanimously_opposes_Prop_23 CAP AND TRADE NMED Hears Opposition To Cap And Trade Petition. Carlsbad — Words such as "utmost foolishness," "an abomination," "greed," "stupidity," "nonsense" and "grossly unfair," were fired at representatives from the New Mexico Environment Department who were in Carlsbad Tuesday to gather comments on the department's cap and trade petition and cap-only petition. Posted. http://www.currentargus.com/ci_15956681 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Poultry Waste To Power California Egg Farm. Olivera Egg Ranch in French Camp will construct an anaerobic manure digester that will create methane gas, which will be used in a 1.4-megawatt fuel cell to generate electricity. An egg farm just south of Stockton is planning to use methane gas from more than 1 million pounds of poultry waste a week to help power its operations, reducing both its electricity bills and waste disposal costs. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-poultry-power-20100901,0,4972910,print.story Pair of Upcoming Projects Will Test Energy Efficiency Using Stockton Home. Energy wizards are coming to Stockton, where they'll retrofit hundreds of homes and create working laboratories to conduct experiments and unravel the mysteries of efficiency. The California Energy Commission awarded $3 million earlier this month to researchers pursuing two separate but related projects. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100830/A_NEWS/8300319/-1/a_news14 Report: High-Speed Train Good for Economy, Environment. Scientists say a California high-speed rail system will not only get you from San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three hours, but will create thousands of jobs and eliminate millions of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere. At least that’s what they're saying in a new report released by the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Irvine. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/report-high-speed-train-good-for-economy-environment-4401 AIR POLLUTION State: Fine Particles Kill 9,200 A Year. Fine particle pollution causes 9,200 premature deaths every year in California, the state Air Resources Board says -- a finding that the agency believes bolsters its push to reduce diesel emissions. The agency's report, released Tuesday and based on a recent assessment by the EPA, found that premature deaths from fine particulate matter -- bits from diesel exhaust and other sources far smaller than the width of a human hair -- could range as low as 7,300 a year to as high as 11,000. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/air-264539-fine-diesel.html http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=15811 http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16177 Clean Air Isn't Really Free. San Joaquin County may be the northernmost county in the San Joaquin Valley and enjoy its best air quality, but that doesn't mean county residents are going to escape penalties for poor Valley air. Penalties of $29 million will be levied by the San Joaquin Valley Pollution Control District because air pollution spiked last week, the result of blistering summer temperatures combined with tailpipe and smokestack emissions. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100901/A_OPINION01/9010317/-1/A_OPINION http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20100901/OPINION/9010311 Heat Waves Are Bad For (Even The Healthiest) Lungs. Listen to the Story. It's been the hottest summer on record in many cities on the East Coast. And with that blistering weather has come a lot of days of unhealthy air. On Wednesday, at least 75 areas from San Francisco to Portland, Maine, are warning their residents about high air pollution. In the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, local officials sent out more air pollution warnings this year than they had since 2002 — three Code Red, 26 Code Orange and more predicted on the way. Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128408621 Modesto Irrigation District Rejects Plant. Concerns about cost persuaded the Modesto Irrigation District to reject a plan for an $80 million plant that would turn orchard wood into electricity. Only two of the five directors supported a proposed biomass plant in the Beard Industrial District that mainly would burn wood chips from nut and fruit trees. More than 50 people filled the boardroom, many of them claiming that the plant would pollute the air and the power would cost MID ratepayers too much. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/31/1318725/modesto-irrigation-district-rejects.html#ixzz0yIHfgtYI Concerns Arise Over Sudden Changes to Calif. Chemical Review Panel. Sacramento, Ca - Five of the nine members on a panel that reviews chemicals and makes recommendations to the state have been dismissed. Those that have been hoping to see turnover on the panel, say it's a matter of putting in fresh eyes, while others feel the sudden changes are a result of pressure from industrial interests and will harm the panel's credibility and effectiveness. Posted. http://www.greenbiz.com/print/38153 DIESEL EMISSIONS ARB Concedes Error In Off-Road Truck Rule, Plans To Revise Regulation. The California Air Resources Board acknowledged something Tuesday that critics have been saying for months: the state vastly over-estimated the amount of diesel pollution emitted by big off-road construction vehicles. The error contained in an ARB computer model and compounded by a recession that idled far more trucks than expected, means…Posted. http://www.healthycal.org/arb-concedes-error-in-off-road-truck-rule-plans-to-revise-regulation.html/print/ California Slump Results In Lower Construction Emissions. California's sluggish economy has led to a sharp drop in greenhouse gas emissions from the state's struggling building industry, prompting regulators to consider a two-year delay in implementing pollution control rules for heavy construction equipment. Officials at the California Air Resources Board said Tuesday that their own studies have found that the number of bulldozers, front loaders and other heavy equipment has declined by about 25 percent with the recent construction downturn. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/01/v-print/2996833/california-slump-results-in-lower.html OPINION: Grading Cars' Fuel Economy Without A Curve. Is it just me, or is there something irritatingly nanny-state-ish about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to give letter grades to vehicles based on their fuel efficiency? It's one of two competing ideas for updating the window sticker that new cars and trucks must display on sales lots, starting with the 2012 models that arrive next year. The other proposal is just a more detailed version of the current edition. Posted. http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2010/08/grading-cars-fuel-economy-without-a-curve.html GAS NOZZLES Gas Pump Nozzle Glitch Prompts Calfire Mandate. More than a dozen complaints statewide of gas pump nozzles spraying gas unexpectedly have prompted a mandate from CalFire to disable automatic latches on a certain brand of nozzles. Browns Valley Chevron on First Street in Napa is one gas station where a customer complained of an incident, CalFire said. The agency has ordered gas stations using the Vapor System Technologies brand nozzle to remove the latches that hold the nozzles open by Oct. 15, officials said. Those who refuse risk being shut down. Posted. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_38b14dde-b585-11df-b20f-001cc4c03286.html?print=1 CARBON Carbon Trading Lurches off Course. In July 2007, the Australian Climate Exchange, known as the A.C.X., introduced the first electronic trading system for greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. Voluntary Emission Reductions, or VERs, generated by abatement projects verified by the government-sponsored Australian Greenhouse Office, had been introduced a few months earlier and initial business on the exchange was brisk. It set up a registry for Australian VER certificates and soon was also trading similar instruments from overseas. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/business/energy-environment/02iht-rentrade.html?src=busln VEHICLES Bill to Increase State Payments to Californians Who Retire High-Polluting Vehicles Sent To Governor. Legislation by Assemblyman Jerry Hill to increase the amount of money low-income Californians receive to retire smog-belching vehicles – from $1,000 to $1,500 – was approved last week by the Assembly and sent to the governor. Assembly Bill 787 would be paid for by reducing the amount the state provides to Californians to fix vehicles that fail a smog check. Posted. http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/181263 New Research Center to Develop Energy Efficient Trucks Opens In Pasadena. A state-funded research center that will work to develop energy efficient trucks broke ground Tuesday in Pasadena, with the goal of making vehicles 50 percent more efficient within the next decade, officials said. With a $3 million grant from the California Energy Commission, the new California Hybrid, Efficient and Advanced Truck Research Center (CalHEAT) will conduct research into new truck technologies that can reduce carbon emissions and use less gasoline - and make such technologies financially attractive to manufacturers. Posted. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_15954719#ixzz0yIHypW2u Autos: Fuel Economy Stickers Could Include Letter Grades on Eco-Impact. Will your new car get an A in fuel efficiency? A government proposal may add letter grades to showroom window stickers on new cars and trucks to reflect a vehicle's overall fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. The Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency said Monday they were considering two options to upgrade the energy and environmental information that will adorn labels on new vehicles in car dealership showrooms, beginning with the 2012 model year. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/editorials/ci_15942378?nclick_check=1 http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/30/1315945/updated-car-stickers-to-include.html http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/09/01/dealers_worry_car_grades_could_drive_sales_down/ Cleaner Cars, A to D. The Obama administration has proposed new stickers for cars and light trucks that will make it easier to see whether you are buying a fuel-efficient one or a guzzler, and how much it contributes to global warming. The stickers are a symbol of how far this country has come in providing a wider range of environmentally responsible choices to help ensure cleaner air and a healthier planet. The present labels, created three decades ago, display fuel economy estimates for city and highway driving. The administration is offering two possible variants, the winner to be chosen after a public comment period. Both would include the traditional miles-per-gallon metric plus an estimate of the vehicle’s greenhouse gas emissions, expressed in terms of grams per mile, as well as an estimate of annual fuel costs. One would assign a letter grade for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions, ranging from A+ to D. The other would not, but both systems would provide enough information for consumers to make sound choices. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/opinion/01wed3.html?_r=3&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print Commentary: Are You Smoke Testing Your Diesel Pickup? If you are based in California, own two or more diesel vehicles that you drive on the road that are the 2007 model year or older and are 6,001 pounds gross vehicle weight rating or greater, these vehicles need an annual smoke emission inspection. While long-haul truck operators have heard of the Periodic Smoke Inspection Program that has been in place for the past 18 years, it is news for most farmers and ranchers. Posted. http://www.cfbf.com/agalert/AgAlertStory.cfm?ID=1600&ck=9E984C108157CEA74C894B5CF34EFC44 FUELS Editorial: Ethanol Scheme Wrong On Many Levels. An ethanol manufacturing company that filed bankruptcy last year is ready to reopen two plants as soon as California's energy commission comes across with millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies. This is wrong in so many ways. Let's count a few: •The struggling corn-ethanol business was founded by a political ally of – and who also has been a large campaign contributor to – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor denies special treatment, as did a company spokesman, according to the Los Angeles Times, which reported the story Monday. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=264537 LANDFILLS Palo Alto And Los Altos Hills Find That Less Waste Leads To Higher Rates. For many people today, recycling habits are ingrained. An aluminum soda can, a plastic water bottle, a piece of paper -- it feels wrong to throw them into a trash can. And few would disagree those habits are good, that disposing less waste and conserving more are laudable goals. But even recycling efforts have a downside. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15958293?source=rss&nclick_check=1 MISCELLANEOUS Scientist's Firing After 36 Years Fuels 'PC' Debate at UCLA. A longtime professor at UCLA, told that he would not be rehired because his "research is not aligned with the academic mission" of his department, says he's being fired after 36 years at the prestigious school because his scientific beliefs are "politically incorrect." But UCLA says Dr. James Enstrom's politics have nothing to do with its decision. Enstrom, an epidemiologist at UCLA's School of Public Health, has a history of running against the grain. Posted. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/31/pc-professors-firing-fueling-exhaustive-debate/ http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x49332727/LOIS-HENRY-UCLA-letting-researcher-stay-for-now BLOGS California Legislature Passes Energy Storage Bill. The California Legislature has passed the nation’s first energy storage bill, which could result in the state’s utilities being required to bank a portion of the electricity they generate. Assembly Bill 2514 now heads to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has made climate change and green technology his political legacy as his final term winds down. Posted. http://theenergycollective.com/toddwoody/42696/california-legislature-passes-energy-storage-bill California Senate Tells Motorcyclists To Pipe Down. Motorcyclists who swap their bikes' stock exhaust systems for so-called loud pipes may be more likely to get a traffic ticket under a California bill that passed the Senate on Monday. SB 435, also known as the Motorcycle Anti-Tampering Act, gives law enforcement officials the ability to cite noise pollution violations under the California Vehicle Code, reinforcing a 27-year-old federal regulation that is rarely enforced. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/08/motorcycle-noise.html Fresh Air for Sale, in Hong Kong. Hong Kong — ‘‘Do your feeble breathing skills let you down? Does standing up tire you out?’’ The answer: Buy a breath or two of ‘‘Fresh Air’’ — the ‘‘revolutionary new product’’ that lets you experience breathing ‘‘like the rest of the world does.’’ It comes in a baby-blue canister complete with breathing mask, and in a variety of ‘‘flavors,’’ including vanilla and beach. And it can be yours for only 2 Hong Kong dollars, or about 25 cents. Posted.http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/fdcp/?1283365513234 How Bad Are The Next Few Years Going To Suck? The hot question in green circles these days is, "what next?" For the last decade, strategy has been built around getting a federal climate bill that would place a cap on carbon emissions. That attempt was supposed to culminate in success this year, but it didn't, so ... what next? There will be much to say along those lines in coming months. I hope to share words of inspiration and uplift, to stir minds with insight and hearts with passion. Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-09-01-how-bad-are-the-next-few-years-going-to-suck/PALL/print California Fails To Pass 33 Percent Renewable Standard, But Arnold May Intervene. At midnight, one of the most ambitious plans for renewable energy turned into a pumpkin. Debate was still going on when midnight rolled around. The California Legislature last night failed to pass SB 722, a bill that would have required California public utilities to obtain 33 percent of their power from "new renewables," i.e., solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass, but not large-scale hydroelectric dams. Posted. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/print/california-fails-to-pass-33-percent-renewable-standard-but-arnold-may-inter/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 12:48:48 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 2, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 2, 2010. 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. AB 32 Will Texas Oil Firms Succeed In Undoing California Greenhouse Gas Laws? Texas oil firms are backing a ballot initiative that would repeal the state's landmark 2006 greenhouse-gas reduction law. The mayor of Los Angeles is rallying Hispanic groups against the initiative. Los Angeles - A bit of a propaganda war is heating up in California over Proposition 23, a citizen’s initiative which could suspend the state’s landmark greenhouse gas reduction law. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/323364 Proposition 23 Is Needed to Save Jobs. The African American business community has long been wary of California's global warming law (AB 32) because of its potential negative impact on small businesses in the state. A large percentage of African American-owned businesses fall into precisely that category. Unfortunately, our instincts have proven correct. The independent Legislative Analyst has determined that AB 32 will increase energy costs and result in lost jobs. Posted. http://foxandhoundsdaily.com/print/7732 OPINION: Thomas Elias: Prop. 23: Strongest Effort Yet At Climate Change Denial. The Texas oil companies behind Proposition 23 don't call it an attempt to deny the existence of worldwide climate change. They just call the landmark 2006 California law they're essentially trying to repeal a "job killer." But this proposition, which would put AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, in abeyance until unemployment levels drop to 5.5 percent or lower for a full year, amounts to getting rid of the world's strongest effort to do something about climate change. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_15966309 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Southern California Panel To Consider Greenhouse Gas Targets. Sacramento - Officials with the planning agency that covers Riverside and San Bernardino counties projected earlier this year that the region could cut heat-trapping emissions from passenger vehicle travel by up to 6 percent by 2035. But at its meeting today in Los Angeles, members of the Southern California Association of Governments will consider endorsing state-proposed reduction targets more than twice as high, 13 percent, amid business complaints that the goal is unrealistic and will hurt the economy. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_growth02.310c4f2.html Climate of Uncertainty. Global warming science is still evolving; will future IPCC reports reflect that? On Monday an independent review found that the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has downplayed uncertainties surrounding climate science. The review also found that the IPCC needs more robust safeguards against conflicts of interest, that it had committed "unnecessary errors" by failing to meet its own standards …Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467004575463433671739148.html?mod=googlenews_wsj EDITORIAL: U.N. Agency Told To Cool Climate Advocacy. A consortium of national scientific academies has scolded the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for downplaying uncertainties about global warming, failing to point out when its claims of catastrophe were based on weak evidence and misrepresenting some findings as peer-reviewed by scientists, when they weren't. The findings of the InterAcademy Council investigation also criticized IPCC management, recommending the organization adopt a conflict-of-interest policy. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/ipcc-264715-warming-evidence.html AIR QUALITY CARB: Fine Particle Pollution Linked to Premature Death. A new California Air Resources Board report based on a U.S. EPA peer-reviewed study concluded that there is a causal relationship between exposure to fine particle pollution and premature death. The report found that about 9,000 people in California die prematurely each year as a result of exposure to fine particle pollution. "There is no question particulate pollution is causing premature deaths here in California and nationwide," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=71543 http://www.baycitizen.org/environment/story/arb-concedes-error-road-truck-rule-plans/ http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/56257 Railroad yard's Health Impacts Studied. San Bernardino – The BNSF rail yard has been deemed by the California Air Resources Board to pose the worst health risk among the state’s 18 rail yards. A $1 million AQMD grant will fund a study on the health impact of those living near the local yards. The Loma Linda School of Public Health has teamed up with an environmental justice organization for the 2-year study. Posted. http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=15827 COMMENTARY: Junk-Science Debunker Gets Axe. Many politicians and pundits pin the economic travails of California on our tax rates. However, my experience leads me to believe the No. 1 cause for the economic malaise of our once-great state emanates from our regulatory climate. Here is but one example: It is most unfortunate that few Californians are aware of the scandal surrounding the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which has been in the process of establishing a diesel engine rule that will require all engines in the state to be replaced twice in the next 10 years. Posted. http://www.lompocrecord.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_4cc28f00-b65b-11df-872a-001cc4c03286.html?print=1 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Environmentalists Stunned By Failures Of Key Measures In Legislature. Activists expected big gains, but a ban on plastic grocery bags, another on a chemical used in baby bottles and a bid to boost alternative energy fell short in the face of heavy industry opposition. Environmentalists were counting on big gains in Sacramento this summer, with a governor eager to burnish his green credentials in his final months in office. But by the time the legislative session ended at midnight Tuesday, those hopes had fizzled. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-environment-20100902,0,4985538,print.story FUELS OPINION: Ethanol Scheme Ready To Continue. THE POINT — Political favors shouldn’t be any part of this deal. An ethanol manufacturing company that filed bankruptcy last year is ready to reopen two plants as soon as California’s energy commission comes across with millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies. This is wrong in so many ways. Let’s count a few: >> The struggling corn-ethanol business was founded by a political ally of — and who also has been a large campaign contributor to — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Posted. http://www.oaoa.com/common/printer/view.php?db=odessa&id=52300 VEHICLES GM Announces Pricing for CNG Powered Chevrolet Express & GMC Savana. General Motors (GM) has Tuesday made public pricing details for it’s fully integrated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) option for Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans. “The comprehensive pricing offers a one-stop shop for a complete CNG system,” says a media report published by GM yesterday. Posted. http://www.nitrobahn.com/news/gm-announces-pricing-for-cng-powered-chevrolet-express-gmc-savana/print/ BLOGS Catalina Ferry From Newport Harbor Might Suspend Operations, Citing State Air Laws. The Catalina Flyer, a popular 500-passenger catamaran that makes daily trips to Santa Catalina Island from the Balboa Pavilion, may halt operations for a few months to buy and install a new engine that complies with a state environmental law. Bob Black, general manager for the tour boat company, said that unless he's able to find a catamaran to lease, he may suspend service to Avalon as early as Sept. 12. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/catalina-ferry-might-suspend-operations-citing-state-air-laws.html Mayor Villaraigosa: 'Go Home, Texas Oil Companies!'. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday rebuked Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp., which operate refineries in Wilmington, for bankrolling a measure that would effectively scuttle the state's efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/global-warming-prop-23-california-climate-change.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2010 10:59:08 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 3, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 3, 2010. 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. AB 32 What Would Proposition 23 Cost Us? In its August 30 edition, The Tribune gave space to Pismo Beach City Councilman Ed Waage to list his reasons why California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32, should be suspended by the oil industry-supported ballot initiative known as Proposition 23 (“Boost economy by voting for Proposition 23”). Posted. http://calcoastnews.com/2010/09/what-would-proposition-23-cost-us/ CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Inland Business Leaders Want Greenhouse-Gas Cuts Suspended. Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone, joined by local business leaders, urged voters Thursday to support the suspension of California's greenhouse gas law. The 2006 law, known as AB 32, requires that the state reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Opponents of the law say the enormous investments needed to comply with AB 32 will kill jobs and burden local businesses. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_prop03.b2dc9.html Koch Firm Donates $1 Million To Campaign To Suspend Climate Change Law. A company headed by oil billionaires Charles and David Koch have contributed $1 million to the campaign to rollback the state's landmark climate change law. Filings with the California Secretary of the State show that Flint Hills Resources, a wholly owned subsidiary of oil conglomerate Koch Industries Inc., made the contribution to the Yes on 23 Committee on Thursday. Tesoro Co., a San Antonio-based oil refiner, also contributed $1 million to the pro-Proposition 23 committee on Thursday. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/03/3003630/koch-firm-donates-1-million-to.html#ixzz0yU9iHCUv U.S. Affirms 17% Climate Target; Envoys Cite Progress on `Green Fund'. The U.S. failure to pass cap-and- trade legislation won’t change its target for 2020 to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by roughly 17 percent, climate negotiator Todd Stern said today. The House approved a bill last year to set limits on carbon dioxide linked to global warming and create a market in pollution allowances. The bill, supported by President Barack Obama, stalled in the Senate. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-09-03/u-s-affirms-17-climate-target-envoys-cite-progress-on-green-fund-.html OPINION: Next In Combating Climate Change. We’ve all heard that something needs to be done about global warming but may have wondered what concrete steps were being taken. How do we reduce greenhouse gases and turn down the heat? California became a leader in climate change policy when it passed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which called for a reduction of greenhouse gases back to 1990 levels by the year 2020 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Posted. http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/commentary/article_2ce43fda-b723-11df-8779-001cc4c03286.html?print=1 OPINION: Hicks: We'd Rather Not Let The Facts Get In The Way Of A Good Opinion. This just in -- and it's a biggie: Someone with a public stance on a controversial issue has changed his mind. Danish political scientist and statistician Bjorn Lomborg -- a supposedly famous (no, really) skeptic of climate change -- has reversed his position that any climate change that was really happening wasn't worth the effort to combat. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_15975464 http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/09/bjorn-lomborg-climate-changes-mind/1 AIR POLLUTION Texas Coal Plant’s 50,000 Air Pollution Violations Lead to Legal Challenge. Action Taken After Texas Agency Ignores Problem and Fails to Act. More than 50,000 air pollution violations at the massive Martin Lake coal-fired power plant led the Sierra Club, represented by Earthjustice and Environmental Integrity Project, to file a lawsuit today in federal court against plant owner Luminant (formerly TXU). Posted. http://yubanet.com/usa/Texas-Coal-Plant-s-50-000-Air-Pollution-Violations-Lead-to-Legal-Challenge.php SCAG Rejects Air Pollution Reduction Targets. The Southern California Association of Governments on Thursday rejected stronger greenhouse gas emission reduction targets recommended by the state's clean air agency. The standards set by the California Air Resources Board aimed to help reduce air pollution. The board requested that greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles be reduced by 6 percent by 2020 and by 13 percent by 2035. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15977584?nclick_check=1 http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/sep/02/builders-environmentalists-split-on-decision-on/ http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15975758?nclick_check=1 http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9I0GNK81.htm Valley Businesses to Foot Bill for $29 Million Ozone Fine. Businesses across the Central Valley can expect higher fees from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District because of a violation of an ozone standard. The violation of the one-hour ozone standard was recorded last week due to a spike in back-to-school traffic, triple-digit temperatures and smoke from area fires. As a result, the Central Valley is on the hook for a $29 million fine this year and every year until the standard is met. Posted. http://www.turnto23.com/south_county/24863281/detail.html http://www.turnto23.com/news/24856550/detail.html GREEN/ENERGY Solar Projects Still Sorting Out Tortoises' Fate. BrightSource Energy Co. has pounded hundreds of wooden surveyor stakes into the earth in northeast San Bernardino County while awaiting final decisions from state and federal agencies on whether to turn 5.6 square miles of public land into a solar energy plant. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_solar03.4df0585.html TIRE CHECK California Now Requires Tire Pressure Checks. California automobile service providers are now required to check tire pressures for every vehicle being maintained or repaired at their facility. The regulation, issued by the California Air Resources Board, applies to auto maintenance/repair providers but not to auto parts distributers/retailers, auto body/paint facilities, auto glass installers or wreckers/dismantlers. It went into effect September 1, 2010. Posted. http://www.autoserviceworld.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000384293 EDITORIAL: The EPA's New Gas-Mileage Labels Are Good but Not Perfect. THE ENVIRONMENTAL Protection Agency is asking for comments on its proposed new gas mileage stickers for automobiles -- so here's ours. On the whole, both of the agency's two suggested alternative stickers represent much-needed improvement over current fuel-economy labeling. They more clearly and brightly inform consumers of exactly how much fuel the various models can be expected to consume, how much greenhouse gases they can be expected to emit and how they perform in comparison to similar models. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/02/AR2010090204526.html FUELS Chicken Waste As Fuel Source Gets Initial OK. A private company's plan to use chicken waste to power an energy generation project south of the city of Sonoma cleared a preliminary hurdle Thursday. In a 10-minute special meeting, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors gave its consent to financing the project through $35 million in state-issued bonds. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100902/ARTICLES/100909859/1350?Title=Chicken-waste-as-fuel-source-gets-initial-OK MISCELLANEOUS Scientist's Firing After 36 Years Fuels 'PC' Debate at UCLA. A longtime professor at UCLA, told that he would not be rehired because his "research is not aligned with the academic mission" of his department, says he's being fired after 36 years at the prestigious school because his scientific beliefs are "politically incorrect." But UCLA says Dr. James Enstrom's politics have nothing to do with its decision. Posted. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/31/pc-professors-firing-fueling-exhaustive-debate/ BLOGS Up In The Air...In An All-Electric Plane. The electric Cri-Cri airplane was airborne Thursday – for all of seven minutes. The 4-engine aircraft, from Airbus parent corporation EADS, is the first of its kind. Its maiden flight took place at Le Bourget airport near Paris. The flight was smooth, the company said, and quiet. The plane has lithium batteries and four electric prop motors that don’t emit carbon dioxide like standard aircraft. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/cri-cri-electric-plane.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Another Item for Climate Panel’s To-Do List. A committee convened by the InterAcademy Council, the association of the world’s leading national science academies, delivered a long to-do list to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on Monday, including steps ranging from limiting the term and policy recommendations of its leadership to fostering more transparency in its machinations and being more careful to describe the science determining the strength, or weakness, of particular conclusions. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/another-item-for-climate-panels-to-do-list/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2010 12:28:35 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 8, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 8, 2010. 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. AB 32 Global Warming Bill A Lose-Lose Issue For GOP Candidates. Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina have wavered on Proposition 23, trying to appease their conservative base without alienating independent voters. Fiorina finally came out in favor of it last week. A November ballot measure that would rescind California's landmark global warming bill until unemployment drops significantly has become an albatross for the Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0908-gop-global-20100908,0,7904633,print.story Climate Law Defender Challenges Texas Oil Refiner To Debate Stand On Referendum. The hedge fund manager in charge of a coalition formed to defend California's climate change law from a ballot measure that would suspend it challenged the CEO of Valero Energy Corp. yesterday to a public debate on the merits of the referendum. Tom Steyer, co-managing partner of Farallon Capital Management, sent a letter to Valero CEO William Klesse demanding a campaign-style face-off that would pit Steyer against the executive "at a date and time of your choosing" before the November election, wrote Steyer in the letter. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/08/2 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’s Obama's Climate Image Blurs As He Nears Last Half Of Presidential Term. Barack Obama was considered a climate change savior 20 months ago, rushing into the White House with promises to price carbon, accelerate renewable energy technology and participate in a worldwide effort against global warming. He was a champion to environmentalists and sometimes described the atmospheric impacts of unregulated emissions as a threat to his own family. Global warming, he said in 2007, is not "a someday problem; it is now." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/08/1 Studies: Climate Change Threatens Bees, Flowers, Food. Climate change could threaten how flowering plants are pollinated and crops are irrigated, both of which could affect food security, according to two studies released this week. New Canadian research suggests climate change may be causing flowers to open before bees wake up from hibernation, so that the bees don't get early nectar and the flowers aren't pollinated. The findings could apply to a wide range of flowering plants such as tomatoes and strawberries. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/09/climate-change-threatens-bees-flowers-food/1 Carbon Permits in Northeast May Hit 'Floor' Price at Auction. Carbon dioxide permits to be auctioned today in the U.S. Northeast will probably sell at or near the minimum bid of $1.86 each amid weak demand for the pollution rights, an emissions broker and an analyst said. Permits in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap- and-trade program for power plants, sold at the last auction in June for $1.88 eachPosted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/09/08/bloomberg1376-L8E0AY0D9L3401-5C3L6RLQSBU8LET13GIBPPEDUR.DTL&type=printable New Carbon Markets May Pose 'Serious Challenge' to UN Program -- The lack of progress on climate talks may prompt nations to consider new programs posing a "serious challenge" to the world's second-largest emissions market, a top envoy at the United Nations said. Fragmentation of the UN-overseen Clean Development Mechanism "is maybe unavoidable, but it's not a scenario to which we look forward," chief climate negotiator Christiana Figueres told a conference in New Delhi. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/09/08/bloomberg1376-L8F2D96S972B01-7G2FATQ2JMO5OR7KM27VKMVBQP.DTL&type=printable VEHICLES Green Grades For Cars Rankle Auto Industry. When federal agencies proposed new ways of labeling fuel economy last week, they set the stage for a debate: As Americans shop for cars, how will they consider the climate change impact? U.S. EPA and the Department of Transportation issued two new designs for the fuel-economy stickers affixed to the windows of new cars. The designs aren't final -- they won't appear until the auto class of 2012, and the agencies have requested public input during the next two months. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/07/2 Editorial: Letter Grades For Cars Flunk. Given the difficulties facing the auto industry, one would think the U.S. government would ease off the accelerator on absurd new regulations until cars started rolling more quickly off dealer lots. The government itself still owns much of General Motors and Chrysler. Instead, the federal Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation are considering new vehicle mileage ratings. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/cars-265401-system-new.html?nstrack=sid:236427|met:102|cat:675991|order:3 PORTS Long Beach Port Pushes Ahead with Hybrid Tugs. The Port of Long Beach, CA is using a $1 million grant from the California Air Resources Board to add a second hybrid tugboat that will operate in Southern California’s San Pedro Bay. Foss Maritime Company, one of the largest tug and barge operators on the West Coast, built the first hybrid tugboat, the Carolyn Dorothy in 2008 and launched it at Long Beach last year. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/09/long-beach-port-pushes-ahead-with-hybrid-tugs/ GREEN ENERGY/ENERGY With Washington Pressing for Wind Energy, Companies Fight Over Infrastructure Investments. Utilities Grapple With How to Pay For, Install Lines to Move Wind Energy From West to East. By now, the Obama administration has made clear it wants to ramp up the use of renewable energy, calling it a key to the nation’s leadership in the 21st century. And some in Congress are hoping to pass a federal renewable energy standard, requiring the production of more wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy. Posted. http://washingtonindependent.com/96856/with-washington-pressing-for-wind-energy-companies-fight-over-infrastructure-investments# MISCELLANEOUS Utilities Will Cut SF6 Releases. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) reports that it worked with representatives of electrical utilities to develop a new measure to reduce emissions of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) from high-voltage electrical applications. SF6 is the most powerful GHG, with a global warming potential (GWP) of 23,900 times the potency of CO2. Since SF6 is highly unreactive, it is also highly persistent. Posted. http://enviro.blr.com/environmental-news/air/CAA-air-regulations/Utilities-Will-Cut-SF6-Releases/ Head To Head: Would Obama's Proposed Bank, Stimulus Be Good For California? THE ISSUE: President Barack Obama has proposed a $50 billion spending package for building roads, railways and runways. He also proposed to establish a national infrastructure bank to leverage local, state and private investment in infrastructure with a capital base provided initially by the federal government. Pia Lopez: Yes. We've got congested and crumbling highways, leaky water pipes, fragile levees, aging sewer systems. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/08/v-print/3011765/head-to-head-would-obamas-proposed.html Canada Publishes Ethanol Regulations, Biodiesel Requirements Pending. The Canadian government recently finalized regulations that will require gasoline to contain 5 percent renewable fuel content starting on Dec. 15. However, regulations relating to renewable content in diesel and heating oil are still pending. According to information released by the Environment Canada, regulations requiring diesel heating oil to contain 2 percent renewable content will be enacted once the technical feasibility of the policy is demonstrated under a full range of Canadian conditions. Posted. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=4378 Old Farmer's Almanac: Global Cooling To Continue. Dublin, N.H. - Most of the country will see a colder-than-usual winter while summer and spring will be relatively cool and dry, according to the time-honored, complex calculations of the "Old Farmer's Almanac." The 2011 issue of the almanac, which claims to be the nation's oldest continuously published periodical, was released Tuesday. It predicts that in the coming months, the Earth will continue to see a "gradual cooling of the atmosphere ... offset by any warming caused by increased greenhouse gases.” Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/09/08/national/a023101D91.DTL&type=printable BLOGS Does The RES Stand A Chance? As you may have heard, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) dropped a hint last week that he may still try to get a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) into the Senate energy bill. According to Reid, there are two Republicans talking about supporting it, one of them likely Sam Brownback (R-Kansas). The RES in question would presumably be the one that passed the Energy Committee in June of last year, which is extremely ... modest, to put it charitably. Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-09-07-does-the-res-stand-a-chance/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2010 14:07:25 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 4-7, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 4-7, 2010. 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. ENERGY COMMISSION Big California Solar Energy Push Moves Forward - California Commission Oks 1st In A Series Of Projects Proposed For State's Deserts. California's long-awaited boom in solar power plant construction took a major step forward Wednesday when state regulators approved the first in a string of projects that will soon blanket thousands of acres of desert with mirrors harnessing the energy of the sun. Posted. http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-08-26/business/22235363_1_renewable-energy-solar-projects-electricity-from-renewable-sources http://inspiredeconomist.com/tag/california-energy-commission/ Solar Projects Still Sorting Out Tortoises' Fate. BrightSource Energy Co. has pounded hundreds of wooden surveyor stakes into the earth in northeast San Bernardino County while awaiting final decisions from state and federal agencies on whether to turn 5.6 square miles of public land into a solar energy plant. With hundreds of millions in federal stimulus dollars at stake, time is critical to BrightSource. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/environment/stories/PE_News_Local_D_solar03.4df0585.html Spotlight On San Diego Gas & Electric - A Q&A With Lee Krevat. Leading up to the Smart Grid Summit next month, this is the first in a series of Q&A interviews I’ll be doing with our speakers. This interview was conducted with one of our featured keynote speakers, Lee Krevat, director of SDG&E’s smart grid programs. ... SDG&E received $10 million in grants from the Department of Energy and California Energy Commission (News - Alert) for a microgrid project in Borrego Springs, a progressive desert community with a high concentration of solar energy. Posted. http://smart-grid.tmcnet.com/topics/smart-grid-fa/articles/99995-spotlight-san-diego-gas-electric-qa-with-lee.htm APPLIANCE REBATE PROGRAM CA’s Cash for Appliances Rebate Program Expanded. The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently voted to expand its Cash for Appliances rebate program, offering savings on a wider range of new, energy-efficient appliances. The expanded program, now called California Cash for Appliances PLUS, adds qualifying energy-efficient dishwashers, freezers, water heaters and heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to existing rebates on qualifying refrigerators, clothes washers and room air conditioners. Posted. http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=5298 Funds Still Available In AL's Appliance Rebate Program. If you recently bought or plan to buy a new Energy Star-labeled appliance, you may be eligible for an unexpected bonus: a $25 to $150 rebate. Doni Ingram, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, said $1.8 million in rebates remain available for residents. The Alabama Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate program was launched in April to encourage residents to replace old inefficient appliances that are costly to operate with new energy-efficient models. Posted. http://www.wsfa.com/global/story.asp?s=13096745 Some Floridians Still Waiting On Appliance Rebates. About 7,000 rebates for appliances Floridians bought in April still have to be mailed, the state said this week. It could be near the end of September before everyone who applied for a rebate toward the cost of refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, single-room air conditioners and tankless gas water heaters receives their cash. Posted. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/03/1806856/some-floridians-still-waiting.html ARRA / GREEN JOBS Fiorina Decides She Has A Position On Prop. 23. Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina, who repeatedly refused to take a stand on Proposition 23 during a Wednesday debate, said today she is backing the measure. In a statement, Fiorina called it "a Band-Aid fix and an imperfect solution," but she said she's supporting it anyway. Proposition 23 would suspend implementation of the state's landmark climate change law until unemployment dropped to 5.5 percent or less for a full year. Posted. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/09/fiorina-says-shell-back-prop-2.html http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/04/3005084/fiorina-calls-prop-23-imperfect.html http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9I0M3G00.htm Chevron May Be Seeking Exemption From State Environmental Laws For Its Refinery Rebuilding Project. One of Northern California's largest polluters may be trying to orchestrate a last-minute deal with Sacramento lawmakers to evade state environmental laws, potentially increasing its toxic emissions and skirting two court rulings. For five years, Chevron has been trying to rebuild and upgrade its Richmond refinery in Contra Costa County. But environmental and community groups sued, arguing that the company was concealing plans to process heavier grades of crude oil, which can increase pollution. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16002145 Report Says Heat, Not Smart Meters, Hiked Bills. After Pacific Gas & Electric, the giant California utility, began installing smart meters in the state’s Central Valley, the company was swamped with complaints from residents that their utility bills had increased. But an independent review of the smart meters released Thursday found that the devices were functioning properly and attributed the high charges to a heat wave last year that coincided with their installation as well as poor customer service by P.G.&.E. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/report-says-heat-not-smart-meters-hiked-bills/ OIL/ GASOLINE / ALTERNATIVE FUELS Gas Prices Headed Lower. The expected post-Labor Day drop in gasoline prices may have started early. The average retail price of gas in Sacramento fell 4.2 cents to $2.96 per gallon over the past week, according to data released today by SactoGasPrices.com, a GasBuddy.com website. The local price was 7.7 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and 15.4 cents lower than a month ago. Nationally, the average price edged down 0.2 cents a gallon to $2.68, down 9.3 cents from last month. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/07/3010719/gas-prices-headed-lower.html http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/08/30/daily74.html Crude Oil Falls for a Second Day on Speculation U.S. Fuel Demand Will Drop. Oil dropped for a second day in New York on speculation fuel demand will decline as the U.S. summer peak consumption season ends. Yesterday’s Labor Day holiday marked the end of the peak driving season. Refiners often idle units for maintenance in September and October as gasoline demand drops and before heating-oil use increases. U.S. crude inventories last week rose to the highest level since June, the Energy Department said. Motor fuel supplies are about 10 percent higher than last year. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-07/crude-oil-falls-for-a-second-day-on-speculation-u-s-fuel-demand-will-drop.html BP Oil Well Declared To Be No Longer A Threat To Gulf. With the replacement of the failed blowout preventer and a cement plug in place, the well's seal is almost permanent, the federal spill response chief says. The final step will be to plug the well from the bottom. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-oil-spill-20100905,0,449685.story TRANSPORTATION U.S. Plays Catch-Up On High-Speed Rail. Spanish trains whisk passengers from Madrid to Barcelona in little more than two and one-half hours. Japan has bullet trains. China is building a vast network of high-speed rail routes, including the recently opened line between Guangzhou and Wuhan, which covers 1,070 kilometers at the world’s fastest average speed. Soon, perhaps, the United States, with the world’s largest economy will also clamber on board. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/business/energy-environment/06green.html When It Comes to Car Batteries, Moore’s Law Does Not Compute. Silicon Valley may be an epicenter of the nascent electric car industry, but don’t expect the battery revolution to mimic the computer revolution, one of I.B.M.’s top energy storage scientists advises. “Forget Moore’s Law — it’s nothing like that,” said Winfried Wilcke, senior manager for I.B.M.’s Battery 500 project, referring to the maxim put forward by Gordon Moore, an Intel founder, that computer processing power doubles roughly every two yearsPosted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/when-it-comes-to-car-batteries-moores-law-does-not-compute/?pagemode=print RENEWABLE ENERGY / ENERGY EFFICIENCY California Agency Approves Grants Aimed at Adding Solar, Cutting Costs. The California Public Utilities Commission has approved nine grants totaling up to $14.6 million to improve solar photovoltaic manufacturing and development and to promote solar-related business innovation. The projects include work focused on integrating more solar electricity into the state's grid and reducing the cost of solar energy. Posted. http://sunpluggers.com/news/california-agency-approves-grants-aimed-at-adding-solar-cutting-costs-0897 Solar Ranking Shines Brighter - SMUD Adds 20 Megawatts To U.S. Database, Making Region Tops In Per-Capita Capacity. Leaders behind a movement to strengthen the Sacramento region’s clean-energy technology industry are celebrating a power boost this week. Additional solar systems in Sacramento County, with a capacity of 20.2 megawatts, that had not been accounted for were added to a national database this week. That put the six-county region’s solar capacity ahead of the seven-county Bay Area in per-capita installed photovoltaic capacity. Posted. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/09/06/story2.html?b=1283745600^3896651 Greenest State Behind The Waste-To-Energy Race. Government officials from around the world used to come to this port city to catch a glimpse of the future: Two-story piles of trash would disappear into a furnace and eventually be transformed into electricity to power thousands of homes. Nowadays, it's U.S. officials going to Canada, Japan and parts of Western Europe to see the latest advances. The Long Beach plant, for all its promise when it began operations roughly 20 years ago, still churns out megawatts. Posted. http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/09/05/1156982_california-falls-behind-in-waste.html Consumer Reports Energy Investigation: Five Steps to Make the U.S.A. Global Leader in Energy Efficiency. The U.S. energy consumption per capita was at its lowest level in 41 years last year. Americans have bought more energy efficient lightbulbs and appliances, run their air conditioners less and even line dry their clothes. So why does the U.S. use more energy than most other countries? Consumer Reports surveyed more than 1,500 American homeowners about their experiences of becoming more energy efficient over the past 12 months - turns out that it's harder than it should be. Posted. http://www.bradenton.com/2010/09/07/2555670/consumer-reports-energy-investigation.html WATER ISSUES Suits Fight Pumping From Kern Water Bank. A story worthy of Hollywood will soon unfold in California courtrooms - allegations of government corruption and corporate greed to rival the infamous Los Angeles water grab that inspired the film "Chinatown." Call it "Chinatown II," a tale beginning 15 years ago - when, according to lawsuits filed in the past three months, the state illegally turned over the publicly owned Kern Water Bank to an agency controlled by giant corporations in a backroom deal. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/06/3008084/suits-fight-pumping-from-kern.html GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS / CLIMATE CHANGE Initiative To Suspend State Climate Law Gets $1 Million. An oil company headed by conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch has contributed $1 million to the campaign to suspend the state's landmark climate change law. Flint Hills Resources does not have any oil interests in California but is a big opponent of climate change legislation around the country. On Thursday, the Kansas-based refining and chemicals manufacturer threw its weight behind Proposition 23, the ballot initiative that seeks to suspend California's greenhouse gas reduction law until the economy improves. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/04/3004941/initiative-to-suspend-state-climate.html http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop-23-koch-20100904,0,969078.story EDITORIAL / OPINION / COMMENTARY EDITORIAL: Wind Farms And The Radar Problem. Wind farms interfere with commercial and military radar systems. That's stalling some projects, but it doesn't have to. Increasing the amount of electricity we get from renewable sources such as the sun and wind is a national priority and a state mandate. Among the many obstacles to getting that done — opposition to new transmission lines, worries that solar plants will harm endangered species, conflicts over land use — one has until recently remained largely off the public radar screen. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-radar-20100907,0,1881109.story Editorial: Unsolved Coal Ash Problem. In December 2008, a gigantic storage pond belonging to the Tennessee Valley Authority near Kingston, Tenn., effectively burst at the seams, spilling a billion gallons of mainly toxic coal ash from a T.V.A. power plant into surrounding lands and rivers. It was the perfect moment to right a long-festering environmental wrong. The Environmental Protection Agency promised tough new regulations governing the disposal of coal ash. Industry complained. The White House hesitated. Nothing happened. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/opinion/06mon4.html?th&emc=th EDITORIAL: A Necessary Moratorium. Last Thursday’s fire on a shallow-water oil production platform in the Gulf of Mexico claimed no lives and has caused no environmental damage. It was, however, a nerve-racking reminder that extracting fossil fuels is an inherently dangerous business. As such, it was a very good argument for maintaining the present moratorium on deep-water drilling in the gulf and removing it only when industry has met the standards the administration set forth in the spring. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/opinion/07tue1.html?th&emc=th OPINION: California Water War Still Unsettled. Any claim by Capitol politicians that the just-concluded 2009-10 session of the Legislature was a success rests on a complex water package that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislators hammered out late last year. Schwarzenegger praised it effusively, saying he was "so proud of the Legislature" and hailing it as an example of bipartisanship. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/05/3006707/dan-walters-california-water-war.html OPINION: U.S. Banks On Clean Energy To Restore Our Industrial Leadership. For decades it has been clear that the way Americans produce and consume energy is not sustainable. Our addiction to foreign oil and fossil fuels puts our economy, our national security and our environment at risk. The nation that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15980634?nclick_check=1 COMMENTARY: California's Prop. 23, Backed By Oil Giants With A Lot To Lose, Needs To Go Down In Flames. It's up to voters to save the state from big oil interests. I don't mean to disturb your holiday weekend just when you're trying to scrub that grease off the barbecue grill. But I thought now was a good time to remind you that in two months, you'll have an important choice to make about the air you breathe. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0905-lopezcolumn-20100905,0,2384559.column ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 12:43:28 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 9, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 9, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Four States Prepare Legal Assault On California's Climate Law. The attorneys general of at least four states are preparing to sue California if the state’s landmark law limiting greenhouse gas emissions survives a challenge at the ballot box this November. The attorneys general of Alabama, Nebraska, Texas and North Dakota have been devising a legal strategy to challenge the California act, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, on the grounds that it interferes with the right to freely conduct interstate commerce, according to Wayne Stenehjem, the attorney general of North Dakota. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/four-states-prepare-legal-assault-californias-climate-law-4564 Don't Make Mistakes With SB 375. California needs high quality jobs, new manufacturing facilities and small business growth. Rational state environmental policy, supported by economic impacts analysis, will help us achieve these goals. Unfortunately, the state is implementing another expensive environmental program that drags the economy farther down. SB 375, passed into law two years ago, seeks bold greenhouse gas emission reductions by controlling regional planning policies. Posted. http://foxandhoundsdaily.com/print/7777 Imperial County’s Regional Planning Group Against Greenhouse Gas Reduction Proposal. Greenhouse gas reductions standards are too strict, according to the Southern California Association of Governments. The group, which represents Imperial and five other Southern California counties, voted last week against a recently announced proposal for future greenhouse gas emissions. California Air Resources Board staff recommended an 8 percent reduction by 2020 for the 21 million people that live within SCAG’s sphere of influence. Posted. http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2010/09/09/local_news/news03.prt Dan Morain: Oil Moguls Spend Big To Gut Clean Air Law. David and Charles Koch, billionaire oil men from Kansas, can't stop dabbling in California politics. David lives in New York, where he donates to museums and opera. Charles lives in Wichita, and doles out millions to colleges. But the Kochs are not your run-of-the-mill billionaire philanthropists. They are heavily involved in an unusual brand of conservative, free-market, libertarian politics, which draws them to California. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/09/v-print/3014974/oil-moguls-spend-big-to-gut-clean.html http://washingtonindependent.com/97018/koch-brothers-spend-big-to-derail-greenhouse-gas-law-in-california Chevron Sits Out Big Oil's Prop. 23 Fight. Millions are spent by Texas oil companies and Koch brothers--but not a drop from CA's oil giant. In the battle over Proposition 23, the most interesting action is taking place on the sidelines. The proposition would suspend AB 32, California's landmark climate change law, until unemployment in the state is below 5.5 percent for a year. The campaign is being funded with millions from out-of-state oil companies Tesoro and Valero – and now the Tea Party-funding Koch brothers. Posted. http://www.baycitizen.org/elections-2010/story/chevron-sits-out-texas-oils-prop-23/print/ http://www.newswise.com/articles/prop-23-creates-legal-turmoil-reduces-state-revenue-cuts-jobs Environmental Law Being Tested. Frustrated by environmental reviews, businesses are employing a new tactic to speed development: asking legislators for exemptions from the rules. The latest example appears to be an expansion of Chevron's Richmond refinery. The refinery's fate is tied up in closed-door talks involving the oil company, environmentalists, local leaders and Sacramento legislators trying to resolve a yearslong quarrel over the project on San Francisco Bay. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/09/EDTE1FAH7M.DTL&type=printable Do Higher Electricity Prices Drive Away Manufacturing Jobs? California's "Global Warming Solutions Act," AB32, mandates reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Will this cost jobs? Before I talk about California's AB32, permit me to advertise my "Wayne's World" style TV appearance in Seattle. Watch it here . Climatopolis is "officially" published tomorrow. I'm excited about that. Returning to California's unilateral effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, I'm quoted here saying that this legislation will cost California manufacturing jobs. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/324507 San Francisco Bay: $5m For Cleaner Air Will Have Little Impact. Residents in the San Francisco Bay Area are exposed to unhealthy levels of smog and particulate matter. Having allocated $5m to fund electric vehicle charging points in the area, a government agency is seeking to tap into electric vehicles as a cleaner alternative to traditional motors. However, $5m is too little funding to develop a suitable infrastructure. Residents in San Francisco enjoy a number of advantages when buying an electric car. Posted. http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4484022# World Bank's Climate Change Envoy Steers Around Hot-Button Issues. Ask Andrew Steer, the World Bank's new climate change envoy, what he thinks of his institution's controversial recent decision to help build the world's fourth-dirtiest coal plant in South Africa, and he hedges. "My job is not to give a personal opinion on things," Steer finally says. His thoughts on a sensitive proposal to calculate the environmental and social costs of carbon emissions in all new project assessments? That's for World Bank shareholders to decide, Steer maintains. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/09/09/09climatewire-world-banks-climate-change-envoy-steers-arou-12297.html?pagewanted=print CAP AND TRADE Conservatives Wield Cap And Trade As Anti-Government Weapon. Riding a wave of anger at big government and perceived out-of-control spending, conservative Republicans are using cap and trade as the latest weapon in their campaigns against Democrats and even moderate Republicans. Candidates in Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky are all using cap and trade to boost their profiles. Republicans who voted for the House energy bill, which included cap-and-trade provisions, are being assailed by conservative opponents. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/09/8 AIR POLLUTION California Takes New Look At Diesel Rules. California’s air-quality enforcers dramatically overstated the impact of soot from diesel construction equipment, at least in part because the state’s abrupt economic decline idled thousands of vehicles. Controlling the emissions from off-road diesel equipment – including the vehicles used in heavy construction – has been the subject of debate for years at the Air Resources Board. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z4aavnmdl2pgh4&xid=z49s2hbpp9llve&done=.z4aavnmdl3cgh4# http://inhabitat.com/2010/09/09/greener-tech-could-eliminate-9000-pollution-deaths-in-california/ http://green.autoblog.com/2010/09/08/carb-finds-fine-particle-pollution-leads-to-9-000-premature-deat/ Editorial: Will Paper Mill Foul Our Air? Not In 2010. Details are scarce as the city negotiates. Even so, the announcement that Southwest Paper USA, a somewhat mysterious start-up manufacturer of paper products, is considering investing in a major plant at Redding’s Stillwater Business Park is an extraordinary piece of good news. New “primary” jobs? Check. A payoff on the millions that the public has sunk into Stillwater? Check. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/sep/08/will-paper-mill-foul-our-air-not-in-2010/?print=1 GREEN ENERGY/ENERGY Rancho Cordova Energy Firm To Add 150 Jobs With $30 Million In Stimulus Funding. More than 150 new green jobs will be created in the Sacramento area thanks to $30 million in new federal stimulus funding. The U.S. Energy Department on Wednesday selected Clean Energy Systems Inc. of Rancho Cordova for the stimulus money for its work on zero-emission power plant technology. The award is the latest for the local clean tech sector, which has received more than $280 million in stimulus funds since 2009. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/09/v-print/3015216/rancho-cordova-energy-firm-to.html http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4482680 Union Accuses China of Illegal Clean Energy Subsidies. Hong Kong — The United Steelworkers union filed a legal case with the Obama administration on Thursday morning, accusing China of violating World Trade Organization rules by subsidizing exports of clean energy equipment to the United States. The filing, more than 5,000 pages long and 18 inches thick, contends that the central government in Beijing and China’s provincial governments have used land grants, low-interest loans and dozens of other measures that violate W.T.O. rules. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/business/energy-environment/10steel.html?_r=1&src=me&pagewanted=print On Clean Energy, China Skirts Rules. Changsha, China — Until very recently, Hunan Province was known mainly for lip-searing spicy food, smoggy cities and destitute pig farmers. Mao was born in a village on the outskirts of Changsha, the provincial capital here in south-central China. Now, Changsha and two adjacent cities are emerging as a center of clean energy manufacturing. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/business/global/09trade.html?sq=energy&st=cse&scp=2&pagewanted=print Making Energy Awareness Month a Boon for Green Initiatives. Sustainability leaders should consider sponsoring employee activities in October for Energy Awareness Month. Energy Awareness Month, created in 1991 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), promotes energy awareness and energy savings. Increasingly, corporations, institutions, and governmental agencies are participating by launching their own internal programs. An energy awareness program offers sustainability and energy teams a number of benefits. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS381139883820100909 VEHICLES Groups Launch Campaign For 60 Mpg Fuel Standard. A coalition of environmental and consumer groups is urging the Obama administration to raise automobile fuel-efficiency standards to at least 60 miles per gallon by 2025. Twenty groups -- including the Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club -- said they will send a letter to President Obama encouraging him to raise the standard as part of a campaign being launched today. U.S. EPA and Department of Transportation are set to issue a proposal for fuel efficiency standards Sept. 30 that would apply to cars and light trucks sold between 2017 and 2025.The current standard, which runs out in 2016, is 34 mpg. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/09/7 Hyundai Unveils South Korea's First Electric Car. Hyundai Motor Co. today unveiled its new electric car, the BlueOn, which it bills as South Korea's first full-speed electric vehicle. Hyundai debuted the car at the office and residence of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who got to test-drive the car. The automaker plans to build 2,500 of the cars by the end of 2012 in an effort to match its Japanese rivals, and will send 30 of them on a test basis to government organizations by October. Company officials said it was "too early" to think about exporting the car abroad. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/09/11 TRANSPORTATION Put High-Speed Rail In San Joaquin Valley First. High-speed rail has been a fact in Japan since 1964 and throughout Europe (France first) since 1981. High-speed rail is a great way to travel and may become a fact in California. Before that happens, however, the planned system should be structured with the best operating and financial scenario possible in order to protect the taxpayer (you and me) and to attract the necessary outside investors. The total cost of the planned California system will exceed $40 billion. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/09/EDEI1FAHET.DTL&type=printable Forthcoming Study Finds Gap Between Expectations And Reality Of Electric Cars. As the roll-out of plug-in electric vehicles approaches, IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) is preparing a report that challenges hopes for a rapid deployment of the plug-in models. It argues that they will be held back, in part, by shortages of recharging stations for urban motorists. CERA Vice President Larry Makovich said the report, to be released in November, also takes issue with a scenario that foresees millions of plug-in electric vehicles being recharged at night by wind power. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/09/1 BLOGS First Take: The GOP's Global Warming Problem. State goes after PacifiCare. Arnold packs for Asia. Global warming may be a double-edged sword for Republican politicians in California this year. Steve Lopez offers some free political advice to Jerry Brown. Budget cuts have forced Los Angeles public schools to delay the start of the new school year. California regulators are seeking nearly $10 billion in damages from PacifiCare for nearly 1 million alleged violations of state law in a two-year period. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/09/first-take-the-gops-global-warming-problem-state-goes-after-pacificare-arnold-packs-for-asia.html Brown Rips Whitman's Jobs Plan, Defends Climate-Change Law And His Decision Not To Fight For Prop. 8. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown tore into Republican rival Meg Whitman on Thursday morning, accusing the billionaire of having a major conflict of interest concerning her proposal to eliminate state taxes on capital gains. “Her so-called jobs plan, which is as phony as a three-dollar bill, is to give tax breaks to herself in one of grossest conflicts of interest I’ve ever seen in a campaign,” Brown said during his weekly interview on KGO radio in San Francisco. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/09/brown-rips-whitmans-jobs-plan-defends-climate-change-law-and-his-decision-not-to-fight-for-prop-8.html ‘Windfall’ Documentary Explores Perils of Wind Power. “Windfall,” a new documentary that premieres Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival, could take the sails out of wind power. The film observes the deeply divided residents of Meredith, New York — an Upstate farm community in decline — as they debate the pros and cons of allowing wind turbines on their land. Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/09/09/windfall-documentary-explores-perils-of-wind-power/tab/print/ Irrigation May Reduce Climate Change. Not Good News. With all the evidence of human-induced global warming, you'd think it would be good news that some of our activities, like releasing aerosols for example, are also helping to cool the atmosphere. Unfortunately, often the opposite is true. This is starkly illustrated by a new study showing the regional cooling effects of mass irrigation. So why is this a bad thing? Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/irrigation-may-reduce-climate-change.php The Surprisingly Complex Truth About Planes And Climate Change. A new study suggests that planes cause more warming than cars, while ships are cooling enough to counteract them both. Air travel causes more warming than cars, while shipping counteracts them both. We hear much about the environmental costs of air travel. As our recent Q&A explained, the problem is not just that planes burn a lot of fuel and therefore kick out plenty of CO2 per passenger. Posted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/sep/09/carbon-emissions-planes-shipping/print California Energy Commission approves Abengoa Mojave Solar Project. State regulators on Wednesday unanimously cleared the Abengoa Mojave Solar Project for construction, pushing California closer to approving 4,300 megawatts of solar power by the end of the year. The 250-megawatt Abengoa project is one of nine solar proposals angling for the go-ahead from the California Energy Commission by the end of 2010, when federal stimulus funds expire. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/09/california-energy-commission-approves-abengoa-mojave-solar-project.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:38:55 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 10-13, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 10-13, 2010. 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. AB 32 Proposition 23: Would It Worsen Gas-Price Shocks? California’s 2006 global-warming law would save the state’s consumers as much as $670 per household in 2020, in the event of a global surge in the price of crude oil, according to a report released Monday by economists for alternative-energy advocacy groups. The U.S. economy has experienced five price shocks over the last three decades in which crude oil prices rose an average of 179% in one year. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/prop-23-oil-gas-prices-ab-32.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Study: Clean Energy Legislation Could Save Billions In Energy Costs. California's clean energy and clean air standards could save the average household up to $670 in 2020 if oil and natural-gas prices spike, according to a new study by three economists. The study, "Shockproofing Society: How California's Global Warming Solutions Act (A.B.32) Reduces the Economic Pain of Energy Price Shocks," calculates the savings from added protections against energy price spikes achieved from implementing A.B.32 through effective standards adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Posted. http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.6522 Fight Over Bid To Suspend California's Global Warming Law Gets Ugly. George Shultz warns of the dangers of dependence on foreign oil, and backers of Proposition 23 respond with attacks on him and his co-chairman in the opposition campaign, Thomas F. Steyer. The fight over Proposition 23, a November ballot initiative to suspend California's global warming law, turned ugly this week, with personal attacks and emotionally charged rhetoric on both sides. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop-23-20100910,0,7652716,print.story http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/prop-23-george-shultz-national-security.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Like Having A Job? You'll Love Proposition 23. My labor union supports Proposition 23 for one simple reason: It will protect the jobs of millions of hard-working California men and women. Prop. 23 will temporarily suspend some very expensive, job-killing regulations under the state's global warming law, AB32 - regulations that even folks advocating immediate implementation of those rules admit will cost jobs. Ironically, those same folks go out of their way to avoid talking about global warming, which the law is about in the first place. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/12/INEI1FAIAP.DTL&type=printable Cap And Trade Driving Businesses Out Of State. North Dakota's unemployment rate is 3.6 percent. California's is 12.3 percent. Why are so many people out of work in California? Because California's high taxes and costly regulations make it the worst state in America to operate a business. Proposition 23 is needed to save jobs. Proposition 23 is a proposal to suspend Assembly Bill 32 (California's job-killing "greenhouse gas" law) until the state's unemployment rate recovers to 5.5 percent. Posted. http://www.thereporter.com/opinion/ci_16056110 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S. Dan Walters: Chaos Kills Renewable-Power Measure. The most conspicuous casualty on the chaotic final day of the 2009-10 legislative session last month was an extremely complex measure to increase California's use of so-called "renewable" electric power and reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions. Many months in the making, a final version of Senate Bill 722 emerged from the cloisters of the Assembly, where it had been secretly massaged by a few insiders, just hours before the midnight deadline for action. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/13/3024173/dan-walters-chaos-kills-renewable.html#mi_rss=Dan%20Walters http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/13/1335884/dan-walters-chaos-kills-renewable.html How SB722 Fell Through Legislative Cracks. The demise of the most important environmental bill of the year provides a case study in what is wrong with the legislative process in Sacramento. Problem No. 1: The final version of SB722, which would have required sellers of electricity to draw 33 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2020, was not available until 7 p.m., Aug. 31 - five hours before the session was to end. It did not reach the Senate floor until 11:30 p.m., amid a traffic jam of last-minute legislation. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/12/IN9K1F9SFS.DTL&type=printable New Study Slashes Estimate Of Icecap Loss. Paris (Afp) - – Estimates of the rate of ice loss from Greenland and West Antarctica, one of the most worrying questions in the global warming debate, should be halved, according to Dutch and US scientists. In the last two years, several teams have estimated Greenland is shedding roughly 230 gigatonnes of ice, or 230 billion tonnes, per year and West Antarctica around 132 gigatonnes annually. Posted. http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100908/tts-climate-warming-science-ice-c1b2fc3.html?printer=1 Midterm Candidates Embrace Climate Denialism. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence that human activities are warming Earth's climate and causing a range of harmful effects, climate science denialism is enjoying a dramatic resurgence in American political life. More candidates who simply do not believe Earth's climate is warming, or who hold the view that humans are not the primary cause of recent warming, may be elected this year than in any other election in recent memory. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/09/mainstreaming_climate_science.html USDA Finds Basis For Cutting Emissions In Existing Farm Programs. The agricultural sector could play a significant part in reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions through environmental programs not that different from some already in existence, according to a new report from the Agriculture Department. The report collected a brief list of best practices to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of the nation's farms. Most of the practices, such as using less nitrogen fertilizer, changing crop rotations or planting trees and grass, are already well known. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/13/6 AIR QUALITY Clean Air Act: Defend Or Dismantle? Absent climate legislation, what role should the Clean Air Act play in regulating carbon dioxide and other dangerous greenhouse gases? The landmark environmental law passed 40 years ago this week and was significantly amended 20 years ago. Now EPA is rolling out a number of new Clean Air Act regulations, including ones cutting carbon emissions from automobiles and power plants, reducing air pollution across state lines, and setting technology-based standards for certain industrial polluters. Posted. http://energy.nationaljournal.com/2010/09/clean-air-act-defend-or-disman.php County To Revisit New Impact Fees. A controversial plan to charge new construction projects to pay for air quality improvements is scheduled to reappear before the Tehama County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. Air Quality Mitigation Fees, as proposed by Air Pollution Control Officer Alan Abbs, were shot down by the Board of Supervisors until the board could consider them at the same time as Development Impact Fees a separate proposal with separate goals, but also would charge developers. Posted. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_16063127 Valley Schools To Get Hourly Air Updates. Air board will give targeted, real-time data to help keep kids safe, active. When lung-scorching soot hangs in the Valley fog this fall, school officials will get hourly updates on bad air as part of the nation's first real-time pollution alert network. Using automated e-mail, text messages and updates online, the regional air district will help schools decide hour-by-hour if students will be allowed outside for athletic events, recess and other outdoor activities. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/12/v-print/2076129/valley-schools-to-get-hourly-air.html ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY Calif. Regulators See Offset Opportunities In Mexican Forests. The growing U.S. regional carbon markets could make conserving Mexican forests profitable where other programs so far have not. The Climate Action Reserve (CAR), a California-based developer of offset standards, held a workshop in Mexico City last month with California EPA officials to educate potential project developers about opportunities in the United States. Also participating were Mexico's National Institute of Ecology and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/13/4 Governor Introduces Green Jobs Website. Sacramento - Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday announced the start of a new website intended to help Californians find jobs in green industries. The website, called Clean Energy Jobs, provides resources to promote jobs in areas such as recycling, clean transportation and renewable energy. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/10/BA7M1FBC5B.DTL&type=printable Energy-Saving LED Light Bulbs: False Claims? The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Lights of America Inc. this week alleging false performance claims for some of the company's LED light bulbs. The environmentally friendly bulbs, which were sold at major retailers such as Walmart and Costco, don't burn as brightly or as long as advertised, the FTC said in the suit. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/led-light-bulbs-federal-trade-commission-lights-of-america-lawsuit.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Texas Clean Energy Hampered by Location. Austin, Texas — As the United States contemplates a clean-energy future, leadership is coming from a surprising place — Texas. This state is well-known for producing oil and natural gas. But Texas also has erected far more turbines than any other state and now has nearly three times as much wind capacity as Iowa, which is ranked second. Forests of turbines have sprouted atop remote, scrubby mesas. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/business/energy-environment/13green.html?src=busln FUELS Next Generation Scientists Join To Support Biodiesel. Move over, Thomas Friedman. The next generation of thought leaders is gearing up to lead America’s energy efforts—and biodiesel is front and center. Student scientists from Dartmouth College to Oregon State University are leading the new Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel initiative. The group has formed to demonstrate and grow support for biodiesel among tomorrow’s scientific leaders. Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/2010-emissions/scientists-joing-biodiesel-support-0913/ Turning Away From Coal. Utilities are increasingly looking to natural gas to generate electricity. Power companies are increasingly switching to natural gas to fuel their electricity plants, driven by low prices and forecasts of vast supplies for years to come. While the trend started in the late 1990s, the momentum is accelerating and comes at the expense of coal. Some utilities are closing coal-fired plants; others are converting them to run on gas. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703579804575441683910246338.html DIESELS Diesel Emissions Found To Be A Fraction Of Rules Target. Industry calls for delay in transition as economy hits projects and budgets. A number of local contractors using backhoes or other large off-road equipment are hoping state air-quality regulators late this year push back the cleaner-burning diesel deadline by several years, based on new figures for soot and ozone-forming emissions that are roughly 20 percent of those used in adoption of the rule three years ago. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/24804/diesel-emissions-found-to-be-a-fraction-of-rules-target/print/ Diesel Picks Up Speed. U.S. car buyers are warming to the fuel. But it still has some drawbacks. For nearly two years, Audi USA has tried to soften up American resistance to diesel engines by touting its fuel-efficient, "clean diesel" vehicles. Among its efforts: During the most recent Super Bowl, it spent nearly $3 million on a humorous commercial that depicted its diesel-powered Q7 SUV as the savvy motorist's answer to the "green police." The strategy is paying off. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703632304575451720343127244.html BUSES Quick-Charge Electric Bus Rolls Into L.A. County. Public transit riders in the Los Angeles foothills can be forgiven for missing the bus, as it’s been a lot quieter the last few days. With a Proterra EcoRide BE35 in the fleet, Foothill Transit is the first transit agency in the United States to use the world’s first rapid-charge electric bus. We first told you about Proterra in November when the company showed off its EcoRide BE35 bus on Capitol Hill. Posted. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/09/proterra-ecoride-foothill-transit/#ixzz0zR0iDFjJ Chaffey Joint Buses Driving More Efficiently To Cut Down On Emissions. Ontario - Chaffey Joint Union High School District buses may look the same from the outside, but the way they are able to travel around the district has changed. During the summer break, Chaffey Joint Union installed a compressed natural gas fueling station for their buses at the district's maintenance yard at Vine Avenue and Fourth Street. The station and other upgrades at the yard cost $1.9 million. The money came from a $128 million school bond to improve a number of facilities. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_16044555 NOISE POLLUTION Bikers Make Noise On Attempt To Quiet Motorcycles. Calabasas, Calif. — The laid-back vibe of this affluent Los Angeles suburb gets a jarring wakeup on weekends when hundreds of motorcycles thunder through the Santa Monica Mountains, triggering car alarms, rattling windows and jolting alive barking dogs. "They rev their engines with complete disregard for the people who live here," complained neighborhood resident Tonia Aery. "It's obnoxious." Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/sep/13/bikers-make-noise-on-attempt-to-quiet-motorcycles/ VEHICLES Who Killed the Electric Car?' Director Sees New Life In GM. The filmmaker who blasted General Motors Co. for bungling its electric car launch in the 1990s is turning the auto company into a hero in the sequel. Chris Paine says his new documentary will show GM as a leader in electric vehicle technology that is working to help the environment and reduce the United States' dependence on oil. The director of the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" said he cannot say enough good things about GM in his second movie. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/13/23 BLOGS EPA Wants Companies To Reveal Chemicals Used In Controversial Gas Extraction Method [Updated] This is a corrected version of the original post; see the note below. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has asked nine companies to voluntarily reveal the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing, a method used to extract natural gas by injecting fluids into rock formations deep underground. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/epa-wants-more-information-on-controversial-gas-extraction-method.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 OPINION: Don Polson The Way I See It: People, Households, Businesses You Will Pay. This week's installment on the negative impacts of California's version of "cap and trade" legislation, purportedly designed to reduce CO2 emissions and global warming, looks at some more highly reputable analysis. You'll have a chance to vote "Yes" on Prop 23, delaying implementation of AB 32 until our employment rate is low enough to give our economy a decent chance to absorb the higher unemployment, lower personal and state income, and greater burdens to California's businesses and industries. Posted. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ci_16063114?source=most_viewed OPINION: California Must Continue To Lead On Clean Energy. Four years ago in Long Beach, I, along with 15 business leaders, met with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss how to deploy clean energy around the world. Our message was clear: Adopt policies that put a price on carbon emissions, and investment in clean energy will follow. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/12/INPG1F7BGP.DTL Union Accuses China Of Illegal Trade Tactics In Clean-Tech Sector. A major U.S. union came out swinging against China on Thursday, saying in fiery terms that the Asian giant was using illegal trade tactics to strong-arm Americans out of clean-tech jobs. The United Steelworkers filed a 5,800-page petition with the U.S. trade representative alleging that China was giving Chinese firms unfair advantages over American companies. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/09/union-accuses-china-of-illegal-trade-tactics-in-clean-tech-sector.html Koch Brothers Behind Healthy Formaldehyde Campaign. It isn’t easy being a Koch brother these days. Preferring to stay behind the scenes and fund causes that have little benefit for society yet plenty for their business portfolio, they have found that more of their schemes have been revealed. They have been funding California’s Proposition 23, which will overturn A.B. 32; their funding of purported groups denying climate change… Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/09/koch-brothers-behind-healthy-formaldehyde-campaign/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:35:22 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 14, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 14, 2010. 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. AB 32 The Political Fate Of Climate Change Legislation In California. For years, the debate over climate change centered almost exclusively on science: Is global warming occurring, and if so, are humans causing it? But with the economy still struggling, the argument has shifted to one of dollars and cents. As complex as the scientific debate has been, the fiscal reality of fighting climate change is even more politically charged — and confusing. Posted. http://www.comstocksmag.com/Articles/0910_SR_Day-on-the-Green.aspx CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Megacities To Be Epicenter Of Climate Solutions. Nothing else used to compare to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and New York City. They were the world's megacities. Today, city names such as Shenzhen, Dubai and Dhaka are just as alluring for some, as the number of "megacities" increases. By 2025, nearly 30 cities are expected to be home to more than 10 million people. Researchers at the London-based World Energy Council said yesterday in a report that policies to curb and adapt to global warming will focus on megacities in poor countries. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/14/3 Warming Climate Makes Reaching U.N. Hunger Reduction Target Harder. Having failed to pay the decade-old price tag of $24 billion to halve world hunger by 2015, nations will now have to spend more than three times that much to curb starvation by the U.N. deadline, a new Oxfam report finds. The study calls on governments to invest $75 billion in agriculture, rural development, food security, nutrition programs and other assistance to reach the U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving hunger by 2015. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/14/6 Santa Barbara Proposes Air Pollution Increase; School Board Likely to Approve Budget Report. Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. This Tuesday, local government leaders are hosting the first of two public workshops to determine whether Santa Barbara County should try to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by the years 2020 and 2030 to ensure there's no net per capita increase. The workshops will also determine whether the public supports plans to allow Santa Barbara to actually increase such emissions by 6 and 4 percent respectively. Posted. http://www.independent.com/news/2010/sep/13/watching-agendas-week-september-14/?print Thursday Shaping Up as a Senate Showdown Over EPA's Greenhouse Gas Regs. Two Senate Democrats yesterday said they may support an amendment to block U.S. EPA climate rules, increasing the odds of its success when the Senate Appropriations Committee votes Thursday on EPA's budget. The potential supporters of an appropriations rider are Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), both of whom are co-sponsors of a bill from Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) that would freeze EPA's ability to regulate emissions from stationary sources for two years. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/09/14/14greenwire-thursday-shaping-up-as-a-senate-showdown-over-e-2565.html?pagewanted=print ENERGY State Energy Law Can Save Average Home $670. Enviro groups tout law's ability to blunt impact of oil and gas spikes. California’s clean energy laws could help blunt the impact of gas and oil price spikes, according to a new study released today by economists from three environmental groups. After it's fully implemented in 2020, California's Global Warming Energy Act, or Assembly Bill 32, … Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/sep/13/energy-law-can-save-average-home-670-dollars/ Mayor Villaraigosa Signs Green Power Agreements. In what officials are calling a major milestone in the city's effort to develop more green-power sources, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday signed agreements with firms in the San Fernando Valley and China. The city-owned Department of Water and Power will work with Quallion LLC of Sylmar, and BYD Inc., based in Shenzhen, on a project to be located at Pine Tree Wind Farm in the Tehachapi Mountains. Posted. http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_16066742 Desert Energy Projects Should Tread Lightly. Eight large solar developments proposed in the California desert would cover 59 square miles of public land untouched by plows or bulldozers -- the type of land a panel of science advisers says should be preserved -- as the nation rushes to reduce greenhouse gases and become less reliant on oil imports. In a report to federal and state agencies, the scientists said undisturbed open spaces and important wildlife habitat should not be permanently sacrificed when other alternatives exist. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_tortoise14.2ad1291.html Los Angeles Teams With Chinese Company To Store Wind Power. The city of Los Angeles is teaming up with a prominent Chinese manufacturer to develop batteries that can store wind-generated electricity and then release it to the power grid as needed. BYD Co. Ltd. will work with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to design an electric storage facility that can store five to 10 megawatts of power generated by a wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/14/12 Clean Power A 'Tough Sell' In Economic Slowdown – Expert. San Francisco -- Renewable energy in the United States will continue to face significant push back at the state and local levels if the recession continues and unemployment stays high, said an economic consultant who has advised the Energy Department on federal investments in alternative energy. James Heidell, a vice president at NERA Economic Consulting, presented evidence yesterday of a national slowdown or push back in renewable energy development during a Law Seminars International conference here on energy in California. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/14/19 Amid Trade Tensions, U.S. Creates More Clean Tech Research Partnerships With China. The number of clean energy partnerships between the United States and China reached a new peak when the U.S. Energy Department announced two new consortia aimed at tackling clean vehicles and 'clean' coal technology earlier this month. Along with a substantial funding pool totaling $100 million, split evenly among the two countries, the new consortia have put universities arm-in-arm with car companies, national laboratories, electric utilities and think tanks. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/14/1 A Far-Flung Partnership Wins Federal Energy Efficiency Funds. An unlikely foursome of states has received federal funds to retrofit homes, and the federal government hopes their experience will lead to retrofitting millions more. In a joint application, Alabama, Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington got about $11 million from the Department of Energy last week. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/14/4 FUELS EPA Chief Expects Data For 15% Ethanol Blend Tests On Time. U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson yesterday said her agency is on track to make its decision on whether to approve a proposal to boost the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline. The Energy Department expects to complete its battery of 19 tests examining how the fuel blend affects new cars by the end of the month, Jackson told ethanol industry members. With those data, EPA will decide if it will allow the amount of ethanol in gasoline to be ramped up to 15 percent in cars made in the last several years. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/14/5 U.S. Utility Companies Switch To Natural Gas. Even in the absence of federal regulation taxing carbon emissions, U.S. utility companies are switching to natural gas as they foresee future emissions restrictions. Many companies across the country are closing or replacing old and smaller coal plants as the price of natural gas falls, making gas a more attractive option for power generation. Natural gas is expected to rise to 82 percent of new power capacity in 2013, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/09/14/7/ Biofuels From Trash Could Replace Half of EU Gasoline by 2020, Study Says. Biofuels made from plant waste and municipal trash rather than food crops could replace more than half of gasoline used in the European Union by 2020, industry analyst Bloomberg New Energy Finance said today. The 27-nation bloc could make 90 billion liters (24 billion gallons) of so-called next-generation ethanol in 2020, about 65 percent of predicted fossil gasoline use, the London-based group said in a study. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-09-14/biofuels-from-trash-could-replace-half-of-eu-gasoline-by-2020-study-says.html Biotech Company to Patent Fuel-Secreting Bacterium. A biotech company plans to announce Tuesday that it has won a patent on a genetically altered bacterium that converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into ingredients of diesel fuel, a step that could provide a new pathway for making ethanol or a diesel replacement that skips several cumbersome and expensive steps in existing methods. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/science/earth/14fuel.html?_r=1&dbk=&pagewanted=print Amyris Plans $101million IPO That Might Trade Around $19 A Share. Amyris Biotechnologies, which uses "living factories" to produce biofuels, plans to sell stock through an initial public offering at about $19 a share, the East Bay biotech company said Monday. Emeryville-based Amyris said its IPO could raise $101 million, according to a regulatory filing. The filing, the most specific indicator so far about the company's IPO plans, also said the shares could begin trading about Sept. 27. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/business-headlines/ci_16063278?nclick_check=1 AIR POLLUTION On The Waterfront: Ports Distributing Grants To Combat Pollution. Port authorities have begun distributing nearly $5 million to schools, daycare programs and youth centers to alleviate dangerous pollutants caused by harbor industry. The grants are part of a citywide effort to mitigate impacts from a growing port complex, which has been tackling air pollution in recent years through a mixture of regulations, penalties, financial incentives and grants. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16064853 NATURAL GAS Calif. Regulator Unsatisfied With PG&E's Post-Explosion Concessions. San Francisco -- California energy regulators ratcheted up sanctions against utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co. yesterday after its deadly natural gas pipeline explosion last week. The rupture and ensuing fireball in the San Francisco suburb of San Bruno leveled 40 houses and killed at least four people. State and federal authorities are still looking for the cause. In response to PG&E's promise to reduce gas volumes by 10 percent on the affected line, the California Public Utilities Commission ordered a 20 percent reduction. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/14/13 VEHICLES Toyota To Produce 2 Electric Cars, 6 New Hybrids By 2012. Toyota plans to release two new electric vehicles in the United States and six hybrid cars globally by the end of 2012. Toyota Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said the automaker would also debut a plug-in version of the Prius hybrid by the spring of 2012 and a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle by 2015. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/14/10 A123 Opens Continent's Largest Auto Battery Plant. In a surprise phone call, President Obama congratulated A123 Systems Inc. for opening North America's largest lithium-ion automotive battery manufacturing plant. "This is about the birth of an entire new industry in America, an industry that's going to be central to the next generation of cars," Obama said, calling the plant's opening a "tremendous milestone." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/14/11 OPINIONS OPINION: AB 32: Far Too Costly. No, I do not agree with columnist Karen Nolan that the warming bill will produce anything beneficial to the great majority of us ("Warming bill is good for us," Sept. 8). However, it is likely that it will have a downward impact on jobs and it will result in a sharp spike in fuel prices. I would be pretty sure that the California Air Resources Board had a hand in writing the original AB 32, the California climate bill, back in 2006 and 2007. The bill mandates, among other things, replacement of thousands of diesel engines. Posted. http://www.thereporter.com/opinion/ci_16070195 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:39:47 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 15, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 15, 2010. 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. AB 32 Prop. 23: Oil Giants Are Divided. Are the big oil companies really backing Proposition 23? Maybe not. Among California's major oil refiners, Shell Oil opposes the November ballot initiative to suspend the state’s global warming law. Chevron Corp. is officially neutral. Exxon Mobil and BP have decided not to get involved. ConocoPhillips has yet to contribute. On Tuesday, Charles Drevna, president of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Assn., issued an urgent appeal for funds to back the measure. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/prop-23-big-oil-chevron.html Whitman Backs Prop. 22 But Still Won't Take A Stand On Prop. 23. In the hailstorm of news Tuesday in the governor’s race about a presidential endorsement and attack advertising, Meg Whitman made some news of her own on the campaign trail. The Republican gubernatorial nominee came out in support of Proposition 22, which would forbid the state from raiding county and city coffers at times of fiscal crises. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/09/whitman-backs-prop-22-continues-to-refuse-to-take-a-stand-on-prop-23.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Supervisors Vote For Resolution Supporting Prop 23 Suspending "Global Warming Solutions Act". Riverside - Despite strong dissent by one member, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors today approved a resolution supporting Proposition 23, an initiative to suspend the California "Global Warming Solutions Act," which opponents say will damage the state financially. Posted. http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/50819/ Sempra Supports Global Warming Regulatory Law. Sacramento -The parent company of San Diego Gas & Electric has come out against a November ballot measure to suspend California’s landmark law to curb global warming. In doing so, Sempra Energy joins some of the state’s largest power providers in opposing Proposition 23. Most prominently: Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/sep/14/sempra-supports-global-warming-regulatory-law/ Prop. 23 Author, Who Argued For Its Tax Benefits, Once Owed Back Taxes. Among the many arguments floated in support of Proposition 23, which would suspend the package of greenhouse gas regulations known as AB 32, the measure's supporters have often made the case that implementing AB 32 would stifle job growth, and with it tax revenues for local governments. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/prop-23-author-who-argued-its-tax-benefits-once-owed-back-taxes-4718 Supervisors Vote 4-1 To Back Prop. 23. Despite strong dissent by one member, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a resolution supporting Proposition 23, an initiative to suspend the California Global Warming Solutions Act. Opponents say the state law will financially damage California. “Proposition 23 provides a temporary reprieve from some very onerous regulations until such time that California can get back on track,” said Supervisor Jeff Stone, who authored the resolution. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100915/NEWS01/9150324/Supervisors-vote-4-1-to-back-Prop-23 Business Interests Chop Down 'Job Killers'. Regulation Watch: Eleven such bills now face likely veto from governor. Business interests were largely successful in stopping bills they labeled as anti-business in the recently concluded legislative session. They were less successful in getting “business-friendly” bills through, however. Of the 42 bills the California Chamber of Commerce targeted as “job killers,” only 11 have made it to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk for his signature or – more likely – his veto. Posted. http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2010/sep/13/business-chops-down-job-killers-sacramento/?print Secret Out-of-State Oil Industry Memo: Prop. 23 About Their “Self-Interest” and Valero's. Summary: The National Petroleum Refiners Association, led by Valero CEO Bill Klesse, is pressing more of its out-of-state oil companies to contribute millions to Prop. 23 for the industry’s “self-interest,” according to an internal e-mail. “A defeat for Proposition 23 in California could energize environmental fanatics around the country and in Washington to match California’s destructive policies with their own versions of AB32,” notes the email. Posted. http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4512&ptid=9&theme=print Health Or Wealth? The Prop. 23 battle is between environmental activism and big money. It’s easy for a layperson to get lost in AB 32 - California’s aggressive, yet complex, anti-global-warming law that seeks to roll back greenhouse-gas levels in the state to what they were in 1990. Posted. http://www.sdcitybeat.com/sandiego/print-article-8174-print.html Here's Texas Again Trying to Impose Its Views on California. Apparently, it’s not enough that fossil fuel conglomerates are fighting implementation of AB 32, California’s landmark clean energy bill that will create thousands of jobs, pump up R&D on cleantech, slash global warming pollution, and put the state on the cutting edge of the global clean energy economy. Now Texas and three other states with Attorneys General beholden to Dirty Oil and Big Coal have jumped on the high carbon bandwagon, vowing to sue California as a last-ditch effort to kill AB 32. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=print/8160 AIR POLLUTION ARB: Fine Particle Pollution Kills 9,200 Per Year. More than 9,000 Californians are dying prematurely every year because of the health effects of the kind of pollution emitted by diesel trucks and heavy equipment, according to a new study by the Air Resources Board, the state’s air quality regulator. The study is the first released by the state to claim that the microscopic particles emitted by engines burning diesel fuel actually cause early deaths, rather than simply being correlated with them. Posted. http://www.healthycal.org/arb-fine-particle-pollution-kills-9200-per-year.html/print/ Pace of EPA's Clean Air Act Rulemakings Turns Heads, Draws Lawsuits. The Obama administration is in the midst of a landmark series of Clean Air Act rulemakings. In 18 months, U.S. EPA has -- among other things -- stiffened standards for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide for the first time in decades, revamped the George W. Bush administration's smog regulations and issued the first climate rules under the Clean Air Act. And that is just the beginning. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/09/14/14greenwire-pace-of-epas-clean-air-act-rulemakings-turns-h-75200.html?pagewanted=print Feeling Heat On Climate, Agency Celebrates Its Past. If the Clean Air Act were human, it would now be entering middle age. But while the statute has moved into a strange new phase of life with the Obama administration using it to take on the daunting challenge of climate change, there's no reason for a midlife crisis, current and former U.S. EPA officials said yesterday during a symposium honoring the statute's 40th birthday. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/15/1 http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=71660 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Oil Companies Cower Before The Terminator. In California's fight against global warming, evil villains intent on destroying civilization abound! The New York Times' Adam Nagourney got his hot hands on a fundraising e-mail that draws the fight over Proposition 23 in California in the starkest possible terms. One on side, "environmental zealots" led by the Dark Lord himself, Arnold Schwarzenneger. Posted. http://www.salon.com/news/california/index.html?story=/tech/htww/2010/09/15/terminator_versus_the_oil_companies States Are Climate Battlegrounds. The nation’s premier state-led climate programs are under attack by a growing coalition of industry, tea party and conservative activists. Opponents to limits on greenhouse gas emissions see the fights in California and New Jersey as the next step in the fight over global warming policy after the demise of federal cap-and-trade legislation on Capitol Hill. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=126B4702-18FE-70B2-A8C07BD37FE94A2B 80% Of States On Track For GHG Permitting, Enforcement – Report. Most states are preparing to implement U.S. EPA's climate rules in January, according to an analysis released today, but uncertainties remain as some states hustle to change their regulations in time and others flatly refuse to. Nearly 80 percent of states have indicated that they will be ready to issue greenhouse gas permits for large industrial sources by Jan. 2, when EPA's climate rules formally kick in, according to a survey from the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/15/2 New Map Shows Measuring Carbon in Amazon Is Feasible. Calculating how many acres of Amazon forest are cleared each year is relatively easy thanks to satellite imaging. Determining how much carbon is stored in that forest is another matter. Unlike forest cover, carbon cannot be seen from satellites in space. Scientists have to physically measure tree trunks in order to calculate how much of the greenhouse gas is stored in their woody limbs and green leaves. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/09/14/14greenwire-new-map-shows-measuring-carbon-in-amazon-is-fe-47577.html GREEN ENERGY/ENERGY Brown Pledges 'Green' Jobs, But Costs Loom. On Labor Day, Democrat Jerry Brown finally kicked off his campaign for governor with an expected pledge: to create 500,000 jobs. But, just as they did with Republican candidate Meg Whitman's plan, some economists cautioned voters expecting immediate results from Brown's pledge. "Politicians can't create jobs. I get so tired of hearing them say they can," said Brad Kemp, director of regional research at Beacon Economics, an economic forecasting firm. Posted. http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_16076526?source=rss L.A. Port Is Hatching A Revitalization. PortTechLA, a business incubator run by a group that includes the port and city, will nurture start-ups that make products that reduce pollution and shippers' dependence on fossil fuels. Alex Weil's football-sized invention ranks high on the improbability scale: a filter that cleans an engine's oil so long that after three years of testing on 17 Idaho tour buses, financed by the Energy Department, the filters were still going strong. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-fi-port-tech-20100915,0,7772552,print.story Government Printer Cleans Up, Expands Green Options. The Government Printing Office isn't included in President Obama's sustainability plans, but the legislative branch agency may be helping its executive brethren reach their greening goals. Public Printer Robert Tapella has launched a slew of environmental initiatives since taking over the helm of the agency in 2007. He has bought alternative flex-fuel delivery vehicles, installed a green roof and initiated several in-house recycling efforts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/15/4 China Rejects US Trade Complaint over Clean Energy. China rejected a U.S. union's trade complaint over Beijing's support for clean energy industries and said Wednesday such criticism is hypocritical at a time when China is under pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Sept. 9 complaint by the United Steelworkers said Chinese producers of wind and solar equipment receive improper subsidies in violation of Beijing's free-trade commitments. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/15/1339636/china-rejects-us-trade-complaint.html#ixzz0zcJKWHiG OPINION: WALTERS: Energy Bill Left On Session Back Burner. The most conspicuous casualty on the chaotic final day of the 2009-10 legislative session last month was an extremely complex measure to increase California's use of so-called "renewable" electric power and reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions. Many months in the making, a final version of Senate Bill 722 emerged from the cloisters of the Assembly, where it had been secretly massaged by a few insiders, just hours before the midnight deadline for action. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/walters/article_994d9cab-be80-5488-b2ac-94219df46a2e.html?print=1 DIESEL 2,000 Construction Letters Urge CARB to Repeal Rule. The Associated General Contractors of America said its California members sent that many letters to the board seeking repeal of the off-road diesel rule, saying it is unnecessary and threatens contractors across the country. Saying the off-road rule adopted in July 2007 by the California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB, must be repealed … Posted. http://ohsonline.com/articles/2010/09/15/10-2000-construction-letters-urge-carb-to-repeal-rule.aspx?admgarea=news VEHICLES Livermore Lab Licenses ‘Zinc Air’ Fuel Cell. A company in northern Montana licensed “zinc air fuel cell” technology from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Zinc Air Inc., of Kalispell, north of Flathead Lake near the Canadian border, licensed the technology for use in electric vehicles, particularly those that are in nearly continuous use -- buses or fleet vehicles, for example. Posted. http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/09/13/daily20.html Toyota And Tesla's First Electric Car: A RAV4 EV. Ever since Toyota signed a deal with Tesla Motors to jointly develop an electric car, speculation has run rampant about what the first collaboration will be. A Yaris subcompact? A version of the Tesla roadster? Well, get ready to be underwhelmed. The pair's initial effort will be an all-electric drivetrain version of the RAV4, which will debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/09/toyota-and-teslas-first-electric-car-a-rav4-ev/1 BLOGS Ford, Nissan, Chevy: Charging into the EV Era? Or is it more like slouching towards Bethlehem? But no matter their speed or range a battery of all-electric vehicles are coming soon to a charging station or electric outlet near you. Not only is the gas-free option arriving, there are some interesting and attractive choices hitting the road. The all-electric Nissan Leaf will make its market debut this year as will the Chevy Volt. Meanwhile, the Ford Focus EV is slated to roll late next year and BMW reportedly is working on a small electric car that might launch in 2012. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/09/charging-into-the-ev-era/comment-page-1/ Golden State Follies - Fun and Games in California's Capitol. California is one of only ten states that has a full time legislature and its two-year sessions wind up during the hottest time of the year when temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees. The end of August was no exception. Our legislative session still tracks the agricultural calendar, ending in time for harvest, reflecting the agrarian economy of 19th century California. The calendar is not the only thing that needs to be modernized to reflect the way we live today. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/anotthoff/golden_state_follies_-_fun_and.html Up, Downs of County Emissions Standards Emerge at Workshop. SBCAG outlines challenges of mandated reductions, attempts to explain reasons for projected increases. Santa Barbara County’s emission targets were the subject of a public workshop Tuesday, and whether a regional governing body should press for stricter emissions standards than the state has recommended. Posted. http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/091410_emissions/ Oil Industry Targets Schwarzenegger. The oil industry is going after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California Republican. The issue is Mr. Schwarzenegger’s strong opposition to a proposition on the ballot this November that would suspend a landmark greenhouse gas bill passed by the Legislature in 2006 mandating that carbon emissions be rolled back to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/oil-industry-targets-schwarzenegger/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:13:27 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 16, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 16, 2010. 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. AB 32 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S U.K. Unprepared For Climate Change, Must Do More To Adapt – Report. London -The United Kingdom is woefully unprepared for the inevitable impacts of climate change, despite efforts to curb carbon emissions. It must quickly do far more to prepare for impacts on water, weather, resources and health, a key government advisory body said today. The adaptation subcommittee of the independent Committee on Climate Change, created by the 2008 Climate Change Act, said a lot of preparatory work has already been done …Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/09/16/16climatewire-uk-unprepared-for-climate-change-must-do-mor-33124.html?pagewanted=print Future of U.S., Canada Carbon Markets Hinge on California, Barclays Says. The future of cap-and-trade markets for carbon dioxide pollution rights in the U.S. and parts of Canada may depend on the outcome of a political battle in California, analysts at Barclays Plc said. Proposition 23, a ballot initiative that Californians will vote on in November, would delay the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act until the state’s unemployment rate, now 12.3 percent, falls to 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-09-16/future-of-u-s-canada-carbon-markets-hinge-on-california-barclays-says.html ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY More Solar-Power Projects Sprouting In The Valley. Cities are continuing to latch onto solar power as a means of saving money on their energy bills. One of the latest installations is a spread of solar panels at the city of Madera's wastewater treatment plant. Construction on the plant began in January and it became operational on Aug. 25. Officials plan to dedicate the facility in the near future. Posted. http://fresnobeehive.com/news/2010/09/more_solar-power_projects_spro.html#ixzz0zi12vszK RAILROAD POLLUTION Rail-Yard Pollution: Federal Court Rules Against Air Quality Board. Air-quality watchdogs in Southern California can't impose limits on pollution from idling trains because that could interfere with interstate commerce -- a federal responsibility -- a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday. The lawsuit filed by the Assn. of American Railroads and the BNSF and Union Pacific railroad companies challenged restrictions imposed in 2005 and 2006 by the South Coast Air Quality Management District in an attempt to curb cancer-causing air pollution. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/air-pollution-railroads.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/09/15/state/n174851D77.DTL&type=business http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16085542 http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-air-pollution-railroads-20100916,0,1199313.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Flocal+%28L.A.+Times+-+California+|+Local+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader AIR QUALITY Clean Air Plan Sets Blueprint For Healthier Air. Homeowners with open hearth fireplaces could be required to upgrade to low-emitting fireplace inserts or stoves before selling their homes. A Bay Area version of a "Cash for Clunkers" program could be expanded to get polluting cars off the road. Dairies in the Bay Area could be required to reduce methane gas from their cows by providing animal feed that reduces their passing or belching gas, and wineries could be required to minimize sweet-smelling emissions from fermentation tanks. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_16084470?nclick_check=1 Regulators: Bad Air Kills 9,200 a Year. Some experts contest the study by the state's Air Resources Board. More than 9,000 Californians are dying prematurely every year because of the health effects of the kind of pollution emitted by diesel trucks and heavy equipment, according to a new study by the Air Resources Board, the state’s air quality regulator. Posted. http://www.baycitizen.org/environment/story/regulators-bad-air-kills/print/ OPINIONS Opinion: Why Doctors Are Supporting The Drive Toward Sustainable Communities. If doctors and other health experts designed our cities, they would look quite different than the sprawling, car-centered communities of today. But why would health experts care about city planning and laws like the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375 passed in 2008)? The answer is simple: our communities significantly impact chronic illness and overall public health. Most California cities were designed to make it easy to drive and park cars. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z4x2k9zgfq1021&xid=z4vopvviys5uf8&done=.z4x2k9zgfqq021# Opinion: Adopt City Planning Strategies To Improve Health. The California Air Resources Board should adopt plans that "call for regional cooperation in reversing course" on our "auto-centered lifestyle," which has "led people to become more sedentary, putting themselves at higher risk for a string of chronic illnesses," Sonal Patel, a board member of the American Lung Association, writes in a Capitol Weekly opinion piece. Posted. http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2010/9/16/opinion-adopt-city-planning-strategies-to-improve-health.aspx?p=1#ixzz0zi5eogmO Opinion: Focusing On Efficiency, SB 375 Is Vital To A Stronger California Economy. SB 375 (Steinberg) was passed in 2008 under the rubric of climate protection. But there is a new, rather staggering realization: SB 375 may provide the critical boost our taxpayers, cities and regions need to grow their economies and reap savings from more vibrant and efficient communities. That’s because SB 375 focuses on efficiency; it will make it easier for people to drive less by spurring convenient communities, shorter commutes, and more transportation choices. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z4x2k9zgfq1021&xid=z4vowwkzp4tvh4&done=.z4x2k9zgfqq021# VEHICLES Diesel-Powered Bentleys? Not Likely. Automakers must conform to tightening fuel economy and emissions regulations but diesel engines won't be a Bentley option just yet. A diesel Bentley has long been hinted at, but Brian Gush, the brand's powertrain chief, cites high cost and poor expected customer reaction as the main obstacles to an oil-burning future. "The forthcoming Euro 6 clean-air regs are likely to pile some big costs on to diesels," says Gush. "And there's a strong prejudice against them in the U.S. and Japan, which are key markets for us. Posted. http://wot.motortrend.com/6684050/auto-news/diesel-powered-bentleys-not-likely/index.html#ixzz0ziYx6o95 MISCELLANEOUS Scientist Shake-Up. Did conservative groups prompt the dismissal of five state environmental researchers? Most Californians have probably never heard of the Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Air Contaminants. Of the countless boards of scientists and researchers in state government and academia, the SRP is neither the most powerful nor the most glamorous. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1711320 EPA’s Pollution-Busting Cops Have Lost Focus, Say Watchdogs. The federal government’s anti-pollution detectives have lost their focus, allege government watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. According to documents obtained by Peer under the Freedom of Information Act, the Environmental Protection Agency’s investigation unit is understaffed and referring fewer cases for federal prosecution than during the Bush administration. Posted. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/obama-epa-investigations/#ixzz0ziGILQI6 BLOGS Prop. 23 Throwdown At The Sac Press Club! The arguments over Prop. 23, the November ballot measure to suspend California's greenhouse gas emission law, were front and center at a debate at the Sacramento Press Club today. Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda (Yuba County), who has spearheaded the effort, traded jabs over jobs, health and the economy with Tom Steyer, a San Francisco-based hedge fund founder, who is co-chairing the campaign to defeat it. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=72437#ixzz0ziFOMXut http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/09/proposition-23-luncheon.html LA Port Develops A Passion For Green Jobs. PortTechLA, a relatively new business incubator operated by a coalition that includes the port and city of Los Angeles, officially launched Wednesday. The project is looking for office space for a campus that will house and nurture start-up companies with products that help reduce pollution or the port's dependence on fossil fuels. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/port-develops-a-passion-for-green-jobs.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 1,000-Megawatt Blythe Solar Power Cleared By State Regulators. A massive solar project planned for the California desert got the go-ahead from state regulators Wednesday. The California Energy Commission unanimously cleared the Blythe Solar Power Project to start construction. Over the next few weeks, commissioners are expected to authorize construction on several other solar installations that are scrambling to take advantage of a federal stimulus package that expires in December. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/09/1000-megawatt-blythe-solar-power-cleared-by-state-regulators.html http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7992&Itemid=23 Another Study About Air Pollution And Pesticides. There's another ominous study out about the chemical bombardment from air pollution and pesticides on the Sierra Nevada and other natural land in California. The message: An excess of nitrogen, a gas that's all around us on Earth, is causing overgrowth in forests and possibly damaging water quality in streams. The nitrogen is coming from ozone and pesticides. Overgrown forests are a breeding ground for catastrophic wildfires. Posted. http://fresnobeehive.com/news/2010/09/another_ominous_study_about_ai.html#ixzz0zhzwckTg Global Warming Could Affect Arctic Storms. Climate changes brought on by global warming could lead to less frequent Arctic storms known as polar lows, British scientists said Wednesday. Polar lows form in ice-free high latitudes in the North Atlantic during the winter and can cause havoc on ships and oil rigs. There was an average 36 storms per season during the 20th century, according to climatologists at the University of Reading. Posted. http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1918103/global_warming_could_affect_arctic_storms/# The U.S. Clean Air Act is 40! Happy Birthday!. The Clean Air Act was signed by President Richard Nixon on December 31, 1970, and so it is 40 this year. To celebrate, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking back at the past few decades to see how things have changed and what kind of impact this important piece of legislation had on air quality in the U.S. (and around the world, since there's only one atmosphere, and many other countries follow U.S. regulations pretty closely). Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/clean-air-act-40th-birthday-epa.php?campaign=top_news ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:30:46 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 20, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 17-20, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S A Threat to California’s Climate Change Progress. San Francisco — California’s ambitious climate change agenda could evaporate in a vote in November that pits renewable energy advocates and allies against oil companies and manufacturers. The U.S. Senate has scuttled President Barack Obama’s goal of putting a price on carbon, leaving state and regional efforts the key drivers in the effort to move the country past coal and oil. California is the clear U.S. leader on addressing climate change, unless California voters kill a landmark 2006 state law known as AB32, which was intended to cut carbon dioxide emission to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/business/energy-environment/20green.html?_r=1&src=busln&pagewanted=print California Braces for Showdown on Emissions. Los Angeles — A ballot initiative to suspend a milestone California law curbing greenhouse gas emissions is drawing a wave of contributions from out-of-state oil companies, raising concerns among conservationists as it emerges as a test of public support for potentially costly environmental measures during tough economic times. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/us/17pollute.html?sq=cap and trade&st=cse&scp=2&pagewanted=print New Smog Proposals From EPA Draw Fire. A proposed crackdown on smog by the Environmental Protection Agency is fueling resistance from businesses groups concerned about costs, Republicans who say it'll be a drag on the economy—and some heartland Democrats engaged in tough election battles this fall. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has dramatically stepped up the pace and scope of regulatory activity since 2009. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704858304575497724034346304.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1#printMode White House Starts Review Of GHG Permitting Guidelines. U.S. EPA is preparing to release long-anticipated guidance about how large industrial sources will be required to slash their greenhouse gas emissions under new climate regulations. White House officials are reviewing the guidance, which they received Friday from EPA, according to a website that tracks federal rules. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/20/8 Utah Proceeding With Regulations Plans For Top Greenhouse Gas Emitters. Utah is "moving full speed ahead" to regulate its top greenhouse gas emitters, said Bill Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. While other states and some business organizations are fighting the federal government's decision to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act by January, the Utah Division of Air Quality is expanding its permit rules to comply with the federal requirements. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/20/8 Arctic Ice in Death Spiral. Uxbridge, Canada - The carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels have melted the Arctic sea ice to its lowest volume since before the rise of human civilization, dangerously upsetting the energy balance of the entire planet, climate scientists are reporting. "The Arctic sea ice has reached its four lowest summer extents (area covered) in the last four years," said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in the U.S. city of Boulder, Colorado. Posted. http://www.ipsnews.net/print.asp?idnews=52896 GAS NOZZLES Gas Stations Fuming About Order To Remove Nozzle Latches. California gas station owners are fuming about new emission-trapping pump nozzles required by the state’s pollution regulator, the Air Resources Board, after more than a dozen customers were sprayed with gasoline. The state fire marshal is so concerned about the malfunctioning devices that it has ordered the removal of all the latches on the nozzles – despite a state law requiring them. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/gas-stations-fuming-about-order-remove-nozzle-latches-4781 AIR POLLUTION SO2, Nox Standards Fail To Protect Environment – EPA. Current air pollution standards for sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) aren't strict enough to prevent damage to the environment, according to a new policy assessment from U.S. EPA that suggests tougher rules could be on the way. EPA is undergoing a review of the secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for both SO2 and NOx. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/20/3 ENERGY Universities Push For Bigger U.S. Role In Commercializing Clean Energy Technologies. American research universities are looking for the federal government to become a long-term partner in facilitating innovation and maintaining the country's lead in a wide range of high-tech industries needed in order to remain globally competitive. Top research officers from nearly a dozen academic institutions came to the Capitol not looking for funding but rather to argue a need to reimagine how research flows between them, government and the private sector. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/20/3 Energy Cooperation With China Is Critical For U.S. Utilities -- Duke Energy. New York con man "Willie" Sutton famously explained why he robbed banks. "Because that's where the money is," he said, according to urban legend. Bill Tyndall, senior vice president for Duke Energy, uses Sutton's quip to explain why the power company is looking for partners in China. After all, China is an economic competitor to the United States and a world away from electricity consumers in Ohio, Indiana and the Carolinas. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/20/4 Bipartisan Group Of Senators Expected To Float RES Bill Tomorrow. A bipartisan group of senators may introduce a stand-alone renewable electricity standards bill tomorrow, making one last push to show leadership that such a measure could pass the Senate. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and other senators will make a renewable energy announcement tomorrow afternoon, according to an e-mail from the committee, a lobbyist in support of an RES told Greenwire. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/20/1 FUELS Long-Term Viability Of U.S. Plants 'At Risk' – Study. Looming federal environmental regulations and changing economic conditions could shut down 18 percent of the U.S. coal fleet in the next two decades, a new analysis finds. Four pending rules from U.S. EPA will make many existing coal plants too expensive to retrofit and will help spur a natural gas boom, according to the assessment from energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/20/6 VEHICLES Tesla Gets Ready To Take Over The Former NUMMI Auto Plant In Fremont. When the NUMMI auto plant in Fremont shut down in April, many pronounced it dead -- a triple victim of the recession, sliding auto sales and General Motors' bankruptcy. But NUMMI is about to be reborn. Electric-carmaker Tesla Motors, which stunned the world when it announced plans to purchase the plant in May, officially takes ownership Oct. 1. Already, many Tesla employees call the plant the "Tesla Factory." Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_16096342?source=email&nclick_check=1 OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Viewpoints: Setting Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Proves Tough For State's Air Board. The 1848 Gold Rush led to California's "Golden State" nickname, but now it's the sun's golden rays that could sustain the state as an economic and environmental powerhouse. Today and for decades to come, California can use its most powerful renewable resource, sunshine, to mitigate fossil fuels' environmental consequences and create green jobs and investment opportunities. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/18/v-print/3038059/setting-low-carbon-fuel-standard.html Other Voices: Like Having A Job? You'll Love Proposition 23. My labor union supports Proposition 23 for one simple reason: It will protect the jobs of millions of hard-working California men and women. Prop. 23 will temporarily suspend some very expensive, job-killing regulations under the state's global warming law, AB32 — regulations that even folks advocating immediate implementation of those rules admit will cost jobs. Posted. http://www.theunion.com/article/20100918/OPINION/100919764/1024 OPINION: Aren’t We Clever? What a contrast. In a year that’s on track to be our planet’s hottest on record, America turned “climate change” into a four-letter word that many U.S. politicians won’t even dare utter in public. If this were just some parlor game, it wouldn’t matter. But the totally bogus “discrediting” of climate science has had serious implications. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/opinion/19friedman.html?sq=climate change&st=cse&scp=4&pagewanted=print MISCELLANEOUS Cleaner for the Environment, Not for the Dishes. Some longtime users were furious. “My dishes were dirtier than before they were washed,” one wrote last week in the review section of the Web site for the Cascade line of dishwasher detergents. “It was horrible, and I won’t buy it again.” “This is the worst product ever made for use as a dishwashing detergent!” another consumer wrote. Like every other major detergent for automatic dishwashers, Procter & Gamble’s Cascade line recently underwent a makeover. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/science/earth/19clean.html?sq=environment&st=cse&scp=2&pagewanted=print Reduce, Reuse, Recycle… Oil Rigs. Nearly five months after BP’s Macondo well was wrecked in a fiery series of explosions that killed 11 rig workers and unleashed America’s largest oil spill, the well head on the sea floor was officially “killed” over the weekend. There’s nothing left of this well but salvaged components and a tangle of steel on the sea floor that will be the subject of investigations and litigation for years to come. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/reduce-reuse-recycle-oil-rigs/?pagemode=print Human Exposure To BPA 'Grossly Underestimated' – Study. Americans are likely to be exposed at higher levels than previously thought to bisphenol A, a compound that mimics hormones important to human development and is found in more than 90 percent of people in the United States, according to new research. U.S. EPA says it is OK for humans to take in up to 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight each day. The new study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, suggests that we are exposed to at least eight times that amount every day. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/09/20/2/ BLOGS Dissonance on Green Detergents. As I note in a Sunday article about the new, low-phosphate dishwasher detergents, consumers are not always thrilled about the performance of environmentally friendly cleaning products. But such products have been gaining acceptance, mainly because of health concerns. Many states and local governments have passed laws requiring the use of these products in schools and other government institutions. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/dissonance-on-green-detergents/?pagemode=print Scientists React to a Nobelist’s Climate Thoughts. Earlier today, I wrote about the way internal filters can influence how scientists perceive and convey risks (in this instance, risks of human-driven climate change) and how the public weighs scientists’ views. As I stressed, what social scientists call “cultural cognition” is only one factor shaping perceptions of phenomena revealed by science. Another is simply someone’s general familiarity with relevant research. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/scientists-react-to-a-nobelists-climate-thoughts/?pagemode=print A 10 Year Checkup on Global Goals. Ten years after the world’s nations pledged to cut deeply into the problems afflicting the world’s poor by 2015, a Millennium Development Goals Summit is being held at the United Nations today through Wednesday to assess progress. The event overlaps with a batch of related meetings in New York City, including Climate Week and the Clinton Global Initiative. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/a-10-year-checkup-on-global-goals/?pagemode=print Environmental Groups Lobby Obama Administration To Adopt 60 Mpg Fuel Standard. Thursday's Automotive X Prize winners showed it was possible for cars to achieve 100-plus miles per gallon. Now a coalition of 19 environmental groups has launched a campaign urging the Obama administration to adopt a 60 mpg fuel standard that would apply to cars and light trucks by 2025. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/60-mpg.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Religion Has Scant Effect on Environmental Views, Poll Suggests. Few Americans say their religion influences their environmental views, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press. For the survey, Pew reached out to more than 3,000 Americans by phone to explore how religion affects their social and political views. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/religion-has-scant-effect-on-environmental-views-poll-suggests/?pagemode=print USC's Android air pollution app takes a crowd-sourced approach to cleaner skies. Were you to be given a report on the way you use your smart phone every day, it might tell you that it was 75% e-mail, 15% web browsing, 7% text messaging and 3% Angry Birds. If you agree with that rough picture, then you agree that smart phones are very much "me-oriented" devices. Any idea that we'd use our phones for the betterment of society is like, not really an idea. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/09/uscs-android-air-pollution-app-takes-a-crowdsourced-approach-to-cleaner-skies.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 'Climatopolis': An Optimistic Look At How Cities Will Handle A Hotter Future. Global warming is a given, writes UCLA economist Matthew Kahn in his new book, “Climatopolis: How Our Cities Will Thrive in the Hotter Future.” But Kahn’s perspective on this isn’t gloomy: He says we could flourish in warmer climes. With pop culture-friendly references sprinkled throughout, the book examines what weather patterns will look like across the nation in the next 50 to 60 years. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/climatopolis-matthew-kahn-how-our-cities-will-thrive-in-the-hotter-future.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:01:30 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 21, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 21, 2010. 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. AB 32 Whitman Continues Pushing For Suspension Of State Law Requiring Companies To Lower Greenhouse Gases. Sacramento -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman repeated her call to suspend AB32, the state law that requires companies to lower greenhouse gases, saying she wants to "figure out how to be smart and green." Also, facing heat from both sides of the issue, Whitman said she would take a stand later this week on the controversial Proposition 23, the initiative financed by out-of-state-oil companies to all but kill Assembly bill 32. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/politics-government/ci_16126900?nclick_check=1 Brown to Whitman: Voice Prop. 23 Stance. Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Jerry Brown utilized a visit to an LA-based solar power business Monday to blast opponent Meg Whitman for not voicing her official stance on Proposition 23.While touring PermaCity Solar, Brown reaffirmed his position on the November ballot measure aimed at blocking AB 32 -- California's historic law designed to dramatically scale back greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ikQAaRqTRq-BIAF8C8os1YaXP5awD9IBS6PO1 Arnold Schwarzenegger's Green Legacy Facing Terminator. As California's governor, Arnie's days are numbered. What kind of legacy will he leave? Seven years after he took office, California's financial problems are worse than ever, so no gold stars for financial or political reform, but perhaps Arnie can cling to his green legacy? Today the landmark climate legislation he signed into law -- AB 32 -- is under threat by Proposition 23. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-van-diggelen/arnold-schwarzeneggers-gr_b_733241.html?view=print California Writing New Rules On Greenhouse Gases, Sprawl. Two years after approving a landmark anti-sprawl law to cut greenhouse gases, California is poised to adopt long-awaited rules targeting land-use and vehicle pollution in regions across the state. The idea is to encourage regional planning that reduces carbon emissions to levels set by the state over the next three decades. One way to do that, for example, is to cut into commute times by reconfiguring housing developments and having peoples’ homes closer to work. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=z59zaish8dxfrt&done# CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Democrats Fighting Election Battles Ask Environmentalists, 'Where Are You Guys?' Energy companies and businesses are ramping up spending on candidates and issues, while environmental groups face lagging donations and enthusiasm for campaigns key to climate change action. Environmentalists who provided money, zeal and manpower to Democrats in 2008 are demoralized this campaign cycle, further fraying the coalition that sent Barack Obama to the White House and gave the party majorities in both houses of Congress. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-environmental-election-20100921,0,309262,print.story Bill Clinton: Economy, Disasters Imperil Millions. New York -- Former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday warned of the growing devastation of the global economic downturn and said the dangers posed by natural disasters around the world had been increased by the effects of climate change. The former president spoke in New York on the first day of the annual Clinton Global Initiative. The conference brings together leaders from government, business and philanthropy, who make financial commitments aimed at tackling poverty and disease around the world. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/09/21/national/a084208D58.DTL&type=printable Big Powers Talk Climate, But No Grand Deal Sighted. A lead U.S. negotiator says two days of talks among 17 major economic powers in New York were "very constructive" in exploring ways to slow and cope with climate change. But no one expects a new, binding global pact anytime soon on reducing global warming gases. Special climate envoy Todd Stern tells reporters that "no one is expecting or anticipating in any way a legal treaty to be done at Cancun this year." Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/09/21/international/i115308D12.DTL&type=printable U.S. Plans to Try Again With This Year's 'Biggest Climate Deal' The U.S. plans to try again with a greenhouse-gas proposal arguing that carbon trading isn't the best way to eliminate hydrofluorocarbon-23, an industrial waste product that traps 11,700 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. The Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987 after scientists discovered a hole in the earth's ozone, could be the vehicle for saving hundreds of millions of dollars now being spent via emissions trading, said Dan Reifsnyder …Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/09/21/bloomberg1376-L9360O07SXKX01-1IRT3UKU1JEMVMJ1BHPQMPRKMT.DTL&type=printable International Business Reps And Government Officials Meet For Weeklong Climate Extravaganza. New York -- With less than three months until the next round of climate negotiations is set to begin in Cancun, Mexico, leaders across business and government are meeting in New York this week to insert some new momentum into the issue. Business leaders from Siemens to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are using government inaction as a rallying call for private industry to take the lead in mitigating climate change. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/21/3 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY States Wrestle With Clean Coal Technology, With Varying Results. The fate of a major low-carbon technology is playing out in the states, where regulators are contemplating whether it's worth paying for -- and whether federal law will change that. Integrated gasification combined cycle, or IGCC, is held up as one of the main ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal. It essentially extracts carbon dioxide from coal and concentrates it before the remaining gas is burned to generate power. The CO2 can then be dispatched for storage underground. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/21/1 Vendors Ponder How To Sell 'Smart Grid' As A Policy. Smart grid gatherings often resemble bazaars, jammed with vendors' booths stacked with brochures and salespeople peddling meters, controls, batteries and more. All those will be missing by design from the first GridWise Alliance forum, which begins today in Washington, says alliance Chairman Guido Bartels. "What you now see is people trying to jump on the bandwagon, pushing their technologies. They look like sales events," said Bartels, IBM's general manager for global energy and utilities. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/09/21/2 U.N. Foundation Pushes Clean Technology Into Off-Grid Areas. Lifting the curtain of darkness that surrounds world populations that have no access to energy was never among the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals for eradicating poverty. But Richenda Van Leeuwen, the U.N. Foundation's new point woman on energy poverty, said leaders widely recognize the impossibility of achieving universal primary school education, reducing child mortality or other development targets without access to electricity. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/21/4 Areas Cut Power To Save Energy. A county in China blacked out for 22 hours every three days at the end of this summer, shuttering electricity to homes, factories, traffic lights and even two hospitals in an attempt to reach China's five-year goal of becoming more energy-efficient. The blackouts were rescinded in Anping county, Hebei province, after the media and central government criticized the program. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/21/9 Blowing A Fuse Over Solar Panels. Council may halt a nursing home's plans for an array the size of a football field, which neighbors say will be an eyesore and distract drivers on the nearby Arroyo Seco Parkway. A solar power quandary is charging up residents of Montecito Heights and Mt. Washington as a nursing home installs 1,441 photovoltaic panels on an Arroyo Seco hillside. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-montecito-solar-20100921,0,5798374,print.story ELECTRIC VEHICLES GM Looks To Give EV Batteries A Life After Cars. General Motors Co. and power electronics company ABB Group will work together to research how used electric car batteries can gain a second life on the nation's power grid, the companies said today. As electric vehicles creep toward general market readiness, automakers and grid experts are looking for ways to make electrified transportation work seamlessly with power systems. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/21/9 Congressional Action Needed To Put Charging Stations At Capitol – GAO. As Obama administration officials grapple with setting up a national infrastructure for electric vehicles, their congressional colleagues are facing obstacles on their own turf. The Government Accountability Office recently ruled that the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) cannot install battery recharging stations for staffers' vehicles without an act of Congress. AOC officials had hoped to provide an incentive for congressional employees to buy hybrid or electric cars, in the same vein as agencies offering public transportation subsidies. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/21/7 RAILROADS High-Speed Rail Stalls. Freight Carriers Balk at Sharing Tracks With the Faster Passenger Service. Opposition from freight railroads is threatening the Obama administration's multibillion-dollar push to make high-speed passenger trains an integral part of the U.S. transportation network. The standoff demonstrates the difficulties of introducing new passenger service to a rail network that is at least 90% owned by freight railroads and outfitted for slower trains. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703305004575504180006530598-lMyQjAxMTAwMDIwMDEyNDAyWj.html#printMode AIR POLLUTION Dust Cuts Colorado River Flow, Scientists Say. Dark particles settle on Rocky Mountain snowfields and alter the melting rate, a study shows. The dark dust thrown up by human activity in the deserts of the Southwest hastens the melting of Rocky Mountain snow and ultimately reduces the amount of water flowing into the upper Colorado River by about 5%, scientists reported Monday. FOR THE RECORD: Colorado River dust: An earlier version of this article stated that dust production had decreased 17% since 1934, when the Taylor Grazing Act limited the amount of grazing allowed on public lands. Dust production has actually fallen about a quarter since then. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-colorado-river-dust-20100921,0,7271262,print.story SBCAG Board Votes to Maintain Status Quo on Emissions Targets. Debate on whether to adopt stricter standards than those recommended by the state ends in 7-6 vote. In a 7-6 vote that, for the most part, separated North Santa Barbara County board members from their southern neighbors, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments board decided Monday to keep emissions in the county within the status quo for the next decade. Posted. http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/print/092010_sbcag_votes_on_emissions_projections/ OPINIONS/LETTERS/EDITORIALS Our View: Prop. 23: Save Economy From Further Chill. There are more than a million reasons, if you count potentially lost jobs, to vote for Proposition 23 on Nov. 2. From its petition-signing days to qualify for the ballot, we have editorially supported the proposition to delay implementation of the state's economically damaging Global Warming Solutions Act until California unemployment falls to 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. Unemployment has been above 12 percent for more than a year; it hit 12.4 percent for August. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/common/printer/view.php?db=marysville&id=99261 The Brothers Koch and AB 32. Four years ago, bipartisan majorities in the California Legislature approved a landmark clean energy bill that many hoped would serve as a template for a national effort to reduce dependence on foreign oil and mitigate the threat of climate change. Now a well-financed coalition of right-wing ideologues, out-of-state oil and gas companies and climate-change skeptics is seeking to effectively kill that law with an initiative on the November state ballot. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/opinion/21tue1.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print Why Big Business Is Defending California's Climate Regulations. Could the closely watched ballot vote to repeal AB32, California's landmark global-warming emissions law, signal the emergence of a historic new coalition between corporations and advocates of emissions-control laws? The battle appears to be the latest front in the war of the emerging clean economy against the economic incumbents. Signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, the aim of the law is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/09/why-big-business-is-defending-californias-climate-regulations/63213/ Letter: Renters Need Protection From Smoke. As a renter, I definitely would prefer if my home were in a building that was smoke-free. I frequently find myself shutting windows due to neighbors that smoke in the front entryway of my apartment. The smell of smoke comes into my bedroom and sometimes the front stoop and yard are littered with cigarette butts. There is nothing worse than going outside in the morning to discover piles of discarded cigarette butts and ash that most of the time will never be picked up by the tenants who left them there. Posted. http://www.orovillemr.com/opinion/ci_16130043 DIESELS Calif. Sessions To Focus On Trucks. California is having a final series of workshops to gather feedback for amendments to two key truck regulations. The state’s Air Resources Board will solicit input on modifying the truck and bus and drayage truck regulations and provide presentations at the workshops. The recession resulted in significantly reduced emissions, so the board is revisiting these rules and will consider amendments at its December meeting. “The amendments do not exist in hard copy form yet,” said Karen Caesar, a CARB spokeswoman. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85819 BLOGS Schwarzenegger Will Miss Clinton Summit Of World Leaders. Stuck at home with an illness and a budget stalemate, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will miss his scheduled appearance today at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. Schwarzenegger had planned to speak about California's 2006 climate change law, Assembly Bill 32, in the midst of an intense campaign over the law's future. Oil companies and business groups are backing Proposition 23 to suspend the law until California's unemployment rate drops significantly. They say AB 32 would hurt the state's economy by forcing increased costs on businesses. Posted. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/#ixzz10BwazEhD American Lung Association Study Shows That Smart Growth Could Save Lives. The human cost of air pollution sometimes gets lost in the rhetoric surrounding political battles like the one over California's Proposition 23, which would suspend the state's landmark climate law, AB 32.AB 32 is the underpinning for other California legislation that aims to reduce that pollution -- in part by encouraging denser development and more walkable communities. Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-09-21-american-lung-association-study-shows-how-smart-growth-could-sav/ Boeing Wins Pentagon Contract To Build A Solar-Powered Drone That Can Stay Aloft For Five Years. With four scrawny fuselages and wings stretching more than the length of a football field, Boeing Co.’s solar-powered drone looks a bit like a flying antenna. But the government is hoping that the aircraft, dubbed the SolarEagle, will one day be capable of flying for five straight years at 60,000 feet. Last week, Boeing announced it had won an $89-million contract with the U.S. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/09/drone-solar-power-boeing-phantom-works.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 Would Curbing Desert Dust Help The Colorado River? The dark dust thrown up by human activity in the deserts of the southwestern United States hastens the melting of Rocky Mountain snow and ultimately reduces the amount of water flowing into the upper Colorado River by around 5%, scientists reported Monday. The lost water amounts to more than 250 billion gallons — enough to supply the Los Angeles region for 18 months, said study leader Thomas H. Painter, a snow hydrologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/colorado-river-water-california-dust-grazing.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Wal-Mart Pairs With Solarcity To Put Panels On Stores In California, Arizona. Shopping for discounts at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is about to become even more of a sunny activity. The world’s largest retailer is pairing with SolarCity Corp., the country’s market leader in solar installations, to add panels to 20 to 30 stores in California and Arizona. That’s in addition to the 31 Wal-Mart locations, all in California or Hawaii, that already have solar rigged up. That leaves, according to some estimates, more than 8,000 Wal-Mart facilities to go. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/09/wal-mart-pairs-with-solarcity-to-solarize-stores-in-california-and-arizona.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:19:09 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 22, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 22, 2010. 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. ENERGY California Air Resources Board To Vote On Renewable Electricity Rules. Despite a bruising ballot battle over California's landmark climate change law, the state is forging ahead with plans requiring electric utilities to obtain a third of their supply from renewable energy sources. The California Air Resources Board on Thursday will vote on far-reaching new rules and regulations for the state's renewable electricity standard, a cornerstone of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's agenda. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/22/v-print/3046784/california-air-resources-board.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/22/v-print/2087713/california-air-resources-board.html Calif. Agencies Shrug Off Ballot Assault, Unveil Clean-Power Strategies. California officials promoted the state's clean-energy agenda yesterday amid an intensifying campaign to derail it by rolling out an agreement among four agencies about how to achieve the state's 33 percent renewable electricity mandate by 2020 and reach other energy goals. The pact by the Air Resources Board, Public Utilities Commission, Energy Commission and Independent System Operator creates a blueprint for achieving a renewable-energy goal that is unprecedented in scope in the United States. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/22/11 State Moves Ahead With Push For Renewable Power. Despite a bruising ballot battle over the California's landmark climate change law, the state is forging ahead with plans requiring electric utilities to obtain a third of their supply from renewable energy sources. The California Air Resources Board on Thursday will vote to adopt far-reaching new rules and regulations for the state's renewable electricity standard … Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/21/v-print/1348707/state-releases-targets-for-clean.html California Pushes For More E-Vs. State wants a million electric-powered cars on roads by 2020. Washington -- California wants 1 million full-battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the Golden State's roadways in a decade. The nation's largest state unveiled a new plan for its energy future two days in advance of the California Air Resources Board considering a first-in-the-nation rule that would require one-third of the state's electricity come from renewable sources by 2020. Posted. http://www.detnews.com/article/20100922/AUTO01/9220320/1148/California-pushes-for-more-E-Vs How Some Clean Energy Investors Clear The Hurdles To Growth. New York -- What investors in the clean energy sector say they want most from government is consistency -- and a price on carbon. At an event titled "Crossing the Commercialization Valley of Death" during New York City's Climate Week NYC, investors, financial advisers and business owners met to discuss the biggest hurdles to commercializing clean technology. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/22/3 Senate Momentum Builds for Clean Energy and Jobs, but Not Climate Call it climate-lite. The renewable electricity standard introduced in the Senate yesterday is a key element in most sprawling measures to address climate change. It's designed to rev up renewable electricity -- 15 percent by 2021, including efficiency -- resulting in less fossil fuel use and fewer emissions. That would help utilities cut their carbon output to comply with an emissions cap -- if Congress ever enacts one. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/09/22/22climatewire-senate-momentum-builds-for-clean-energy-and-54130.html?pagewanted=print http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/22/1 RES Supporters Begin Drumming Up 60 Votes For New Bill. A bipartisan group of senators today floated a new stand-alone renewable electricity standard bill, but they walked back slightly from earlier comments that the legislation had enough supporters to pass the Senate this year. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and primary author of the new bill, said he and his colleagues will use the next few weeks to drum up support for the measure. Posted. http://eenews.net/eenewspm/print/2010/09/21/2 Reid Floats Natural Gas Bill; Support Grows For Renewable-Energy Measure. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday floated a stand-alone version of natural gas incentives language that was included in an energy and oil spill response package that failed to see floor action this summer. The Nevada Democrat has listed the measure, which provides tax breaks for natural gas vehicles and infrastructure, as one of his top energy priorities this fall. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/22/1 DOE Releases A Draft Plan To Push Offshore Wind Developments. Offshore wind development needs a jump-start. And the Energy Department thinks it can provide the needed jolt, according to a new draft plan from the agency. While Europe and China have blazed ahead with such projects, offshore wind projects along the United States have snagged on issues including steep energy costs, technical challenges and permitting hurdles. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/22/6 U.N. Groups Want $36 Billion A Year To Ease Energy Poverty. Countries where people earn less than $2 a day also tend to be places with no reliable access to electricity. The United Nations does not believe that is a coincidence. It wants the world to spend $756 billion -- about $36 billion annually for the next two decades -- to ensure universal access to modern energy services by 2030. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/22/7 California Wants 1 Million Electric Cars On Its Road By 2020. During his 2008 campaign for president, Barack Obama famously said that he wanted one million plug-in cars on U.S. roads by 2015. That's a goal that many experts continue to think will be extremely hard to attain. Now California has adopted the same goal for the state alone, but with a different and longer timeframe. For the Golden State, the deadline is 2020--one that may be much easier to meet. Posted. http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1049597_california-wants-1-million-electric-cars-on-its-road-by-2020 http://www.autoevolution.com/news/california-to-have-1-million-evs-by-2020-24624.html CLIMATE CHANGE Global Climate Talks Rest On Low Expectations As U.S. Debates China's Role. New York -- U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern said yesterday that nations participating in U.N.-led climate talks remain too far apart to achieve a binding accord this year, but the Obama administration plans to stick by a U.S. pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/22/4 Big Powers Talk Climate, But No Grand Deal Sighted. New York — A lead U.S. negotiator says two days of talks among 17 major economic powers in New York were "very constructive" in exploring ways to slow and cope with climate change. But no one expects a new, binding global pact anytime soon on reducing global warming gases. Special climate envoy Todd Stern tells reporters that "no one is expecting or anticipating in any way a legal treaty to be done at Cancun this year." Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5i6DVVs_EMnlyec8G47kVl3oMZQD9ICFU3O0 Report Details Potential Impact of Prop. 23. Ballot initiative would halt about half of greenhouse gas reduction efforts. With Proposition 23 becoming an issue in the California governor’s race, a new report details what impact that measure would likely have on greenhouse-gas emissions in the state, if it passes. Posted. http://www.baycitizen.org/politics/story/proposition-23/print/ 23,000 Californians Join Conversation about Defeating Proposition 23. The Sierra Club and CREDO Action hosted a conference call Monday evening to discuss the No on Proposition 23 campaign with Californians, who will be voting on the measure on November 2. More than 23,000 people joined the call to hear Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune and CREDO Action president and co-founder Michael Kieschnick discuss the dirty energy initiative and how the Sierra Club and CREDO Action will be working to defeat Proposition 23 this fall. Posted. http://yubanet.com/california/23-000-Californians-Join-Conversation-About-Defeating-Proposition-23.php FRIEDMAN: China Turns Climate Change Into Jobs. What a contrast. In a year that’s on track to be our planet’s hottest on record, America turned “climate change” into a four-letter word that many U.S. politicians won’t even dare utter in public. If this were just some parlor game, it wouldn’t matter. But the totally bogus “discrediting” of climate science has had serious implications. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100922/OPINION/100929901/1042?Title=FRIEDMAN-China-turns-climate-change-into-jobs Proposed NOAA Global Warming Agency Endorsed By Expert Panel. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration should establish an in-house Climate Service that acts as the lead agency for all federal climate science and services, according to an expert panel from the National Academy of Public Administration. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/22/4 SB 375 Air Resources Board's Pollution Targets Unrealistic. The California Air Resources Board is on the verge of destroying the collaborative work of an unlikely coalition of environmentalists, labor, employers and municipalities. These diverse interests worked together to pass SB375, a bill to create more sustainable communities through regional planning. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/22/EDGM1FGPV9.DTL&type=printable Is 'Smart Growth' Law On Right Track? No. This is a very difficult time for Californians, and our state leaders need to recognize the gravity of the state's condition. A case in point is the need to pursue a more rational implementation of Senate Bill 375, a law passed in 2008 aimed at prompting communities to consider climate change impacts in planning of new development. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/22/v-print/3046918/sb-375-hijacked-jobs-and-economy.html Opinion: Air Board Overreaching In Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets. This Thursday, the California Air Resources Board will make a crucial decision impacting the lives of California residents for years to come. The vote could result in extreme cost increases for families and businesses across the state. And almost nobody knows about it. As members of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission -- the planning, coordinating and financing agency for Bay Area transit -- we want to call your attention to this important issue. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_16136457?nclick_check=1 VEHICLES GM Seeks A 2nd Life For The Volt Battery. General Motors Co. will join a power-grid company to study what happens to car batteries once they've driven their last mile. No one knows yet, because the first wave of electric cars arrives later this year. They will need at least a few years to reach meaningful numbers, and the batteries themselves will take most of a decade before their usefulness for driving runs out. But in one scenario, analysts say, utilities could adapt the used batteries for grid energy storage. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/22/2 Clean-Car Efforts In Spotlight At Clinton Initiative. The Clinton Global Initiative announced today a series of education and outreach programs aimed at promoting sales of electric vehicles. At the initiative's sixth annual meeting in New York, the trade group Electric Drive Transportation Association announced an online "clearinghouse" for information about plug-in cars and an effort to create government and industry task forces to set up standards for electric cars. Posted. http://eenews.net/eenewspm/print/2010/09/21/8 Spending Is Blocked for Capitol Charging Stations. The Obama administration is investing billions of dollars to encourage the manufacturing of batteries and components for electric vehicles and to establish tens of thousands of battery charging stations nationwide so that the vehicles’ owners will have places to “refuel.” But it appears that an act of Congress will be needed to get charging stations installed for some employees in the president’s own backyard. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/spending-is-blocked-for-capitol-charging-stations/?pagemode=print Smaller Engines The Trend. U.S. Buyers Continue To Favor Them In Cars. Detroit --When it came time for Ray Hancart to choose the engine he wanted in a new Honda Accord, he decided there was no need for the bigger V-6. He picked one with four cylinders. The Columbus, Ohio, marketing and public relations executive joined a growing trend in U.S. auto sales toward smaller powerplants, choosing Honda's 2.4-liter four. Posted. http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100921/Biz/100929916/0/googleNews&Template=printart Coda's All-Electric Sedan Will Cost $45K Before Rebate. Coda Automotive has announced that its all-electric sedans will cost $44,900 before a $7,500 federal tax rebate, putting it in the same range as the upcoming Chevy Volt and making it $11,000 more expensive than the Nissan Leaf. The company plans to produce 14,000 of its sedans by the end of 2011. The first run will reach consumers in California in December. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/22/12 Powering Up With New Fuel Cells. Two buildings in the New York region are poised to become among the first large-scale residential projects powered by fuel cells, an energy-producing technology that proponents say costs and pollutes less than conventional alternatives. The fuel cells—weighing in at 60,000 pounds and about the size of a freight car—can provide 400 kilowatts of energy by converting natural gas to hydrogen, and then hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and heat. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703440604575496011990915100.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#printMode DIESELS No Idle Time: Apus Provide Drivers Comfort Without Engines Idling. Hypothetically, let’s say you’re manager of a trucking company in Vermont. Capitalizing on the insatiable demand for maple syrup that rages throughout the southeast United States, you maintain a lucrative seasonal business hauling freshly packaged bottles of the sweet treat to Atlanta, Ga., and returning with rolls of carpeting. Each 20-hour leg of the journey is quite popular and you’re able to keep trucks on the road almost constantly. Posted. http://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/Item/79699/no_idle_time_apus_provide_drivers_comfort_without_engines_idling.aspx AIR POLLUTION U.S. Issues Tighter Temporary Standard For Combustible Dust. In the wake of West Virginia's Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, the Obama administration is tightening the rules on coal dust. The dust, which reports indicated had built up in the Massey Energy-owned mine, is highly combustible when it collects on conveyor belts, walls and floors. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration issued an "emergency temporary standard" yesterday that requires mine operators to coat those surfaces with more crushed stone, which can alleviate the combustibility of the dust. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/22/14 San Joaquin Valley Nut Industry Works to Cut Dust. Almond and walnut growers are harvesting their crops with the help of machines somewhat like vacuum cleaners. But unlike the household appliances, these rigs can spew out plenty of dust as they go about picking up nuts. In recent years, industry people have worked on ways to reduce the dust, which can cause health problems for people who breathe it. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/21/1349517/nut-industry-works-to-cut-clouds.html#ixzz10H8RYQoH Law Would Crack Down on Roaring Motorcycles. Customizing their Harley-Davidsons is a way to make their rides unique, Tom Scott and his biking buddies say. It's not necessarily about whose exhaust system is the loudest. "Motorcycles, especially Harley-Davidson's, are a piece of jewelry and everyone likes theirs to look a little different," said Scott, who 45 years ago opened Harley-Davidson of Anaheim-Fullerton. "I'm a dealer and I hate that noise." Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/motorcycles-267390-noise-law.html?nstrack=sid:382675|met:102|cat:227|order:3 MISCELLANEOUS Murkowski Likely Ousted From Top Energy Spot. Republican members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee may have stripped Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) of her top position on the committee this afternoon, with a replacement to be voted on tomorrow. Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) confirmed that members of the committee today voted on the floor by secret ballot on whether to take the ranking member spot from Murkowski. Posted. http://eenews.net/eenewspm/print/2010/09/21/1 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:43:13 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 23, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 23, 2010. 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. ENERGY State Moves Ahead With Push For Renewable Power. With the support of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, four California state agencies and the operator of the state's electricity grid have banded together to call for a coordinated approach that ensures the state remains on a cleaner-energy path in the coming decade. In 2006, Mr. Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, one of several measures intended to help change the way Californians generate and use energy, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/21/1348707/state-releases-targets-for-clean.html Renewable Energy Rules Likely To Advance. The California Air Resources Board is expected to approve regulations that could break an impasse in a battle to require utilities to obtain a third of their power from solar and other renewable sources by 2020. A state agency is expected to approve regulations Thursday that could break an impasse in a long-sought goal to require utilities in California to obtain a third of their power from solar and other renewable sources by 2020. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-renewable-energy-20100923,0,5018836,print.story RES Bill Stands Alone Or Dies, Sponsors Vow. A Senate bill to implement a national renewable electricity standard should be brought to the floor as a stand-alone measure or not at all, a leading co-sponsor of the legislation said today. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said the point of introducing the stand-alone RES bill is to get enough co-sponsors to show the bill can pass without amendments. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/23/1 Calif. Regulators To Vote On New Energy Standard. Sacramento, Calif. California environmental regulators are considering a plan that would require utilities to derive a third of the electricity they send to consumers from renewable sources like solar and wind by 2020. The California Air Resources Board is scheduled to vote on a proposal Thursday that, if adopted, would create the most aggressive clean energy standards in the nation. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IDLPFG0.htm In California, Prop 23 Threatens State’s Renewable Energy Standard. The Los Angeles Times reported today that a California agency is set to approve renewable energy standard that is significantly more stringent than the one being discussed at the congressional level. California’s RES would require that 33 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources like wind and solar by 2020. Posted. http://washingtonindependent.com/98406/in-california-prop-23-threatens-states-renewable-energy-standard Calif. Clears State Permit For Brightsource Solar Station. BrightSource Energy Inc.'s solar power project in Ivanpah, Calif., won approval yesterday from state regulators, leaving it one step removed from breaking ground. The 392-megawatt solar thermal power plant received a unanimous nod from the California Energy Commission, ending years of often-acrimonious struggle over the project's environmental impact in the Mojave Desert. The vote represents the fourth project cleared by the CEC in the last month. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/23/6 http://www.desertdispatch.com/news/project-9304-energy-construction.html http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100922-713910.html http://blogs.pe.com/news/digest/2010/09/inland-big-solar-energy-projec.html http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16146519?nclick_check=1 Who Will Become The Masters Of The 'Smart Grid'? If there is a consensus within the smart grid sector, it's on the necessity of getting consumers to use new digital meters, energy displays, appliance controls and pricing innovation to reduce their use of electricity. This has been the mantra of the GridWise Global Forum in Washington this week, a convention of utilities, smart grid vendors, consultants and regulators. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/23/2 Analysis: Recent California Newspaper Editorials (SJ Mercury News)The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise: "Solar Sensitivity". The desire for clean energy does not justify the needless sacrifice of fragile habitat. California's desert is ideal for alternative energy projects, but the desert is also a delicate ecosystem. So, state and federal officials who oversee green energy development should direct new energy projects to already-disturbed desert land, instead of pristine public acreage. A draft scientific report says large new power plants should strive to use desert land already touched by human activity. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16146518 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S California Writing New Rules On Greenhouse Gas, Sprawl. Two years after approving a landmark anti-sprawl law to cut greenhouse gases, California is poised to adopt long-awaited rules targeting land-use and vehicle pollution in regions across the state. The idea is to encourage regional planning that reduces carbon emissions to levels set by the state over the next three decades. One way to do that, for example, is to cut into commute times by reconfiguring housing developments and having peoples’ homes closer to work. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=z5gpqd0sbblhpf# San Diegans Support Lead Role In Climate Change. San Diego County might have a reputation for being politically conservative, but a poll released Wednesday by The San Diego Foundation suggests the region is progressive when it comes to climate change. High levels of support for taking a leadership role to address global warming cut across demographic groups and political parties, according to the foundation, which has funded several climate studies in recent years. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/sep/23/san-diegans-support-lead-role-climate-change/ 'Comprehensive' Label Unlikely For Future Senate Energy Bills. Several key lawmakers did a postmortem today on the Senate's failure to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation, concluding that bigger energy legislation is not better. The path to success, most agreed, may be taking it one small step at a time. "We don't need a thousand-page complex bill with special deals in it in order to make progress on energy," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) at a forum sponsored by The Washington Post. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/23/2 Editorial: Greenhouse Gas Mandates Boil Over. The state Air Resources Board today is likely to plunge ahead with unwise, unnecessary mandates that greenhouse gas emissions be reduced as much as 8 percent by 2020 and 16 percent by 2035. The reductions are about twice what's recommended by government planning agencies in the San Francisco and Southern California regions. But as usual, the unaccountable, single-minded state agency is blind to economic ramifications, even in the face of vocal opposition from the private sector that will be adversely affected. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=267712 Pegasus Helping Design `Green Bank' To Fund Carbon Projects, Tamminen Says. Pegasus Capital Advisors LP, the U.S. private equity firm that manages almost $2 billion in assets, is helping set up a bank to fund carbon reduction, a former adviser to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says. Pegasus is “volunteering some time to help with the design and structuring of the green bank,” Terry Tamminen, 58, said in a telephone interview in Melbourne. He is an adviser to the firm, founded in 1995, according to its website. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-09-23/pegasus-helping-design-green-bank-to-fund-carbon-projects-tamminen-says.html Signs Of Climate Change Fail To Shift Political Landscape. The evidence for climate change grows: The first eight months of 2010 put this year on track to tie 1998 as the hottest year on record, global bleaching is devastating coral reefs and Arctic summer sea ice is reaching new lows. But for all the visible signs of global warming, weakened political support for curbing the emissions that drive it means that the United States is unlikely to impose national limits on greenhouse gases before 2013, at the earliest. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/23/AR2010092302599_pf.html Scientists Aren't Spin Doctors on Climate. Your editorial "Hedging on global warming" (Comment & Analysis, Monday) on science adviser John Holdren's suggestion that "climate disruption" more accurately reflects the consequences of overloading the atmosphere with carbon dioxide, ignored science and history. You claimed that scientists and environmentalists embraced the term "climate change" because global temperatures were going down. In reality, the past 10 years have constituted the hottest decade in the modern temperature record. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/22/scientists-arent-spin-doctors-on-climate/ Global Warming May Have Slowed in the 1970s Due to Suddenly Cooler Oceans. A rapid surface cooling of the northern oceans may have caused a temporary slowdown in global warming that occurred during the early 1970s, according to an article in the September 22 issue of the science journal Nature. Moreover, the article also suggests that the cooling coincided with an unexpected influx of freshwater, most likely from melting ice that flowed from the Arctic Ocean into the North Atlantic. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS253216740320100923 China's 'Green Economy' Will Have To Wait. China is neither green nor clean. It's a major polluter that promises to clean up its act — someday. Last week, I was stuck in a traffic jam in Zhongguancun, the high-technology zone in northwest Beijing that's supposed to be China's Silicon Valley. But right then, it looked more like the 405 on a very bad day. The air was hot, thick and dark gray with smog. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mcmanus-china-green-20100923,0,5583263,print.column EPA Releases States' Plans To Comply With Federal GHG Regs. U.S. EPA has released states' plans to comply with federal climate rules after a Republican lawmaker pressed the agency to unveil the documents. The agency has publicly posted letters from state and local permitting authorities about how they plan to comply with the Obama administration's climate rules by next year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/23/4 House GOP Vows To Fight Cap And Trade In New Policy Statement. House Republican leaders today rolled out their new conservative governing agenda, which focuses on reining in spending, national defense, repealing the new health care reform law and permanently extending the Bush tax cuts. The Republicans did not say much about energy or environment policy during their public appearance at a lumberyard in Sterling, Va., but a document outlining their priorities says, "We will fight to increase access to domestic energy sources and oppose attempts to impose a national 'cap and trade' energy tax." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/23/3 Smoggy Status Quo. While Santa Barbara County is one of only two state counties expecting to increase its greenhouse gas emissions in the next 20 years, the majority of the board of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) —comprised of the county’s five supervisors along with one representative from each of the county’s eight cities and in charge of transportation issues within the county —decided the status quo was adequate for now. The county is looking at a 6-percent increase by 2020 and 4 percent by 2035. Posted. http://www.independent.com/news/2010/sep/23/smoggy-status-quo/ AB 32 Brown To Continue To Press Whitman On Climate Change. Sacramento -- Meg Whitman is soon expected to announce her opposition to Proposition 23, the ballot measure that would all but kill California's landmark climate control law, AB 32. The move is intended to cast Whitman, the Republican candidate for governor, as a moderate on the environment, willing to thumb her nose at the out-of-state oil companies financing Proposition 23, at the risk of snubbing her conservative base. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_16146290?nclick_check=1 Editorial: Board Must Stay True To Smart-Growth Law. California enacted a landmark law in 2008 that uses a mix of carrots and sticks to encourage smarter land-use planning – an attempt to encourage communities statewide to "grow up, instead of out." The goal of Senate Bill 375, authored by Sen. Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, isn't just to cut down on sprawl and build communities conducive to transit. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/23/v-print/3049787/editorial-board-must-stay-true.html New Statewide Coalition to Fight Proposition 23. With polling indicating that minority voters may be the key element in the fate of Proposition 23, a historic Coalition has come together to challenge the Texas oil companies´ assault on California’s clean-energy law. Communities United Against the Dirty Energy Prop, a coalition of many of the state’s most prominent social justice and community-based organizations, will focus on the communities that are at greatest risk should Prop. 23 pass. Posted. http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/187305 The Eclectic and Prominent Opposition To California Ballot Measure Prop 23. A measure on California’s November ballot, Proposition 23, would suspend AB 32, also known as the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2005. AB 32 set targets for reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. The list of people, companies and organizations against Proposition 23, reads like a who’s who of California. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/09/the-electic-and-prominent-opposition-to-california-ballot-measure-prop-23/ Campaigns Clash over Suspension of Calif. Global Warming Law. November elections are just over a month away and the debate over Prop 23 -- the measure to suspend AB 32, California’s global warming law -- has enough drama for a reality show. Earlier this month, George Shultz, co-chair of the No on 23 campaign and secretary of state during the Reagan Administration, told the media in a conference call that Prop 23 is a threat to national security. He noted that the global warming laws promote a shift toward clean energy. Posted. http://sandiegonewsroom.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42668:campaigns-clash-over-suspension-of-calif-global-warming-law&catid=38:energy&Itemid=17 Will Prop. 23 Hurt California’s Economy or Help It? Proposition 23 on the November ballot would suspend California's greenhouse gas emissions law. Opponents say that could hurt the creation of jobs in San Diego and throughout the state, but the Yes on 23 campaign says the measure would save existing jobs. Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/sep/23/will-prop-23-hurt-californias-economy-or-help-it/ In These Hard Economic Times, Prop. 23 Makes Sense. In these challenging economic times, our No. 1 priority should be protecting jobs and avoiding putting additional financial burdens on California's families. That's why the Modesto Chapter of the American GI Forum supports Proposition 23, which would temporarily suspend California's ineffective global warming law, Assembly Bill 32. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/22/1351028/in-these-hard-economic-times-prop.html#ixzz10NGzYtWt Save State Economy from Further Chill. There are more than a million reasons, if you count potentially lost jobs, to vote for Proposition 23 on Nov. 2. From its petition-signing days to qualify for the ballot, we have editorially supported the proposition to delay implementation of the state's economically damaging Global Warming Solutions Act until California unemployment falls to 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. Unemployment has been above 12 percent for more than a year; it hit 12.4 percent for August. Posted. http://www.desertdispatch.com/opinion/california-9298-state-jobs.html Trio in Modesto Argue For Delay Of Emissions Law. A big bus yard west of Modesto provided the setting Wednesday for people who want to suspend the state's main law on climate change. They urged voters to pass Proposition 23, a November ballot measure that would delay emission reductions and related efforts until the economy greatly improves. The speakers included Donald Storer, president and chief executive officer of Storer Transportation Service of Modesto, which has about 600 employees in the Central Valley. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/09/22/1351102/trio-argue-for-delay-of-emissions.html#ixzz10N6F8RbV ARRA / GREEN JOBS Lake County To Receive Funding For Energy Efficiency Projects On Public Facilities. As the recipient of stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the county of Lake will soon realize significant energy savings through cost-effective projects that will be completed on publicly-owned facilities, while at the same helping to stimulate the local economy; create and retain jobs; reduce fossil fuel emissions; reduce total energy usage, and improve energy efficiency. Posted. http://lakeconews.com/content/view/16076/919/ CURRENT EVENTS Whitman To Vote Against Proposition 23. Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said today that she will vote against Proposition 23, the measure to suspend implementation of the state's greenhouse gas reduction law until the statewide unemployment rate hits 5.5 percent for four consecutive years. Whitman has said she would suspend the law, AB 32, for at least one year, and in a written statement this morning she called the law a "job killer" and said it needs to be revised. Posted. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/09/whitman-to-vote-against-propos.html Whitman Still Wants To Suspend Greenhouse-Gas Law But Opposes Prop. 23. Republican Meg Whitman said Thursday she opposed a measure on the November ballot that would suspend the state's greenhouse-gas law. Ending weeks of speculation, Whitman said in a statement that she was opposed to Proposition 23, even though she had called for her own one-year suspension of AB 32, the law Proposition 23 seeks to roll back. For the last week, Whitman's Democratic opponent, Jerry Brown, has called on Whitman to take a stand on the November ballot measure. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/09/whitman-says-she-opposes-greenhouse-gas-rollback.html Prop. 23 backers to host fundraiser for Fiorina in Washington. Republican Senate nominee Carly Fiorina will be in Washington Thursday for a big-bucks fundraiser whose hosts include David and Charles Koch, the oil muguls who have kicked in $1 million in an attempt to win passage of Proposition 23.The fundraiser, set for 5:30 p.m. at the offices of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, will be attended by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other members of the GOP Senate delegation. Attendees must pay a minimum of $500, while sponsoring PACS are paying $5,000. Posted. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/09/prop-23-backers-to-host-fundra.html AIR POLLUTION California Quantifies Premature Deaths Caused by Fine Particulate Pollution. The view of Greater Los Angeles from high in the Angeles National Forest on a sunny day ranges from downtown skyscrapers in the west to the Santa Ana Mountains in the south and the granite bulk of Mount San Gorgonio in the east. Suspended like the fringe of a curtain from the bottom of the blue sky is a yellow-brown belt of polluted air, enveloping the millions of people who live and work in the region. Posted. http://sunpluggers.com/news/california-quantifies-premature-deaths-caused-by-fine-particulate-pollution-0967 BLOGS California: The "Solar Saudi Arabia". Prepare for a solar building boom in the deserts of Southern California. After spending years in the environmental review process and clearing other bureaucratic hurdles, approvals for clean energy producers are picking up steam. State regulators have now given the green light to four major solar power projects in as many weeks. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/09/22/california-the-solar-saudi-arabia/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Proposition 23: Environmentalists Power Up. California environmental groups are launching a massive grassroots organizing effort to defeat Proposition 23, the November ballot initiative to suspend the state's 2006 global warming law. On Monday, a conference call to rally opposition drew 23,077 participants. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/prop-23-opponents-global-warming.html Feinstein, Boxer Propose Tougher Gas Pipeline Regulation In Wake Of San Bruno Blast. California’s two U.S. senators introduced a bill Wednesday that would impose strict new pipeline safety standards and add federal inspectors in the wake of the Sept. 9 natural gas explosion in San Bruno that killed seven people and burned 37 houses to the ground. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/feinstein-and-boxer-propose-tougher-gas-pipeline-regulation-in-wake-of-deadly-san-bruno-blast.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lanowblog+%28L.A.+Now%29&utm_content=Google+Reader It Takes An Island: Hawaii Builds Hydrogen Infrastructures With GM. Islands are often targeted for experiments, many of them social and/or scientific. Take Hawaii, which will soon be the site of an ambitious plan for the first viable hydrogen fuel cell network in the United States. Over the summer, the Honolulu-based utility, the Gas Co., announced it had partnered with General Motors, in Detroit, to tap into Oahu’s 1,000-mile utility pipeline and supply hydrogen gas to fuel stations that could power thousands of fuel-cell vehicles. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/hydrogen-fuel-cell-hawaii-gas.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:02:45 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 27, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 24-27, 2010. 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. ENERGY Calif. Push For Renewables Could Blow Across West. Billings, Mont. -- Montana and other states in the West could wind up being the unintended beneficiaries of an aggressive push to decrease fossil fuel use in California, industry representatives and others say. The California Air Resources Board on Thursday adopted a new standard mandating that utilities in that state get 33 percent of their power from wind, solar, and other renewables by 2020. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/25/v-print/3055816/cas-push-for-renewables-could.html ARB Votes To Require State's Utilities To Boost Use Of Renewable Energy. The state approved sweeping new rules Thursday requiring California utilities to obtain a third of their energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar power. Air Resources Board members voted unanimously to implement the new 33 percent renewable electricity standard. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/24/v-print/3052828/arb-votes-to-requirestates-utilities.html Allred Says Otter Energy Ad Greenwashes Record. Boise, Idaho -- Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter takes credit for helping develop Idaho alternative energy projects in new TV campaign ads, prompting Democrat Keith Allred to protest the governor is greenwashing his record. "I've made alternative energy research a top priority," Otter says in a spot that began airing Thursday. "We're among the leaders in the nation. Today, we have projects in wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and nuclear. And we've just scratched the surface." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/24/v-print/3053793/allred-says-otter-energy-ad-greenwashes.html Asia Begins Embracing Solar Power. Hong Kong - Developing nations in Asia, it seems, are finally seeing the light. In May, the Asian Development Bank started a major drive to promote solar power across the region. Last year, the Indian government approved an ambitious National Solar Mission, which seeks a huge increase in the country’s solar-energy capabilities. Bangladesh, with the support of the World Bank, is aiming to have one million remote rural homes supplied with solar panels by the end of 2012. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/energy-environment/27green.html?_r=1&src=busln&pagewanted=print Sharp To Provide Solar Panels For Gigantic Central Valley Power Project. • Solar farm near Avenal will be among world’s largest • 200 construction jobs, but just 5 permanent jobs. Sharp Electronics Corporation, a subsidiary of Sharp Corporation of Osaka, Japan, says it has landed the contract to provide the thin film solar modules to be used to generate electricity from the sun at the massive Avenal photovoltaic solar power facility in Kings County. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16407 Navy Installs Solar Panels On Calif. Facility. The U.S. Navy has installed a $1.9 million solar parking lot at a facility in Seal Beach, Calif., paid for using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The installation is meant to help the Navy in getting 7.5 percent of its energy from renewable sources, a goal laid out in the 2005 Energy Policy Act. The facility has 812 photovoltaic panels, each capable of producing 235 watts, installed on top of the steel building. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/27/9 Earthtalk: Why Hasn't Solar Caught On More? Dear EarthTalk: Is it now feasible to provide all of a home's energy needs - including air conditioning - with solar power alone? If so, why hasn't solar caught on more, particularly in U.S. "Sun Belt" states from southern California east to Florida?- Tim Douglas, Burlington, Vt.It has been possible for years if not decades to provide all of a home's energy needs with solar power. The technology is here and is only getting more efficient and less obtrusive every day. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/27/v-print/3059578/earthtalk-why-hasnt-solar-caught.html Nautilus Solar Energy Completes Acquisition of Meadows Field Airport Solar Facility. Summit, N.J., -- Nautilus Solar Energy ("Nautilus Solar") today announced the acquisition of the Meadows Field Airport solar facility ("Project") from Regenesis Power, LLC ("Regenesis Power"). The 880kW one-axis tracking solar photovoltaic facility is located in Bakersfield, California at Meadows Field Airport. "We are very pleased to have completed this acquisition. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/27/v-print/3058932/nautilus-solar-energy-completes.html CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Vote no on Proposition 23. Proposition 23, put on the ballot by climate-change skeptics and out-of-state oil companies, would invalidate California's landmark law to do something about a warming planet. The measure plays to fears about jobs and rising costs in a weak economy. It brushes off a barrage of studies showing the health, economic and social dangers of greenhouse gases and the nation's risky dependence on imported oil. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/27/EDTC1FIMSQ.DTL&type=printable Viewpoints: Should Global Warming Law Be Delayed? Yes. The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce has been engaged in the policy debate over the implementation of the state's global warming law, AB 32, for several years. During that time we've learned that the global warming law will be enormously expensive, especially in the near term. Posted http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/26/v-print/3055085/viewpoints-should-global-warming.html Viewpoints: Should Global Warming Law Be Delayed? No. Proposition 23, on the November ballot, will abandon California's aggressive clean air law until unemployment is 5.5 percent or lower for at least a year, a standard reached only six out of the last 34 years. Proposition 23 supporters, funded heavily by Texas oil money, argue we can't afford to invest in clean, domestic energy in the midst of the current economic downturn. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/26/v-print/3055084/viewpoints-should-global-warming.html Endorsement 2010: Proposition 23 Deserves To Go Down In Disgrace. California has a long history of enacting groundbreaking environmental laws that come under fierce attack from polluters and outside corporations. The state's 1966 limits on tailpipe emissions, its 1976 restrictions on lead in gasoline, its 1999 regulations on volatile organic compounds and its 2004 limits on greenhouse gases from automobiles – all were fought by oil companies, automakers or other industries. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/26/v-print/3055174/proposition-23-deserves-to-go.html Air Board Action Is Fallback For Green Energy. After an initial fumble, California is finally boosting solar, wind and other renewable energy sources in a big way. The state Air Resources Board wants utilities to produce a third of their power from these alternative sources within a decade. It's a major step in cutting pollution and curbing the heat-trapping gases that are behind climate change. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/25/EDN11FJ67G.DTL&type=printable Fighting Prop. 23 One Phone Call At A Time. An activist with the Communities for a Better Environment takes on Big Oil over delaying the state's global warming law. Alicia Rivera was supposed to meet me at the Wilmington Senior Citizen Center, but when she spotted red flaring and thick black smoke pouring out of refinery smokestacks and moving across nearby neighborhoods, she got distracted. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0926-lopezcolumn-20100926,0,7150402,print.column Obama Admin Starts Round 2 Rulemaking For Auto Fuel-Economy, Ghgs. The Obama administration has moved closer to announcing the next round of fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks. U.S. EPA and the Transportation Department sent a notice last Friday to the White House regulatory review office detailing plans to extend fuel economy and emissions rules for model years 2017 through 2025, according to a website that tracks federal rulemaking. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/27/3 Cap And Trade Plan Stirs Debate Across New Mexico. After driving more than 200 miles, Matt Hinkle of Roswell hobbled down the auditorium walkway to the front of the nearly empty room. He jostled the chairs around to make room for his crutches and then laid out his opposition to a pair of proposals aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in New Mexico. "From what I can see," he told a panel of state regulators, "the public in the state of New Mexico doesn't have a clue. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IGARMO0.htm AIR POLLUTION EPA Wants Farmers To Eat Their Dust. As they begin the fall harvest, wary farmers are watching a federal debate over whether to clamp down on one of rural life's constant companions -- the dust clouds that farm machinery kick up in fields and along unpaved roads. Farming groups have urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to retain its current standards for dust, soot and other microscopic particles, arguing that tighter restrictions would be unworkable and that dust isn't a real pollutant. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/ci_16184538?source=most_viewed Farmers Fear Tighter Limits On Dust. Indianapolis -- As they begin the fall harvest, wary farmers are watching a federal debate over whether to clamp down on one of rural life's constant companions - the dust clouds that farm machinery kicks up in fields and along unpaved roads. Farming groups have urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to retain its current standards for dust, soot and other microscopic particles, arguing that tighter restrictions would be unworkable and that dust isn't a real pollutant. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/26/BUUK1FGJDF.DTL&type=printable Triple Digits, Smoky Air In Valley Today. Valley residents can expect 100-degree temperatures and poor air quality today. A high of 101 is forecast for Fresno today, the National Weather Service said. That, coupled with smoke drifting into the Valley from the Sheep fire in Sequoia National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park, has prompted the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to issue an air quality alert until noon today. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/27/2094184/triple-digits-smoky-air-in-valley.html TRANSPORTATION The Cold, Hard Economics Of Electric Cars Points To Making Them In The U.S. The first of a two-part series on electric cars. When Kevin Czinger wanted to start building electric cars, he knew where to begin: China. His company, Los Angeles-based CODA Automotive, had a blueprint for an electric sedan with a 100-mile range. His engineers had designed a lithium-ion battery with electronic "brains" that maximized its range while keeping it as cool, and safe, as possible. If he could produce this battery on the cheap, an affordable electric car was within reach. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/27/1 Renewable Energy Quota Won't Cut Oil Use, Emissions – Study. A renewable energy quota will not affect oil use in the United States by much, and real cutbacks would require expanding the number of electric vehicles on roads, according to research by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Placing a price on carbon through a carbon dioxide tax or a cap-and-trade system would also be effective in cutting U.S. oil use and emissions by 2050, according to the studies. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/27/11 Hawaii Sets Up Hydrogen Fueling Stations. The first pilot stations are going up around Hawaii in a plan to use Oahu's 1,000 miles of utility pipelines to provide hydrogen fuel that could power as many as 15,000 fuel-cell vehicles. "The idea is that you'll never be more than 10 minutes from a filling station," said Jeff Kissel, president of Hawaii's Gas Co., which partnered with General Motors Co. this summer for the project. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/27/10 BLOGS Proposition 23 Poll Shows A Dead Heat Among California Voters. California voters believe global warming is a significant issue and are inclined to trust scientific views on the subject, but they remain closely divided on a November ballot measure that would suspend the state's global warming statute, according to a new Los Angeles Times/University of Southern California poll. California’s global warming law, passed in 2006, is aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions by power plants, factories and vehicles. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/proposition-23-poll-global-warming-california.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Meg Whitman Tries to Have it Both Ways With California Climate Change Law. Meg Whitman, the former eBay CEO who is now running as the Republican candidate for governor in California, says she doesn’t want to roll back the state’s landmark greenhouse gas emissions law. She just wants to cut off its oxygen supply. Posted. http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/09/meg-whitman-tries-to-have-it-both-ways-with-california-climate-change-law/#ixzz10kemQS6V California's Largest Solar Photovoltaic Plant To Start Construction. Southern California has gotten the bulk of the solar industry’s attention lately as a group of solar thermal projects weave their way through state regulatory agencies. But photovoltaic activity is about to kick up farther north as a project set to become the largest of its kind in California readies for construction next week in the Central Valley. NRG Solar, partnering with Eurus Energy America Corp., is about to launch on a 45-megawatt project in Kings County. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/californias-largest-solar-photovoltaic-plant-to-start-construction.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Utility District Applauds California Board's Vote for Renewable Energy Goal. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District has announced that it supports the California Air Resources Board in its decision to adopt a requirement that at least 33 percent of the power that electric utilities and electricity providers sell to their customers come from renewable energy sources by 2020. Posted. http://sunpluggers.com/news/utility-district-applauds-california-boards-vote-to-support-renewable-energy-0977 33% Renewable Energy Is Goal For California. By unanimous decision, the California Air Resources Board approved a new regulation to have 33 percent of California’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2020. Chairwoman Mary D. Nichols said, “The Renewable Electricity Standard means cleaner energy for California’s households and businesses. Posted. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/33-renewable-energy-is-goal-for-california-2.html#ixzz10kJqm4cL When Green Building Is Not Green Enough. Herb Swanson for The New York Times An ultra-efficient passive house built by Habitat for Humanity comes together in Charlotte, Vt. As I mentioned in Sunday’s Times, the nation’s building stock plays a bigger role in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions than many Americans might realize — accounting for as much as 40 percent of primary energy use, 70 percent of electricity consumption and nearly 40 percent of carbon-dioxide emissions. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/when-green-building-is-not-green-enough/?pagemode=print New Map Shows Air Pollution Throughout the World. Scientists have long known about the life-threatening impact of air pollution -- but up until now, tracking it globally with any accuracy had been out of reach. With new satellite-based imaging, however, researchers are getting their first peek at how particulate matter is distributed around the world, and in places where air pollution had been difficult to measure with any accuracy before -- an important step towards better understanding of a problem that epidemiologists say contribute to millions of premature deaths every year. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/new-map-shows-air-pollution-throughout-the-world.php 'Plan B' For Saving The Planet: Geoengineering. People are beginning to talk about whether we'll need to engineer the climate to avert dangerous climate change. But that doesn't mean they know exactly how to do it. Some of the world's experts debated the question at an event Monday hosted by Arizona State University, the New America Foundation and Slate magazine in an event titled, "Geoengineering: Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-carbon/2010/09/plan_b_for_saving_the_planet_g.html Is “Global Climate Disruption” More Pressing than “Global Warming?” Does the term “global climate disruption” sound like a call to action? Does it carry any more urgency than the benign “global warming?” To many conservative-leaning media outlets “global climate disruption” represents a new approach by the White House to spin the climate crisis after the climate-energy bill stalled in the Senate earlier this year. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/09/time-to-replace-global-warming/comment-page-1/ Making Diesel Engines Burn Gasoline. One of the cool things about working at Argonne National Laboratory is exploring new ideas. I’ve worked on a lot of combustion technologies, including hydrogen, but right now I’m doing something really unusual — burning gasoline in a diesel engine. Posted. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/09/making-diesel-engines-burn-gasoline/#ixzz10kmuuBVA Diesel Dangers: Mining Companies Get First Look at Government Cancer Study. A long-delayed government epidemiological study of possible ties between diesel exhaust and lung cancer in miners may finally be published this fall -- but only after a mining industry group, represented by the Washington lobbying powerhouse Patton Boggs, finishes a pre-publication review of the study's drafts. Posted. http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/26/diesel-dangers-mining-companies-get-first-look-at-government-ca/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:41:33 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 28, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 28, 2010. 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. ENERGY Germany Weighs How To Get 100% Renewable Energy From Its Utilities. As the U.S. Senate considers forcing utilities to source 15 percent of their energy from renewables in the coming decade, Germany is pondering powering the country entirely with renewable energy by midcentury. The German government already has laid out a plan to increase the share of renewable electricity from 16 percent to 80 percent by 2050. Now Jochen Flasbarth, the head of the German Federal Environment Agency, says he thinks Germany can go even further. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/28/3 A Power Play: GE Signs First Wind-Power Joint Venture With China. General Electric Co. and a large Chinese industrial conglomerate formed a joint venture yesterday that could give GE a leg up in China's wind-power market and provide an opportunity to test its latest turbine technology. GE's agreement with Harbin Electric Machinery Co. Ltd. to jointly develop GE-designed wind turbines for power projects off the coast of China is GE's most direct effort at gaining access to China's clean energy market. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/28/4 'Bloom Boxes' Help Power Adobe Headquarters In. Sunnyvale startup Bloom Energy has maintained a low profile since it first raised the curtain on its fuel cell technology at a highly orchestrated news conference earlier this year. But Adobe Systems was set to announce late Monday that it has chosen Bloom Energy's technology to help power its corporate headquarters in downtown San Jose, making it Bloom's largest single-site installation to date. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_16189290?source=rss http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/short-on-roof-space-adobe-plants-fuel-cells/ New Solar Financing Program Emerges After Collapse Of State's Property-Tax Plan. New solar financing program emerges after collapse of state's property-tax plan. SANTA CRUZ - Mike Arenson, aka "Solar Mike" and head of Arenson Solar Inc. says he still gets asked by homeowners whether they can finance solar panels through their property tax bill. Posted. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_16187327 Editorial: Energy Roulette. DEMOCRATS' PLANS to put a price on carbon -- a good idea -- died over the summer. So last week a handful of senators led by Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) announced that they would offer a bill that would establish a so-called renewable electricity standard (RES), which would require that utilities derive 15 percent of their power from sources such as wind and solar by 2021. Posted.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/26/AR2010092603020.html Which Sector Will Save O.C.'S Economy? CleanTech OC, a new trade association organized to boost Orange County’s clean technology businesses, announced an alliance Monday with CleanTech Los Angeles and CleanTech San Diego to promote the green industry regionally. “Cleantech and renewable energy is one of the sectors of the economy that will drive the recovery,” said Gregory Trimarche, a founder and co-chairman of CleanTech OC during the group’s first conference and expo Monday. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/organized-268408-cleantech-save.html CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Governor Schwarzenegger Celebrates Fourth Anniversary of AB 32. Sacramento, California - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement in celebration of the fourth anniversary of AB 32, the world’s first comprehensive law to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and boost economic growth: “California’s bold and innovative policies have made us a world leader in renewable energy, green jobs and environmental protection. Posted. http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8095&Itemid=23 Schwarzenegger Defends Climate Law, Slams Texans. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used the fourth anniversary of the passage of California's landmark climate change law to slam Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro for what he described as cynical attempts to manipulate voters into abandoning the law. The governor's vehement defense of the climate legislation commonly referred to as AB32 comes amid a fierce campaign led by oil interests to win passage in November of Proposition 23 …. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/27/BA071FKEMG.DTL http://www.dailydemocrat.com/ci_16193690?source=most_emailed Republicans Blitz Obama Over 'Anti-Industrial' Regulations. With the November midterm election nearing, Republicans in Congress are focusing their fire on U.S. EPA, describing the agency's regulations on greenhouse gases and air pollution as the product of a "job-killing" Obama administration. Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, the top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, has put together a laundry list of grievances about the agency's regulatory agenda. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/28/1 Big OIl Spends Half a Billion Dollars to Oppose Climate Legislation. Big oil companies and other special interests have spent millions of dollars in lobbying and campaign contributions to defeat clean energy and global warming legislation, according to a new analysis released Monday by the Center for American Progress Action Fund. The study “Dirty Money” found that the top 35 spending companies and trade associations invested more than $500 million in lobbying and campaign contributions from January 2009 to June 2010 to defeat clean energy legislation. Posted. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.printerfriendly/id/21129 State Tells Monterey Bay Area to Cut Emissions. City and county leaders across the Monterey Bay area have new reason to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The California Air Resources Board last week set emissions targets across the state, including a relatively modest decrease for the Monterey Bay region. Collectively, the jurisdictions in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties must maintain 2005 levels of greenhouse gas production through 2020 and achieve a 5percent drop by 2035. Posted. http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_16178704?nclick_check=1 Our View: Prop. 23 Deserves To Go Down. California has a long history of enacting groundbreaking environmental laws that come under fierce attack from polluters and outside corporations. The state's 1966 limits on tailpipe emissions, its 1976 restrictions on lead in gasoline, its 1999 regulations on volatile organic compounds and its 2004 limits on greenhouse gases from automobiles -- all were fought by oil companies, automakers or other industries. Posted. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/09/28/1587279/our-view-prop-23-deserves-to-go.html#ixzz10qCVOfUS AIR POLLUTION 18 Senate Dems Join GOP In Assault On EPA's Boiler Proposal. In a sign of growing bipartisan opposition to a proposed crackdown on air pollution from industrial boilers, 18 Senate Democrats have joined a slew of Republicans in asking EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to scale back the agency's plans. The 41 senators are worried about the proposed "Boiler MACT" rule, which would require operators of the boilers to install maximum achievable control technology (MACT) for toxic air pollutants such as mercury. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/28/2 TRANSPORTATION CARB Program Puts 650 Hybrids to Work in California. The California Air Resources Board says an innovative financial incentive program has helped put more than 650 hybrid trucks and buses on California roads. The Hybrid Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program provides $20,000 to $35,000 as vouchers to help California fleets offset the purchase price of advanced-technology hybrid trucks and buses. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=71765 http://yubanet.com/california/Air-Resources-Board-Incentive-Program-puts-650-clean-hybrid-trucks-on-California-roads.php U.S. Made Electric Cars Face A Maze Of Export Restrictions. The second in a two-part series on electric cars. Click here to read the first part. In America's nascent electric-car industry, there is little doubt that markets will also flourish in China, Europe and elsewhere. Does that mean there will be a sizable export market? American companies are concluding that the answer is no. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/28/1 L.A. Harbor Woos Chinese Company With Tariff Favoring Electric Cars. A council that governs the Port of Los Angeles approved a tariff discount yesterday designed to attract zero-emissions vehicle imports from China and elsewhere. With the support and prodding of L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D), the city's Harbor Commission cleared a 15-percent tariff reduction that will be made available to all foreign automakers that use the port to deliver zero-emissions cars to the U.S. market. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/28/2 Who Killed The Electric Motorcycle? Fortune -- When I talk to my motorcycling friends, many of them are hankering for an electric motorcycle. But only, they stress, if it's a motorcycle, not a motor scooter. One friend explained that to motorcycling types, a high-end electric motorcycle would be like going from a Ferrari to a Tesla: "If I was used to driving a Ferrari and you put me in a Tesla I would love it." Posted. http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/27/autos/electric_motorcycle_harley_mini_BMW.fortune/ Obama Admin Opens Next Round of Vehicle Fuel-Economy, GHG Rulemaking. The Obama administration has moved closer to announcing the next round of fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks. U.S. EPA and the Transportation Department sent a notice last Friday to the White House regulatory review office detailing plans to extend fuel economy and emissions rules for model years 2017 through 2025, according to a website that tracks federal rulemaking. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/09/27/27greenwire-obama-admin-opens-next-round-of-vehicle-fuel-e-87015.html BLOGS California Air Board Sets Enforceable Targets For Smart Planning. In a blog entry posted yesterday, my colleague Amanda Eaken reports on last week’s action by the California Air Resources Board, setting greenhouse gas reduction targets to be met through regional planning. The action was taken under the state’s Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act, or SB 375, which requires metropolitan regions to plan land use …Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/california_air_board_sets_enfo.html California’s Long and Windy Road To a Renewable Energy Standard. The California Senate Bill 722 would have increased the state’s renewable energy standard (RES) to 33 percent by 2020. Unfortunately, SB 722 did not pass on September 1, 2010. Perhaps one reason it did not pass is that the final version of the bill, all 64 pages of it, was not available until 7 pm on August 31, five hours before the session ended. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/09/california%E2%80%99s-long-and-windy-road-to-a-renewable-energy-standard/comment-page-1/ California Air Board Votes to Cut Traffic and Clean the Air. Last Thursday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), chaired by former NRDC attorney Mary Nichols, voted unanimously to accept local recommendations and adopt regional targets to reduce pollution from cars and light trucks. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aeaken/california_air_board_votes_to.html Would Gas Have to Cost $9 a Gallon to Meet Emission Goals? Those of us not named Rush Limbaugh know that in order to prevent the world from devolving into a giant Mad Max set, we've got to drive less. So as California's politicians and environmental regulators set ambitious emission reduction targets to combat global warming, the question is: Will people actually get out of their cars? Posted. http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/09/air_resources_board_emissions.php California's Proposition 23: A Cunning Effort to Kill Clean Energy. There's been a lot of talk lately around about Proposition 23 in California -- oil companies are dumping money into campaigns to support it, clean energy advocates are adamantly against it, and it's become a major focus of the election. Indeed, it can pretty safely be considered the biggest political battle supporters of clean energy and climate action now face. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/california-proposition-23-kill-clean-energy.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:18:24 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for September 30, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 29-30, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHGS Senators Agree with President Obama's Call To Break Up Climate Bill. Key Senate Democrats and Republicans indicated Wednesday that they agree with President Barack Obama's call to tackle energy and climate legislation "in chunks" come 2011. From John Kerry to Lamar Alexander, the reaction on Capitol Hill to the president's remarks in a Rolling Stone magazine interview suggest there's room for compromise on energy and environmental issues when Congress returns next year. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42913.html#ixzz111qyZjGi http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/09/29/29climatewire-obama-promises-to-push-climate-policies-in-ch-2269.html?pagewanted=print http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/29/1 Climate Change Policy to Be Focus Of Oct. 4 Conference. Leading economists, analysts, and executives from academia, the state government and industry will discuss the impacts of climate change and Assembly Bill 32 on California’s economy and the environment during an Oct. 4 conference, sponsored by the University of California Giannini Foundation and UC Davis-based UC Agricultural Issues Center. "California's Climate Change Policy: The Economic and Environmental Impacts of AB 32" will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the California Museum, 1020 O St., in Sacramento. Posted. http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=9631 How Republicans Managed to Rebrand 'Cap and Trade'. A sliver of Americans worry that climate change is the invention of plotting communists, international liberals or U.S. officials engineering deceitful reasons for more taxes. Supposedly, it's a hoax. That's a thin stripe of thought held by roughly six people in a crowd of 100, according to Yale polling. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/09/30/30climatewire-how-republicans-managed-to-rebrand-cap-and-t-95204.html Public Health Groups Say Delay Of EPA Climate Rules Will Increase Illness. Congress should allow U.S. EPA to proceed with plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, a coalition of public health groups said yesterday. "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for protecting the public's health from climate change, and we urge you to fully support the EPA in fulfilling its responsibilities," reads a letter the coalition sent yesterday to Congress and the White House. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/29/6 Facts Behind California Emission Rules Questioned. Criticism of research methods used to set regulations affecting how much it costs to ship fresh produce by truck — at least in California — could delay their implementation. The California Air Resources Board originally based its regulations on research that supported a correlation between the particulate matter emitted by diesel-burning engines, PM 2.5, and more than 20,000 early deaths per year in California. Posted. http://thepacker.com/Facts-behind-California-emission-rules-questioned/Article.aspx?oid=1249199&fid=PACKER-TOP-STORIES&aid=351 WALTERS: "Deja Vu All Over Again" California's most enduring political battle is over whether its relatively high living costs and taxes and dense regulatory thicket make it uncompetitive in a global economy ---- or, as one blue-ribbon state commission put it in the 1990s, whether the state has become a "job-killing machine." The clash plays itself out in the Capitol each year as labor, environmental, consumer and other groups sponsor dozens of bills that business groups label "job killers" and try, usually successfully, to block. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/walters/article_f1ea3718-ad1c-5010-9380-2c705680f865.html Abel Maldonado Goes For Gavin Newsom's Jugular, But Might Have Cut Himself. If Tuesday's opening debate in the lieutenant governor's race is a sign of things to come, buckle up. Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado may be the incumbent, but he was on the attack early against Mayor Gavin Newsom, needling the mayor for his handling of the Cosco Busan oil spill, his wife's investments in oil companies and San Francisco's sanctuary city policy in a roughly 50-minute radio debate on KQED's Forum program. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=73392&tsp=1#ixzz10w3DKS7z AB 32 Calif. Bill Could Generate Billions to Help Cope With Climate Change. Los Angeles baked in record-shattering heat this week, leading to power outages across the city and one death. As residents try to escape the staggering temperatures, most are unaware that a bill currently on Gov. Schwarzenegger’s desk could give Californians, especially those in low-income communities, greater respite from heat waves like this one. Posted. http://newamericamedia.org/2010/09/ab-1405-could-generate-billions-for-california.php# Battle over Proposition 23 Gets Airborne. The battle over California's global-warming law took to the air this week with television spots touting or bashing Proposition 23, a ballot initiative to suspend regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions. A 30-second TV spot in favor of Prop 23 features a middle-aged woman in a white-columned home on a tree-lined street telling viewers "I have enough bills. Now the politicians are putting a new energy tax on us to pay for California's global-warming law." It is airing in Sacramento, the Central Valley and San Diego. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop-23-tv-20100930,0,7179998.story 'The Governator' Fights Back Against Prop 23. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger lashed out yesterday at the well-funded movement to pass Proposition 23, a ballot referendum that seeks to block his state's landmark emissions law, which is scheduled to go into effect next year. Schwarzenegger called the energy industry-funded Prop 23 campaign "a corruption of the democratic process" and accused Texas oil companies like Valero Energy and Tesoro Corp. of attempting to "sabotage this country's economic future for private gain." Posted. http://www.hybridcars.com/news/governator-fights-back-against-prop-23-28648.html http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/09/california-governator-says-prop-23-corrupts-democratic-process/ Memo to Texas, Alabama & Nebraska: Mind Your Own Business. A new poll in California indicates a dead heat among that state's voters on Proposition 23, the ballot initiative in which out-of-state oil companies are trying to cripple the nation's most progressive law to combat global climate change. That law is AB 32. Proposition 23 would stall its implementation. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-s-becker/memo-to-texas-alabama-neb_b_743209.html?view=print Consumers Union Says No on 23; Predicts Higher Costs for California Families. Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, is urging California voters to reject California Prop 23. The consumer group says that Prop 23, which is sponsored by Texas oil companies and would effectively repeal California's landmark clean energy and emissions law, is a bad deal for the state. Posted. http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4528&ptid=9 What Does California's Global Warming Act Mean for Utilities? As the November elections inch closer, the debate over California's Proposition 23 continues to heat up. If enacted, the proposition would suspend the Global Warming Act of 2006 (aka AB 32), a piece of clean air legislation that requires greenhouse gas emission levels in the state to be cut to 1990 levels by 2020. And like it or not, utilities and other large energy-users are preparing for the reality that Prop. 23 will fail and AB 32 will remain in place. Posted. http://www.fastcompany.com/1692232/what-does-californias-global-warming-act-mean-for-utilities FORUM: San Diego Ready to Lead Green Economy. The oil industry is pouring millions into Proposition 23, the "California Jobs Initiative" on the November ballot, in an attempt to turn back Assembly Bill 32, the "Global Warming Solutions Act." AB32 is landmark legislation Gov. Schwarzenegger signed into law in 2006 to address the threat of climate change to Californians' health and environment. Largely funded by oil and gas corporations from Texas and from California, Prop. 23 plays on voters' fears of job losses in a difficult economy. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/article_16d6a963-21cf-5eb9-aa34-42a9e96601ae.html Make a Mess, Clean It Up: The Case for AB 1405. If a company makes a mess, it should be responsible for cleaning it up. And if that mess has long-term impacts on the economy, the environment and public health, then the company has a responsibility to invest in the recovery effort. It's the right -- and fair -- thing to do. BP has made a big mess -- pollution that has negatively impacted tens of thousands of people for years to come. It's only fair that they make a long-term investment to help fix this problem. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/8212 AIR POLLUTION State Rejects S.B.’s Air Pollution Plan. California’s Air Resources Board rejected part of a long-term plan to control traffic-generated air pollution adopted by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) last week, finding fault with a provision that gave county officials a de facto escape clause should their efforts fall short. The state board, however, accepted the county’s target of maintaining current emission levels between now and 2020. Posted. http://www.independent.com/news/2010/sep/30/state-rejects-sbs-air-pollution-plan/ New Law Requires California Air Board to Explain Its Fines. State air pollution regulators must explain how they issue fines to businesses under a new law signed Tuesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The California Air Resources Board also must provide an annual report to the state Legislature and the governor summarizing fines that it issues to businesses that violate the state's emissions laws for vehicles. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/30/v-print/3067067/new-law-requires-california-air.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/30/2098320/new-law-requires-california-air.html http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16443 2010 Air Quality Said 'Best On Record'. More Southern Californians are breathing easier. This year is shaping up as the cleanest on record for air quality. The AQMD’s Sam Atwood says less commerce because of the recession was one of three reasons. “The second was the relatively cool weather we had this summer and the final reason is that air pollution controls continue to reduce emissions and improve air quality.” Posted. http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=16220 DIESEL Proposal Pending on Mileage for Heavy-Duty Vehicles. For three decades, the federal government has calculated the fuel economy of cars and other “light-duty vehicles” and periodically tightened mileage standards. For the first time, it is preparing to do the same with heavy-duty vehicles, which could greatly reduce their consumption of diesel fuel. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/business/energy-environment/30trucks.html?src=busln TRANSPORTATION Los Angeles Times: Empty NUMMI Auto Factory Gets New Life As Tesla Moves In. When the General Motors-Toyota auto plant in Fremont, Calif., shut down in April, many pronounced it dead — a triple victim of the recession, sliding auto sales and GM's bankruptcy.But the former New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. facility, or NUMMI, is about to come to life. Electric-car maker Tesla Motors Inc., which surprised many when it announced plans to buy the plant in May, officially takes ownership Friday. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tesla-20100929,0,5868129.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fbusiness+%28L.A.+Times+-+Business%29&utm_content=Google+Reader California Watch: Big Oil Funds Study That Supports Electric Cars? What's The Catch? Texas researchers say that renewable energy quotas in the United States will not affect oil use very much in the United States. The Rice University studies were funded by major oil companies and polluters, including ConocoPhillips, Koch Supply and Trading, BP and ExxonMobil. Here’s a key finding from the study: Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/big-oil-funds-study-supports-electric-cars-whats-catch-5146 Boost Motorcycle Noise And Face Being Fined. Motorcyclists who tamper with their vehicle's emissions equipment to increase noise can be cited under legislation signed Tuesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger, a motorcyclist himself, signed Senate Bill 435 to authorize state enforcement of a federal requirement that motorcycles display a label showing they meet noise limits. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/29/3064073/boost-motorcycle-noise-and-face.html#mi_rss=State%20Politics ENERGY USA Today: Major Solar Projects Make Progress In California. California is on track to approve a wave of solar farms this year that will more than double the state's ability to generate electricity from solar power. Since August, four major solar projects — including one on 7,000-plus acres billed as the world's largest — have won state approval. The California Energy Commission is expected to OK two more this week. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2010-09-29-solarpower29_ST_N.htm State Energy Commission Approves Blythe Project. The state energy commission Wednesday approved more large solar fields in the Southern California desert, putting aside objections from labor and environmental groups. The 250-megawatt Genesis Solar Energy Project on 1,800 acres west of Blythe and the 709-megawatt Imperial Valley Solar Project west of El Centro would produce enough electricity to power an estimated 719,000 homes. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_solar30.2fcc8c0.html California Regulators Approve Solar Power Plants. Tessera Solar won approval from California regulators for a $2.1 billion, 709-megawatt solar plant, and NextEra (NEE.N: Quote) Energy Inc.'s Next Era Energy Resources LLC won approval for a $1 billion-plus, 250-megawatt solar plant. As the latest in a string of large-scale projects approved in the nation's most populous state, they are part of a new generation of solar plants capable of producing power on the same scale as plants powered by traditional resources such as coal, although at a higher cost. Posted. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN2928381620100929 BLOGS Obama on Climate Change Strategy. President Obama remains committed to action on energy and climate change despite the recent failure of a major cap-and-trade bill to clear the Senate, he says in a new Rolling Stone interview. “One of my top priorities next year is to have an energy policy that begins to address all facets of our over-reliance on fossil fuels,” Mr. Obama said in the interview, which will appear in the magazine’s October issue but was posted online on Wednesday. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/obama-on-climate-change-strategy/ http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/obama-us-target-reduce-emissions-17-percent.php EPA to Set Even Tougher Fuel Economy Standards for 2017-2025. There's been much speculation about what the EPA's post-2016 fuel economy standards will be when they're announced this week. As of now, thanks to an executive order from the Obama administration, the national fuel economy standard will be 35.5 mpg by 2016. After that -- well that's where the speculation comes in. Environmental groups are lobbying hard for a meaningful bump for the 2017-2025 period, with many setting their sights on topping out at 60 mpg. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/epa-set-tougher-fuel-economy-standards-2017-2025.php New Report States US Must Adapt to Climate Change Now. A new report was released today by a "group of scientists, policymakers, and regional leaders" in regard to "national and regional preparations for adapting to a changing climate. “The reflects the findings of the National Climate Adaptation Summit held in Washington, D.C. in May of this year. The Summit arose out of a desire to "examine the needs, knowledge, and roles required for effective adaptation to climate change." Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/09/new-report-stat.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 10:46:56 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 1, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 1, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHGs Obama Plans to Take On Climate, Says 2011 Issue Will Be Handled. The issue of climate control and global warming has been one that has plagued both Democrats and Republicans since the 1990’s. Now, President Barack Obama is announcing that in the next year, he will take a stab at the lasting issue and hopefully take care of it once and for all. The main problem is the amount of American carbon emissions. When it comes to an issue so massive as carbon emissions in a nation where millions are driving at any given moment, it is extremely difficult to improve much less fix such a problem. Posted. http://obama.net/obama-plans-to-take-on-climate-says-2011-issue-will-be-handled/ California Climate Change Fund Vetoed. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have redirected to poorer communities some of the billions of dollars that California is expected to raise through a cap and trade program. Assembly Bill 1405 called for 10 percent of the money raised through the sale of emission credits to be used to fund cooling centers and mass transit in poorer communities as a way to help them deal with global warming. Posted. http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/09/27/daily81.html?jst=pn_pn_lk Manufacturer Group: State Greenhouse Emissions Among Lowest. California's greenhouse gas emissions compared to production are among the nation's lowest, according to the California Manufacturers & Technology Association. The group uses congressional data to rank states' tons of greenhouse gas emissions per $1 million in gross state product.One nit: The size of California's economy allows for a lot of emissions. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-268867--.html Emanuel's Replacement Might Calm the Climate Debate. With White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's departure, President Obama is turning to the journeyman sage who helped acquaint him with the nuances of energy policy as a new senator in Washington. Now he might steer a splintered debate on climate. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/10/01/01climatewire-emanuels-replacement-might-calm-the-climate-75175.html Obama's New Climate Strategy Aims to Help Wildlife Adapt. There is an "urgent need" for a comprehensive national strategy that government agencies can follow to help wildlife adapt to the "unprecedented threat posed by global warming," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says in a new far-reaching strategic plan. "Climate change is not a distant threat; it is occurring here and now," the agency says in the plan released this week, titled "Rising to the Urgent Challenge: Strategic Plan for Responding to Accelerating Climate Change." Posted. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2010/2010-10-01-01.html AB 32 How California’s Proposition 23 Will Affect the Solar Industry. It is fitting that the Golden State produces the most solar energy in the U.S. Solar power is expected to grow even more in California. The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently approved four major solar power projects, and is expected to approve two more projects this week. The solar power projects approved and pending approval could produce enough energy to power 675,000 homes. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/10/how-california%E2%80%99s-proposition-23-will-effect-the-solar-industry/ Debating Calif.'S 2010 Green Ballot Measures: AB32 And Prop 23. One of the most hotly contested issues this election season is Proposition 23, aimed at delaying California’s landmark climate change legislation until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent for three consecutive quarters — something that has happened only three times in the past 30 years. Posted. http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/10/04/focus1.html?b=1286164800^4026741 Leading California Businesses: No on 23. California-based Levi Strauss&Co., eBay Inc., Symantec, Clif Bar&Company and The North Face - all internationally known brand names - today urged California voters to reject the Proposition 23 ballot initiative. They said it would effectively kill the state's landmark air pollution and clean energy law - and with it the kind of technological innovation opportunities that create many jobs. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/8220 Prop. 23 Vs. AB32, Viewed From Both Sides. "Write the number 23 on a pad, put it in front of a mirror and it turns into 32. Do the same for the number 32 and it flips to 23. Then ask? “Is it coincidence or a dyslexic moment that AB32 spawned its counterpart Proposition 23?" Dan Reicher, the director for climate change and energy initiatives at Google, wonders, too. Reicher has just returned from Washington, D.C., where he has been spending the bulk of his time, promoting climate control initiatives. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/blog/2010/09/prop_23_vs_ab32_viewed_from_both_sides.html Should CA's Clean Air Law Have Limits? Prop. 23 is a controversial proposition coming up on the November ballot. If passed Prop. 23 would temporarily suspend AB 32, the Global Warming Act of 2006, until the economy gets better. Proponents say Prop. 23 would save over a million jobs and create huge savings in electricity, natural gas and fuel rates. Opponents say if Prop. 23 passes hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investments could end up going to other states. Posted. http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/politics/should-ca-clean-air-law-have-limits-20100930 Schwarzenegger Blasts "Black Oil Hearts" of Prop 23 Backers. Say what you will about California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, but despite being the onetime public face of the Hummer, he's consistently come out on the side of good green policy for his state. And he may have just offered up his most vehement defense of any green law out there, criticizing the Texas oil company-led effort to pass Proposition 23, which would overturn California's groundbreaking climate law. He publicly attacked the lack of trustworthiness of the oil industry and their "black oil hearts". Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/schwarzenegger-blasts-black-oil-hearts-prop-23.php AIR POLLUTION 50 Things You Can Do to Reduce Air Pollution. About half of the air pollution comes from cars and trucks. Two important ways to reduce air pollution are to drive less -- even a little less -- and to drive smart. Taking fewer trips in your car or truck helps cut air pollution. And adopting smart driving habits reduces your car's emissions. Posted. http://www.myfoxal.com/story/5957613/50-things-you-can-do-to-reduce-air-pollution Air District is Running Quite the Scam: Fail, Incur a Fine, Then Keep our Money. In response to The Californian's Sept. 24 article on the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, "Drive a car? You may pay more for our bad air," several items should be clarified. I can't be fined. I didn't violate any rules to warrant this action. My vehicles pass their smog tests. Penalties passed on to drivers turn these monies into an assessment, while somebody else actually got the fine. That somebody else is the air district board. It's not the public's fault this fine was levied by the federal government. The air district board had 20 years to control our pollution and it failed. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/community/x1209633397/Air-District-is-running-quite-the-scam-Fail-incur-a-fine-then-keep-our-money Air Quality Fine is Bad Jurisprudence. Robert Price deserves the Pulitzer Prize for his column on the $29 million federal fine that has been levied because of the San Joaquin Valley's air pollution ("$29 million fine for bad air? Please explain," Sept. 26). He has selected an amazing example of bad jurisprudence. He illustrated it in a clear and arresting way. As I understand, some of that bad air is carried here from China, and more from the Bay Area. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x1209633403/Air-quality-fine-is-bad-jurisprudence PORTS Los Angeles Port to Rev Up Clean Trucks Program. After a drawn-out court victory, the Port of Los Angeles is planning to phase in the missing link in its 2-year-old Clean Trucks Program. By the end of 2013, all trucks calling at the port must be operated by drivers employed by trucking companies. The port has relied primarily on independent drivers responsible for their own rigs to haul cargo. Posted. http://www.apparelnews.net/news/manufacturing/100110-Los-Angeles-Port-to-Rev-Up-Clean-Trucks-Program FUEL/ DIESEL Carmaker Fuel Standards in U.S. May Hit 62 MPG in Obama Plan, Groups Say. Carmakers may be required to almost double the fuel economy of their vehicles in the U.S. to 62 miles per gallon by 2025 under a proposal being weighed by the Obama administration, according to environmentalists. The administration may announce as soon as today a goal to raise fuel economy 3 percent to 6 percent a year starting with 2017 models, according to Dan Becker of the Safe Climate Campaign, who said in an interview he had knowledge of the administration deliberations. That would push the level to 62 mpg, according to Becker and Roland Hwang of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-10-01/carmaker-fuel-goals-in-u-s-may-hit-62-mpg-by-2025-groups-say.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jveDqQOxnAnlUh_DxIXEz3RNjZjQD9IJ0HH00?docId=D9IJ0HH00 Hino Engines Receive EPA, CARB OK; Warranties Expanded. All Hino Trucks engines have been given a certification of conformity from the EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) for meeting 2010 emissions regulations, the company announced. In addition, Hino said it has expanded its engine warranty program to cover additional items. Hino’s engines use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to meet the 2010 emissions requirement. Posted. http://fleetowner.com/equipment/news/hino-epa-carb-warranties-1001/ ENERGY/GREEN Green Energy Storage Bill Major Step Towards Energy Independence. Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today hailed the signing of AB 2514 (Skinner), the country's first energy storage bill, as "a major step towards energy independence." Brown sponsored the new law to facilitate the development of solar and wind power, create jobs and increase California's energy independence by providing a mechanism for storing wind and solar power for use at times it can't be generated, such as nighttime. Governor Schwarzenegger signed the bill this afternoon. Posted. http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8123&Itemid=2 Jerry Brown Touts Experience, Pushes For Green Jobs in California. California Attorney General Jerry Brown is the Democratic candidate for the California governor’s race. If he is elected it will be his second time; the first was when he was governor of the state from 1975-83. The 72-year-old was also mayor of Oakland (1998-2006), as well as the Secretary of State for California (1971-75). He ran for president three times and once unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. Posted. http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/10/04/focus4.html?b=1286164800^4028431 Schwarzenegger's Green Dream For California. California is well-known as a generator of new ideas. One is the dream of outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a majority of the California legislature to move the state into a green future.Under this dream, carbon-based fuels would be sharply reduced in favor of battery power, which would be recharged through renewable electricity generation, especially wind and solar power. Posted. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/OpEd-Contributor/Schwarzenegger_s-green-dream-for-California-1038849-104028558.html#ixzz117p6Ee7K Sacramento Vote Requires State Utilities to Obtain One-Third of Power from Green Energy. On September 23, the California Air Resources Board voted in Sacramento to require several of California’s major state utility companies, including Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas and Electric—subsidiaries of PG&E Corporation, Edison International, and Sempra Energy, respectively—to acquire one-third of their power from renewable resources by 2020. Posted. http://greenjobsready.com/blog/uncategorized/sacramento-vote-requires-state-utilities-to-obtain-one-third-of-power-from-green-energy/ Region's Mayors Look At Climate Solutions. Mayor Artemio Pimentel will join Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson to participate in a unique Panel of Mayors on climate solutions, along with mayors Don Saylor of Davis, West Sacramento's Christopher Cabaldon and Woody Fridae of Winters. The Mayors Panel will take place from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 10, as one of the central events of the Cool Davis Living Green Festival. The panel will be hosted and chaired by Saylor and will discuss the steps each community is taking to address climate solutions and put forward proposals for greater regional collaboration. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_16225361 BLOGS Study Links Air Pollution and Diabetes. A groundbreaking new epidemiologic study has found a strong link between adult diabetes and particulate air pollution, even after controlling for other risk factors including obesity, exercise and ethnicity. Frighteningly, the correlation exists even in those exposed to pollution at levels the EPA calls safe. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=73586#ixzz117ePoem0 L.A. And Bay Area Drop Dramatically In New Traffic Ratings. As much as we like to celebrate California's role as a green leader, it's also historically been the leader in air pollution and traffic. Los Angeles has had the dubious honor of having the worst traffic in the nation since 1985. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=73524 In California, a Grid Storage Mandate. It’s no news to most people that renewable energy sources like wind and solar power have their off-moments, or off-days. A potential remedy was just signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, whose governorship has long had a greenish tinge. The state will now require utilities (first, investor-owned utilities, and later, publicly owned ones) to have storage capacity on hand that can quickly be put into use when the wind dies down. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/in-california-a-grid-storage-mandate/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 12:56:41 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 4, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 4, 2010. 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. CARB New Law Aims to Make CARB More Transparent. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week signed into law a measure to make the California Air Resource Board's enforcement efforts more transparent. With the exception of a formal penalty policy, which CARB is required to publish by March 1, 2011, SB1402 takes effect immediately. The new rules will require CARB to: * provide a clear explanation of how penalties are assessed on a per-unit basis... Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=71815 CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S California Tea Party Activists Work To Pass Proposition 23. Tea party activists across the state are rallying in support of Proposition 23, a measure on the Nov. 2 ballot that would suspend California's landmark global warming legislation, known as AB 32. With energy and climate change legislation stalled in Congress, the national fight over global warming and what to do about it is centered on California, which is moving ahead with ambitious plans to curb greenhouse gases, diversify the state's energy supply and reduce its use of fossil fuels. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_16221401?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Debating Calif.'S 2010 Green Ballot Measures: AB32 And Prop 23. One of the most hotly contested issues this election season is Proposition 23, aimed at delaying California’s landmark climate change legislation until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent for three consecutive quarters — something that has happened only three times in the past 30 years. In Silicon Valley where unemployment is hovering at about 11 percent the outcome of Prop. 23 could be a game changer for businesses that operate in the cleantech sector. Posted. http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/10/04/focus1.html?b=1286164800%5E4026741&t=printable Proposition 23 Splits Business. No consensus on bid to delay greenhouse law. A November ballot measure that would postpone the state’s greenhouse gas reduction law has divided L.A. business groups like few other measures in recent history. The differences over Proposition 23 depend on what kind of companies fill the rosters of the business groups. Those that include alternative energy companies want the greenhouse gas-reduction law to go forward. Those that include manufacturers favor the delay under the proposition. Posted. http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2010/oct/04/proposition-23-splits-business/?print Delegates Told To ID Achievable Goals On Climate. Tianjin, China — The U.N. climate chief urged countries Monday to search faster for common ground on battling climate change so that a year-end meeting in Mexico can produce results in that fight. Christiana Figueres told 3,000 delegates in China — the last negotiations before Cancun — that countries must identify achievable goals ahead of December's conference so progress can be made toward a global climate treaty. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gON3fOS44QCo6_Gopk2pBjtLd6nwD9IL02BO0?docId=D9IL02BO0 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-04/un-climate-talks-talks-open-in-china-to-tackle-threat-from-global-warming.html Why Prop 26 is the Polluters Protection Act of 2010. One of the least publicized measures appearing on the Nov. 2 ballot is one of the most mind-numbing but nevertheless one of the most important issues voters will decide. Proposition 26 makes two major changes to the state’s constitution. First, it ¬redefines some types of “fees” as “taxes,” thereby requiring two-thirds, rather than a majority, vote of the Legislature to increase or enact a fee at the state level. Posted. http://www.calbuzz.com/2010/10/why-prop-26-is-the-polluters-protection-act-of-2010/ Developing Countries Could Sue For Climate Action – Study. A new study out says vulnerable countries could sue the United States and other industrialized nations for action on climate change. The report published by the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD) based in the United Kingdom says small island nations and other threatened countries have the right and likely the procedural means to pursue an inter-state case before the United Nations' International Court of Justice. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/10/04/2 Politics, Special Interests, White House Blundering Led To Death Of Climate Bill. The comprehensive climate change bill that was supposed to put a hard cap on U.S. emissions was undermined by the White House, demands from special interests and the aim to please as many Republicans as possible, according to those involved in crafting the bill. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/04/6 Tea Party Gets Behind Prop. 23 Battle. Tea party activists are backing Proposition 23, the ballot initiative to suspend California's law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With little interest in the governor's race and their preferred candidate for U.S. Senate knocked out in the primary, some tea party organizations are channeling their energy toward the proposition, said Joe Wierzbicki, a coordinator for Tea Party Express, a Sacramento-based organization. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/04/7 Threat Of Global Warming Sparks U.S. Interest In Geoengineering. It's come to this: Climate-conscious policymakers are beginning to contemplate the possibility of playing God with the weather in the hope of slowing global warming. For years it was considered downright wacky in official Washington to discuss geoengineering: altering the climate by reflecting sunlight back into the sky, sucking carbon dioxide from the air - or a host of other gee-whiz schemes. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/03/AR2010100303458_pf.html OPINION: An Easy Solution To Climate Change? Can we just engineer our way out of climate change? Maybe artificially create more clouds to reflect solar radiation away from the Earth's surface? Or perhaps spray sulfur particles into the atmosphere to achieve the same effect? Ideas such as these, collectively referred to as geoengineering, are becoming more fashionable to debate in policy circles, even though they suffer from association with skeptics of mainstream climate science. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/10/an_easy_solution_to_climate_ch.html TRANSPORTATION Obama Looks Ahead to Higher 2017-2025 Fuel Standards. The Obama Administration said Friday it will begin looking at tougher fuel economy standards for vehicles produced in models years 2017 to 2025. The move follows the first phase of the national program that will boost fuel efficiency to 35.5 miles per gallon by model year 2016. Some have speculated the administration could require automakers to increase fuel economy to 62 miles per gallon, but the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently balked at the suggestion until it conducts a full review. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS279643456820101004 The Efficient Automaker's Choice -- More Batteries Or Smaller Cars. Automakers face a weighty choice: They can devote their energy to cars that use batteries, or they can make the gasoline engine super-efficient. If they do the first, it will cost consumers more in the early going. If they do the second, it will cost less, but the car as we know it may have to radically change. Those are the choices the Obama administration sees, according to its most recent documents on fuel economy. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/10/04/3 Car Regulators Aim For Higher Fuel Economy. Goal is 3%-6% reduction in autos' greenhouse gases. Washington - In a move that bolsters states with aggressive timetables for reducing auto emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department have taken new steps toward creating fuel standards that would require cars to get between 47 and 62 miles per gallon by the year 2025. Posted. http://www.dnj.com/article/DN/20101004/BUSINESS01/10040337/1088/BUSINESS/Car+regulators+aim+for+higher+fuel+economy Conventional Gas-Powered Engines Still Popular At Paris Show. Automakers aren't just using the Paris Auto Show to flaunt their hybrids or electric cars. Conventional gas-powered vehicles are also getting plenty of play. Presenters brag that small size and more efficient combustion technology mean the conventional cars have carbon emissions not far off from hybrids. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/04/8 ENERGY Obama Trying To Turn Election Tide With 'Clean Energy' Emphasis. President Obama has turned recently to the benefits of clean energy to address voters' clamor for jobs -- and to soothe upset Democrats who don't believe he has done enough to promote their priorities. Obama used his weekly radio address Saturday to tout the benefits of clean energy projects for creating jobs and ending U.S. dependence on foreign oil -- benefits that, he warned, would be cut short if Republicans took over Congress. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/04/1 President Obama - Brightsource To Break Ground On Revolutionary 'Home-Grown' Solar Power In Mojave. President Obama announced today that due to clean energy incentives launched by his administration – Oakland based BrightSource plans to break ground this month on a new, revolutionary type of solar power plant known as solar thermal. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/solar-energy-in-san-francisco/president-obama-brightsource-to-break-ground-on-revolutionary-home-grown-solar-power-mojave Developers, Investors Mull Strategies For Retaining U.S. Assistance. San Francisco -- Renewable-energy project developers and financiers are studying the future of federal renewable-energy incentives and their vital roles in getting projects off the ground. At the Renewable Energy Finance Forum-West here last week, Matt Rogers -- who recently stepped down as the overseer of stimulus spending at the Energy Department -- praised the state of the U.S. renewable-energy industry. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/04/11 Viewpoints: ISO Proposals Threaten Local Clean Energy Projects. While everyone wants more clean, renewable energy, few people realize that where you install those solar panels or wind turbines matters quite a bit. The placement of renewable energy projects has a significant impact on electricity rates, green jobs development and business investment. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/03/v-print/3073201/iso-proposals-threaten-local.html BLOGS Vote NO on Proposition 23. As I mentioned in my last blog, "If you speak the truth about factual science and someone gets upset, that is their problem. I did not create the facts. I just point them out." We all have our own minds and can use them logically or not. While the science is clear, money and politics can always find a way to muddy the water. But meanwhile, there are moral implications. Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/10/vote-no-on-prop.html In California, a Grid Storage Mandate. It’s no news to most people that renewable energy sources like wind and solar power have their off-moments, or off-days. A potential remedy was just signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, whose governorship has long had a greenish tinge. The state will now require utilities (first, investor-owned utilities, and later, publicly owned ones) to have storage capacity on hand that can quickly be put into use when the wind dies down. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/in-california-a-grid-storage-mandate/?pagemode=print Polluted Air and Diabetes: A Link. A strong link exists between adult diabetes and air pollution, according to a new epidemiological study by researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston. The long-term study builds on previous laboratory studies that have tied air pollution to an increase in insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. Erik S. Lesser for The New York Times A nurse checks the extremities of a patient in the diabetes clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/diabetes-linked-to-air-pollution/?pagemode=print Car-Crazy CA No More: Air Resources Board Wants to Cut Miles Traveled. Think California is the land of fast-flowing freeways and drop-top driving under the endless sun? Think again. The California Air Resources Board is now writing rules to implement a law passed two years ago that will require regional reductions in vehicle miles traveled. In other words, the state that epitomized car culture and suburban sprawl in the 20th century is working actively to discourage driving in the 21st century. Posted. http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1050047_car-crazy-ca-no-more-air-resources-board-wants-to-cut-miles-traveled ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2010 12:12:03 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 5, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 5, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Courts Likely To Be Next Climate Change Battleground. Cap-and-trade chronicler and author of the "The Climate War" said yesterday it could be "several years" before Congress tackles global warming. "I do think a window has slammed shut in Washington, and it may be a few more years before we can pry it open again," Pooley said at a panel near Capitol Hill where environmentalists and industry analysts tried to take stock of how climate legislation died in the Senate this year and where the road ahead may lie. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/05/6 Warming Is Accelerating Global Water Cycle. Stream flows into the ocean have been increasing annually, study finds. Fresh water evaporates from the oceans, rains out over land and then runs back into the seas. A new study finds evidence that global warming has been speeding up this hydrological cycle recently, a change that could lead to more violent storms. It could also alter where precipitation falls — drying temperate areas, those places where most people now live. Posted. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/64021/title/Warming_accelerates_global_water_cycle PROP 23 OPINION: Prop. 23 An Attack On Green Movement. Over the years, we've gotten used to hearing wild claims about state propositions, as if their passage or failure will be singly responsible for changing life as we know it in California. For November, election, Proposition 23 is the measure attracting the most hyperbole. Ironically, proponents and opponents are making the same argument — that it will make or break California's struggling economy. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/10/04/v-print/1368731/prop-23-an-attack-on-green-movement.html TRANSPORTATION European Automakers Say 'Psychological' Barriers Of Fueling Electric Cars Can Be Overcome. London -- Development of a public network of recharging points will be critical to the public's acceptance of a mass rollout of pure electric vehicles despite evidence that such networks are not actually needed, according to automakers Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. With Nissan poised to start commercial marketing of its Leaf pure electric family car and Toyota road-testing its plug-in Prius hybrid, with a rollout planned for 2012, countries around the world are beginning to work on expensive public urban recharging networks. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/05/1 E-WASTE Bill Would Cut Dumping Of U.S. Electronic Waste In China, India. Silicon Valley and some House Democrats are teaming up to stop the annual export of millions of tons of e-trash to developing nations. Apple, Dell and Samsung support the legislation, introduced by Mike Thompson, D-Calif., and Gene Green, D-Texas, which would prohibit the sale of some e-waste to countries such as China and India. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 300 million tons of old computer hardware, mobile phones and other electronic waste was shipped out of the country in 2007. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/bill-would-cut-dumping-us-electronic-waste-china-india-5341 RAILROADS Peninsula Cities Sue To Derail High-Speed Rail Project. A coalition of Peninsula cities and organizations Monday sued the California High-Speed Rail Authority in another bid to derail its $43 billion bullet train project. The project has been controversial in some mid-Peninsula cities, where residents and officials worry the bullet trains will be noisy, divide neighborhoods by running atop elevated tracks and force the seizure of dozens of homes along sections of the Caltrain corridor. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_16253228 ENERGY Here Comes The Sun: White House To Go Solar. Washington -- Solar power is coming to President Barack Obama's house. The most famous residence in America, which has already boosted its green credentials by planting a garden, plans to install solar panels atop the White House's living quarters. The solar panels are to be installed by spring 2011, and will heat water for the first family and supply some electricity. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/green-energy/ci_16258479 http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/10/white-house-goes-solar.html BLM To License 2 Calif. Solar Plants. Federal land managers are expected to grant final clearance today for two solar projects to be built in the arid California desert. The Bureau of Land Management will issue permits for a 709-megawatt project from Tessera Solar and a 45 MW photovoltaic plant from Chevron Energy Solutions, sources said. The Tessera project has been approved by the California Energy Commission with BLM acting as the lead agency on the Chevron plant. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/05/2 Don't Say 'Retrofit,' Say 'Upgrade' – Study. Give the people what they want. Know your customer. Make it easy to do the right thing. These are some of the common-sense recommendations featured in a new report that highlights just how unprepared many energy program designers are when it comes to selling efficiency to the public. In a study of programs aimed at improving residential energy efficiency, researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found much to learn from.. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/05/16 Truck Stops Going Green • Clean Energy Fuels partners with Pilot Flying J • Will supply natural gas fueling facilities. More than 500 truck stops across the country, including the Central Valley, will offer natural gas filling stations for trucks thanks to a deal announced Tuesday between Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) of Seal Beach and Pilot Travel Centers LLC of Knoxville, Tenn., which runs Flying J truck stops. Clean Energy will build, own and operate public access, compressed and liquefied natural gas (CNG/LNG) fueling facilities. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16480&ewrd=1 MISCELLANEOUS New State Law Reduces Copper In Brake Pads. Legislators have given a red light to vehicle brake pads containing copper, a chemical harmful to salmon and other aquatic life. After a 15-year fight that surfaced with concerns about the San Francisco Bay, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB346, which requires brake pad manufacturers to reduce the use of copper to no more than 5 percent by 2021 and no more than 0.5 percent by 2025. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/04/BAL11FO3AT.DTL BLOGS Prop 23 Would Kill Advanced Biofuel Technology. Hopefully, you've heard lots of buzz about Prop 23 by now, the ballot measure that would effectively repeal California's landmark clean energy and climate law (AB 32). Voting no on 23 sends a clear message that California does not want to lose its advantage as the country's cleantech leader. Across California, companies have been investing and preparing for the cleantech boom created by AB 32, but Prop 23 would stall this growth indefinitely. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/10/prop-23-would-kill-advanced-biofuel-technology/ What's The Best Way To Promote Safer, Cleaner Energy? Dependence on foreign oil, the energy economy, the environment, new technology – they all factor into the debate over America's energy future. So what's the best path forward? Get government out of the way. The left proposes expensive, unreliable wind and solar power as our path to cleaner, safer energy. The right has visions of thousands of expensive nuclear plants in our energy future. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Election-2010/One-Minute-Debate/2010/1005/What-s-the-best-way-to-promote-safer-cleaner-energy Stop The Dirty Energy Proposition. According to opponents of Prop. 23, "Two Texas oil companies are spending millions to push Prop. 23, a deceptive ballot proposition that would kill California clean energy and air pollution reduction standards. Four years ago, California passed a clean air law (AB 32) that holds polluters accountable and requires them to reduce air pollution that threatens human health and contributes to global climate change. Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/10/stop-the-dirty.html Recycler Launches Ecollective To Make Recycling Electronics Easier. Whether it's cellphones or computers, TVs or iPods, the average American household contains 23 consumer electronics items -- items that are so frequently discarded that electronic waste is now the fastest-growing waste stream in the country, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/electronic-waste.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 The Military, Green Energy Champion. United States Marines A testing ground for a Marine Corps’ solar energy experiment, in Twentynine Palms, Calif. As I write in Tuesday’s Times, the United States military has become a proponent of renewable energy. And there is great hope that some of the renewable energy technology being developed for battle will double back and play a role in civilian life. After all, the military has huge purchasing power, enough to create genuine markets. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/the-military-green-energy-champion/?scp=2&sq=environment&st=cse ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2010 11:12:57 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 6, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 6, 2010. 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. AB 32 Setting The Record Straight On AB32 And Jobs. The UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education released a report in 2008 on jobs and California's Global Warming Solutions Act, known as Assembly Bill 32. In that report, we concluded that AB32 would lead to net job growth in the state. Three years later, we still think generating new jobs in California is a great idea. So we've been stunned over the last six months to see our research cited repeatedly by supporters of Proposition 23 who are working to overturn AB32. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/06/EDLR1FKF3U.DTL&type=printable http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16260742 The Terminator vs. Big Oil. Sacramento The Terminator, a k a the Governator, is not happy. And you shouldn’t be either. What has Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California incensed is the fact that two Texas oil companies with two refineries each in California are financing a campaign to roll back California’s landmark laws to slow global warming and promote clean energy innovation, because it would require the refiners to install new emission-control tools. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/opinion/06friedman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print Calif. Initiative a Test For National Climate Law. If the supporters of Proposition 23 prevail in the Nov. 2 election, California's landmark global warming law would be suspended indefinitely. But the out-of-state oil companies funding the initiative appear to have their sights set higher. Success in halting California's climate-change law by showing the public doesn't support it would give momentum to the opponents of similar legislation that has stalled in Congress. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IM6HUG3.htm CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Climate Talks Struggle As China, U.S. Face Off. The United States and EU said on Wednesday that U.N. climate talks were making less progress than hoped due to rifts over rising economies' emission goals, while China pushed back and put the onus on rich nations. Negotiators from 177 governments are meeting this week in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, trying to agree on the shape of the successor to the current phase of the Kyoto Protocol, the key U.N. treaty on fighting global warming, which expires in 2012. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6920B720101006 Kern County May Be The New Hub Of Climate Change Technology. Cal State Bakersfield hosted a workshop on Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS) last Friday. For all of you non-environmental folks, CCS is one of several methods being discussed to reduce the emissions of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Such reductions are necessary to comply with recent California regulations which were designed to reduce emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) such as CO2. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-bakersfield/kern-county-may-be-the-new-hub-of-climate-change-technology Climate Change Talks Bogged Down Over Financing, Carbon Limits, U.S. Says. Lead negotiators from the U.S. and Bolivia said global climate-change talks in China are making little progress as delegates get bogged down with issues including financing and limits on carbon emissions. Efforts to reduce output of greenhouse gases in a global treaty to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol accord may splinter if no accord is reached at the next meetings in Cancun, Mexico, Jonathan Pershing, the U.S. deputy special envoy on climate change, said today in Tianjin. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-10-06/un-climate-change-talks-make-little-progress-u-s-envoy-pershing-says.html OPINION: The Carbon Dioxide Precipice. Few recognize the magnitude of the threat climate change poses to our planet; some activists and scientists are trying to change that. It is time for more of us to step forward. By "us" I mean the growing number of thoughtful Americans who have recognized the threat of global warming but have tried not to worry about it too much or get involved. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-stewart-climate-change-20101006,0,2292537,print.story AIR POLLUTION As Elections Loom, EPA Takes Bipartisan Flak On Pollution Rules. Washington - The Environmental Protection Agency has run into bipartisan opposition from senators over its plans to cut mercury and other toxic emissions from boilers at large factories and from the heating plants for places such as shopping malls and universities. The dustup over a seemingly routine environmental rule shows how political worries about the economy and pressure from industries that object to the costs of pollution controls are leading Congress to try to restrain the EPA. Posted. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/05/v-print/101641/as-elections-loom-epa-takes-bipartisan.html Shine Light on Agencies like the Air Board. In regard to Robert Price's recent column on the $29 million in fines about to be imposed upon drivers living in the valley by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District ("$29 million fine for bad air? Please explain," Sept. 26), ask yourself this: What government agency gets a $29 million annual windfall and doesn't immediately set out to spend it? First will be additional salary and benefits for staff who must now work harder to manage $29 million in new revenue. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x925257819/Shine-light-on-agencies-like-the-air-board Morning Greens: Dirty Pollution and Clean Solutions. Avoid the beaches for a couple days. LAist reports that rain means urban runoff that rushes all the dirty, polluted gunk on our streets into our oceans, so Santa Monica’s environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay recommends staying out of the ocean water, lest you get the stomach flu or other ailments. Does L.A.’s air pollution mean more diabetic Angelenos? Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/mollyblog/2010/10/05/morning-greens-dirty-pollution-and-clean-solutions/ ENERGY Two Solar Projects On California Public Land Get Federal OK. Approval of the plants planned in the Mojave Desert and Imperial Valley could increase the chances of several other projects in the state that await a U.S. green light. Federal officials Tuesday approved construction of the first two California solar energy projects to be built on public land in the sun-drenched Mojave Desert and Imperial Valley. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-energy-permits-20101006,0,299156,print.story http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703843804575534392249151072.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5 For Those Near, the Miserable Hum of Clean Energy. Vinalhaven, Me. — Like nearly all of the residents on this island in Penobscot Bay, Art Lindgren and his wife, Cheryl, celebrated the arrival of three giant wind turbines late last year. That was before they were turned on. “In the first 10 minutes, our jaws dropped to the ground,” Mr. Lindgren said. “Nobody in the area could believe it. They were so loud.” Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/business/energy-environment/06noise.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print Solar-Powered White House No Longer A 'Kooky' Idea. Nearly 30 years after President Ronald Reagan dismantled his predecessor's solar panels, the White House is once again going green. Yesterday's announcement that the Department of Energy will install solar panels at the White House by early next year immediately set off comparisons between President Obama and Jimmy Carter, the one-term president who in 1979 first brought solar energy to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But political analysts said this time is different. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/06/1 FUELS Alternative Fuels Center of Excellence to be Launched. Introducing new center on Oct. 14 at the Center for Environmental Research and Technology highlights day of alternative fuels related events. RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) – UC Riverside’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology is hosting a series of free events Oct. 14 to highlight the future of renewable energy and serve as a launchpad for its new Alternative Transportation Fuels Research Center of Excellence. Posted. http://newsroom.ucr.edu/news_item.html?action=page&id=2446 TRANSPORTATION OPINION: Cleaner Cars. President Obama announced last year the first big increase in fuel economy standards in three decades, plus a new requirement reducing tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. The new standards — boosting fleetwide fuel efficiency by 30 percent to 34.1 miles per gallon by 2016 — are the most important environmental achievement of Mr. Obama’s first two years. They are still not enough. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/opinion/06wed4.html?_r=2&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print DIESELS CARB Critics: Science Behind Diesel Rules Remains Flawed. Three years ago the California Dump Truck Owners Association had 1,700 members – mostly small to mid-size trucking companies based in the Golden State. The economic downturn and a series of expensive in-state emissions rules hit the group’s truckers hard in 2007 and 2008, dropping membership by half to its current 850 members. Lee Brown, the CDTOA’s executive director, said the organization’s members have had the competitive playing field tipped severely against them because of several diesel regulations implemented by the California Air Resources Board. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Oct10/100410/100510-04.htm BLOGS Got A Car? Personal-Vehicle Sharing Comes To California In 2011. Car sharing hasn't taken off in L.A., despite its promise for reducing traffic and residents' need to own cars. But a new personal-vehicle sharing law that goes into effect Jan. 1 may change that. AB 1871 allows Californians to rent their cars by the hour to offset their costs of ownership, as well as cars' impact on the environment. Previously, California law prevented personal cars from being rented for commercial use. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/spride.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Global Warming: A Rise In River Flows Raises Alarm. The volume of fresh water pouring from the world’s rivers has risen rapidly since 1994, in what researchers say is further evidence of global warming. The study, led by a team at UC Irvine, is the first to estimate global fresh-water flow into the world’s oceans using observations from new satellite technology rather than through computer or hydrological models. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/global-warming-river-flows-oceans-climate-disruption.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Businesses Seek Clarity on Climate Goals. In the run-up to the Cancún climate change conference that opens late next month in Mexico, a sizable group of business leaders are fighting to make their voices heard. But this time, it is not to argue that a low-carbon economy is bad for business, they say. The opposite, in fact. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/businesses-seek-clarity-on-climate-goals/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2010 11:58:37 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 7, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 7, 2010. 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. AB 32 Green Tech, AB 32 A Major Economic Driver For State. Green technology is a major driver of economic development in California, according to a new study by Next 10, a non-partisan research organization created by Silicon Valley venture capitalist F. Noel Perry. The new study, called the 2010 Green Innovation Index, also found that the AB 32 global warming law is a major component of that economic engine. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?xid=z6njvpuvoglqjw# California Ballot Question Would Suspend GHG Emissions Rule. One issue on next month’s statewide ballot in California is a question to decide whether to suspend implementation of a much ballyhooed greenhouse gas law. Leadership of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports passage of the question. Approved in 2006, the law allows the California Air Resources Board to create many new regulations. Specific to trucking, CARB was given the authority to formulate several trucking regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, including the state’s drayage rule, and truck retrofit rule. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Oct10/100410/100610-01.htm Airing Out Prop. 23. Some say it would save jobs, others say it would lead to more wheezing and global warming. Three weeks ago Dan Ihara of the Center for Environmental Economic Development in Arcata held a house party for opponents to Proposition 23 — called the “California Jobs Initiative” by its proponents and the “Dirty Energy Proposition” by those against it, like Ihara. Posted. http://www.northcoastjournal.com/news/2010/10/07/airing-out-prop-23/ Whitman's Global Warming Positions Leave Her Stand Unclear. Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is playing both sides of the fence on the issue of global warming, belatedly opposing Prop. 23 – the measure that would suspend AB 32, California's long-term plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting clean technology – but promising to delay implementation of AB 32 for a year anyway. Posted. http://www.sfbg.com/print/politics/2010/10/06/whitmans-global-warming-positions-leave-her-stand-unclear OPINION: Warner & Kateley: Prop. 23: Suspending AB32 Could Kill It. The brightest economic news California has seen in years is the impressive rise of green technology industries that are bringing the state new jobs and promise to build a 21st century clean energy economy that can lead the world. Such an economy, built on renewable energy and clean air and water is a direct threat to the industry whose product is gasoline, whose byproduct is dirty air and damaged health and whose simple equation is the more gasoline they sell in California, the greater their profits. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/clean-269925-california-energy.html OPINION: Coupal & Royalty: Prop. 23: We Should Not Implement AB32, Right Now. Ask any California family or small business if they've had to make adjustments in their spending habits over the last few years, and the answer is sure to be "of course." The prolonged recession has forced people, businesses and local governments to cut back on expenses and be much more careful with their finances. Unfortunately, Sacramento just doesn't get it. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/california-269924-warming-global.html CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S The Importance of Transferring Risk in Climate Adaptation. Global efforts to address climate change have been in disarray following the failed talks in Copenhagen. But even if all carbon emissions were stopped at once, climate trends would continue to expose local populations to the mounting challenges -- and costs -- of protecting greater property values against weather-related risks. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS170494107920101007 Sun May Not Warm Planet As Much As Previously Thought – Study. The sun warms the planet most when at its dimmest rather than its brightest, unlike previously thought, meaning that previous calculations of the Earth's temperatures gave the sun too much credit for warming up our planet. When the sun's 11-year solar cycle is at its lowest, as it was in December 2009, it warms the Earth the most, according to a study published in the journal Nature. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/07/7 Wrong Climate For Piecemeal Strategy. Exhausted Democrats may like President Barack Obama’s suggestion of tackling energy and climate change “in chunks” over the next two years after failing to get a comprehensive package across the finish line. But they probably know better. Schooled veterans of past energy legislative debates are quick to point out that the regional lines are just as entrenched as the partisan ones, leaving few rifle-shot solutions on the front burner. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43248.html Study Claims Quick Abatement Strategies Won't Resolve Greenhouse Gas Issues. A new study out today urges governments to go slow when doling out "fast start" climate change dollars. E3G, a London-based environmental nonprofit, says the $30 billion that wealthy countries pledged to allocate by 2012 to help developing nations reduce emissions and cope with climate change impacts must be spent thoughtfully. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/07/5 CEQ Releases Guidance on Measuring Agencies' Greenhouse Gas Emissions. White House officials announced the completion of guidelines today outlining how federal agencies should measure and report greenhouse gas emissions as part of a broad initiative to decrease the government's carbon footprint. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/10/06/06greenwire-ceq-releases-guidance-on-measuring-agencies-gr-73992.html OPINION: It's Worth The Fight Against Oil Interests. The Terminator, a.k.a. the Governator, is not happy. And you shouldn't be, either. What has Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger incensed is the fact that two Texas oil companies with two refineries each in California are financing a campaign to roll back California's landmark laws to slow global warming and promote clean-energy innovation, because it would require the refiners to install new emission-control tools. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/07/3085797/its-worth-the-fight-against-oil.html N.M. Set To Enact Climate Rules And Join Regional Trading, Industry Says. New Mexico is set to act next month on two proposals to cap greenhouse gases, one of which would make it the second state to start trading with the Western Climate Initiative in 2012. Hearings concluded this week; the state Environmental Improvement Board will begin deliberations Nov. 2. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/07/6 Behind The Meltdown Of The Climate-Change Bill. President Obama killed the climate change bill. That's the brunt of the article, "As the World Burns, How the Senate and White House missed their best chance to deal with climate change" by Ryan Lizza in the New Yorker. Lizza tells the tale of how Washington's erstwhile "Three Amigos" - also known as K.G.L., for Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.- cobbled together a cap-and-trade climate-change bill that had "the support both of the major green groups and the biggest polluters" - until the deal fell apart. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/07/ED4T1FOIH4.DTL&type=green New Research Debunks Iron Seeding Theory. New research is challenging the idea that seeding the ocean with iron will increase phytoplankton production and thus carbon dioxide absorption, which has been floated as a possible method to combat global warming. The phytoplankton population in the North Pacific Ocean exploded in 2008 following a series of volcanic eruptions in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands, which sent a large amount of iron-rich material into the ocean. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/07/8 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY 2010 California Green Innovation Index. The 2010 California Green Innovation Index is a brand new report produced by Next 10 and prepared by Collaborative Economics. The Index tracks California’s history of policy and technology innovation, and resulting economic and environmental gains or losses. Research included in this 2010 California Green Innovation Index details: * California’s global leadership in green innovation continues to grow, attracting billions in investment dollars. * California’s green manufacturing jobs are growing while conventional manufacturing jobs are in decline. Posted. http://www.next10.org/environment/greenInnovation10.html Green Jobs Rise In State, Study Finds. Despite the decline in manufacturing employment in California, one key industrial sector is seeing robust job growth: the green economy. In a study released Wednesday, Palo Alto-based nonprofit Next 10 and Collaborative Economics Inc. of Mountain View found that manufacturing jobs in the state's green sector grew by 19 percent between 1995 and 2008. The increase came at the same time that overall manufacturing jobs in California tumbled 9 percent. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/07/3085807/green-jobs-rise-in-state-study.html California Leads Nation In Green Tech. California stands on the forefront of green technology and has gained an economic edge by cutting carbon usage, according to a report to be released today. "California is unique as a leader in green innovation for the United States and the world," said F. Noel Perry, a businessman who founded Next 10, a nonpartisan public policy group that produced the report in conjunction with research firm Collaborative Economics. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/07/BUGN1FOSV8.DTL&type=green California's Clean-Tech Industry Is Booming But Threatened. More money is being invested in alternative energy start-ups here than anywhere else in the world. But the state's dominant position is threatened by Proposition 23 and competition from China. The clean-tech industry is booming in California, with more money being invested in solar and other alternative energy start-ups than anywhere else in the world. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-fi-cleantech-20101007,0,2192800,print.story Zeta Communities To Build Green School Buildings. A company that builds ultra-energy efficient modular housing in a former aircraft hangar at McClellan Park has expanded into school facilities. Zeta Communities assembled a $1 million, three-building addition to the Davis Waldorf School in just four weeks. The 4,200-square-foot, state-of-the-art addition, which includes energy-efficient roofs, skylights and lighting fixtures, was installed on site last month – just in time for the Waldorf School's first day of classes. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/07/3085805/zeta-communities-to-build-green.html U.S. To Join Iceland In Geothermal Technology Research. Iceland and the United States have become partners in developing and deploying advanced geothermal energy technologies, announced the U.S. Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) in a press release yesterday. The bilateral agreement came during a series of meetings about geothermal energy being held in Reykjavik, Iceland, this week. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/07/4 U.S. Warns China On Trade But Pushes Tighter Energy Ties. With the Obama administration urging greater U.S.-China coordination on clean energy projects, a top U.S. official yesterday pressed China to comply with international obligations and suggested China's trade policies undermine U.S.-China cooperation on energy. "We have an international trading regime," Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/07/2 AIR POLLUTION San Francisco Port Starts Plugging Cruise Ships Into Grid. San Francisco -- The Port of San Francisco began connecting cruise ships yesterday to the municipal power grid in an effort to reduce air pollution from onboard diesel generators. Princess Cruises' 2,000-passenger Island Princess became the first ship to plug into the grid via a bundle of cables that supply electricity and synchronize power frequency and voltage with the shipboard computer. The device will eventually supply power to as many as 70 cruise ships per year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/07/20 Harbor Group Delays Clean Air Vote. Harbor commissioners from Los Angeles and Long Beach on Oct. 6 postponed a vote on an update to the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan to allow the public more time to review the proposal. The 2010 CAAP Update is expected to be back for consideration at a joint commission meeting in November. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85884 Onshore Energy for Ships To Reduce Port Pollution. The Port of San Francisco this week became the first in California -- and just the fourth port in the world -- to hook up a cruise ship to onshore electricity to reduce air pollution, officials said. The $5.2 million project unveiled Wednesday is expected to remove more than a ton of deadly particulates from the air each year, and that figure is expected to more than double as more ships are outfitted to use the onshore power supplied by the city. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_16273714 PGE Denies Clean Air Act Violations at Boardman Plant. Portland General Electric is denying charges that its Boardman coal-fired power plant is operating in violation of the Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency thinks otherwise, however, and laid out the charges in a notice of violation sent to the Portland-based utility on Sept. 28. The violation centers on modifications made to the boiler at PGE’s (NYSE: POR) Boardman facility in 1998 and 2004. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/10/04/daily25.html SBCAG Board Does The Right Thing. Our Santa Barbara County Association of Government’s board recently voted 7-6 along North/South County lines to do the right thing in the face of persistent environmental advocates who continue to dominate any regional community planning conversation. The vote involved the proposed emission-reduction targets identified in a California Air Resource Board staff report regarding regional greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets pursuant to Senate Bill 375. Posted. http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/commentary/article_6e9b6e04-d1d0-11df-bffe-001cc4c002e0.html?print=1 TRANSPORTATION Tax On Vehicle Miles Traveled Gains Support, But Raises Orwellian Questions. To some, it's the tax that could rescue the country's transportation budget. To others, it smacks of Big Brother. Whatever its fate, the tax on vehicle miles traveled, or VMT tax, will first face the fears of a public that's increasingly suspicious of government power. Meanwhile, those familiar with the technology will try to convince the public that if properly designed, it can assess the tax correctly even as it protects drivers' privacy. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/07/1 Tesla Reveals More Details About Electric Model S Sedan. Welcoming reporters to its California headquarters for the first time, electric carmaker Tesla Motors Inc. revealed that its Model S sedan will store a battery pack in a large flat area below the vehicle to support the body and increase aerodynamics. Tesla will produce about 20,000 of the $57,000 sedans a year at a former Toyota factory. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/07/9 Honda Tops List Of Greenest Automakers; Big Three Finish Last. Honda is once again the Union of Concern Scientists' greenest automaker, thanks to its fleetwide improvements in fuel efficiency and emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The eight largest automakers all improved their smog and global warming emissions in UCS's fifth automaker rankings. Both Toyota and Hyundai placed second in what UCS called a "photo finish," nearly besting Honda for the top spot, which it has held in all five rankings. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/07/17 DIESELS CARB Rethinks Reefer Retrofit Rule. Sacramento, Calif. – The California Air Resources Board is proposing relaxing its Transport Refrigeration Unit rule by lowering the requirement of 85 percent particulate control to 50 percent. The retrofit rule, which take effect on December 31, 2010, affects TRUs operating in California with 2003 or older model year engines. The engines would still have to comply with the 85 percent requirement by 2017. Posted. http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=24777 BLOGS Federal Government to Add 100 Electric Cars. Last October, President Obama issued an executive order calling on government agencies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Low-hanging fruit for carbon reduction is in the transportation fleet, particularly zero-emission, battery-electric cars, but there aren’t many on the market, and very few federal agencies have acquired them. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/federal-government-to-add-100-electric-cars/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:39:32 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 8-11, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 8-11, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S State's Anti-Global Warming Effort At Crossroads. Sacramento - California's voters will decide whether to dramatically temper the state’s aggressive campaign to curb global warming, a decision carrying economic and environmental implications nationwide. Proposition 23 on the Nov. 2 ballot would block most of the state’s regulations aiming to curb greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming until unemployment drops substantially for a sustained period of time — a distant target given most forecasts do not predict a strong rebound for some time. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/09/state-anti-global-warming-effort-at-crossroads/ Big Oil Seeks To Reverse Global Warming Restrictions. Sacramento — If supporters of Proposition 23 prevail in the Nov. 2 election, California's landmark global warming law would be suspended indefinitely. But out-of-state oil companies funding the initiative appear to have their sights set higher. Success in halting California's climate-change law by showing the public doesn't support it would give momentum to the opponents of similar legislation that has stalled in Congress. Posted. http://www.montereyherald.com/ci_16303185?source=most_viewed Carbon Curbs by EPA Land in Court Again. The Obama administration's move to curb greenhouse gases using the Environmental Protection Agency has drawn legal challenges from more than 90 companies and trade associations, giving the courts another opening to shape U.S. climate policy in the absence of legislative action. The most recent lawsuit attacking the EPA's climate policy was filed Thursday by the California-based Pacific Legal Foundation. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704657304575540360309731070.html?mod=googlenews_wsj CAP AND TRADE Cap And Trade – The Greatest Scam. Do you remember the “cap and trade” bill passed by the House? This is the bill that President Obama said, if passed, would cause energy costs to “skyrocket.” Well, the rest of that story is that costs of all consumer goods and services would rise, since energy is required in the production and distribution of products and services. Posted. http://www.thepostsearchlight.com/2010/10/08/cap-and-trade-%E2%80%93-the-greatest-scam/ The Cap-and-Trade Crackup. A Virginia Democrat with a 'safe' seat angers constituents with his anti-coal vote. Even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi twisted arms for the final votes to pass her climate bill in June 2009, Democrats feared they might be "BTU'd." Many of them recalled how Al Gore had forced the House to vote in 1993 for an energy tax, a vote Democrats later blamed for helping their 1994 defeat. The politics isn't the same this time around. This time, it's much, much worse. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704696304575537934276834038.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#printMode ENERGY/GREEN JOBS Japan Creating 'Smart City' Of The Future. Chiba, Japan -- There were gadgets and robots galore at Japan's premier electronics show last week. But one of the biggest attractions wasn't anything you could touch - an energy-efficient city of the future. For the first time, the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies, better known as CEATAC, devoted one area of the show floor to selling a vision of urban life in 2020 and beyond. 'Smart city' The Japanese version of the "smart city" exists in a post-fossil fuel world. Alternative sources like the sun, wind and nuclear power are harnessed in mass quantities. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/11/BUFK1FPLCU.DTL&type=green U.S. Energy Policy: It's Complicated. We should be able to come up with a coherent energy strategy -- if only Congress weren't too paralyzed by partisan bickering to enact one. For as clear a sign as you could want of the nation's haphazard approach to energy policy, look no further than the roof of the White House. In 1979, solar panels blossomed there, installed by President Carter to symbolize his commitment to weaning the country off oil. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-solar-20101010,0,4462384,print.story Carlsbad Looks To Extend Ban On Power Plant. Carlsbad officials appear poised to extend a symbolic moratorium on power plant development on its stretch of coastline at its next council meeting. The Carlsbad Council voted Tuesday to adopt several findings in a city staff report that serve as a prelude to the vote on the moratorium next week. NRG Energy owns and operates the Encina Power Station, with its 400-foot smokestack, on the city’s coast. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/08/carlsbad-looks-extend-ban-power-plant/ California Invests $12.6 Million In Alternative Vehicles. The California Energy Commission (CEC) has announced an investment of $12.6 million in nine projects aimed at driving forward alternative vehicle technologies... Posted. http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/i/3469/ http://sunpluggers.com/news/california-board-allots-funding-for-vehicle-electrification-fuel-projects-01010 Lake County To Receive Funding For Energy Efficiency Projects On Public Facilities. The contract between the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the county of Lake, which will provide nearly $259000 in funds from the Energy Efficiency ... Posted. http://lakeconews.com/content/view/16076/919/ APPLIANCE REBATE PROGRAM Current Stats On Appliance Rebate Program: Total Funds Paid: $9,114,714; Apps received: 158,037; cash remaining: $7,974,450 (as of 10/1). Posted. http://www.cash4appliances.org/stats/index.html Californians Spending Down Cash For Appliances Money. California processed nearly $7 million in rebates for its Cash for Appliances program in September. The California Energy Commission, which is administering the program, said about $7.9 million remains of the original $31.7 million in rebate funds for qualifying energy-efficient appliances. Since April 22, the state has been accepting rebate applications of $200 for qualifying refrigerators, $100 for clothes washers and up to $50 for room air conditioners. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/07/3087400/californians-spending-down-cash.html Green Jobs Rise In State, Study Finds. Despite the decline in manufacturing employment in California, one key industrial sector is seeing robust job growth: the green economy. In a study released Wednesday, Palo Alto-based nonprofit Next 10 and Collaborative Economics Inc. of Mountain View found that manufacturing jobs in the state's green sector grew by 19 percent between 1995 and 2008. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/07/3085807/green-jobs-rise-in-state-study.html The Sun Rises on Green Schools. Green schools are more than just efficient buildings; they are incubators for tomorrow's green leaders, which have been readily demonstrated at model green schools such as the Willow School in New Jersey (pictured above) and Washington DC's Sidwell Friends school. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS123593061320101008 Job Front: Workshops Have Career Aid For Green Jobs. Sacramento-area business and civic leaders continue to look to green and clean technology firms to grow the regional economy and get the region's work force back on the job. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/11/3094474/job-front-workshops-have-career.html San Diego's New Green Chamber of Commerce. This year, San Diego established its own Green Chamber of Commerce-The Green Chamber of San Diego County. The organization got it start in Solana Beach, when a few members of the board of Solana Beach’s Chamber decided it would be wise for the county to create a separate Chamber focused on green business. Posted. ‘http://www.sandiego.com/business/san-diego-s-new-green-chamber-of-commerce%20 CURRENT EVENTS Brightsource Energy's Ivanpah Solar Power Plant Gains Final Clearance - Construction On The Plant In The California Desert Near The Nevada Border Is Expected To Begin In The Next Few Weeks. Brightsource Energy Inc. on Thursday cleared its final permitting hurdle for its proposed solar power plant. It expects to begin construction in the California desert in the next few weeks. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-ivanpah-20101008,0,7794150.story http://eponline.com/articles/2010/10/08/first-largescale-solar-energy-plants-ever-to-be-built-on-public-lands.aspx http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=18803 http://www.sbsun.com/ci_16282923?source=email Faulty Science Behind State's Landmark Diesel Law. California grossly miscalculated pollution levels in a scientific analysis used to toughen the state's clean air standards and scientists have spent the past several months revising data and planning a significant weakening of the landmark regulation, The Chronicle has found. The pollution estimate in question was too high - by 340 percent, according to the California Air Resources Board, the state agency charged with researching and adopting air quality standards. Posted.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/07/BAOF1FDMRV.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea http://www.examiner.com/ecopolitics-in-los-angeles/calif-climategate-part-ii-air-board-s-340-pollution-error DIESELS Bill Would Help With Idle-Reduction Purchases. One of the many bills introduced right before Congress left for its election recess is one that would offer tax incentives for clean energy, including one that would help with the purchase of idle-reduction technologies for heavy-duty vehicles. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=71861 Air Regulators Agree To Stall Off-Road Diesel Rule. CARB Moves Effective Date For Compliance To January 2014. California – Construction companies with significant investments in off-road equipment could have four more years to get cleaner-burning engines in those vehicles under an agreement reached last week between air regulators and a large construction trade group. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/25723/air-regulators-agree-to-stall-off-road-diesel-rule/print/ TRANSPORTATION Highly Charged Motoring. Electric Cars, Though A Welcome Development, Are Neither As Useful Nor As Green As Their Proponents Claim. DESIGNED especially for city and suburban motoring, this handsome automobile is smooth, quiet and easy to drive, and being powered by electricity it can be charged up at home. Tempting? The sales pitch is not for one of the new electric cars from General Motors, Nissan or Renault, but for a 1905 Victoria Phaeton from Studebaker of South Bend, Indiana. Electric cars have come and gone over the years. Posted. http://www.economist.com/node/17199894/print Gasoline Engine Has Big Bang For The Fuel-Economy Buck. A government report says improving the gasoline engine will yield huge gains for the consumer and the environment as automakers consider ways to improve fuel economy over the next 14 years. The Obama administration's technical assessment looked at four technology scenarios by which automakers might attain suggested CAFE goals of 47 to 62 mpg for cars and light trucks by 2025. Posted. http://www.autoweek.com/article/20101011/CARNEWS/101019989#ixzz124ZjZxub Honda Launches Fit Hybrid In Japan. With a price tag of just $19,000, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. unveiled the world's cheapest gas-electric hybrid -- a modified version of its Fit subcompact car. The Fit Hybrid will retail in Japan as easily the country's cheapest. By contrast, the Toyota Prius, which is Japan's best-selling vehicle, sells for a minimum of $24,899. Honda's Insight hybrid also retails for less than the Prius, making it the second-cheapest in the country. The Fit Hybrid has a fuel economy of about 70.5 miles per gallon. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/11/6 First Buyers of Nissan Leaf Get a Trunkful of Perks. Tax credits, rebate checks, personalized home visits, government giveaways - even customer service calls from top corporate executives. The first all-electric car from a major auto company, the Nissan Leaf, arrives at dealerships in December, but thousands of Americans are already learning that going electric can come with perks like no other car purchase. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/business/08electric.html?th&emc=th OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Perspectives: Prop. 23 Is A Bad Deal For Consumers. Oil companies would like you to believe that what's bad for big oil is bad for consumers. Don't buy it. For years, the oil industry has peddled false choices: Low gas prices or cleaner air? Jobs or public health? But on Nov. 2, Californians will get a chance to send the oil companies a message that protecting our health and our environment is good for consumers and the economy. Posted. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_16301331 Editorial: AB 32 Is Too Heavy For State To Pull Alone. For decades California has led the nation in protecting the environment, a philosophy that has brought both tremendous public benefits and real burdens. Our state retains remarkable swaths of protected wilderness and pristine beaches even as its population has swelled near 40 million. Government makes decisions not just with short-term expedience in mind but also must consider the long-term public health. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/oct/10/ab-32-is-too-heavy-for-state-to-pull-alone/?print=1 Get The Anti-Science Bent Out Of Politics. As a scientist, I shouldn't have a stake in the upcoming midterm elections, but unfortunately, it seems that I -- and indeed all my fellow climate scientists -- do. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has threatened that, if he becomes chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, he will launch what would be a hostile investigation of climate science. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/07/AR2010100705484_pf.html No on Proposition 23. Regular readers know that, other than commending its good intentions to serve as a national model and to help clean California skies, this page has had little good to say about AB 32, the state’s landmark 2006 legislation to combat global warming. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s oft-stated belief that AB 32 would be quickly copied by the federal government and other states, and maybe even other nations, has not proved true. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/11/no-proposition-23/ OPINION: A Small Green Business Take on Prop 23. California is and has historically been a pioneer and leader in progressive environmental standards and policies both nationally and abroad. We have taken it upon ourselves to lead by example with statewide environmental initiatives, responding to the growing demand and need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our dependence on foreign oil. In a few weeks, this reputation will be put to the test when the Prop. 23 measure is up for a vote. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/10/a-small-green-business-take-on-prop-23/ OPINION: An X-Ray of Dysfunction. The fact that it’s two years on and no energy bill has been passed is a reflection of a broader power failure in Washington. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/opinion/10friedman.html?th&emc=th LOIS HENRY: Air Board Must Be Held Accountable. Here's a topic for the next governor's debate: If elected, would you investigate the California Air Resources Board for fraud? Oh, did I say the "f" word? Absolutely. This agency is out of control and, I believe, has perpetrated an outright fraud on the people of this state. And, no, I'm not just talking about how the agency was recently forced to admit it was wrong about the amount of diesel emissions that heavy construction contributes to air pollution. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x618251275/Air-board-must-be-held-accountable BLOGS Foes Outspend Backers of Proposition 23. At the start of the campaign for California’s Proposition 23, the ballot measure that would suspend the state’s global warming law, opponents darkly warned that the Texas oil companies backing the initiative would spend as much as $50 million to win the election. But with three weeks until Election Day, it is the No on 23 coalition of environmentalists, investors and Silicon Valley technology companies that is raking in the cash, taking in nearly twice as much money as the Yes on 23 campaign. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/foes-outspend-backers-of-proposition-23/?pagemode=print Investigation: Calif. Misses Mark On Emissions Regulation. California grossly miscalculated pollution levels in a scientific analysis used to toughen the state's clean-air standards, and scientists have spent the past several months revising data and planning a significant weakening of the landmark regulation, the San Francisco Chronicle has found. The pollution estimate in question was too high -- by 340 percent, according to the California Air Resources Board, the state agency charged with researching and adopting air-quality standards. Posted. http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/57066 Scientist Who Spotted Faulty Air Pollution Figures Still Supports AB 32, Opposes Prop. 23. It’s not as bad as you think. The San Francisco Chronicle has a big story today about how the California Air Resources Board overestimated the amount of pollution caused by diesel-burning trucks and other vehicles as it crafted regulations to improve air quality. Posted. http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/10/air_board_diesel_ab_32.php?print=true Prop 23 Money Trail. True, most of the money backing Proposition 23 on California's November ballot has come from two big oil refiners, both headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. But the opposition has some high rollers in the game, as well. High-profile venture capitalists and tech investors have lined up against the measure with open wallets. Climate Watch producer Gretchen Weber mapped the money trail for both sides. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/10/10/prop-23-money-trail/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Big Oil Money Pouring Back Into California To Boost Prop 23. After a recent lull, the flow of out-of-state oil money into California to block the state's cutting edge greenhouse-gas law is ramping back up. The latest to contribute is Marathon Oil, based in Houston, which has kicked in $500,000. So many Texas oil companies showing so much interest in California's air -- isn't that special? Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-10-11-big-oil-money-keeps-pouring-into-california-to-boost-prop-23/PALL/print California: The Make-Believe State. “If I am elected, the bald will grow thick hair.” Alas, I am not a candidate for anything, and so the bald will have to continue their suffering in silence. And, frankly, were I campaigning for a position of public trust, I would lose badly, for reasons entirely separate from my utter lack of schmoozing skills. Posted. http://dailycaller.com/2010/10/11/california-the-make-believe-state/print/#ixzz124aQ8Z00 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:03:48 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 12, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 12, 2010. 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. AB 32 The Coalition That Is Fighting To Defeat Prop. 23 Has A Formidable Weapon In Its Arsenal: Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has pointedly refused to endorse fellow Republican Meg Whitman in the race to succeed him and has stayed largely quiet on most of the major ballot measures. But he is campaigning across the state with remarkable passion to defeat Proposition 23, a measure that would suspend California's landmark global warming bill, one of the signature achievements of his administration. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_16311902?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Prop 23 Debate: You Say You Want A Green Revolution – Just Not Yet. In 2006, California lawmakers passed the landmark Global Warming Act, which mandated that greenhouse gas emissions be cut to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Supporters envision that, as its provisions take effect, the transition away from oil and into cleaner fuel sources will energize the state by creating a new ‘green’ economy in California. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2010/10/12/prop-23-debate-you-say-you-want-a-green-revolution/ California's Green Job..."Fairy Tale"? So, The American Spectator has a story about green jobs in California this week. Operative paragraph:...where are all the green jobs? A new 2010 study by the University of California-Berkeley comes to the sobering conclusion that "the green economy accounts for just 1 percent of California's jobs." That's right: of the roughly 15 million California workers, only about 159,000 have green jobs (and this was an expansive definition of green jobs, including trash sorters at the dumpsters). Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/mollyblog/2010/10/11/californias-green-jobfairy-tale/ Stockton Diocese Critical Of Prop. 23. The Catholic Diocese of Stockton is critical of Proposition 23, a measure on the November ballot that would suspend California's 2006 law calling for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Bishop Stephen Blaire, addressing poor air quality in much of the diocese, issued a statement calling upon voters "to engage in serious moral reflection on our common responsibility for stewardship of the environment." Posted. http://www.kcra.com/politics/25355836/detail.html Stephen Moore: California's Green Nightmare. It's hard to know where the fairy tale of "green jobs" first came from. It was probably a clever marketing scheme by radical environmentalists who realized that their anti-growth climate change agenda wasn't going to sell among the American electorate if workers realized how many jobs would be eviscerated by the new taxes and regulation. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/green-270608-jobs-california.html Thomas Friedman: The Governator Is Not Happy. Sacramento, Calif. — The Terminator, aka the Governator, is not happy. And you shouldn't be either. What has Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California incensed is the fact that two Texas oil companies with two refineries each in California are financing a campaign to roll back California's landmark laws to slow global warming and promote clean-energy innovation, because it would require the refiners to install new emission-control tools. Posted. http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=12&a=473464 OPINION: Prop. 23 Bad For California. I hope all Star readers are aware that two Texas oil companies have paid for a ballot proposition to benefit them and hurt California health, environment and economics. That’s right: Texas oil is trying to buy passage of Proposition 23 because, face it, the proposition helps Texas oil but hurts California. Passing Proposition 23 would increase pollution and damage our health. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/11/prop-23-bad-california/?print=1 Letters: On Prop. 23, Water District And More. Position against Prop. 23 is off-target. The U-T’s endorsement of a “no” vote on Proposition 23 is just plain crazy (Editorial, Oct. 11). The U-T talks about this measure being a “law.” All Proposition 23 says is to insist that enactment of AB 32 wait until California can afford it. That’s it. It doesn’t stop green energy development. AB 32 is scheduled to be enacted in 2012. Does the U-T really think California will be ready for significantly higher utility rates and gasoline pump prices? Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/12/letters-on-prop-23-water-district-and-more/ CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Calif. Climate Board To Heat Up Debate. San Francisco — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's environmental team is playing hurry-up offense to issue controversial climate rules before his term ends in January, even if it means wading into an Election Day thicket with the oil industry. California's Air Resources Board (CARB) is on track by the end of the month to release more than 1,000 pages of proposed rules for how the state should curb greenhouse gases at power plants and other large industrial plants. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=9DB00984-B580-CC3B-6BFFDA970349910E Billions And Billions Served: How Population Affects Climate Change. Eight billion? Nine billion? How about 11 billion? No, that's not the number of bedbugs in a typical New York City hotel, but rather some guesstimates on the number of people that will be here on Earth in the year 2050, up from today's nearly seven billion. How will all these extra people affect climate change? Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/10/population-growth-urbanization-climate-change-carbon-emissions-global-warming-/1 Europe May Ease Jet Carbon Fees. The transportation chief of the European Union said Monday that airlines based in the United States could receive an exemption, at least in part, from European carbon regulations if Washington moved to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/business/global/12emit.html?src=busln Volcano Blows Hole In Global Warming Fight. Ash spurs growth of marine plants that absorbs carbon dioxide from air but events can't be replicated. A volcanic plume of iron-laden ash from a 2008 Alaskan volcano eruption led to an unprecedentedly huge bloom of photosynthetic ocean plankton that fed off the ash, researchers have found. Posted. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39632361/ns/technology_and_science-science/# It’s Red States Vs. Blue In Legal War Over EPA Rules. With climate legislation stalled in Congress and U.S. EPA just months away from regulating greenhouse gases for the first time, 37 states have taken sides in a court battle that could end up steering U.S. climate policy for years. Just like the cap-and-trade bills that narrowly cleared the House and floundered in the Senate, challenges to the Obama administration's climate program have highlighted a bitter divide between industry-heavy states and their environment-minded counterparts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/12/1 Slowing Population Growth Could Reduce Projected Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Slowing population growth could provide up to a third of the greenhouse gas emissions cuts needed to avoid dangerous climate change, a new study suggests. The world's population now stands at 6.9 billion, and the United Nations estimates it could swell to 9 billion by the middle of the century. Slowing that growth could provide major climate dividends, according to the new study, which appears in the latest edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/12/4 Coral Records Point To Heating Pacific Ocean. Coral records show that the oceans are heating exactly as predicted by climate scientists. In a forthcoming study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers report Pacific island soft corals reveal the "thermocline", the point where cold, deep water meets warm surface water has gotten shallower, an indication of decreased ocean circulation predicted by global warming models. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/10/coral-climate-change/1 ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY California's Green-Jobs Numbers Paint A Mixed Picture. For Jerry Brown and many of his fellow Democrats, the future of California's struggling labor force hinges on a clean energy industry they say is poised to take off. They picture a green California where hundreds of thousands of people work to install solar panels and build electricity-powered cars. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/12/v-print/3097036/californias-green-jobs-numbers.html Solar Energy Proponents Push California To Adopt 'Feed-In Tariff' For Individual Power Producers. The arrangement would require utilities to pay homeowners and businesses for power generated by alternative energy installations and fed to the electricity grid. Despite being barely one-20th the size of the U.S. and more often overcast, Germany still manages to produce four times as much solar-generated power. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-utility-tariff-20101012,0,2054824,print.story Report: Business Groups Say Clean Air Act Has Been a "Very Good Investment". U.S. businesses large and small have seen economic gains from EPA's use of the 40-year-old federal Clean Air Act, according to an analysis released this week that aims to counter arguments by industry groups that the law is anti-business. The financial benefits of clean-air reforms have outweighed their costs by a margin of up to 40 to 1, according to the study commissioned by the Small Business Majority and the Mainstreet Alliance. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS212115315520101008 Project Aimed At Helping Businesses Save Money. Sacramento -- Small changes can lead to big savings for small businesses seeking to reduce energy costs, according to Sacramento Municipal Utility District officials. SMUD, along with the city of Sacramento and the California Air Resources Board, launched a Small Business Energy and Water Makeover project designed to help small businesses weather the bad economy. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/12/v-print/3097141/project-aimed-at-helping-businesses.html Visions Taking Shape For Proposed Cleantech Corridor In Downtown L.A. The Southern California Institute of Architecture invited entrants to offer new ideas for the four-mile stretch of land next to the L.A. River. Companies have also been asked to submit proposals. Visions are developing of what the proposed CleanTech Corridor might look like when it begins to emerge in downtown Los Angeles. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-clean-tech-corridor-20101012,0,6515662.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fscience%2Fenvironment+%28L.A.+Times+-+Environment%29&utm_content=Google+Reader U.S. Solar Industry Reports Strong Growth. The U.S. solar industry is experiencing significant growth this year despite the sluggish economy, according to a new report from the industry's main trade group. Solar electric installations in the first six months topped 340 megawatts, putting the country on track to install at least 944 megawatts or as many as 1.13 gigawatts by year's end, the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research say. Total installations in 2009 were 441 megawatts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/12/16 Adopted 33% Renewable Standard In California. Starting from 2020, every electricity distributor must ensure a 33% production from renewable sources, like wind energy, Concentrating Solar Power and photovoltaic. California’s regulatory authorities approved the new Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS), thus establishing that by 2020, 33% of final electricity needs must be met using renewables. The previous RPS, issued in November 2008, envisaged a 33% share by 2030, the new target having been proposed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger exactly one year ago. Posted. http://www.evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=7794 Solar Saudi Arabia? Almost daily, news releases from the governor's office and Department of Interior flood my e-mail in-basket crowing about renewable energy projects in Inland deserts. Gov. Schwarzenegger and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar congratulate themselves for fast-tracking solar generating plants in San Bernardino County's Mojave, and the Riverside County and Imperial County deserts. They're patting themselves on the back so hard, it must hurt. Posted. http://www.pe.com/columns/cassiemacduff/stories/PE_News_Local_D_cass12.2d8ca53.html State-By-State Report on Clean Energy Actions. Over the past two years, states have continued to lead the nation on a path to a cleaner and more secure energy future--especially in the areas of energy efficiency and clean electricity--according to a new report released by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center). "This report shows that every state and territory is working to advance clean energy in some way," said John Thomasian, director of the NGA Center. Posted. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21214 Sierra Club Slams Gov. Mcdonnell's Va. Energy Plan. The Sierra Club said Monday that Gov. Bob McDonnell is pursuing an "old energy" path and recommended that Virginia develop incentives to encourage solar and wind power development and conservation. The Sierra Club report, titled "Power Failure: How Virginia is Losing the Competition for Clean Energy Jobs," was released on the eve of McDonnell's three-day conference to promote his bid to make the state the East Coast energy capital. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IPLDP80.htm AIR POLLUTION Calif. Proposal Would Stall Off-Highway Diesel Regs. California would delay implementation of off-highway diesel rules under an agreement wrought last week with a prominent trade group. The California Air Resources Board agreed to a delay after negotiations with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) over regulations that would make about 150,000 off-highway vehicles install soot filters and replace older diesel engines. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/12/19 Application for Port Grants To Combat Air Pollution Available Tuesday. Applications are available beginning Tuesday for grants totaling $5 million benefiting health clinics, senior centers and organizations dedicated to battling the impacts of air pollution in Long Beach. The funds come courtesy of the Port of Long Beach, which is doling out $15 million this year to individuals, groups and organizations combating toxic emissions generated by harbor industries and construction. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16311352 FUELS On The Waterfront: More Ships Apparently Attempting To Evade State Fuel Rules. An increasing number of freight ships are navigating around California's traditional shipping lanes in an apparent attempt to avoid using cleaner fuels within 24 nautical miles of the state's coastline, according to recent studies of ship traffic. The clean-fuel rule, adopted in July 2009, was designed to help lessen the impact of ship-generated pollution, which is particularly prominent in port communities and along the Santa Barbara Channel. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16311342 San Diego Biofuels Company Lands $1.8M Grant. Pearson Fuels is working on infrastructure to make it easier and cheaper to distribute biodiesel. San Diego-based Pearson Fuels has landed a $1.8 million state grant to help put biodiesel into more tanker trucks. "We are going into a diesel terminal where diesel is sold," said Pearson General Manager Mike Lewis. "We are going to put biodiesel in there and tie it all together. “ Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/12/san-diego-biofuels-company-lands-18m-grant/ TRANSPORTATION Obama Talks Transportation Infrastructure. President Obama Monday pushed for action on infrastructure investment in order to create jobs and improve the country's long-term competitiveness and efficiency, touting his plan introduced last month that calls for a $50 billion up-front investment and creation of an infrastructure bank. The infrastructure focus coincided with the release of a report from the Treasury Department, "An Economic Analysis of Infrastructure Investment." Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=71880 FORMALDEHYDE Safety: Scrutiny for Hair-Straightening Treatment. A popular hair-straightening treatment is under scrutiny after lab tests by Oregon’s occupational health agency found significant levels of formaldehyde in a smoothing solution made by the beauty company Brazilian Blowout. The state agency says it had the solution tested when salon workers in the Portland area complained of nosebleeds, breathing problems and eye irritation. The company disputes the findings. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/health/research/12safety.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print MISCELLANEOUS Arnie's Template For A Greener Russia. There’s more to Schwarzenegger than Skolkovo – California’s out-going governor is already preparing for life after office with a drive to promote the environment. And in Moscow’s Higher School of Economics he outlined his ideas on energy efficiency to students, highlighting the green legacy of his regime in the US. California’s dreams come true. Schwarzenegger said at the conference that California is becoming a world leader in energy efficiency and environmental programmes. Posted. http://www.mn.ru/local/20101012/188119512.html OP-ED: In Defense Of Wood Heat. On these sunny but not hot October days, it's almost a pleasure to toil in the woodpile in my back yard. My firewood is delivered to me bucked (cut to 16-inch stove length), but I still need to split it and stack it. Even in moderation, this work can lead to an aching back and sore muscles. Posted. http://www.hcn.org/articles/in-defense-of-wood-heat/print_view Science and its Enemies on the Left: An Update. Scientific integrity and scientific progress continue to take a beating from the Left. In Part I of my series of essays on Science and its Enemies on the Left, I looked at the toll of junk science, quackery and anti-technological Luddism and the role of the social and political Left in promoting all three [1Posted. http://newledger.com/2010/10/science-and-its-enemies-on-the-left-an-update/print/ BLOGS Faulty Pollution Science in California? Think again. It’s easy to get carried away with faulty science claims with the significant changes of late to the California Air Resources Board’s diesel emissions inventory and to estimates of the health impacts of air pollution. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dbailey/faulty_pollution_science_in_ca.html An Undersea Trench for Wind Power? In Tuesday’s paper, I write about a proposal for a 350-mile undersea cable system that would carry energy from numerous Atlantic wind farms back to shore. It presents some interesting technical twists. One is the form of the electricity. Our onshore electric grid uses the familiar alternating current, the form in which electricity comes out of the socket on the wall. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/an-undersea-trench-for-wind-power/?pagemode=print Google Backs Offshore Wind Power Project. Google is backing a plan to lay undersea cables to connect offshore windmills off the mid-Atlantic coast, a step the Internet giant hopes will boost wind power as an energy source. The $5-billion offshore wind power transmission line will stretch 350 miles from New Jersey to Virginia and could supply enough wind energy to serve about 1.9 million households. But the ambitious project faces hurdles. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/10/google-backing-offshore-wind-power-project.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 Slowing Population: Would It Curb Climate Change? Ever since belching smokestacks arose during the Industrial Revolution, greenhouse gases and human population have climbed in lockstep to higher and higher levels. And while scientists warn that humanity must dramatically slash future carbon-dioxide emissions to avert extended droughts, floods and other climate catastrophes, they have generally avoided a rigorous examination of how slowing population growth would help. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/global-warming-overpopulation-climate-change.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/10/population-climate-change-gas-emissions/1 The Real Science On Climate Change, Again. My colleague Tom Toles came into my office a couple of weeks ago asking for sources on climate science, particularly ones that are brief, accessible and fair -- documents that he could reference in his unending battle against the climate skeptics in his comments section. Among other places, I pointed him to The Economist's recent assessment of climate science, which only made Tom grimace because it's behind a paywall. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/ On Science And Politics: Should They Mix? As the midterm election looms, the arguments over hot-button political issues are reaching a boil. Just last week, Michael E. Mann -– a professor in the meteorology department at Penn State University and director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center -– wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post saying that politicians have distracted and misled the public when it comes to scientific facts, particularly where climate change data are concerned. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/10/politics-science-mixing-climate-change-stem-cell-research.html Pat Toomey: Human Activity Might Not Be Main Cause Of Global Warming. As many people have already pointed out, some of the leading beneficiaries of this season of Tea Party craziness are Republican candidates who hold extreme views on specific issues but nonetheless come across as moderate and reasonable when compared to the likes of Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/10/toomey_global_warming_may_not.html Behind The Wheel: Toyota Prius Plug-In - A Viable Green Technology That Doesn't Save Money For Now. With all the hype around the upcoming semi-electric Chevrolet Volt and fully electric Nissan Leaf, too little has been said recently about the Toyota Prius Plug-in due out in 2012. In preparation, Toyota is operating an experimental fleet of 163 Prius Plug-ins, and the company is lending these to municipalities and universities in order to raise awareness. Toyota lent us one, too. Posted. http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/10/behind-the-wheel-toyota-prius-plug-in-mpg-a-viable-green-technology-that-doesnt-save-money-for-now.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:01:23 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- CORRECTION: Todays previous version was the draft. Here is the corrected version with additional stories. Thank you. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 12, 2010. 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 Calif. Proposal Would Stall Off-Highway Diesel Regs. California would delay implementation of off-highway diesel rules under an agreement wrought last week with a prominent trade group. The California Air Resources Board agreed to a delay after negotiations with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) over regulations that would make about 150,000 off-highway vehicles install soot filters and replace older diesel engines. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/12/19 Application for Port Grants To Combat Air Pollution Available Tuesday. Applications are available beginning Tuesday for grants totaling $5 million benefitting health clinics, senior centers and organizations dedicated to battling the impacts of air pollution in Long Beach. The funds come courtesy of the Port of Long Beach, which is doling out $15 million this year to individuals, groups and organizations combating toxic emissions generated by harbor industries and construction. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16311352 CLIMATE CHANGE The Coalition That Is Fighting To Defeat Prop. 23 Has A Formidable Weapon In Its Arsenal: Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has pointedly refused to endorse fellow Republican Meg Whitman in the race to succeed him and has stayed largely quiet on most of the major ballot measures. But he is campaigning across the state with remarkable passion to defeat Proposition 23, a measure that would suspend California's landmark global warming bill, one of the signature achievements of his administration. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_16311902?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Billions And Billions Served: How Population Affects Climate Change. Eight billion? Nine billion? How about 11 billion? No, that's not the number of bedbugs in a typical New York City hotel, but rather some guesstimates on the number of people that will be here on Earth in the year 2050, up from today's nearly seven billion. How will all these extra people affect climate change? Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/10/population-growth-urbanization-climate-change-carbon-emissions-global-warming-/1 Europe May Ease Jet Carbon Fees. The transportation chief of the European Union said Monday that airlines based in the United States could receive an exemption, at least in part, from European carbon regulations if Washington moved to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/business/global/12emit.html?src=busln Coral Records Point To Heating Pacific Ocean. Coral records show that the oceans are heating exactly as predicted by climate scientists. In a forthcoming study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers report Pacific island soft corals reveal the "thermocline", the point where cold, deep water meets warm surface water has gotten shallower, an indication of decreased ocean circulation predicted by global warming models. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/10/coral-climate-change/1 Volcano Blows Hole In Global Warming Fight. Ash spurs growth of marine plants that absorbs carbon dioxide from air but events can't be replicated. A volcanic plume of iron-laden ash from a 2008 Alaskan volcano eruption led to an unprecedentedly huge bloom of photosynthetic ocean plankton that fed off the ash, researchers have found. Posted. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39632361/ns/technology_and_science-science/# It’s Red States Vs. Blue In Legal War Over EPA Rules. With climate legislation stalled in Congress and U.S. EPA just months away from regulating greenhouse gases for the first time, 37 states have taken sides in a court battle that could end up steering U.S. climate policy for years. Just like the cap-and-trade bills that narrowly cleared the House and floundered in the Senate, challenges to the Obama administration's climate program have highlighted a bitter divide between industry-heavy states and their environment-minded counterparts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/12/1 Slowing Population Growth Could Reduce Projected Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Slowing population growth could provide up to a third of the greenhouse gas emissions cuts needed to avoid dangerous climate change, a new study suggests. The world's population now stands at 6.9 billion, and the United Nations estimates it could swell to 9 billion by the middle of the century. Slowing that growth could provide major climate dividends, according to the new study, which appears in the latest edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/12/4 Calif. Climate Board To Heat Up Debate. San Francisco — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's environmental team is playing hurry-up offense to issue controversial climate rules before his term ends in January, even if it means wading into an Election Day thicket with the oil industry. California's Air Resources Board (CARB) is on track by the end of the month to release more than 1,000 pages of proposed rules for how the state should curb greenhouse gases at power plants and other large industrial plants. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=9DB00984-B580-CC3B-6BFFDA970349910E Climate Change: A Summary of the Science. Climate change continues to be a subject of intense public and political debate. Because of the level of interest in the topic the Royal Society has produced a new guide to the science of climate change. The guide summarises the current scientific evidence on climate change and its drivers, highlighting the areas where the science is well established, where there is still some debate, and where substantial uncertainties remain. The document was prepared by a working group chaired by Professor John Pethica, Vice President of the Royal Society and was approved by the Royal Society Council. Posted. http://royalsociety.org/climate-change-summary-of-science/ FUELS San Diego Biofuels Company Lands $1.8M Grant. Pearson Fuels is working on infrastructure to make it easier and cheaper to distribute biodiesel. San Diego-based Pearson Fuels has landed a $1.8 million state grant to help put biodiesel into more tanker trucks. "We are going into a diesel terminal where diesel is sold," said Pearson General Manager Mike Lewis. "We are going to put biodiesel in there and tie it all together. “ Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/12/san-diego-biofuels-company-lands-18m-grant/ On The Waterfront: More Ships Apparently Attempting To Evade State Fuel Rules. An increasing number of freight ships are navigating around California's traditional shipping lanes in an apparent attempt to avoid using cleaner fuels within 24 nautical miles of the state's coastline, according to recent studies of ship traffic. The clean-fuel rule, adopted in July 2009, was designed to help lessen the impact of ship-generated pollution, which is particularly prominent in port communities and along the Santa Barbara Channel. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16311342 GREEN ENERGY California's Green-Jobs Numbers Paint A Mixed Picture. For Jerry Brown and many of his fellow Democrats, the future of California's struggling labor force hinges on a clean energy industry they say is poised to take off. They picture a green California where hundreds of thousands of people work to install solar panels and build electricity-powered cars. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/12/v-print/3097036/californias-green-jobs-numbers.html Solar Energy Proponents Push California To Adopt 'Feed-In Tariff' For Individual Power Producers. The arrangement would require utilities to pay homeowners and businesses for power generated by alternative energy installations and fed to the electricity grid. Despite being barely one-20th the size of the U.S. and more often overcast, Germany still manages to produce four times as much solar-generated power. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-utility-tariff-20101012,0,2054824,print.story Report: Business Groups Say Clean Air Act Has Been a "Very Good Investment". U.S. businesses large and small have seen economic gains from EPA's use of the 40-year-old federal Clean Air Act, according to an analysis released this week that aims to counter arguments by industry groups that the law is anti-business. The financial benefits of clean-air reforms have outweighed their costs by a margin of up to 40 to 1, according to the study commissioned by the Small Business Majority and the Mainstreet Alliance. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS212115315520101008 Project Aimed At Helping Businesses Save Money. Sacramento -- Small changes can lead to big savings for small businesses seeking to reduce energy costs, according to Sacramento Municipal Utility District officials. SMUD, along with the city of Sacramento and the California Air Resources Board, launched a Small Business Energy and Water Makeover project designed to help small businesses weather the bad economy. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/12/v-print/3097141/project-aimed-at-helping-businesses.html Visions Taking Shape For Proposed Cleantech Corridor In Downtown L.A. The Southern California Institute of Architecture invited entrants to offer new ideas for the four-mile stretch of land next to the L.A. River. Companies have also been asked to submit proposals. Visions are developing of what the proposed CleanTech Corridor might look like when it begins to emerge in downtown Los Angeles. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-clean-tech-corridor-20101012,0,6515662.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fscience%2Fenvironment+%28L.A.+Times+-+Environment%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Solar Saudi Arabia? Almost daily, news releases from the governor's office and Department of Interior flood my e-mail in-basket crowing about renewable energy projects in Inland deserts. Gov. Schwarzenegger and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar congratulate themselves for fast-tracking solar generating plants in San Bernardino County's Mojave, and the Riverside County and Imperial County deserts. They're patting themselves on the back so hard, it must hurt. Posted. http://www.pe.com/columns/cassiemacduff/stories/PE_News_Local_D_cass12.2d8ca53.html Sierra Club Slams Gov. Mcdonnell's Va. Energy Plan. The Sierra Club said Monday that Gov. Bob McDonnell is pursuing an "old energy" path and recommended that Virginia develop incentives to encourage solar and wind power development and conservation. The Sierra Club report, titled "Power Failure: How Virginia is Losing the Competition for Clean Energy Jobs," was released on the eve of McDonnell's three-day conference to promote his bid to make the state the East Coast energy capital. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IPLDP80.htm U.S. Solar Industry Reports Strong Growth. The U.S. solar industry is experiencing significant growth this year despite the sluggish economy, according to a new report from the industry's main trade group. Solar electric installations in the first six months topped 340 megawatts, putting the country on track to install at least 944 megawatts or as many as 1.13 gigawatts by year's end, the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research say. Total installations in 2009 were 441 megawatts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/12/16 State-By-State Report on Clean Energy Actions. Over the past two years, states have continued to lead the nation on a path to a cleaner and more secure energy future--especially in the areas of energy efficiency and clean electricity--according to a new report released by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center). "This report shows that every state and territory is working to advance clean energy in some way," said John Thomasian, director of the NGA Center. Posted. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21214 Adopted 33% Renewable Standard In California. Starting from 2020, every electricity distributor must ensure a 33% production from renewable sources, like wind energy, Concentrating Solar Power and photovoltaic. California’s regulatory authorities approved the new Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS), thus establishing that by 2020, 33% of final electricity needs must be met using renewables. The previous RPS, issued in November 2008, envisaged a 33% share by 2030, the new target having been proposed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger exactly one year ago. Posted. http://www.evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=7794 MISCELLANEOUS Safety: Scrutiny for Hair-Straightening Treatment. A popular hair-straightening treatment is under scrutiny after lab tests by Oregon’s occupational health agency found significant levels of formaldehyde in a smoothing solution made by the beauty company Brazilian Blowout. The state agency says it had the solution tested when salon workers in the Portland area complained of nosebleeds, breathing problems and eye irritation. The company disputes the findings. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/health/research/12safety.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print Obama Talks Transportation Infrastructure. President Obama Monday pushed for action on infrastructure investment in order to create jobs and improve the country's long-term competitiveness and efficiency, touting his plan introduced last month that calls for a $50 billion up-front investment and creation of an infrastructure bank. The infrastructure focus coincided with the release of a report from the Treasury Department, "An Economic Analysis of Infrastructure Investment." Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=71880 Arnie's Template For A Greener Russia. There’s more to Schwarzenegger than Skolkovo – California’s out-going governor is already preparing for life after office with a drive to promote the environment. And in Moscow’s Higher School of Economics he outlined his ideas on energy efficiency to students, highlighting the green legacy of his regime in the US. California’s dreams come true. Schwarzenegger said at the conference that California is becoming a world leader in energy efficiency and environmental programmes. Posted. http://www.mn.ru/local/20101012/188119512.html Science and its Enemies on the Left: An Update. Scientific integrity and scientific progress continue to take a beating from the Left. In Part I of my series of essays on Science and its Enemies on the Left, I looked at the toll of junk science, quackery and anti-technological Luddism and the role of the social and political Left in promoting all three [1Posted. http://newledger.com/2010/10/science-and-its-enemies-on-the-left-an-update/print/ OPINION Letters: On Prop. 23, Water District And More. Position against Prop. 23 is off-target. The U-T’s endorsement of a “no” vote on Proposition 23 is just plain crazy (Editorial, Oct. 11). The U-T talks about this measure being a “law.” All Proposition 23 says is to insist that enactment of AB 32 wait until California can afford it. That’s it. It doesn’t stop green energy development. AB 32 is scheduled to be enacted in 2012. Does the U-T really think California will be ready for significantly higher utility rates and gasoline pump prices? Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/12/letters-on-prop-23-water-district-and-more/ Stephen Moore: California's Green Nightmare. It's hard to know where the fairy tale of "green jobs" first came from. It was probably a clever marketing scheme by radical environmentalists who realized that their anti-growth climate change agenda wasn't going to sell among the American electorate if workers realized how many jobs would be eviscerated by the new taxes and regulation. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/green-270608-jobs-california.html OPINION: Prop. 23 Bad For California. I hope all Star readers are aware that two Texas oil companies have paid for a ballot proposition to benefit them and hurt California health, environment and economics. That’s right: Texas oil is trying to buy passage of Proposition 23 because, face it, the proposition helps Texas oil but hurts California. Passing Proposition 23 would increase pollution and damage our health. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/11/prop-23-bad-california/?print=1 Thomas Friedman: The Governator Is Not Happy. Sacramento, Calif. — The Terminator, aka the Governator, is not happy. And you shouldn't be either. What has Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California incensed is the fact that two Texas oil companies with two refineries each in California are financing a campaign to roll back California's landmark laws to slow global warming and promote clean-energy innovation, because it would require the refiners to install new emission-control tools. Posted. http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=12&a=473464 OP-ED: In Defense Of Wood Heat. On these sunny but not hot October days, it's almost a pleasure to toil in the woodpile in my back yard. My firewood is delivered to me bucked (cut to 16-inch stove length), but I still need to split it and stack it. Even in moderation, this work can lead to an aching back and sore muscles. Posted. http://www.hcn.org/articles/in-defense-of-wood-heat/print_view BLOGS An Undersea Trench for Wind Power? In Tuesday’s paper, I write about a proposal for a 350-mile undersea cable system that would carry energy from numerous Atlantic wind farms back to shore. It presents some interesting technical twists. One is the form of the electricity. Our onshore electric grid uses the familiar alternating current, the form in which electricity comes out of the socket on the wall. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/an-undersea-trench-for-wind-power/?pagemode=print Google Backs Offshore Wind Power Project. Google is backing a plan to lay undersea cables to connect offshore windmills off the mid-Atlantic coast, a step the Internet giant hopes will boost wind power as an energy source. The $5-billion offshore wind power transmission line will stretch 350 miles from New Jersey to Virginia and could supply enough wind energy to serve about 1.9 million households. But the ambitious project faces hurdles. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/10/google-backing-offshore-wind-power-project.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 Slowing Population: Would It Curb Climate Change? Ever since belching smokestacks arose during the Industrial Revolution, greenhouse gases and human population have climbed in lockstep to higher and higher levels. And while scientists warn that humanity must dramatically slash future carbon-dioxide emissions to avert extended droughts, floods and other climate catastrophes, they have generally avoided a rigorous examination of how slowing population growth would help. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/global-warming-overpopulation-climate-change.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/10/population-climate-change-gas-emissions/1 The Real Science On Climate Change, Again. My colleague Tom Toles came into my office a couple of weeks ago asking for sources on climate science, particularly ones that are brief, accessible and fair -- documents that he could reference in his unending battle against the climate skeptics in his comments section. Among other places, I pointed him to The Economist's recent assessment of climate science, which only made Tom grimace because it's behind a paywall. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/ On Science And Politics: Should They Mix? As the midterm election looms, the arguments over hot-button political issues are reaching a boil. Just last week, Michael E. Mann -– a professor in the meteorology department at Penn State University and director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center -– wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post saying that politicians have distracted and misled the public when it comes to scientific facts, particularly where climate change data are concerned. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/10/politics-science-mixing-climate-change-stem-cell-research.html Pat Toomey: Human Activity Might Not Be Main Cause Of Global Warming. As many people have already pointed out, some of the leading beneficiaries of this season of Tea Party craziness are Republican candidates who hold extreme views on specific issues but nonetheless come across as moderate and reasonable when compared to the likes of Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/10/toomey_global_warming_may_not.html Faulty Pollution Science in California? Think Again. It’s easy to get carried away with faulty science claims with the significant changes of late to the California Air Resources Board’s diesel emissions inventory and to estimates of the health impacts of air pollution. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dbailey/faulty_pollution_science_in_ca.html Prop 23 Debate: You Say You Want A Green Revolution – Just Not Yet. In 2006, California lawmakers passed the landmark Global Warming Act, which mandated that greenhouse gas emissions be cut to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Supporters envision that, as its provisions take effect, the transition away from oil and into cleaner fuel sources will energize the state by creating a new ‘green’ economy in California. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2010/10/12/prop-23-debate-you-say-you-want-a-green-revolution/ California's Green Job..."Fairy Tale"? So, The American Spectator has a story about green jobs in California this week. Operative paragraph:...where are all the green jobs? A new 2010 study by the University of California-Berkeley comes to the sobering conclusion that "the green economy accounts for just 1 percent of California's jobs." That's right: of the roughly 15 million California workers, only about 159,000 have green jobs (and this was an expansive definition of green jobs, including trash sorters at the dumpsters). Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/mollyblog/2010/10/11/californias-green-jobfairy-tale/ Stockton Diocese Critical Of Prop. 23. The Catholic Diocese of Stockton is critical of Proposition 23, a measure on the November ballot that would suspend California's 2006 law calling for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Bishop Stephen Blaire, addressing poor air quality in much of the diocese, issued a statement calling upon voters "to engage in serious moral reflection on our common responsibility for stewardship of the environment." Posted. http://www.kcra.com/politics/25355836/detail.html Behind The Wheel: Toyota Prius Plug-In - A Viable Green Technology That Doesn't Save Money For Now. With all the hype around the upcoming semi-electric Chevrolet Volt and fully electric Nissan Leaf, too little has been said recently about the Toyota Prius Plug-in due out in 2012. In preparation, Toyota is operating an experimental fleet of 163 Prius Plug-ins, and the company is lending these to municipalities and universities in order to raise awareness. Toyota lent us one, too. Posted. http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/10/behind-the-wheel-toyota-prius-plug-in-mpg-a-viable-green-technology-that-doesnt-save-money-for-now.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:05:28 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips October 13, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 13, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE California's Tug of War Over Carbon Emissions. San Francisco — “Job killer” is a slur that has been cast both at California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, passed in 2006 and known as AB 32, and at Proposition 23, an attempt effectively to repeal the 2006 law in a ballot next month. AB 32 was designed to bring California into near compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, requiring the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/business/energy-environment/13iht-rencalifact.html Global Climate Plan May Emerge From Regional Responses. (Updates with Greens Party comment in ninth paragraph.). Climate change policy is likely to be driven by regional responses before an international agreement is put in place, JPMorgan Chase & Co. said. "Instead of the top-down Kyoto coming down, we're going to see it come up," Odin Knudsen, the managing director of environmental markets at the New York-based bank and a former head of the World Bank Carbon Fund, said at a conference in Melbourne today. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/13/bloomberg1376-LA7CR51A1I4H01-2TJIC6NGDVI5IQS5H7FCPM3RTE.DTL Investor Groups Balk At Oil Companies' Support Of Prop. 23. Shareholder organizations are expected to offer resolutions challenging L.A.'s Occidental Petroleum and two Texas firms over their contributions to the campaign to suspend California's emissions law. Washington -Institutional investor groups concerned about corporate funding of political campaigns are expected to announce shareholder resolutions Wednesday that will challenge three energy firms making big-dollar contributions to halt California's landmark law limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-corporate-funding-20101013,0,3290774,print.story EPA: Hope For Progress With China Despite Friction. China and the U.S. are working together on cutting greenhouse gas emissions despite the deadlock over a broader global agreement on fighting climate change, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday. "My hope is that we will see continued progress on the issues. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/12/international/i231351D34.DTL&type=printable http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-as-china-us-climate-change,0,7111467,print.story A Climate Proposal Beyond Cap and Trade. Michael Greenstone has the résumé of somebody who should be despondent over Washington’s failure to pass a climate bill. An environmental economist who worked in the Obama White House, he is now back to being an M.I.T. professor and also runs the Hamilton Project, the well-connected, Democratic-leaning research group. But Mr. Greenstone is not despondent. He thinks the benefits of the bills that died in the Senate — which would have raised the cost of carbon emissions, through a system known as cap and trade — were sometimes exaggerated. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/business/economy/13leonhardt.html?ref=science A Carbon Trading System Draws Environmental Skeptics. Paris — Carbon credit trading has long been decried by some climate change experts as an ineffective way to combat global warming, compared with imposing regulatory limits on polluting greenhouse gas emissions. But after more than a decade of negotiations, the Kyoto Protocol established a carbon emission credit system, in 2006, overseen by the United Nations. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/business/energy-environment/13iht-rencarbon.html?pagewanted=print Supporters Of State's Climate Change Law Have 2-To-1 Edge In Funding. Supporters of California's climate change law have so far easily outpaced the fundraising of those who want to delay it with a referendum. With the clock ticking toward Election Day, the campaign to defeat a ballot measure -- Proposition 23 -- that would suspend California's climate law has outflanked the "Yes on 23" squad at the bank by a nearly two-to-one margin. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/13/4 U.S. Export Giants Press For One Global Carbon Accounting Standard. The U.S. manufacturing sector can thrive under a global climate change agreement as long as it guarantees the participation of the world's major polluting and carbon-emitting countries, said an executive at Caterpillar Inc. "Different paths, different timelines, different objectives for different countries, but everyone's got to participate before you'll ever find a real balance in the manufacturing sector," said John Disharoon, Caterpillar's director of sustainable development. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/13/6 Scholars Suggest New Clean Air Act Approach To Curbing GHGS. Though the Obama administration will be challenged no matter how it chooses to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, the statute's New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) would be a more practical way to reduce emissions under existing law, three Duke University experts argue in a new paper. So far, U.S. EPA has used only the New Source Review (NSR) provisions of the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases from factories, power plants and other large facilities. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/13/3 State's Congressional Delegation Steers Clear Of Prop 23. California's congressional delegation has kept relatively quiet about the controversial ballot initiative that would suspend the state's law to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The ballot question has become a hot topic in statewide gubernatorial and Senate races and has received widespread media attention. However, only Democratic Reps. Bob Filner and Pete Stark have officially endorsed the "No on 23" campaign, along with Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/13/6 Whitman Explains Plan To 'Freeze' Climate Law During Debate. Meg Whitman, the Republican candidate for governor in California, last night reiterated her intention to suspend the state's climate change law for one year if elected in November, while in the same breath saying she does not support a referendum that would potentially kill it. The former eBay Inc. chief executive is locked in a tight race with state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) with less than three weeks until Election Day. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/13/5 FUELS U.S. EPA Said to Permit Blending More Ethanol Into Gasoline. The Obama administration will grant a request from ethanol producers to permit higher concentrations of the corn-based fuel additive in gasoline for vehicles made in 2007 and later, according to a person familiar with the decision. The Environmental Protection Agency will announce as early as today its decision allowing refiners to blend as much as 15 percent ethanol into fuel, up from the current 10 percent, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity before the announcement. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/13/bloomberg1376-LA7O3J07SXKX01-19UJV915AHQ75QH9OMII0KUFN2.DTL&type=printable http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-epa-ethanol,0,3466997.story http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703440004575548883403355828.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/10/13/1 GREEN ENERGY Silicon Valley’s Solar Innovators Retool to Catch Up to China. Fremont, Calif. — A few years ago, Silicon Valley start-ups like Solyndra, Nanosolar and MiaSolé dreamed of transforming the economics of solar power by reinventing the technology used to make solar panels and deeply cutting the cost of production. Founded by veterans of the Valley’s chip and hard-drive industries, these companies attracted billions of dollars in venture capital investment on the hope that their advanced “thin film” technology would make them the Intels and Apples of the global solar industry. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/business/energy-environment/13solar.html?scp=3&sq=green%20energy&st=cse Google Invests In East Coast Wind-Power Plan. Google Inc. will invest in a $5 billion underwater transmission network that can harvest electricity from wind farms off the Mid-Atlantic coast and power 1.9 million homes across Virginia, New York and New Jersey. Google will buy a 37.5 percent stake in the development stage of the project, said Rick Needham, director of green business operations at the Mountain View company. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/13/BU891FRM42.DTL http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703440004575547381873787098.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 Clean-Energy Spending Rose 11% in Third Quarter on Offshore Wind. Investment in clean-energy projects rose 11 percent in the third quarter as lending for offshore wind generation surged, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said. New loans and equity for low-carbon power projects reached $37.9 billion from July through September, compared with $34 billion in the same period of 2009, the company said in an e- mailed statement. Investment in the second quarter was $33.9 billion. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/13/bloomberg1376-LA82JF0UQVI901-0V5ITAM3S90S4I9CM022GRG46J.DTL&type=printable Solar Power Production Up Despite Poor Economy. This year's stagnant economy hasn't stopped the spread of solar power. The United States installed enough solar panels during the first six months of 2010 to generate up to 339 megawatts of electricity and will soon surpass last year's record of 435 megawatts, according to a study released Tuesday by a solar industry trade group. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/13/BUTN1FRN2L.DTL&type=printable Modesto Irrigation District Votes To Cut Ties with Biomass. The Modesto Irrigation District board voted 3-2 today to cut ties with a proposed power plant that would burn orchard wood. Stephen Endsley, a partner in the company that planned to build the plant in the Beard Industrial District, said it might sue MID for acting in bad faith and not following state environmental law. Proponents said the plant would cleanly burn chipped wood, mainly from orchards that have been removed, and would help MID build up its renewable energy sources. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/10/12/1380296/modesto-mid-votes-to-cut-ties.html#ixzz12G5Z1Kjm If Earth Were Powered From Space. Montreal — Black holes are regions of space so massively dense and in which the force of gravity is so strong that nothing, not the slightest energy particle nor wave, can escape. But if two black holes collide and merge, says Steve MacLean, president of the Canadian Space Agency, they can eject massive jets of gas at high speed. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/business/energy-environment/13iht-renspace.html?ref=energy-environment Electrical Charge Helps Sun Shine on Solar Panels. Montreal — At first glance, the most logical place to establish a large-scale solar-power installation is in the desert, where the blistering sun is not impeded by cloud cover and much of the land is not fit for cultivation. But these dry, inhospitable stretches of sand, with their frequent dust-filled blasts of wind, pose a big problem for photovoltaic panels, which are significantly less effective when covered with dirt. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/business/energy-environment/13iht-renpanel.html?pagewanted=print Will New Finance Rules Hurt Energy Industry? London — As regulators and legislators in Europe and the United States hammer out new rules governing derivatives transactions, energy companies and investors are worried that they will find themselves unwittingly hurt by measures designed to curtail excessive risk-taking by financial institutions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/business/energy-environment/13iht-rentrade.html Ikea Plans Solar Panels for Calif. Stores. Home furnishings retailer Ikea said Wednesday it will install solar energy panels on eight California stores, including off Highway 101 in East Palo Alto. Idea said collectively, the eight buildings comprise nearly 90 percent of the IKEA presence in California, and will total 4.5 megawatts of solar-generating capacity, nearly 20,000 panels, and an annual output of 6.65 million kilowatt hours of electricity. Posted. http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/10/11/daily47.html Calif. Report Examines Why Utility-Scale Projects Remain Expensive. California regulators are trying to figure out why investor-owned utilities are paying more per kilowatt-hour for solar power, even as the price of solar modules has fallen precipitously. The price drop that analysts expected to see from rising silicon supply and panel production has not materialized for large-scale solar projects. As wholesale silicon prices fell from a high of $500 per kilogram in 2008 to $55 in 2010, utility-scale facilities actually became more expensive in California. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/13/11 State Spending On Energy-Saving Projects Doubles – Report. States plowed ahead with power-saving policies this year despite the Senate's failure to pass sweeping energy and climate legislation, according to a report released today by energy-efficiency advocates. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's report says states' energy efficiency budgets nearly doubled in 2010 from the previous fiscal year, increasing from $2.5 billion to $4.3 billion. And reported electricity savings from efficiency programs increased 8 percent between 2007 and 2008, when data were last available. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/13/12 CDC Provides Grants For Climate Studies By States, Cities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have awarded $5.25 million to eight states and two cities for programs to identify and adapt to health effects of climate change. Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina and San Francisco will each receive $350,000 over three years to assess health risks. And Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon and New York City -- which have already conducted basic assessments -- will each get $750,000 over the next three years to start projects to address health risks. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/13/8 Calif. Braced For Big Oil Pushback. San Francisco — Defenders of California's global warming law are bracing for a last-minute spending blitz from oil companies determined to nix one of the state's premier green crusades come Election Day. But the big money may not come. Other than a $500,000 check last week delivered from Houston-based Marathon Oil, most of the cash raised by industry to overturn California's signature climate policy came much earlier in the year, when the race appeared closer. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=A3C1057B-AB65-973E-D25FB57952C461C4 OPINION Build ’Em and They’ll Come. Kishore Mahbubani, the dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, is over for tea and I am telling him about what I consider to be the most exciting, moon-shot-quality, high-aspiration initiative proposed by President Obama that no one has heard of. It’s a plan to set up eight innovation hubs to solve the eight biggest energy problems in the world. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/opinion/13friedman.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print Bill Mckibben: How Climate Denialism Conquered the Right. One interesting fact heading into the mid-term elections: Almost none of the GOP Senate candidates seem to believe in the idea that humans are heating the planet. A few hedge their bets—John McCain says he’s no longer sure if global warming is “man-made or natural.” (In 2004, he told me: “The race is on. Are we going to have significant climate change and all its consequences, or are we going to try to do something early on?”) Most are more plainspoken. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/bill-270703-mid-hedge.html Van Jones, Dolores Huerta Speak Against Prop. 23. Proposition 23, the ballot measure that would roll back California’s greenhouse gas emissions law, would kill jobs and prevent environmental improvements in communities of color, three noted human-rights activists said today.“I am very disturbed by Prop. 23, it is a deceptive proposition,” Van Jones – the Oakland social- and environmental-justice activist and author who went to Washington last year as President Barack Obama’s “green jobs czar,” only to be let go in the face of conservative criticism – told reporters on a conference callPosted. http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2010/10/12/van-jones-dolores-huerta-speak-against-prop-23/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PoliticalBlotter+%28Political+Blotter%29&utm_content=Google+Reader BLOGS C.D.C. Girds for Climate Change. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced their first-ever direct grants to states and cities to study the potential effects of climate change in the United States. Some $5.25 million will be split among eight states and two cities seeking to evaluate and mitigate health impacts from everything from hotter summers to an anticipated increase in waterborne illness resulting from flooding as glaciers melt and raise sea levels, the centers said. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/c-d-c-allots-climate-research-money/?ref=energy-environment Prop 26: One Election-Year Attack On The Environment You Need To Know About. Prop 23 - the Dirty Energy Proposition - is finally getting the attention it deserves. Prop 23 is an attack by out-of-state oil companies on California's clean energy laws. It essentially repeals more than 60 policies that increase solar and wind power and decrease pollution. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/wcrowfoot/detail?entry_id=74441#ixzz12Fs06YnY How to Spend on Clean-Energy Research. If the federal government decided to spend $25 billion on clean-energy research — as my column this week discusses — how should it spend that money? Michael Greenstone of M.I.T. and the Hamilton Project suggests starting by building a monitoring system that uses satellites and ground-based instruments to measure the carbon emissions of each country. Posted. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/how-to-spend-on-clean-energy-research/?pagemode=print Research First, Cap and Trade Next. Congress seems more likely to increase the funding for clean-energy research in the next couple of years than to pass a cap-and-trade bill that effectively taxes carbon emissions. But it is worth remembering that these two policies are not mutually exclusive. Posted. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/research-first-cap-and-trade-next/?src=busln ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:06:52 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 14, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 14, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE California Greenhouse Gas Trade to Start "Gently”. California’s climate change chief expects a gentle start to a scheme to trade greenhouse gases, as the recession has done much of the work of cutting pollution by idling businesses and people. The state late this month will unveil details of a plan to cap the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and let big power plants and factories trade rights to emit carbon dioxide. But the plan won't start with a dramatic "bang," said Mary Nichols, head of the state's Air Resources Board. Posted. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE69D00320101014 U.S. Agencies Urged to Plan for the `Inevitable Effects' of Global Warming. The Obama administration, which has been unable to push climate-change legislation through Congress, is urging government agencies to prepare for the “inevitable effects” of global warming. Strategies should be considered in every decision, and scientific data on rising temperatures and sea levels should be easily accessible to officials, according to a report from President Barack Obama’s interagency task force on adapting to climate change. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-10-14/agencies-urged-to-plan-for-inevitable-effects-of-warming-in-u-s-report.html GREEN Local Efforts to Help the Earth. EVEN as some saw The Unbearable Heaviness of Being this summer as evidence that the globe is indeed warming, the attempt to live greener still engenders some dispute. An 82-year-old woman behind the effort to ban the sale of bottled water in Concord, Mass., plans to keep up the fight, despite challenges from the bottled water industry and the state’s attorney general. Raleigh, N.C., is a candidate for the Nice Try award, after a measure to outlaw garbage disposals there was repealed, preserving every citizen’s right to add even more gunk to the municipal water system. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/fashion/14CircaNow.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print Experts: Green Jobs Not Enough To Help Labor Market. Sacramento — For Jerry Brown and many of his fellow Democrats, the future of California's struggling labor force hinges on a clean energy industry they say is poised to take off. They picture a green California where hundreds of thousands of people work to install solar panels and build electricity-powered cars. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/13/v-print/3103257/experts-green-jobs-not-enough.html Natural Gas Elbows Its Way To Center Stage. New York - By unlocking decades' worth of natural-gas deposits deep underground across the United States, drillers have ensured that natural gas will be cheap and plentiful for the foreseeable future. It's a reversal from a few years ago that is transforming the energy industry. The sudden abundance of natural gas has been a boon to homeowners who use it for heat, local economies in gas-rich regions, manufacturers that use it to power factories and …Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j5GXYdWUchI3DjYtdYS0QE4a77JAD9IQV65G0?docId=D9IQV65G0 PACE program could gain power, again. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signed a bill into law that could give a boost to an energy efficiency financing program that stalled this summer. Assembly Bill 1873 can provide funding to the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program in California by allowing certain state agencies to invest in PACE bonds. Such bonds make investments in energy efficiency improvements, such as energy-efficient windows and insulation, more affordable for homeowners and businesses. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/10/11/daily31.html?t=printable OPINION Get High-Speed Rail on Fast Track to Reality. High-speed rail represents the opportunity to transform transportation throughout California. Given that the state is expected to grow by more than 20 million people, to roughly 60 million by 2050, we need to develop and support this environmentally sustainable transportation option in order to remain economically competitive, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support our quality of life. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/13/EDFB1FRQDK.DTL#ixzz12Lm6St3E No On Proposition 23. Let's Keep Working Toward Clean Air And Not Fall Victim To False Claims. Proposition 23 on the Nov. 2 ballot is being sold as a way to protect jobs and business in California. Don't believe it. The ballot measure, with strong financial backing from out-of-state oil companies, is designed to do just one thing: protect them. They couldn't care less about California's air quality. Why should they? They don't live here. Of course, that's not how it's being sold. Prop. 23 backers would have you believe they all belong to the Sierra Club. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101014/A_OPINION01/10140314/-1/A_OPINION BLOGS Proposition 23: Opponents Surge Ahead In Fundraising. California green technology companies and wealthy environmentalists are pouring money into a campaign to defeat Proposition 23, a November ballot initiative that would suspend the state's global warming law. So far, opponents of Prop 23 have raised $16.3 million, nearly twice as much as supporters of the initiative, which was launched by two Texas oil companies with refineries in California. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/proposition-23-contributions-clean-tech-oil-companies.html League of Conservation Voters Targets Prop 23. The League of Conservation Voters today added California’s Proposition 23 to its “Dirty Dozen” list, the first time a the environmental group has placed a ballot initiative on the listing of congressional candidates with poor environmental records. LCV President Gene Karpinski told reporters today that Prop 23 is “the single most important race in the country.” Posted. http://washingtonindependent.com/100695/league-of-conservation-voters-targets-prop-23 New Green Jobs: Introducing Some Local Decision Makers. Know your Los Angeles Port Commissioners! 'Cause you have two new ones, thanks to the LA City Council. David Arian is a retired longshoreman, former ILWU president, and father of a law school graduate. (I learned that last part when Arian talked to former NPR reporter Rick Karr 2 years ago for a PBS Frontline.) …Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2010/10/13/new-green-jobs-introducing-some-local-decisionmake/ EPA's Ethanol Decision Sparks Controversy. On the face of it, having a federal agency get behind renewable fuel seems like it should elicit cheers from environmentalists, and from pretty much anyone who is leery of our dependence on foreign oil. Not quite. Here's what happened: The EPA issued a partial waiver Wednesday allowing the amount of ethanol in automotive fuel to rise to 15%, from 10%, but for use only in cars no older than the 2007 model year. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/epa-ethanol-decision-sparks-controversy.html http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/10/13/energy-the-epa-will-put-more-ethanol-in-your-tank%E2%80%94but-its-going-to-cost-you/ On Climate, How Much Could E.P.A. Do? One near-term alternative to a cap-and-trade bill is a big increase in funds for clean energy research. Another alternative is having the Environmental Protection Agency crack down on greenhouse gas emissions. As Bradford Plumer has written, “back in 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the E.P.A. was required to regulate greenhouse gases under the existing Clean Air Act if it found those gases posed a threat to public health and welfare (which, most scientists agree, they do).” Posted. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/on-climate-how-much-could-e-p-a-do/ Stopping Climate Change 2.0. I've spent the past few weeks gathering string on a column about the best strategies for addressing climate change without a carbon price. Unfortunately for me, David Leonhardt wrote that exact column today. Fortunately for you, he did a better job with it than I would've. The basic story here is that for years, climate-policy wonks advocated a market-based solution to climate change: …Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/10/the_new_strategy_on_climate_ch.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:02:55 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 15-18, 2010 From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 18, 2010. 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 New Tactic in California for Paying Pollution Bill. Stockton, Calif. — Officials who have tried and failed to clean the air in California’s smog-filled San Joaquin Valley have seized on a new strategy: getting millions of drivers to shoulder more of the cost. Faced with a fine of at least $29 million for exceeding federal ozone limits, the San Joaquin Valley’s air quality regulators are proposing an annual surcharge of $10 to $24 on registration fees for the region’s 2.7 million cars and trucks beginning next year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/science/earth/18smog.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print Calif. Drivers Could Pay Cleanup Fee. Officials in California's smog-ridden San Joaquin Valley are hoping to force the region's millions of drivers to chip in for some of the cleanup. Air quality regulators are proposing a surcharge of between $10 and $24 on registration fees for cars and trucks beginning next year. The fee, which will be discussed at a governing board meeting on Thursday, will not change based on the type of car. Experts say the idea could become more popular as regulators are forced to figure out ways to pay for the pollution caused largely by cars. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/18/20 CLIMATE CHANGE Global Warming Issue Spans Two Ballot Items. As the campaign slows down for Prop. 23, which would suspend the environmental law, money pours in to promote Prop. 26, which could hobble it. Fundraising for a ballot initiative to suspend California's global warming law has flagged, but oil companies and other business interests are pouring millions of dollars into a separate ballot measure that could dry up funds to implement the law. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop23-prop26-20101018,0,6369703,print.story Scholars Suggest New Clean Air Act Approach to Curbing Greenhouse Gases. Though the Obama administration will be challenged no matter how it chooses to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, the statute's New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) would be a more practical way to reduce emissions under existing law, three Duke University experts argue in a new paper. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/10/14/14greenwire-scholars-suggest-new-clean-air-act-approach-to-61330.html?sq=clean air act&st=cse&scp=2&pagewanted=print Filmmaker Joins Governor In Climate Fight. It's a clash of big-money titans: Hollywood vs. Big Oil. Academy Award-winning director James Cameron – whose movies have featured Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – on Friday pledged $1 million to oppose Proposition 23, a measure that would suspend the state's landmark climate change law. Cameron joins environmental groups, green tech advocates and financiers who already had lined up with Schwarzenegger in opposing the measure. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/16/v-print/3108451/green-energy-fuels-both-sides.html Tea Party Activists Back Prop. 23 In Sacramento Protest. Local tea party activists are throwing their support behind a ballot measure to roll back the state's landmark global climate change law. About 50 members of the Northern California Tea Party Patriots protested at the California Air Resources Board offices in downtown Sacramento on Thursday, saying the climate change law amounts to a huge energy tax that will cost the state thousands of jobs. "This energy tax is going to put a lot of people out of work," said Elk Grove resident Mike Boyle. "The state of California cannot afford this right now." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/15/v-print/3105545/hed-here.html Climate Talks Must Ensure Carbon Trading: WBank Official. Hanoi – Major talks on global warming next month must provide reassurances for the future of the market in greenhouse-gas emissions beyond 2012, the World Bank's environment chief said Monday. "What they have to find out is how to ensure that carbon trading does not collapse," Inger Andersen, the Bank's vice-president for sustainable development, told AFP in an interview. Posted. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101018/sc_afp/worldbankenvironmentclimatewarmingvietnam/print GREEN ENERGY China Denies Giving Unfair Clean-Energy Subsidies. Beijing -- A senior Chinese official rejected a U.S. trade complaint about Beijing's clean-energy policy and said Sunday that Washington might be improperly supporting its own industry. The U.S. government said Friday it would investigate complaints by a labor union that Beijing unfairly subsidizes its producers of wind and solar equipment. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/18/BUBU1FTVMM.DTL&type=printable Energy-efficient home in the Wine Country. What's noticeable about Cathy O'Neill's house is what you don't notice. There are no traditional heating vents embedded in the baseboards. Hardly any noise from lawn mowers or airplanes permeates the walls. No air conditioner whooshes, despite a 96-degree afternoon in the heart of Wine Country. And yet the home is a comfortable 76 degrees. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/16/MNQT1FSP67.DTL&type=printable FIT Programs Bringing Clean Energy To Your Town. The sun shines often on Florida, a fact that gave it bragging rights on license plates with the nickname, the "Sunshine State." The northern Florida city of Gainesville rubs it in even further with its local newspaper, The Gainesville Sun. With all those sunny days, solar energy seemed like a good idea to Ed Regan, who designed a feed-in tariff program for the utility company. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/18/v-print/3112640/fit-programs-bringing-clean-energy.html San Francisco Bay Area Remains Epicenter Of Cleantech In The United States. The San Francisco Bay Area remains the epicenter of cleantech in the United States, according to a second annual report set to be released by Clean Edge, a cleantech research and publishing firm. An analysis of job listings, venture capital investment and patent registration found that the Bay Area - for the second year in a row - is the No. 1 metro region in the country for cleantech jobs, followed by Los Angeles, Boston, New York and Denver. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/18/v-print/3112490/san-francisco-bay-area-remains.html Calif. County Court Blocks Delivery Of $33M In Stimulus Grants. A Southern California county court is holding delivery of $33 million in federal stimulus grants earmarked for energy efficiency retrofits as state officials face a Thursday deadline for distributing the cash. The Western Riverside County Council of Governments filed suit over the state's planned distribution of the money to support municipal loans for home energy retrofits and solar installations. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/18/8 VEHICLES Is The Chevy Volt Really Electric? Flame wars! The blogosphere got incredibly heated up early last week by the incendiary charge that General Motors "lied" about the Chevrolet Volt when it claimed that the car, which is a mere month away from delivery to customers, runs on electricity all of the time. In fact, it doesn't - the gas motor partially drives the wheels at speeds above 70 mph. But the difference is pretty technical. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/18/v-print/3112593/is-the-chevy-volt-really-electric.html Bumpy Road for Electrics. Boosters See Bright Future for Battery Cars, but Some Say Drawbacks Too Severe. The auto industry is about to embark on a multibillion-dollar gamble: that battery-powered cars will become big sellers. More than 20 electric models are set to arrive at dealerships over the next three years, led by the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt due by December. The Obama administration is spending more than $5 billion in tax credits to buyers and subsidized loans and grants to auto makers … Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704654004575517891616896222.html.html#printMode Emissions Of Electric Cars Tough To Quantify. Although electric cars may be seen as the way toward an emissions-free auto sector, a series of studies has shown that the cars' power source may not be as clean as some drivers hope. Separate studies from the Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute show that hybrids and all-electric vehicles cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent compared with a traditional internal combustion engine. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/18/15 OPINION In Climate Denial, Again. Former Vice President Dick Cheney has to be smiling. With one exception, none of the Republicans running for the Senate — including the 20 or so with a serious chance of winning — accept the scientific consensus that humans are largely responsible for global warming. The candidates are not simply rejecting solutions, like putting a price on carbon, though these, too, are demonized. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/opinion/18mon1.html?sq=climate change&st=cse&scp=4&pagewanted=print Do Your Part: Green Labels You Can Trust. Are you a green shopper? Do you regularly seek out products that claim to better for the planet? These days, it's getting harder and harder to know which products are truly better for you and the environment. Terms like "eco-friendly", "green", and even "natural" are not regulated and have no clearly defined standards. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/18/v-print/3112165/do-your-part-green-labels-you.html BLOGS EPA's "Environmental Justice" Tour Comes To California. Environmental justice, a movement to focus attention on pollution in low-income communities, is a burning cause for Lisa Jackson, the first African American to head the U.S. Environmental Protection agency. Over the last several months, Jackson has toured poor white, black and Latino communities with a message: Eco-issues aren't just for rich folks. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/environmental-justice-oakland-epa-lisa-jackson.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Nation's Forests Help Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions. U.S. forests sequester enough carbon every year to offset roughly 11% of the country's industrial greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new federal report. The inventory ranks California among the top states in forest carbon storage, not far behind its woodsy neighbors to the North, Oregon and Washington. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/nations-forests-offset-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Big Oil Goes To College: A Conflict Of Interest? Have hundreds of millions of dollars in grants from major oil companies compromised the ethics of energy research at such institutions as UC Berkeley, UC Davis and Stanford? That's what Jennifer Washburn, a longtime critic of academic conflicts of interest, contends in "Big Oil Goes to College," a new report that delves into the details of contracts signed between 10 major U.S. universities and global oil companies. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/uc-berkeley-stanford-energy-research-oil-companies.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 52 Percent of Americans Flunk Climate 101. A new study by researchers at Yale University suggests that Americans’ knowledge of climate science is limited and scattershot, with some understanding of basic issues like the contribution of fossil fuels to global warming and some singular misconceptions as well. For instance, more than two-thirds of those surveyed believe that reducing toxic waste or banning aerosol spray cans will curb climate change. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/in-u-s-survey-52-percent-flunk-climate-101/?pagemode=print A Physicist’s Climate Complaints. Almost 20 years ago, Harold Lewis, a respected physicist who had advised the government and the Pentagon on matters ranging from nuclear winter to missile defense, included his assessment of climate change from the buildup of human-generated greenhouse gases in a book on technological risk: All models agree that the net effect will be a general and global warming of the earth; they only disagree about how much. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/a-physicists-climate-complaints/?pagemode=print Would Deregulation Help California? Nancy Folbre is an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Meg Whitman has a great smile and a fierce determination to become the next governor of California. An experienced chief executive who turned eBay from a tiny business into a mega-success, she recently broke the record for personal spending by a political candidate. Posted. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/would-deregulation-help-california/?pagemode=print 2010 Tied (So Far) for Warmest on Record. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A ship departing from Kirkenes, Norway, en route to China via the Arctic Northeast Passage. With more than two months to go, 2010 is on pace to tie 1998 as the warmest year in the historical record, according to an analysis of land and sea surface temperatures by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/2010-tied-so-far-for-warmest-on-record/?pagemode=print On Climate, How Much Could E.P.A. Do? One near-term alternative to a cap-and-trade bill is a big increase in funds for clean energy research. Another alternative is having the Environmental Protection Agency crack down on greenhouse gas emissions. As Bradford Plumer has written, “back in 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the E.P.A. was required to regulate greenhouse gases under the existing Clean Air Act if it found those gases posed a threat to public health and welfare (which, most scientists agree, they do). Posted. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/on-climate-how-much-could-e-p-a-do/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:28:13 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 19, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 19, 2010. 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. VEHICLES New High-Tech Smog Test Saves Time, Money. “Cheaper, faster smog checks are coming” -- so say the backers of a new alternative California Smog Check program. Assembly-Bill 2289 passed earlier this year by the state legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill's author, Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park), along with representatives of the California Air Resources Board, the Bureau of Automotive Repair and the American Lung Association were at a press conference Monday in El Monte to announce the new law, which will go into effect Jan. 1. Posted. http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/New--Smog-Test-Announced-105199704.html http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_16370690 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2010-10/19/c_13564192.htm Famed Muscle Car Designer Enters The Race To Get To 80 Mpg. Shalford, England -- Gordon Murray, celebrated for designing the fastest, most powerful cars in the world, has gone to the other extreme. His latest product, the T.25, a fuel-abstemious three-seater passenger car, is made from metal tubes and recycled plastic bottles. Murray is famous for his Formula 1 race cars that won a string of Grand Prix races and World Championships first for the Brabham and then the McLaren racing teams. He designed the F1, which was for years the world's fastest road car, and the sleek, powerful gull-winged Mercedes SLR. Posted. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/1 CLIMATE CHANGE Prop 23 Architect Denies Referendum Campaign Is Fading. The architect of a campaign that would delay California's climate change law yesterday insisted the effort is alive and predicted a fresh burst of funds would materialize within the next week, just in time for a last sprint to the November election. Republican Assemblyman Dan Logue, who initiated a ballot measure that would suspend the state's warming law, said in an interview that rumors pointing to paralysis among those backing Proposition 23 are not accurate. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/7 Green Group Pushes Lawmakers To Defend Climate Policies Amid Heavy Attacks. A major environmental group is encouraging vulnerable House Democrats to stand by their controversial vote last year on climate legislation amid heavy campaign attacks. The group points to a series of new polls that show there would be strong support for renewable energy platforms put forward by hypothetical candidates. The Natural Resources Defense Council surveyed likely voters in 23 congressional districts where Democratic incumbents are locked in tight races that might determine control of Congress next year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/2 Alaska Faces Major Shifts From Climate Change – Study. A majority of Alaska's ecosystems and natural habitats will be dramatically altered by climate change by the end of the century, a University of Alaska study has found. More than half the coast of western Alaska could change from tundra into the more moderate climate of western British Columbia, according to the study. The Alaska marmot could be wiped out, and reed canary grass could take over much of the state. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/8 Vegetation, Climate Change Slowing Winds In Northern Hemisphere – Study. Increasing amounts of plant life, climate change and urban development are among the reasons wind speed is slowing an average of 10 percent in the Northern Hemisphere, according to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Whether the slowdown will hurt wind turbines is unclear, since the measurements were made close to the ground, not at 50 to 100 meters up, where wind turbines operate. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/9 CARB Adopts Aggressive Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Targets. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted unanimously to adopt stringent regional greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) reduction targets ("Targets") on September 23, 2010. CARB adopted the Targets as part of the implementation of SB 375, the California statute that ties greenhouse gas emissions reductions to coordinated transportation and land use planning. CARB issued a Staff Report and Functional Equivalent Document (FED) in August 2010.1 Posted. http://www.forconstructionpros.com/online/CARB-Adopts-Aggressive-Regional-Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions-Reduction-Targets/25FCP18219 Americans’ Knowledge of Climate Change. Americans’ Knowledge of Climate Change reports results from a national study of what Americans understand about how the climate system works, and the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to global warming. Among other findings, the study identifies a number of important gaps in public knowledge and common misconceptions about climate change. Overall, we found that 63 percent of Americans believe that global warming is happening, but many do not understand why. Posted. http://environment.yale.edu/climate/news/knowledge-of-climate-change/ DIESEL EMISSIONS Truck Makers Confident They Can Meet Pending EPA Rules. Complying with the nation's first fuel economy rule for heavy-duty vehicles is not something truck manufacturers are losing sleep over, industry officials said yesterday. A draft rule setting greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks starting for model year 2014 trucks is slated to be rolled out this month, according to a federal website that tracks rulemaking. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/5 EPA, Truck Makers Tout 'Clean Diesel' As GHG Standards Loom. With the Obama administration preparing to propose new greenhouse gas efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks, the success of U.S. EPA's initiative to reduce conventional diesel pollution suggests that truck makers are up to the new challenge, industry and agency officials said today. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/19/23 FUELS Pacific Ethanol To Reopen Stockton Plant Within 60 Days. Sacramento's Pacific Ethanol said it will restart its Stockton plant in the next 60 days as the energy company tries to engineer a comeback. Officials say the Stockton plant, which can produce as much as 60 million gallons of the grain-based fuel additive per year, will begin producing ethanol by December. The company has additional plans to restart its 40 million- gallon facility in Madera once market conditions improve. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/19/3114130/pacific-ethanol-to-reopen-stockton.html GREEN ENERGY $33 Million In Energy Funds Put In Jeopardy. A court action by a Riverside County regional government group threatens to deprive all California counties of $33 million in federal stimulus funds for home energy efficiency upgrades. The Western Riverside Council of Governments has obtained a temporary restraining order against the California Energy Commission to stop it from allocating the federal funds for a program that would help homeowners across California - including Riverside County - identify funding, contractors and loans for green upgrades. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/19/BU9S1FUFR6.DTL&type=printable Venture Capitalists Set Sights on Hollywood. Los Angeles - Silicon Valley financiers got the Hollywood treatment in "Social Network," the new film about Facebook, but the courtship between the technology and entertainment hubs has heated up with venture capital deal values in Los Angeles nearly doubling this year. Digital and social media, video games and clean technology were the biggest attractions for venture capital activity, said Emily Mendell, vice president of strategic affairs, National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/10/18/technology/tech-us-venturecapital.html?%2334;Silicon%20Valley=&_r=2&sq=+&st=nyt&%2334;=&scp=1&pagewanted=print (Bio)Mass Confusion. High costs and environmental concerns have pushed biomass power to the sidelines in the U.S. CARSON CITY, Nev. - With all the plants and trees in the world, biomass energy would appear to have boundless potential. Yet in the U.S., biomass power—generated mainly by burning wood and other plant debris—has run into roadblocks that have stymied its growth. Here at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, officials in 2007 built a $7.7 million biomass plant to meet all the power needs of the medium-security prison. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704116004575521713188253290.html China's Anti-Carbon Efforts Rank 2nd In The World – Study. China already is pricing carbon -- both directly and indirectly -- at nearly three times the level the United States does, a new study from a prominent Australian think tank finds. The report from the Melbourne-based Climate Institute finds the United Kingdom has put the highest price tag on carbon emissions -- $29.30 per ton -- based both on its involvement in the European Union's Emission Trading System and its clean energy investments. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/4 Beijing Eyes Strict Energy Goals In New 5-Year Plan. Chinese leaders are expected to introduce tough targets for energy efficiency and carbon emissions as part of an upcoming five-year plan for the country's economic future. The Central Committee of the Communist Party will end its plenum today by submitting the plan for approval by the National People's Congress. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/10 Arnold Schwarzenegger Goes For A Spin In His Green, Mean (And Surprisingly Clean) Machine. With it's enormous wheels, tank-like shape and immense width, it doesn't look like a car with the right green credentials for the Governor of California. But having converted his favourite Hummer to run as a hybrid, Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't need to worry about being seen in the powerful car. Posted. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1321604/Arnold-Schwarzenegger-goes-spin-green-mean-surprisingly-clean-machine.html?ito=feeds-newsxml# MISCELLANEOUS CARB Proposing Extension Of Ship Low-Sulfur Zones Beyond Channel Islands, But Promises To Trim Back Zone Near Point Conception. California Air Resources Board staffers last week outlined their proposed plan for getting ships to stop traveling outside the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in order to avoid having to use the more expensive, low-sulfur fuel required by CARB within 24 nautical miles of the mainland. The outer route takes the ships through the Navy Missile Sea Range, which threatens to disrupt the testing of weapons in the area. Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1367 http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1366 OPINION California's Cap-and-Trade War. The battle to repeal a self-destructive climate change law. What happens when environmental fashion collides with a state's desperate need for jobs and economic growth? That question will be put to the test when Californians vote November 2 on a ballot measure that would suspend the Golden State's cap-and-trade law until its unemployment rate falls below 5.5%. Today the rate is 12.4%. Proposition 23 is the number one national target of the green movement this election year. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703735804575535841904660332.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Prop, 23 Unrealistic, Dangerous. Dear editor, Proposition 23 is a measure that would virtually kill the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32). It would suspend the implementation of A.B. 32 until the state unemployment rate is 5.5 percent or lower for a full year. That has happened only three times in the last four decades! This dangerous proposition would effectively repeal clean energy and air pollution standards indefinitely …Posted. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_f1341ebc-db3d-11df-a9c3-001cc4c03286.html AB32 A Bad Idea. The more I read about AB32, the more I am convinced that we need to vote yes on Prop 23. Everyone wants clean energy to put an end to pollution, greenhouse gases and dependence on foreign oil, so what’s the holdup? Alternative energy companies have been working on green energy systems since the 1973 oil embargo. So why aren’t we using them? The reason is that these green energy solutions cost 50 to 300 percent more than traditional fuels. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/19/ab32-bad-idea/?print=1 BLOGS GM Partners With Envision Solar For Chevy Volt Recharging. "Every electric vehicle is the equivalent of one or two single-family residences in terms of impact on the electric grid," said Desmond Wheatley, president of Envision Solar in San Diego. To help offset that impact, Envision has partnered with General Motors to provide solar-powered charging "trees" to GM dealers selling its soon-to-be released Chevy Volt. The Volt is a plug-in electric vehicle that runs on a 16-kilowatt lithium ion battery and a range-extending gas engine. " Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/chevy-volt-solar-charger.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Brammo Enertia Plus Doubles The Range But Not The Price Tag. Brammo, the Oregon-based manufacturer of electric motorcycles, announced its new Enertia Plus today -- a plug-in electric motorcycle capable of traveling twice as far per charge as the bike it introduced a year ago. The Enertia Plus can travel 80 miles per charge with its 6-kilowatt lithium-ion battery pack -- a feat Brammo has managed with no increase to the vehicle's weight and a $1,000 increase in retail pricing. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/brammo-enertia-plus.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:41:31 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 20, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 20, 2010. 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 Air Pollution Exposure Increases Risk of Severe COPD. Newswise — Long term exposure to low-level air pollution may increase the risk of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to researcher s in Denmark. While acute exposure of several days to high level air pollution was known to be a risk factor for exacerbation in pre-existing COPD, until now there had been no studies linking long-term air pollution exposure to the development or progression of the disease. Posted. http://www.newswise.com/articles/air-pollution-exposure-increases-risk-of-severe-copd New Smog Checks Are Touted As Easier. Smog checks in California will get cheaper and faster for some cars but tougher for others under a new law celebrated this week by the California Air Resources Board, the American Lung Association and the Bureau of Automotive Repair. The law, signed last month, allows the smog emitting levels of new cars to be measured using their on-board diagnostic systems rather than through tailpipe emissions as is currently the practice. Posted. http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sanbernardinocounty/ci_16381948 Barstow Rock Company Wins Air Quality Award. After shutting down its off site crushing facility and updating its equipment, a local rock mining company has been recognized by the local air quality district for curtailing its dust and diesel emissions. Brubaker-Mann, which has mined and sold decorative rock in Barstow for 60 years, has won the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District’s 2009-10 Exemplar Award. Posted. http://www.desertdispatch.com/news/barstow-9490-company-quality.html EPA Hears Airport Pollution Case in Santa Monica. Community leaders met with the Environmental Protection Agency for the first time in an effort to bolster support with the influential federal department against airport pollution. Representatives discussed three reports that point toward harmful effects on public health for neighboring residents of Santa Monica Airport (SMO). With the EPA as a possible ally, area legislatures and activists may be able to put pressure on Federal Flight Administration rules that allow large jets at the airport. Posted. http://www.smmirror.com/?ajax#mode=single&view=31206 CLIMATE CHANGE Study: Climate Change To Cause Extreme World Drought. The United States and many other heavily populated countries could face extreme drought in the next 30 years unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, a new study finds. Warming temperatures associated with climate change will likely create increasingly dry conditions that have rarely, if ever, been observed in modern times, according to the study by Aiguo Dai, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/10/us-climate-change-drought/1 Prop. 23 Backers Launch New TV Ad In L. A. The ad warns that electricity costs will rise and jobs will be lost if the November ballot measure, which would suspend the state's global warming regulations, loses. Backers of Proposition 23, a November ballot initiative to suspend California's global warming regulations, launched a television campaign in Los Angeles on Tuesday with a spot warning of higher electricity costs and job losses if the measure doesn't pass. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-prop-23-20101020,0,5255489.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fscience%2Fenvironment+%28L.A.+Times+-+Environment%29&utm_content=Google+Reader California's Landmark Climate Change Law Faces Voters. California, long a trendsetter in environmental protection, will decide in November whether to pull back from a landmark anti-pollution law as its economy continues to struggle. A ballot measure, advocated by the oil industry, would suspend a law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions until the state's unemployment rate falls below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/10/california-climate-change-law-challenged/1 No On 23 Campaign Unveils Ad Blitz With 'Scream' Actor David Arquette. With two weeks left before the elections, the battle over the state's landmark climate change law has gone into high gear. On Tuesday, opponents of Proposition 23, which attempts to roll back the state's 4-year-old greenhouse gas reduction law, unveiled a series of online political ads, including one starring actor David Arquette that targets crucial independent voters. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/20/3117207/no-on-23-campaign-unveils-ad-blitz.html California Ordered To Consider Protection For American Pika. A judge's decision marks the third time the state has been told to examine possibly declaring the tiny mountain-dwelling mammal an endangered species. It is the first animal in the lower 48 states to be considered for such listing solely because of climate change. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-pika-20101020,0,6315781,print.story Regs Will Cause 20% Of Plants To Close In 10 Years – Analysts. A fifth of coal-fired power plants in the United States could close within the next decade, mostly due to stricter environmental regulations, analysts predict. Older plants would need costly upgrades to cut pollution under U.S. EPA's new carbon dioxide emissions standards set to go into effect in January and will probably just close instead. Regulations on pollutants such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides are also being tightened. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/20/8 Carbon Tax in U.K. Will Cost Tesco Plc, Cambridge University $5.5 Billion. Tesco Plc and Cambridge University will be among 5,000 U.K. organizations forced to pay 3.5 billion pounds ($5.5 billion) in fees for emitting carbon as part of plans to balance the U.K. government budget. The Treasury said today the money, generated from sales of Carbon Reduction Commitment permits sold to organizations ranging from supermarkets to hospitals and universities, will go to the government instead of being redistributed back to the participants of the program. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-10-20/carbon-tax-in-u-k-will-cost-tesco-plc-cambridge-university-5-5-billion.html Prop 26 Backers Deny Link To State's Climate Law. Advocates of a California ballot measure that seeks to tighten how the state constitution defines taxes and regulatory fees yesterday denied any intentional connection between their campaign and the state's climate change law. If it passes in November, the referendum in question, Proposition 26, would require a two-thirds vote of the state Legislature anytime a government agency tries to assess a fee on a company that is not then used to regulate that entity. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/20/3 Enviro Groups Turn Attention To Second Ballot Assault On Climate Law. Environmental groups in California have started paying close attention to a second ballot referendum that could mean just as much trouble for the state's climate change law as a more prominent proposition that would suspend greenhouse gas regulations outright. Most of the groups' focus this campaign season has been on Proposition 23, which would suspend the climate law, A.B. 32, until unemployment in the state dips to 5.5 percent for a full year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/19/2 DIESEL EMISSIONS EPA, Truck Makers Tout 'Clean Diesel' as Greenhouse Gas Standards Loom. With the Obama administration preparing to propose new greenhouse gas efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks, the success of U.S. EPA's initiative to reduce conventional diesel pollution suggests that truck makers are up to the new challenge, industry and agency officials said today. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/10/19/19greenwire-epa-truck-makers-tout-clean-diesel-as-greenhou-28763.html?pagewanted=print CARB Verifies Cleaire LongMile® Diesel Particulate Filter. San Leandro, CA. Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls announced today that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has verified the LongMile diesel particulate filter as Level 3+ for on-road applications. The CARB Level 3+ designation means the LongMile has successfully demonstrated diesel particulate matter (PM) emission reductions of greater than 85% while meeting the NO2 emission standard. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/20/prwebprweb4672704.DTL FUELS In The Cattle Markets: EPA Raises The Ethanol Blend Limit – Sort Of. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally rendered judgment on a request by Growth Energy for a partial waiver of Clear Air Act regulations that would permit the sale of conventional gasoline containing up to 15% ethanol. The current blend limit – that is, the maximum allowable ethanol content of gasoline sold as conventional gasoline – is 10%. Posted. http://www.cattlenetwork.com/In-The-Cattle-Markets--EPA-Raises-The-Ethanol-Blend-Limit---Sort-Of/2010-10-20/Article.aspx?oid=1275060&fid= GREEN ENERGY Green Builders Boost Market For Clean-Power Certificates. New York -- While renewable-energy generators and developers struggle in the face of low natural gas and coal prices, sales are growing nationwide for renewable energy certificates (RECs), trading instruments that represent the environmental benefits of wind, solar and other electricity not based on nuclear and fossil fuels. The continuing march of green-construction projects is getting credit for the REC lift. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/19/10 VEHICLES The Green Side Of General Motors Commercial Cargo Vans. General Motors has been making headlines with the all-new Chevrolet Volt, but that is not the only vehicle in the GM lineup that is going green. Today, GM announced that their commercial cargo vans will be available with a fully integrated alternative fuel option, compressed natural gas (CNG). Mary Beth Stanek, GM’s director of federal environmental and energy regulatory affairs says, “Natural gas is an abundant and clean alternative fuel.” Posted. http://www.examiner.com/gm-in-national/the-green-side-of-general-motors-commercial-cargo-vans Ford Touts Amazing Fuel Mileage In Next Focus. Ford is touting that the new engine in the next Ford Focus is something of an automotive wonder. The 2-liter engine coming early next year in the 2012 Focus will combine gasoline direct injection with twin independent variable camshaft timing. It will also be capable of handling E85 ethanol, unusual in a small engine. At 160 horsepower, it should have 20 more horsepower than the current version with better fuel economy. How much better? Ford isn't saying. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/10/ford-focus-mazda2-direct-injection-e85/1 China Pushes For The Pole Position In Electric Car Race. After traveling to the new battery manufacturing facility in Livonia, Mich., and an electric vehicles meeting in Paris, David Sandalow made a trip to China. Sandalow, formerly of the Brookings Institution, is the U.S. Energy Department's assistant secretary for policy and international affairs. Electric vehicles, or EVs, he said, are all over Paris, where he also attended the Paris Auto Show. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/20/6 Charging Companies Prepare For Rush Of Electric Vehicles. As auto companies prepare to roll out their first electric vehicles, the companies providing the infrastructure behind the cars are ramping up their own efforts. ECOtality Inc. and Coulomb Technologies Inc., the two main companies producing vehicle chargers, are laying the groundwork for a national charging network, helped by federal contracts and private investors. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/20/11 OPINION As We See It: Proposition 23 Should Be Defeated. Even if you disagree with the preponderance of scientific opinion about global warming, state Proposition 23 deserves to go down to defeat Nov. 2.The measure would essentially render the state's ground-breaking climate change legislation, Assembly Bill 32, meaningless. But what voters may not realize is that the measure is backed mostly by out-of-state oil companies. Posted. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16383243 Prop. 23 Offers Time. A Yes vote on Proposition 23 fixes incorrect science. The proposition gives the citizens of California the opportunity to delay (but not eliminate) AB32 until the state’s unemployment rate falls below 5.5 percent. What’s more, we also get some time to look carefully at the egregious errors in the report that AB32 is based on. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has finally admitted that the key diesel pollution estimates in AB32 are off by 340 percent! Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/20/prop-23-offers-time/?print=1 BLOGS Cut the Deficit: Address Global Warming. The stiff-necked philosophies of the environmental and energy lobbies have killed most of the US's political solutions to global warming (i.e., Climate Change). Yet, there exists a less strident path for resolving some global warming issues while meeting the public's concern for reducing the deficit and solving our energy needs. The solution is natural gas. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-liberson/cut-the-deficit-address-g_b_769577.html A Liquefied Methane/Diesel Cocktail, Anyone? “We’ve chosen a route whereby we combine the diesel engine’s superior efficiency rating with the benefits of liquefied methane gas, resulting in a truck that is significantly more energy-efficient than traditional [natural] gas trucks.” –Mats Franzén, manager of engine strategy and planning, Volvo Trucks. For a while now, Sweden’s Volvo Trucks has tinkered with highway tractors powered by a blend of 75% liquefied methane gas and 25% diesel. Posted. http://blog.fleetowner.com/trucks_at_work/2010/10/20/a-liquefied-methanediesel-cocktail-anyone/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:12:24 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 21, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 21, 2010. 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 Paying To Pollute? New Smog Fee Proposed. Drivers in the San Joaquin Valley may soon be paying to pollute with a new smog fee attached to yearly vehicle registration. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District says the recommended surcharge could be $10 to $24 and will go into a fund for pollution control efforts. The exhausting problem started this past summer, when the federal government fined the Valley for exceeded ozone emissions limits. Posted. http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=101809&catid=29 http://www.modbee.com/2010/10/20/1392567/air-board-ponders-tighter-rules.html http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/105399183.html San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District ponders tighter rules. Air quality officials today will consider expanding rules aimed at reducing emissions from dairy farms and other livestock operations. The board of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will take up the issue at its Fresno headquarters. People in the north valley can address the board via a video feed in Modesto. The rules, adopted in 2006, deal with volatile organic compounds, which mix with other pollutants and sunlight to form smog.. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/20/v-print/3120378/san-joaquin-valley-air-pollution.html Tehama to Consider Air Pollution Fees. Nearly a year after rejecting an initial proposal, Tehama County supervisors are poised to vote next week on a set of new-construction fees aimed at reducing air pollution. Under the latest plan the so-called indirect source fees would be phased in, charged at 50 percent starting July 1 with the full amount kicking in Jan. 1, 2012. That means, for example, developers would pay $172 per single-family home during the initial six-month period before the fee goes to $344. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/oct/20/tehama-to-consider-air-pollution-fees/ Release Of Divisive EPA Ozone Regs Seen As Unlikely Before Election. With Election Day less than two weeks away and Republicans rallying around their opposition to U.S. EPA regulations, the agency is expected to wait before it tightens the nationwide limit on ozone pollution. At issue is the Obama administration's revision of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone, which is linked to breathing problems and heart disease. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/21/1 CLIMATE CHANGE Gates Gives $700,000 To No On 23 Campaign. Bill Gates, the nation's wealthiest man, has donated $700,000 to the campaign opposing the rollback of the state's landmark climate change law. Gates, Microsoft Corp.'s co-founder is the latest high-tech billionaire to back the state's 4-year-old greenhouse gas reduction law. Last week, Google Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin contributed $200,000 to the No on 23 committee while Intel Corp. co-founder Gordon Moore contributed $1 million. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/21/v-print/3119960/gates-gives-700000-to-no-on-23.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/10/20/2125942/bill-gates-contributes-700000.html#ixzz130je9hZr UofA to head SW Climate Science Center. The University of Arizona will head the Southwest Climate Science Center. It's one of eight regional centers being set up by the U.S. Department of the Interior to assess the impact of climate change on natural and cultural resources. The Arizona Daily Star says the UofA will set up the center with a five-year, $3.1 million grant. The effort will bring together university and federal researchers. Also involved are researchers from UCLA, the University of Colorado-Boulder, University of California-Davis, the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nev., and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/20/state/n171632D18.DTL&type=science California Vote Has Canadian Green Partners on Edge. Canadian provinces moving to cut their greenhouse gas emissions are facing a setback if California, a key partner, decides the battle against global warming should wait for better economic times. British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario plan to launch a carbon cap-and-trade market with California and New Mexico in 2012 -- a market scheduled to be joined later by Manitoba and at least four additional U.S. states. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69J5FA20101020 U.K. ‘Stealth’ Carbon Tax May Add 10% to Company Energy Bills. The U.K. Treasury’s decision to keep about 3.5 billion pounds ($5.5 billion) from a carbon-cutting program for large electricity users may add 10 percent to energy bills for universities, hospitals and shops. The change, announced by the Treasury yesterday after Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s spending review, will add about a tenth more to the bills of the program’s participants, said Ben Wielgus, lead adviser on the program for the accounting firm KPMG. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-10-21/u-k-stealth-carbon-tax-may-add-10-to-company-energy-bills.html Poll Has Calif. Climate Referendum Headed For Defeat. A California ballot measure that would derail the state's climate change law by linking it to the worst unemployment figures in a generation is headed for defeat in less than two weeks' time, according a poll out from the Public Policy Institute of California. In a survey conducted Oct. 10-17, the nonpartisan research organization found that 48 percent of those polled intend to vote "no" on Proposition 23, which would suspend the climate law until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent for a full year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/21/3 Californians to Vote on Greenhouse Gas Law . On November 2, Californians will cast a critical vote pertaining to the balance of environmental policy with economic stability. A state ballot initiative, Proposition 23 (The California Jobs Initiative), would suspend implementation of A.B. 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, until the state’s unemployment rate records four consecutive quarters at 5.5% or lower. NACS fully supports this initiative, which highlights the need to balance environmental regulations with economic stability. Posted. http://www.nacsonline.com/NACS/News/Daily/Pages/ND102110.aspx DIESEL Clean Diesel, Upcoming GHG Standards Topics at Washington, D.C., Event. This political season is full of angry noise about intrusive, wasteful government regulation, but on Tuesday a choir of businessmen and regulators gathered in Washington, D.C., to sing praises of each other. Truck and engine manufacturers joined with environmental activists and the Environmental Protection Agency to celebrate a successful, decade-long effort to build a clean diesel engine -- and to look ahead to upcoming fuel efficiency standards. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=71990 FUELS State Dept. Poised To Approve Oil-Sands Pipeline. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appears ready to approve an oil pipeline stretching from Canada to Texas that has been decried by environmentalists for its potential to increase greenhouse gas emissions. In remarks in San Francisco, Clinton said "we've not yet signed off on it. But we are inclined to do so" in reference to the Canada-United States pipeline, known as Keystone XL. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/21/6 GREEN ENERGY SF Opens up Green Power Grid to Boats. Anyone who's watched the picturesque ferries chugging across the bay has probably noticed that there's something not-so-picturesque about them: plumes of exhaust. In an effort to cut down on emissions in the Bay, San Francisco has unveiled technology to connect boats to the city's power grid. Only three other ports in the world offer such a feature, with Los Angeles and San Diego expecting to follow suit soon. It took five years to make San Francisco's new electrical connection possible. Posted. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/green/SF-Opens-up-Green-Power-Grid-to-Boats-104512769.html Porterville Solar Facility To Power 4,300 Homes. By the end of the year, Porterville will become home to California’s largest utility-owned photovoltaic solar facility generating enough power for 4,300 homes in the area. The first of the 29,000 solar panels was put in place last week at the 34-acre project site adjacent to the Porterville Municipal Airport. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/energy/6827-porterville-solar-facility-to-power-4300-homes Calif. Gets More Time To Deliver Stimulus Cash For Retrofits. The Obama administration has granted California a reprieve from today's deadline for delivering $33 million in stimulus cash for energy efficiency retrofits. The state's distribution of the cash is hung up by a lawsuit, which led last week to a temporary injunction against its plan to link homeowners with incentives and contractors via a new website, Energy Upgrade California. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/21/14 Concerns Rise That A GOP Wave Could Wash Away State Climate Policies. A liberal advocacy group warns that state climate policies may suffer if Republicans win gubernatorial races in key battleground states. But those rollbacks would be difficult to achieve, says an outgoing Democratic governor, who likened such reversals to a "magic act." At stake in the coming elections are several state renewable energy standards, says the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/21/4 VEHICLES GM Unveils Compressed Natural Gas Cargo Vans. General Motors unveiled a compressed natural gas cargo van this week at the Green Fleet Conference in San Diego, indicating the company's primary fuel preference for a new wave of light-duty vehicles. Domestic competitor Ford (NYSE: F) and several foreign automakers are developing plug-in electric fleet vehicles. But GM has chosen natural gas--though it hedged its bet in August with an investment in Bright Automotive, which is building a plug-in hybrid cargo van, designed from the ground up for commercial and government fleets. Posted. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21274 Technology, Legislation Aim To Curb Black Carbon Emissions. The effect that black carbon has on the global climate is an issue that is complex and poorly understood but also heavily tied to the successful implementation of advanced diesel technology. Targets for reducing vehicle emissions in the trucking, construction, agriculture and maritime sectors have been made primarily to address local air quality and health concerns arising from smog-forming emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/21/5 OPINION Reverse AB 32 With Proposition 23. Economists are famous for avoiding definitive statements by saying “on the one hand” followed immediately by “on the other hand.” In the case of California’s Proposition 23, however, the sound one would hear from economists is both hands clapping. Voters will take up Prop. 23 in less than four weeks, but the ramifications will last decades. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z7uxqt326b9f0o&xid=z7ujnd72gf93is&done=.z7uxqt326bvf0o# Don’t Let Corporations Push 23 Through. Who will benefit from Proposition 23? Certainly not California citizens, who will lose the cleaner air and green energy jobs coming through in the four years since Assembly Bill 32 put California in the lead for pollution accountability by corporations. Follow the money! The dollars for those ads are coming from Tesoro, Valero and undercover donors like the Koch Brothers. Oil companies from Texas are manipulating genuine concern about jobs with a false connection between pollution regulation and lost jobs. Posted. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_8171f89a-dcde-11df-96e1-001cc4c002e0.html No Clear Consensus on Effects of Prop. 23. Exactly what would happen if voters approve Proposition 23 in the Nov. 2 election is up for as much debate as the ballot measure itself. Opponents of the proposition, which would indefinitely suspend the state’s landmark climate-change law that seeks to reduce carbon dioxide emissions— argue it would create a confusing mix of rules. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/20/no-clear-consensus-on-effects-of-prop-23/#ixzz130er5Nzz BLOGS Climate: Why Bipartisanship on Energy Won't Be Easy—and Why It's Necessary. Last week I wrote about a paper on energy and climate policy that came from scholars at the leftish Brookings Institution, the conservative American Enterprise Institute and the (centrist and technology-focused) Breakthrough Institute. Called "Post-Partisan Power" (download a PDF here), the paper laid out a research and development focused approach to energy and climate policy. Instead of a firm carbon cap—which is dead now—Posted. http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/10/21/climate-why-bipartisanship-on-energy-wont-be-easy%E2%80%94and-why-its-necessary/#ixzz1310PnOaS The Cost Of Emissions. I just recently listened to an interesting presentation by Tom Marangon, managing director of Baumot UK, which makes diesel particulate filters (DPF) for a variety of diesel-powered applications worldwide. From Marangon’s point of view, one of the major “cost points” in the grand global emission control debate that does NOT get discussed enough is how reducing vehicle emissions – particularly particulate matter (PM) or soot from diesel engines – reduces health care expenses while eliminating a far more potent accelerant of “climate change. Posted. http://blog.fleetowner.com/trucks_at_work/2010/10/21/the-cost-of-emissions/ Carbon Reduction Beyond Cap and Trade or the Carbon Tax. With All The Commotion Over The Up Coming November Mid-Term Elections, The Recent Death Of Cap-And-Trade Has Been Quietly Dismissed. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES), more commonly known as the Waxman-Markey Bill, was intended to set a price for carbon. Since the threat of pricing carbon through legislation has disappeared, the current market for carbon offsets at the Chicago Climate Exchange has plummeted next to zero. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/10/carbon-reduction-beyond-cap-trade-carbon-tax/ But What about the Children? Calling Climate Champions. The Air Resources Board announced today the creation of what they're calling a "Climate Generation Program" - it's modeled after the British Council's similar program in the UK and elsewhere. The idea is to compete through school and homework to connect their lives to the environment. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2010/10/20/what-about-children-climate-champions/ Motorists May Foot Bill for Pollution Fines. San Joaquin Valley residents may soon have to chip in and help clean the air dirtied by their cars’ emissions. At least that’s what the valley’s air district regulators are proposing: A $10 to $24 surcharge tacked onto residents’ annual car and truck registration fees. The district is facing a $29 million fine for exceeding federal ozone limits. In order to keep that fine off the backs of the industries and businesses in the region, officials are looking to have drivers help out. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/motorists-may-foot-bill-pollution-fines-5854 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:56:26 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 25, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 25, 2010. 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. DIESEL EMISSIONS EPA, DOT To Propose Truck Emissions Standards Today. U.S. EPA and the Department of Transportation are planning an afternoon release for a proposal to set the first-ever limits on greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty trucks and buses, the agencies announced today. In a Rose Garden ceremony this May, President Obama directed EPA and DOT to extend corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards to new trucks and buses as part of a broader crackdown on the emissions that are contributing to global warming. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/10/25/13/ CLIMATE CHANGE California Voters Likely To Keep Global Warming Law, Toss Two-Thirds Budget Passage. Prop. 23, which would suspend new emissions standards until unemployment drops, trails 48% to 32% among likely voters. Prop. 25, allowing a legislative majority to pass a budget, has 58% support. Sacramento. Despite the struggling economy, most California voters oppose suspending the state's landmark global warming law, which would place strict new environmental regulations on business, a new Los Angeles Times/ USC poll shows. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/la-me-poll-20101025,0,5413241,print.story http://washingtonindependent.com/101476/latest-poll-shows-california-likely-to-vote-no-on-prop-23 Prop. 23 May Threaten Budding Clean-Tech Firms. California's innovative energy policies helped lure Eric Dresselhuys' clean-tech company, Silver Spring Networks, to the state. Founded in Wisconsin in 2002, Silver Spring moved here the following year because, for companies dealing in renewable power, alternative fuels and energy efficiency, California was the place to be. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/24/BUPI1G08VM.DTL Support Drops For Suspending Calif. Climate Law. Sacramento, Calif.—A new poll shows a ballot initiative that would suspend California's greenhouse gas emissions law losing support. A University of Southern California-Los Angeles Times poll released Monday shows 48 percent of likely voters oppose Proposition 23, compared to 32 percent who support it. Nearly one in five voters remains undecided. Last month, the same poll showed 40 percent of likely voters favored the initiative with 38 percent opposed. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16427567 Poll: Voters Back Prop. 25, Undecided On Prop. 23. Los Angeles -- A new poll shows strong support of Proposition 25 -- the Nov. 2 ballot measure that would make it easier to pass a state budget -- but many voters are undecided about another measure to halt California's landmark global warming law. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_16428160?nclick_check=1 Prop. 23 May Threaten Budding Clean-Tech Firms. Prop. 23 may threaten budding clean-tech firms. California's innovative energy policies helped lure Eric Dresselhuys' clean-tech company, Silver Spring Networks, to the state. Founded in Wisconsin in 2002, Silver Spring moved here the following year because, for companies dealing in renewable power, alternative fuels and energy efficiency, California was the place to be. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/24/BUPI1G08VM.DTL Economic Study Funded By Prop. 23 Backers Questioned. The report had a tantalizing hook: "Proposition 23 will create 1.3 million jobs by 2020," including 150,000 jobs next year. Proponents of the campaign to roll back the state's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law touted the nonprofit Pacific Research Institute's study in an Oct. 5 news release as "good news for California's more than 2.2 million unemployed and good news for the state's economy." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/24/3125692/economic-study-funded-by-prop.html http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/in-spill-aftermath-a-gulf-between-words-and-actions-20101024 Silicon Valley 3.0: Bioscience, Clean Tech Remake Economy. N Jose, Calif.—Edenvale Technology Park gives a glimpse of the new Silicon Valley. The long recession only tiptoed through the 2,300-acre office park, with many start-ups here expanding their operations over the past 18 months. One prominent tenant, solar company Nanosolar Inc., began producing solar panels in March and plans to add space and more employees to its 350-person work force. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704011904575538673194129834.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#ixzz13Ozpclfr Study: Space Tourism Could Exacerbate Climate Change. Have $200,000 to spend on space travel? Before you book your seat into the cosmos, you may want to know about the potential impact back on Earth. A new study finds that the soot emitted from rockets could become a significant contributor to climate change in coming decades. Researchers say the study, funded by NASA and the Aerospace Corporation, offers the first detailed look at how rockets using hydrocarbon fuel might affect the planet's climate. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/10/space-tourism-climate-change/1 NOAA: Arctic Melting May Point To Future Bad Winters. Continued near-record sea-ice loss and higher-than-normal temperatures are melting the Arctic, federal researchers reported Wednesday. And the changes in the Arctic may be setting the stage for a future "climate change paradox" of more intense U.S. winters, they warn, even as the polar cap shrinks. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "Arctic Report Card" warns that thinning sea ice around the North Pole continues a trend in effect since 2007. Among the findings cited by NOAA: Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/10/arctic-keeps-melting-/1 http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/10/report_details_warm_arctic-col.html EU Says Cancun Meeting May Spur `Concrete Actions' in Climate Change Fight. Negotiators may be able to agree on ways to adapt to climate change, transfer technologies and slow deforestation when they meet next month in Cancun, Mexico, a senior European Union official said today. “What is within reach is a number of agreements that would allow concrete actions to start,” Laurence Graff, head of international relations unit at the European Commission’s climate department, told a seminar today in Brussels. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-10-25/eu-says-cancun-meeting-may-spur-concrete-actions-in-climate-change-fight.html GOP Victory May Be Defeat For Climate Change Policy. The more carbon that gets released into the atmosphere, the higher the average temperature rises. That's a scientific fact. Human activities, such as driving, flying, building and even turning on the lights, are the biggest contributor to the release of carbon. That too, is a fact. And yet the majority of Republicans running for House and Senate seats this year disagree. Ken Buck, the GOP senate candidate in Colorado admits he's a climate change denier. Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130776747 Poll: California Likely To Retain Flagship Climate Change Law. But mid-term polls suggest wider US climate change policy could be scuppered by Republican victory. The US clean tech sector may have at least one thing to celebrate following next month's mid-term elections, after polls over the weekend suggested Californians are preparing to vote down a proposition that would roll back the state's pioneering climate change legislation. Posted. http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2272137/poll-california-likely-retain Berkeley City Council Takes Up Energy, Gardens and Housing. The Berkeley City Council began this Tuesday evening with a special work session on green energy, followed by a regular meeting in which a new Housing Element was moved forward. Councilmember Max Anderson was absent due to an illness. During the work session the council heard from advocates of implementing a regional Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), a system where municipalities could form an authority that would purchase energy for resale to local residents and businesses. Posted. http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2010-10-20/article/36551?headline=Berkeley-City-Council-Takes-Up-Energy-Gardens-and-Housing Nation's Forests Help Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions. U.S. forests sequester enough carbon every year to offset roughly 11 percent of the country's industrial greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new federal report. Shifting land-use patterns - particularly the 20th century abandonment of farms in the East and the subsequent regrowth of woodlands - have helped turn U.S. forests as a whole into a carbon sink, meaning they absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they release through natural processes.Posted. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/25/1890062/nations-forests-help-offset-greenhouse.html FUELS Oil Sands Effort Turns on a Fight Over a Road. Kooskia, Idaho — As U.S. Highway 12 hugs the serpentine banks of the Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers here, road signs bear the silhouettes of the 19th-century explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, with Mr. Lewis pointing off into the distance. He is not pointing the way for big oil companies, says Lin Laughy, whose gravel driveway abuts the road. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/business/energy-environment/22road.html?_r=1&th&emc=th Is Coal Power Headed For A Downsizing In US? Utilities may close up to 1 in 5 coal-fired power plants after tougher EPA air pollution rules go into effect next year, Wall Street investment banker Credit Suisse recently reported. Coal power is losing its price edge to natural gas, too. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2010/1020/Is-coal-power-headed-for-a-downsizing-in-US?sp_rid=NTI5OTY0ODM3NQS2&sp_mid=4603920 Industry Applauds US Aid For Ethanol Gear; Still Divided Over E15. The leaders of US trade groups representing the ethanol industry and fuel providers on Sunday applauded a decision by the Obama administration last week to help pay for new pumps and other infrastructure necessary to substantially expand ethanol use. Posted. http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/Oil/8102887 AIR POLLUTION Stinky Renewable Energy Source Creates Smog. California is the nation's largest dairy state, which means that while cows there produce a lot of milk, they also produce something else — methane gas. And methane is a powerful contributor to climate change. Some farmers, at a great up-front cost, are capturing the gas and using it to create renewable electricity for their farms. But by solving one environmental problem, they're running headlong into another.Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130754782 GREEN ENERGY California Apollo Program Promotes Cleantech Jobs. Business, labor, community and environmental leaders on Thursday launched the California Apollo Program, a blueprint for expanding cleantech jobs and manufacturing in the state. "We've seen energy policies stall at the federal level, and it makes what's happening in California all the more important," said Cathy Calfo, executive director of the Apollo Alliance. "It's important to have a comprehensive strategy to move toward a clean energy future.” Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16399549?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Court Lifts Judge's Freeze On Home Energy Funds. A California court of appeal lifted a judge's restraining order Thursday that had jeopardized $33 million in federal funds for home energy efficiency upgrades across the state. The Fourth District Court of Appeal removed a restraining order issued by Judge John Molloy. The Riverside County Superior Court judge had sided with a Riverside government group saying it was treated unfairly by the California Energy Commission in its application for federal funds that were to be funneled to California counties through the commission. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/21/BUQU1G0918.DTL http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_wrcog22.306a8fe.html http://solarhbj.com/news/appeals-court-lifts-restraining-order-on-california-energy-program-funds-01057 http://intelligentenergyportal.com/article/33-million-federal-energy-funds-move-forward-california http://www.favstocks.com/just-under-the-wire/2126862/ Clean Energy Conferences Coming Up In San Diego. Several conferences and meetings on green energy are on tap in San Diego in coming weeks. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/24/clean-energy-conferences-meetings-coming-san-diego/ Seal Beach Could Be First In Area To Establish Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. Southern California Edison has indicated that Seal Beach is the first city to push for this upgrade. Public Works Director Sean Crumby (pictured) attended Edison’s Electrical Vehicle Collaborative all day on Friday, October 2nd at UCLA. The city will continue to provide more information in the next few months.T he City previously had two charging stations in its Beach parking lots that can be re-established to the new technology. Posted. http://www.oc180news.com/article/West_Orange_County_Features/Current_Interest/Seal_Beach_Could_Be_First_In_Area_To_Establish_Electric_Vehicle_Charging_Stations/19279 Obama To Address Emissions Through 'Bite Sized' Energy Policy. President Obama plans to tackle a renewable electricity standard, fuel efficiency and green buildings as part of a "bite sized" strategy to work with Republicans to address climate and energy policy next year. The piecemeal approach is workable for Democrats, Republicans and a skeptical public worried about any policy "perceived as reducing job growth," Obama told National Journal in an interview published yesterday. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/25/4 Court Clears Calif. To Distribute Stimulus Cash For Retrofits. A California appeals court lifted a restraining order yesterday against the state's plan for dispersing $33 million in federal stimulus money for energy-efficiency building retrofits. The 4th District Court of Appeal's decision lifts the Oct. 14 injunction against the California Energy Commission (CEC). The Western Riverside Council of Governments had sued the commission arguing that it had overlooked the council's application for $20 million in grants. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/10/22/14/ Hands Wring Over Energy Bill Prospects As Committee Shake-Up Looms. Hands wring over energy bill prospects as committee shake-up looms. The Senate committee with the best chance of breaking the deadlock on climate legislation next Congress could see its bipartisan work ethic vanish -- crippling the chances of any comprehensive energy bill passing. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee faces the departures of at least three Republicans and two Democrats, and two other members are at risk of losing their elections next month. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/10/22/1/ Palm Springs To Offer Energy Efficiency Loans. Flying in the face of opposition from federal mortgage lenders, Palm Springs hopes to become the second city in the Coachella Valley to launch an energy-financing program to help some residents pay for solar panels and other energy-efficient building improvements. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20101024/BUSINESS06/10240303/1006/NEWS01/Palm+Springs+to+offer+energy+efficiency+loans IEEE Tackles Grid Storage Standards, Carbon Reductions. The IEEE is stepping up its involvement in energy-related technologies with its latest working groups. The engineering organization announced today the creation of a standards efforts for grid storage and another for measuring greenhouse gas reductions from renewable energy and energy-efficient products. Posted. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20020568-54.html VEHICLES Slow Takeoff Seen for Electric Vehicles. Shanghai—Daimler AG Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche described a relatively measured outlook for electric cars for the next 10 years, even though he said Daimler is ready to "invest heavily" in the technology because the company views it as a likely direction for the auto industry. Mr. Zetsche told an industry conference in Shanghai over the weekend that demand for all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids is most likely to total only about 1% to 5% of total vehicle demand globally by 2020. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303864404575572160681387590.html?KEYWORDS=Electric+cars Valley Air District Board Fines Drivers $12. Vehicle owners to pay more in registration due to ozone violations. Valley vehicle owners could pay an extra $12 in DMV registration to pay off a fine for the Valley violating federal rules on maximum ozone levels in August and September. Originally, the Environmental Protection Agency sought to levy a combined $29 million fine to more than 400 businesses in the eight Valley counties that generate the most pollutants — including some Tulare County dairies, manufacturers and other businesses. Posted. http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20101022/NEWS01/10220306/Valley+Air+District+board+fines+drivers++12 MISCELLANEOUS Discovery Could Lead To New Asthma Treatments. Taste receptors found in lungs respond to bitterness by signaling muscles to relax. Baltimore - An unexpected discovery of taste receptors in lungs may provide asthma sufferers with more effective ways to restore free breathing during attacks, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine reported Sunday. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bitter-lungs-20101025,0,4954516,print.story Healthcare District Issues Thumbs Down On Liberty Quarry Project. Attendees of the Fallbrook Healthcare District (FHD) board meeting on October 13 applauded after board president Milt Davies announced that the group would be sending the Riverside Board of Supervisors a letter stating their non-support of the proposed Liberty Quarry. Posted. http://www.thevillagenews.com/story/51752/ OPINION Spending Overshadows Science In Proposition 23. Opponents of Proposition 23 are outspending supporters of the measure by more than two to one, according to news reports. But spending issues are obscuring key concerns, particularly the “global warming” controversy. Prop. 23 would suspend California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, also known as AB 32, until the Golden State reduces unemployment to 5.5 percent. California’s current rate of unemployment is 12.4 percent, one of the highest in the United States, and the true figure is likely much higher. Posted. http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/columns/oped_contributors/Spending-overshadows-science-in-Proposition-23-105655183.html The Candidates and Climate Change. “In Climate Denial, Again” (editorial, Oct. 18) vented some frustration over Republican candidates’ obstinate refusal to acknowledge climate change. The truth is that it doesn’t really matter what Republicans or climate contrarians believe. Despite enormous efforts to discount the research and data of climatologists, there is a vast body of evidence supporting the theory of climate change across many disciplines that study our planet: biology, physics, chemistry and ecology. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/opinion/l24climate.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print After The Spill. The six-month anniversary of the BP oil spill passed quietly last week. The well has been capped, and commerce in the Gulf of Mexico is slowly reviving. Much important work still lies ahead - figuring out how much oil is still out there, cleaning it up, measuring the damage to marine life, compensating victims. And Congress needs to pass an oil-spill bill that will reduce the chances of another drilling debacle. The House has passed a bill that would tighten environmental safeguards, require companies to furnish detailed response plans before receiving drilling permits, and reorganize the government to prevent the conflicts of interest that helped lead to the BP spill. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/opinion/25mon2.html?th&emc=th Letter: CARB Oversteps Its Bounds. With another fake budget and ridiculous gubernatorial candidates, all we can do in California is find ways to limit the pain the state government will inflict on us. That means voting yes on Proposition 23, which will stem the tide of regulations heaped upon us by the frauds at the California Air Resources Board. Politico reports that CARB is about to let loose with over 1,000 pages of new regulations that will choke the life out of jobs in the state. Posted. http://www.orovillemr.com/opinion/ci_16384595 Proposition 23 Is A Step Backward. Ôªø All you need to know about Proposition 23 is that it is being bankrolled by three huge oil companies from Texas and Kansas so they can avoid complying with environmental controls in California and so make more money. It's not about jobs. It's not about the environment. It's about profits. Proposition 23 would suspend the provisions of AB 32, the 2006 landmark climate-change initiative that would reduce greenhouse gases in California, under the pretense of helping the economy. Posted. http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20101025/OPINION/10250312 Vicki Philben: Warming Is Real And Worth Fight To Stop. I was very disappointed to read Dr. Richard Malotky’s two recent articles regarding global warming. One of the most distressing things was Dr. Malotky’s need to disparage the motives of scientists doing research in this field and mock the intelligence of people who disagree with him. To be fair, there have also been some unnecessarily nasty things said about Dr. Malotky in the Record Searchlight’s online comments section. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/oct/25/warming-is-real-and-worth-fight-to-stop/?print=1 California Vote On Proposition 23 Can Set The Pace On Global Warming. The Proposition 23 ballot initiative in California is a chance for a grass-roots expression on climate change -- and to send a signal to a stymied Congress. America rarely sees a popular vote directly on global warming, let alone one also tied to the economy. Most government action to deter climate change has largely been left to elected leaders, regulators, or judges – with few results so far. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/334488 Green Collar Jobs. Is there green to be made in the "green jobs" market? Discussing "green collar jobs" around here can produce a range of reactions, from optimism and encouragement to frustration and skepticism. Supporters point to the $3.2 billion that Congress included in the stimulus package for creating green jobs and improving energy efficiency throughout the country. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/22/AR2010102202508.html BLOGS Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt: Will one be Green Car of the Year? Godzilla and King Kong might as well have stomped into this race. For the first time, the annual Green Car of the Year award might go to an electric vehicle. The competition, put on by Green Car Journal, celebrates eco-friendly autos newly available to drivers. This time, the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf are joining the pack of finalists, which also includes the Ford Fiesta, the Hyundai Sonata hybrid and the Lincoln MKZ hybrid. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/10/leaf-volt-green-car-of-the-year.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 Responsible Recycling: My E-Waste Odyssey. Stuart Isett for The New York Times Circuit boards removed from old computers and televisions at Total Reclaim, a recycler in Seattle. Most Americans know that e-waste is supposed to be recycled. Items like cellphones, batteries, televisions, digital clocks, video game systems and broken computers shouldn’t be tossed in the trash because they contain dangerous chemicals and heavy metals that could end up in landfill that way, experts warn. Computer boxes exhort you to “Please Recycle.” Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/responsible-recycling-my-e-waste-odyssey/ LAT/USC Poll: Climate Change Bites eMeg’s Backside. Long ago, Calbuzz suggested that Meg Whitman made a strategic blunder during the Republican primary when, in an effort to look conservative enough to beat Steve Poizner, she came out swinging against AB 32, California’s pioneering greenhouse-gas reduction law. Our point was simple: she had alienated independent and moderate voters who tilt the balance of power in California because, for them, protecting the environment is an important cause. Posted. http://www.calbuzz.com/2010/10/latusc-poll-climate-change-bites-emegs-backside/ Voter Guide: Whitman, Brown At Odds On The Environment. Standing on stage at USC on Friday, a fired-up Jerry Brown told his college-aged audience that “green jobs” are California’s future. “We don’t need Saudi Arabian oil or Texas gas,” he said, speaking to a crowd hyped up in anticipation of President Obama’s appearance. “We have California sun.” Throughout the campaign, Brown has emphasized green jobs as a key factor in jump-starting California’s sluggish economy. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/voter-guide-whitman-brown-odds-environment-6042 The Earth Won't Wait. I remember when the Record Searchlight first acknowledged that global warming was real and human-caused. It was the same month and year--February of 2007--that many media outlets finally recognized the scientific consensus on climate change that was first officially established in 1995 with the second report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/10/the-earth-wont.html Prop 23 Morphing Into Prop 26. Support for Prop 23 is waning. That’s good news, but the fight is not over. If you didn’t like Prop 23, you’re really not going to like Prop 26. Out of state big oil was backing Prop 23, and seeing that as a lost cause, they are shifting their support to Prop 26.Prop 26 is another big oil backed initiative. Prop 26 would make it more difficult for state and local government to impose mitigation fees on business activities that cause harm to the environment or public health and safety. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/10/prop-23-morphing-prop-26/comment-page-1/ State's Bishops Post 'Proposition Guide,' Voice Concern For Props. 19, 23. While they have not taken formal positions on any of the nine propositions on the Nov. 2 ballot, California's bishops have expressed concerns about two of the initiatives: Proposition 19 legalizing marijuana under California law and Proposition 23 suspending implementation of the state's landmark air pollution control law. Posted. http://www.the-tidings.com/2010/102210/props_text.htm ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:12:56 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 26, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 26, 2010. 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 SUSD Uses Air Funds To Retire Old Fleet Of Buses For Clean-Diesel Ones. Stockton - The yellow school buses of Stockton Unified are going green thanks to a windfall of greenbacks provided mainly by a financial grant from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Forty-three new clean-diesel buses, valued at nearly $4.2 million, were unveiled at a ceremony Monday afternoon in Stockton. The new buses replace older diesel-powered buses and will emit 90 percent less total emissions over their lifetimes … Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101026/A_NEWS/10260310/-1/A_NEWS14 Major Polluters Coming off Streets. Nearly 700 polluting passenger cars in use by government employees could be off the road by 2014. In a move to reduce carbon emissions, cut costs and increase oversight of vehicle usage by city workers, departments might be forced to reduce passenger car fleets by 5 percent each year until after the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013. Posted. http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Major-polluters-coming-off-streets-105748978.html#ixzz13UEwFVJK Clean Air Rules May Wait Till After Election. With a mid-term congressional election looming, the Obama administration is expected to delay issuing controversial air pollution rules that the Republican opposition has characterized as economic poison. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had planned to issue the nation's strictest-ever standards for ground-level ozone this week. The new standards would cost states and businesses anywhere from $19 billion to $90 billion to implement in 2020 alone, the EPA has estimated. Posted. http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/26/760558/clean-air-rules-may-wait-till.html#ixzz13ToMBcz5 Funding Available For Clean Air Farm Equipment. California farmers are being sought out to replace polluting combustion engines with help from a program that has reduced 1,349 tons of nitrous oxide emissions in the state over the last two years. Ed Burton, the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist for California, spoke at the Souza Dairy Farm near Fresno today citing the success of the agency's voluntary air quality program since it rolled out in 2009 … Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/agriculture/6883-funding-available-for-clean-air-farm-equipment CLIMATE CHANGE Prop. 26 Could Relax Regulatory Fees. In 1991, the Legislature passed the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, providing for the screening and medical treatment of children believed to be at risk of lead poisoning. To pay for it, fees were imposed on manufacturers of products that had significantly contributed to environmental lead contamination, primarily paint companies. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/25/prop-26-could-relax-regulatory-fees/#ixzz13UCiDBnq 2 Refiners Chip In $1.5 Million More To Back California's Prop. 23. Two of the biggest backers of the effort to suspend the state's landmark climate change law contributed $1.5 million last week to the rollback initiative. But with about a week to go before the election, the Proposition 23 campaign appears to be losing the fundraising battle by a 3-to-1 ratio. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/26/v-print/3131421/2-refiners-chip-in-15-million.html Prop. 23: The Fight Over Global Warming Heats Up. California made history when it passed a new law in 2006 meant to curb greenhouse gas emissions and combat global warming. But Prop. 23 on the California ballot would place the "Global Warming Solutions Act" on hold to avoid potential harm to the ailing economy. Both sides in the very public fight over Prop. 23 say the stakes for California's future are high, though for different reasons. And each accuses the other of allowing outside interests to try to influence the outcome. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/prop-272767-percent-law.html?cb=1288060635 Poll: Californians Back Climate Change Law On Nov. Ballot. Most Californian voters, despite a weak local economy, oppose a November ballot measure that would suspend the state's landmark climate change law, a new poll shows. Among likely voters, 48% reject Proposition 23, which would suspend the law until the state's unemployment rate -- currently 12.4% -- falls to 5.5% for a full year, according to the poll released Monday by the Los Angeles Times and the University of Southern California. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/10/californians-backing-pollution-law-/1 California Confronts Climate Change, Economic Change With Proposition 23. In less than a week voters will decide on the California jobs initiative. Supporters say Proposition 23 will stop the state from regulating businesses to death and killing jobs. Opponents argue that it'll kill the state's landmark global warming law - and California's hope for becoming a green technology leader. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/10/26/proposition-23/ Bid To Delay Climate Law Attracts More Cash, But Latest Poll Predicts Defeat. Advocates of a referendum that would delay California's climate change law have received a $1.5 million boost in funding but still find themselves well behind their opponents in terms of cash on hand, with a week to go in the campaign. The campaign for Proposition 23, which would suspend the climate law until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent for a full year, received new checks over the last few days from its leading funders, Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp., of $1 million and $500,000, respectively. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/26/4 Hill Inaction Won't Delay Int'l Emissions Pact -- IPCC Chief. The dim prospects for Capitol Hill action on a sweeping climate change bill do not forestall future progress on cutting global carbon emissions, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said today. IPCC chief Rajendra Pachauri, briefing reporters ahead of President Obama's upcoming visit to India, dismissed the notion that congressional resistance to emissions caps -- …Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/26/3 DIESEL EMISSIONS EPA Issues New Emissions Limits for Heavy Trucks, Buses Starting in 2014. washington -- The Obama administration announced new rules on Monday to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants by requiring greater fuel efficiency for big trucks, buses and other heavy duty vehicles starting with new models in 2014. The regulations, the first of their kind involving heavy vehicles, require them to reduce emissions by 20 percent by 2018 …Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-1026-diesel-trucks-20101026,0,3228299,print.story New Truck Emission Standards Include 'Cost Of Carbon' Analysis. Making trucks more fuel-efficient would save the country billions of dollars in gas bills, but would save even more by reducing the impact of climate change, federal agencies said yesterday. U.S. EPA and the Department of Transportation have kicked off the process that will set the first-ever fuel economy standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/26/5 CARB Tries To Amend Truck And Bus Rule, Smartway Mandate. CARB tries to amend Truck and Bus Rule, SmartWay mandate The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has released draft regulatory language for proposed amendments to the In-Use On-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation (Truck and Bus Rule) and the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Regulation (California SmartWay mandate). Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/news/carb-tries-amend-truck-bus-rule-smartway-mandate-1025/ Agencies Eye Heavy Truck Fuel Targets. Proposed federal standards for greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy for heavy-duty trucks announced Oct. 25 would reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption 20 percent by the 2018 model year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimate 7 percent to 20 percent fuel efficiency gains over model years beginning in 2014. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85930 Fuel Economy Regulation For Medium-, Heavy-Duty Trucks Proposed By Feds. US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced the first federal fuel economy standard for medium- and heavy-duty trucks October 25. This proposed regulation, coming after recently implemented diesel emission requirements, will establish fuel economy standards for a range of vehicles …Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/fleet/trucks/feds_propose_fuel_economy_standards_for_trucks_1026/ GREEN ENERGY Largest-Ever Solar Project Approved In California. Washington -- The Obama administration has approved a thousand-megawatt solar project on federal land in Southern California, the largest solar project ever planned on U.S. public lands. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar hailed the $6 billion Blythe Solar Power Project, to be built in the Mojave Desert near Blythe, as the start of a boom in solar power on federal lands. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_16432982?source=rss Visalia Seeks To Green-Up Businesses. In an age of environmental responsibility, cutting down on emissions and energy consumption can play perfectly into a business’ marketing strategy while reducing overhead costs. The Visalia Chamber of Commerce understands this and wants local businesses to adopt the concept through a new program developed in partnership with the city and several companies making up the Visalia Green Business Alliance. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/environment/6878-visalia-seeks-to-green-up-businesses New EPA Rules Could Weaken Power Grid, Report Says. The reliability of the U.S. power grid could be weakened by a set of environmental rules being developed by the Obama administration, according to a new report by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. The report, which will be released Tuesday but was obtained early by Dow Jones Newswires, identifies four rules at the Environmental Protection Agency that could force utility companies to retire older units or install environmental controls that suck up power to operate. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101025-713557.html VEHICLES Volvo Gets First Order For Methane/Diesel Buses. Volvo said Tuesday it has received its first order for buses that operate on both biogas and diesel. MAIN FACTS: -Using diesel technology increases environmental efficiency compared with current gas-operated buses. -Biogas is a renewable fuel that contributes to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Many gas-operated buses currently use biogas as fuel. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101026-703075.html California to Get another $900M from Feds for Rail. Federal lawmakers say the state of California is getting another $902 million in federal funding to advance the design and construction of a high-speed rail system initially running from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The funding announcement is being made in the days leading up to a high-stakes election featuring Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and Republican Carly Fiorina. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/25/AR2010102502840.html OPINION Proposition 23's Rate-Hike Myth. Supporters of Proposition 23 assert that there will be huge electricity rate hikes — of up to 60% — unless the initiative passes. It's simply not true. I've been shocked by many of the specious claims made by Proposition 23's proponents. Supporters say it would save jobs, when in fact it would kill the state's fledgling green tech industry. They say it would suspend California's signature climate change law only temporarily, when in fact it sets up criteria for restarting the law that the state is unlikely to hit anytime soon. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-nahai-proposition-23-20101026,0,690986,print.story Big Oil Companies Versus The 'Global Warming Law'. As Election Day nears, the debate around Proposition 23 has heated. If passed, it would suspend AB 32, otherwise known as the "global warming law," created to reduce California's greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, until unemployment rates go up. In an Op-Ed from Tuesday’s Opinion pages, Jack M. Stewart, president of the California Manufacturers & Technology Assn., argues in support of Prop. 23. Posted. http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2010/10/big-oil-companies-vs-the-global-warming-law.html Vote NO on Proposition 26 - If Polluters Don't Pay, Taxpayers Will. n the 2005 film Thank You For Smoking, a group of lobbyists for the tobacco, alcohol and gun industries jokingly refer to themselves as the “MOD Squad”—shorthand for “Merchants of Death.” At the end of the film the MOD Squad grows to include lobbyists for fast food, hazardous waste and oil. The list of donors to Proposition 26 -- which will appear on the November 2010 ballot -- reads eerily like a roster for the MOD Squad. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/8310 Prop. 23 Not Just For Hippies. Due to an upcoming proposition on November’s ballot, the viability and competitiveness of America’s economy is being threatened by postponing a piece of legislation known as Assembly Bill 32. The goal of California AB32 is to set a standard for the 1990 greenhouse gas emission levels by reducing 15 percent of today’s emissions by 2020. Posted. http://www.dailytitan.com/2010/10/26/prop-23/ For Sake Of Jobs, Delay A.B. 32. If the polls are right, California voters are having trouble deciding how to vote on Proposition 23. We believe it, because this measure divided our editorial board more evenly than any other in the Nov. 2 election. Our board's own close balloting resulted in our decision to support Proposition 23. This measure's appeal is that it could save a million jobs, according to proponents, and they probably are right. Posted. http://www.sbsun.com/editorial/ci_16423825 BLOGS On Balance, Hype, Climate and the Media. Jeff Huggins, a frequent Dot Earth commenter and a tough critic of media coverage of climate change, has for months been urging me to write a piece providing my suggestions to journalists covering this issue. Given the never-ending flow of news, my responsibilities at Pace University and the reality that climate is just one facet of what I cover here, I haven’t had time to write something new. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/on-balance-hype-climate-and-the-media/?pagemode=print Emissions Rating for Chevy Volt Doesn’t Consider Electric Driving. For people with typical commutes, the coming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is likely to be driven as an electric car, producing no tailpipe emissions, much of the time. That would make it effectively cleaner than most cars on the road. So the California Air Resources Board’s emissions classification of the 2011 Volt as a 50-state ULEV — no better than some gas-only vehicles, including the 1.8-liter 2011 Honda Civic — might seem confusing. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/emissions-rating-for-chevy-volt-doesnt-consider-electric-driving/?pagemode=print Back-To-Back Drives In The Chevrolet Volt And Nissan Leaf. The Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt take different approaches to environmentally friendly motoring, and they look about as dissimilar as Laurel and Hardy. But how do they compare on the road? While Nissan and Chevrolet have recently allowed some journalists to drive their vehicles at separate events, I had the opportunity last week for a rare back-to-back turn at the wheel. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/back-to-back-drives-in-the-chevrolet-volt-and-nissan-leaf/?pagemode=print And the Winner Is … a Very Frugal Dorm. University of North Carolina Daniel Arneman, an energy expert at the University of North Carolina, on the solar-paneled roof of Morrison Residence Hall. The dormitory cut its energy use by 36 percent, the E.P.A. said. There was no prize for winning the Environmental Protection Agency’s first-ever National Building Competition, in which 14 teams across the country engaged in a Biggest Loser-style contest to wring the most energy savings out of their respective buildings. The reward was the cash savings from reducing energy use, and perhaps some bragging rights. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/and-the-winner-is-a-very-frugal-dorm/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:25:00 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 27, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 27, 2010. 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 California Farmers Swap Old Tractors, Boost Air Quality. Fresno -- California farmers and ranchers are helping lower air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley and other smog-laden regions by embracing a federal program that replaces old diesel tractors with cleaner-running farm equipment. In the last two years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service has helped farmers replace 814 aging machines with more modern equipment. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_16446253?nclick_check=1 Developers To Pay Tehama County Air Fees. Developers will face having to pay a fee or including mitigation projects in future developments to keep the air clean. Just one week before the Nov. 2 election, when voters will decide on Proposition 26, the Board of Supervisors approved a fee that will be used to mitigate air pollution, keeping county levels in line with EPA standards. If passed, Proposition 26 will require a two-thirds majority for local governments to pass special taxes. Posted. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_16446262 Refinery Chemical Linked To Birth Defects. Spina bifida and other neural tube defects are more common in babies whose mothers live in neighborhoods with high air levels of benzene – a chemical released from oil and gasoline refineries as well as traffic exhaust. That finding was reported this week by scientists who analyzed data from the Texas Birth Defects Registry and compared it to federal models of air pollutants. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/refinery-chemical-linked-birth-defects-6121 CLIMATE CHANGE Global Warming Seen As Threat To State's Parks. Stunted redwoods, flooded campgrounds and a mighty Yosemite waterfall reduced to a trickle. Those are a few of the dire consequences facing 10 California parks over the next century because of rapidly changing climate patterns, according to a new study by an environmental think tank. "We're trying to illustrate that the ways we affect the climate affect the places we love," said Stephen Saunders … Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/26/MN4F1G291R.DTL As Prop. 23's Prospects Dim, Focus Turns to Lesser Known 26. Fighting Proposition 23, which would suspend the state’s landmark global warming law, has been the top priority for California environmental groups this election season. Yet, with most of the latest recent polls indicating that Prop. 23 will be defeated, greens are now turning more of their attention to a lesser-known measure, Proposition 26. “At first, there was a fear that the oil companies were going to spend $50 million or more to pass Prop. 23, and now it’s clear that’s not happening," said Bill McGavern, director of Sierra Club California, "and some of the oil companies are instead putting their cash into Prop. 26.” Posted. http://www.baycitizen.org/proposition-23/story/prop-prospects-dim-focus-turns/print/ Air Board Votes To End Smoke Test On Many Vehicles. Rejecting a recommendation from its staff and agreeing instead with a proposal from the California Farm Bureau Federation and other agricultural and business groups, the California Air Resources Board voted unanimously last week to drop a requirement that certain on-road diesel vehicles undergo annual smoke testing. Instead, those vehicles will be required only to have biennial smog checks. Posted. http://www.cfbf.com/agalert/AgAlertStory.cfm?ID=1622&ck=C7AF0926B294E47E52E46CFEBE173F20 Faith In Bipartisan Climate Options Persists Ahead Of Election. Joel Kirkland, E&E reporter. Large-scale efforts to pass a broad U.S. climate policy are off the table for at least a couple of years, Washington insiders say, but the noxious political atmosphere shouldn't upend bipartisan energy reforms geared toward cutting industrial emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/27/2 Climate Champion, Behind In Polls, Defends Clean Energy Agenda. A key test of Democratic climate policies is unfolding in southern Virginia, where Rep. Tom Perriello (D) is promoting his controversial vote to reduce carbon emissions in a backyard brawl that threatens to eject the freshman lawmaker on Tuesday. Perriello is also touting his support for economic stimulus funding, which he says provides tax credits and grants to businesses developing clean energy products. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/27/3 Report Sees Hot Future Ahead For Calif. National Parks. Ten national parks in California could be headed for steep temperature increases over the next century that could alter their ecosystems and drive tourism from some of the more iconic settings in the western United States. This is the conclusion from a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/27/4 Chinese Envoy Defends Use Of Clean Technology Subsidies. A top Chinese Embassy official yesterday defended his country's use of subsidies to clean energy industries as necessary to combating climate change. Sun Guoshun, first secretary at the Embassy Of The People's Republic Of China in Washington, D.C., also called suggestions that China is trying to avoid international emissions obligations as part of the U.N. climate change negotiations "unfair and unacceptable." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/27/5 DIESEL EMISSIONS On The Money: Air Pollution Fight Gets Dirty. Critics Accuse State Agency of Using Bad Science. The fight over diesel fuel is heating up. Public health advocates are battling it out with the construction industry over new rules that were supposed to start in 2012, but have now been pushed back another two years. Critics say those new rules affecting diesel emissions are based on bad data. California's Air Resources Board now admits it overestimated the amount of diesel pollution by 340%. Posted. http://cbs13.com/onthemoney/air.pollution.california.2.1982137.html GREEN ENERGY Feds Approve Largest-Ever Solar Project In Calif. Washington -The Obama administration has approved a thousand-megawatt solar project on federal land in southern California, the largest solar project ever planned on U.S. public lands. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar hailed the $6 billion Blythe Solar Power Project, to be built in the Mojave Desert near Blythe, Calif., as the start of a boom in solar power on federal lands. "Today is a day that makes me excited about the nation's future," Salazar said Monday at a news conference. Posted. http://www.dailynews.com/ci_16429756?source=most_emailed New EPA Rules Will Erode Power Grid Reliability, Report Finds. Energy reserves available to the power grid for peak use could be cut in half, says an industry report, as power plants are retired for noncompliance with stiffer clean-air and clean-water rules. Four federal environmental regulations to improve water and air quality could by 2018 chop by nearly half the amount of projected reserve energy available to the US power grid, says a new report. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/1026/New-EPA-rules-will-erode-power-grid-reliability-report-finds Calif. AG Race Has National Energy Implications. The winner of California's race for attorney general will have a tremendous amount of influence over state and federal environment and energy policy, although the race doesn't particularly hinge on environmental issues. San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris (D) is the environmentalists' clear favorite over Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley (R). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/10/27/3/ VEHICLES Electric Cars To Get Boost From Bay Area Grants. Envision a time when 1,000 charging stations for electric cars sprout at parking garages, shopping centers and other public spots across the Bay Area. Some taxis, rather than filling up with gas or waiting for a recharge, will simply swap their battery out at a changing station. Home chargers will be able to monitor utility rates while you sleep and recharge your electric car's battery at the lowest price. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/27/BAD81G284U.DTL Chevy Volt Won't Qualify for HOV Lane or $5,000 Rebate in California. When hybrids first hit the streets in numbers a decade ago, a huge advantage to owning one was getting a pass to drive on California's coveted high-occupancy vehicles lanes, which are otherwise reserved for carpools. Hybrids became too plentiful years ago and lost that right, but Nissan's new Leaf, an electric car, has been designated a zero-emission vehicle will qualify for HOV lane access, a $5,000 state tax rebate and preferential parking. Posted. http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/sns-chevy-volt-wont-qualify-for-hov-l20101026,0,2844313.story OPINION Editorial: Prop. 26 Could Be Dirty Sleeper On State Ballot. Unless the polls are dramatically wrong, it appears that voters are smartly souring on Proposition 23, an initiative that would indefinitely suspend California's law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A poll by the Public Policy Institute of California released last week showed 48 percent of those surveyed opposing the initiative, with only 37 percent in favor. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/27/v-print/3135016/prop-26-could-be-dirty-sleeper.html Prop 23: It's About Our Future. The November 2 election is less than a week away. At the polls, voters will determine the fate of California's leadership role in developing a clean energy economy. Proposition 23, an initiative on the ballot, aims to suspend landmark environmental laws in California. If Prop 23 is approved by voters, the implementation of the California Global Warming Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32 or AB 32) will be suspended until the state unemployment rate drops to 5.5% or below for four consecutive quarters. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hunt-ramsbottom/prop-23-its-about-our-fut_b_774721.html Brown In Command, Boxer Holding On, A Big Green Victory in the Making. The great Republican wave is going to crash against the Eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, if indeed it makes it across the Nevada desert. Despite running against the biggest spending candidate in American history, Jerry Brown is in command in the race for governor of California, the former governor and presidential contender close to completing an amazing comeback. Senator Barbara Boxer is holding on despite being targeted by big-spending national Republican groups. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-bradley/brown-in-command-boxer-ho_b_774657.html Dirty Energy Bill May Erase Clean Jobs. If Proposition 23 passes, it would suspend an air pollution law that oversees the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Suspension of the law would continue until California's unemployment rate drops drastically. In 2006, the Global Warming Solutions Act, also known as AB32, passed in California. The act would set goals for major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.thejackonline.org/news/dirty-energy-bill-may-erase-clean-jobs-1.2383566 BLOGS Sales Of Electric Cars Might Lack Juice. All the hype about the new generation of electric cars may just be reflecting the passions of technology geeks and environmentalists. Auto industry market research Company J.D. Power and Associates said Wednesday that combined global sales of hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles were expected to reach just 5.2 million vehicles in 2020, or only 7.3% of the 70.9 million autos expected to be sold that year. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/10/electric-car-sales-might-be-all-hype.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 Hybrid, Battery-Electric Cars: Will The Hype Lead To Sales? Despite the flurry of attention surrounding the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, hybrid and battery-electric vehicles are likely to account for just 7.3% of the 70.9 million passenger vehicles sold globally in 2020, according to a study released Wednesday by J.D. Power and Associates. According to the Drive Green 2020 Report, the main reasons U.S. car buyers do not consider buying hybrids are cost, displeasing designs, performance deficiencies and maintenance concerns. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/chevy-volt-nissan-leaf-hybrid-cars.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 A Cultural Barrier to Action on Climate Change. It may seem far-fetched to compare the resistance to action on climate change to the slow progress toward the abolition of slavery or the recognition of the fatal effects of smoking, but a University of Michigan researcher says in a new paper that it will take just such a tectonic shift in public attitudes for society to begin to accept the reality of global warming and do something about it. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/a-cultural-barrier-to-action-on-climate-change/?pagemode=print Global Warming and the ‘Tyranny of Boredom’. My discussion of the newsroom “tyrannies” that impede effective media coverage of human-driven climate change elicited a provocative response from Randy Olson, the marine biologist turned filmmaker and communication coach for scientists. I’ve long described what I call tyrannies in talks to journalists and students — including the tyrannies of (limited) time and space, balance, the lure of the “front-page thought” and conflict, the need for a “news peg” (a reason for a story to run today, not next month, next year or never). http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/global-warming-and-the-tyranny-of-boredom/?pagemode=print The Politics of Global Warming. If California were a country, it would be the world's 19th largest polluter. Recognizing that, a few years ago lawmakers here passed AB 32, a first in the nation 'cap and trade' type anti-global warming bill. But come Tuesday, voters here have the opportunity to turn back the clock. Proposition 23 would stop the state's "Global Warming Solutions Act' from taking effect in January. Posted. http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/print/2010/10/27/politics-global-warming ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:49:52 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 28, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 28, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE Environment Up For Discussion In California Attorney General Race. Democrat Kamala Harris accuses Steve Cooley of lacking political courage for not joining her in opposing the ballot measure to suspend California's crackdown on greenhouse gas emissions. Cooley blasts the San Francisco district attorney as a political idealogue and vows to defend whatever position voters take on Proposition 23. As the two campaign for attorney general, environmental protection is on the agenda. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/28/v-print/3138361/environment-up-for-discussion.html Green Pilot Projects In Bay Area Get Funding. San Francisco -- San Francisco Bay area transportation officials have given the green light to seventeen pilot projects aimed at combating climate change. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission on Wednesday approved $33 million in federal funds for the projects. They include deploying electric taxis in San Francisco and San Jose and having a mobile bicycle shop visit schools in Alameda County to encourage children to ride bicycles and offer tips about safety and maintenance. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/28/v-print/3139539/green-pilot-projects-in-sf-bay.html SoCal Business Leaders Say "Fight Pollution Without Causing More Business and Job Flight". "Our effort to address climate change must not worsen our state's economy, our severe unemployment, or continuing fiscal crisis," Southern California leaders advise the California Air Resources Board on the eve of their issuance of proposed AB 32 regulations. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/28/prwebprweb4714264.DTL&type=printable Companies Fight To Keep Global Warming Data Secret. Washington -- Some of the country's largest emitters of heat-trapping gases, including businesses that publicly support efforts to curb global warming, don't want the public knowing exactly how much they pollute. Oil producers and refiners, along with manufacturers of steel, aluminum and even home appliances, are fighting a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency that would make the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that companies release — and the underlying data businesses use to calculate the amounts — available online. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/28/national/w001221D17.DTL&type=printable United Nations Carbon Credit Prices May Increase, Barclays Says. Barclays Plc forecasts that prices of United Nations Certified Emission Reduction credits will rise as new rules reduce supplies, an analyst said. The issuance of as much as 30 million metric tons of CERs under UN's Clean Development Mechanism may be delayed to next year, cutting this year's supplies by about 30 percent, Trevor Sikorski, a London-based analyst at Barclays, said in an interview at the Carbon Asia Forum 2010 conference in Singapore today. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/28/bloomberg1376-LAZKFF0YHQ0X01-0833OKLHR2M1IEVOUG0Q68GVHR.DTL&type=printable Global Warming Playing A Big Role In Some Key Races. Charlottesville, Va. -- Republican Robert Hurt had barely begun his opening statement in the congressional candidates' debate here last week when he accused his Democratic opponent of endorsing "job-killing cap and trade." Hurt, a state senator, repeated the charge five times in the next hour, insisting each time that incumbent Rep. Tom Perriello's vote last year for a House energy and climate change bill would cost the state 50,000 jobs if it becomes law. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/28/v-print/3139348/global-warming-playing-a-big-role.html Director Cameron Joins Anti-Prop. 23 Campaign. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron unveiled a new online advertisement Wednesday urging voters to oppose a rollback of the state's climate change law. Cameron donated $1 million to the committee opposing Proposition 23, which seeks to suspend the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which was championed by Schwarzenegger. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/28/v-print/3138442/director-cameron-joins-anti-prop.html China Promises Action On Trade Surplus, Emissions. Beijing -- China's leaders are promising to narrow its huge trade surplus and curb surging emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases in an ambitious five-year plan to make its economy cleaner and more high-tech. The Communist Party plan also promises to encourage consumer spending to reduce reliance on exports to power growth. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/28/v-print/3138997/china-promises-action-on-trade.html Shell, ConocoPhillips May Get Free Carbon Permits in California. Oil refiners including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and ConocoPhillips would be among the companies to get free pollution rights under California’s planned cap-and-trade program for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The proposed rules for the cap-and-trade program, in which electricity companies, factories and refineries would buy and sell carbon dioxide permits, are to be unveiled tomorrow by the California Air Resources Board. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-28/shell-conocophillips-may-get-free-carbon-permits-in-california.html Prop 23 Faces Uphill Battle on Election Day. Santa Maria - If approved by the voters Proposition 23 would freeze certain provisions of Assembly Bill 32, California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, until the state's unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent or below for four consecutive quarters. AB 32 requires that by 2020 the state's greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to 1990 levels or a roughly 25 percent reduction from current estimates. The California Air Resources Board has the regulatory authority to enforce AB 32 and has begun issuing fines to businesses that fail to comply with the new law. Posted. http://www.kcoy.com/Global/story.asp?S=13400772&clienttype=printable All States But Texas On Track To Issue GHG Permits – Report. With state regulators required to start issuing Clean Air Act permits next year for large stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the Lone Star State will be the lone holdout, according to a report released today by an association of state and local air agencies. The states are scrambling to align their own rules with U.S. EPA's new regulations, which are set to take effect on Jan. 2, 2011. Thirty-six states have already gotten federal approval to begin issuing greenhouse gas permits. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/28/1 DIESELS New Life For Old Engines. Chico company creates innovative filter allowing older diesel engines to meet new emissions standards. Two years ago, in October 2008, Bill Gaines, the chairman of TransferFlow, a Chico manufacturing facility, and some of his engineers began thinking about diesel engines—specifically, stationary and portable engines, the kinds on agricultural pumps and farm equipment. There are hundreds of such engines in Butte County alone, and thousands in California. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/chico/PrintFriendly?oid=1865869 ARB Plan Could Hurt Sales Of Used Forklifts. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) aims to complete work on another enforcement extension for diesel emissions during a 16-17 December meeting, and the agency hopes the changes will help the forklift and other off-highway-vehicle industries in working toward compliance. A concern within the forklift industry involves the ability to sell used equipment. Posted. http://www.forkliftaction.com/news/newsdisplay.aspx?nwid=9143# FUELS Natural-Gas Swings in U.K. Drop to 11-Year Low: Energy Markets. U.K. natural gas is trading in the narrowest range in 11 years as increased imports and storage capacity counters concern that North Sea production is waning. Gas for delivery next month at the National Balancing Point, Britain's hub for the fuel, costs between 45.4 pence (72 U.S. cents) and 48.7 pence a therm in October, the smallest difference for the period since 1999. Prices fluctuated between 29.05 pence and 51.5 pence during the summer months. October is the first month of the winter season that ends in March. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/28/bloomberg1376-LAZ72Q1A74E901-3UB6J4SR7QMNKP5H6ALIPSEPO4.DTL&type=printable GREEN ENERGY Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Unveils Solar Power System. Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital is proving that going green will improve its bottom line. On Wednesday, Sutter Auburn Faith unveiled its new solar power system, which will supply about a third of the electricity needs for the 87-bed, acute care hospital. The nonprofit health care provider said the 3,000-panel solar array will save about $2.5 million in energy costs over 25 years. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/28/v-print/3138441/sutter-auburn-faith-hospital-unveils.html TRANSPORTATION Green Transportation Experiments Get Go-Ahead. Seventeen innovative Bay Area transportation projects that aim to combat climate change - ranging from electric taxis and mobile bicycle repair shops to pavement recycling and dynamic ridesharing - will soon get the chance to show their stuff. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/28/BA2B1G2VDE.DTL&type=printable GM's 2011 Volt Buyers Won't Get $3,000 Rebate From California. Buyers of GM's 2011 Chevrolet Volt won't get California's $3,000 rebate for the most advanced cars while Toyota's Prius plug-in hybrid that can't drive as far without gas qualifies for an incentive. General Motors opted to certify 2011 model year Volts as so-called ultra-low emission vehicles for sale in California with state regulators. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_16453168?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Chevrolet Volt Fails California Emissions Requirement. If you live in California and are looking forward to buying a 2011 Chevrolet Volt to bypass the gridlock of your morning commute, you may be disappointed. The Volt has failed emission requirements set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) -- so unless Chevy resolves the issue quickly, the Volt can’t be driven in the HOV lane. Posted. http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/daily-news/101028-Chevrolet-Volt-Fails-California-Emissions-Requirement/ Calif., Fla. Get Biggest Chunks Of New High-Speed Rail Grants. California and Florida will receive more than half of the $2.4 billion in grants for high-speed rail projects announced today by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The grants will be distributed to 54 rail projects in 23 states and will cover everything from construction to environmental reviews. The Federal Railroad Administration received requests totaling $8.8 billion, more than three times the funds available. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/28/11 Consumer Concerns Will Hinder Electric Car Sales – Report. Low gas prices and concerns about technology will hurt the initial launch of electric cars, according to a new study from auto industry market research firm J.D. Power & Associates. The report estimates combined global sales of hybrid-electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles to hit just 5.2 million in 2020, about 7.3 percent of the total autos sold that year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/28/17 MISCELLANEOUS Global Fluorochemicals Market to Exceed 2.6 Million Tons by 2015, According to a New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Worldwide economic recession negatively affected fluorochemicals market that was already reeling under the pressure of stringent environmental regulations and consumer shift towards non-fluorochemical options. During 2008 and 2009, major end-use sectors of fluorochemicals such as electronics, wire & cable, refrigeration, and air conditioning fell noticeably, thereby resulting in drop in demand for fluorochemicals. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/28/prwebprweb4708534.DTL&type=printable OPINION Prop. 23 Puts Jobs Before Wishful Thinking. I love this quote from clean-tech exec Eric Dresselhuys to The Chronicle's David R. Baker: "If California isn't leading the charge on implementing these technologies, why be here? Do you want to be here for the high taxes, the high cost of living? Right now, you want to be here because California is where the action is." In a nutshell, that is the argument against Proposition 23 - which would stall the impending implementation of AB32, California's landmark 2006 global-warming bill, until unemployment dips to 5.5 percent. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/28/EDAI1G28UN.DTL&type=printable Prop. 23 Another Bay Area-Texas Showdown. Highlights from other team contests pitting San Francisco and the Bay Area against Texas interests: The home team is fielding a far more powerful financial lineup in the battle over Proposition 23, which would suspend California's climate change law for the far foreseeable future. This one sets an oil and gas company coalition from San Antonio against a San Francisco hedge fund manager and some powerful helpers. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/28/BUDL1G2H66.DTL&type=printable Ignoring the Planet Won’t Fix It. It’s hardly surprising that a study released the other day by a scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research didn’t register on any political radar screens, amid Kentucky foot stomps, dead wrestlers, $2 billion in campaign spending and the pitched battles for control of Congress. And, political year or not, there’s only so much news value in any projection of what might happen in climate science. Still, you don’t need a Ph.D. to ponder the potential ramifications of the study, by Aiguo Dai, who works with the center’s Climate and Global Dynamics Division. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/nyregion/28towns.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print Debate On Global Warming Isn’t Over. May I suggest a more fundamental consideration in making a decision about how to vote on Proposition 23? I haven’t seen this emphasized elsewhere, but it is basic: You either don’t believe in man-made global warming (vote yes), or you do (vote no). Here’s a bold statement: There is no valid scientific evidence that man contributes significantly to global warming. Posted. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_eb1a2e8a-e246-11df-9a3f-001cc4c002e0.html?print=1 Our View: Prop 26 Also Backed By Big Business. Measure would spur a bevy of lawsuits regarding what is a fee and what is a tax. Unless the polls are dramatically wrong, it appears that voters are smartly souring on Proposition 23, an initiative that would indefinitely suspend California's law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/10/28/v-print/1628437/our-view-prop-26-also-backed-by.html BLOGS Clearing The Confusion: An Interactive Explanation Of Prop 23. The November ballot's Proposition 23, addressing state law and greenhouse gas emissions, is one of those confusingly structured California ballot measures in which voting yes means no, and vice versa. This interactive graphic provides a quick guide to some of the pro and con arguments and predicted effects of this controversial proposition. Voting yes on Prop 23 means temporarily suspending (saying no to, that is) Assembly Bill 32. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inoakland/detail?entry_id=75653#ixzz13g31hWkz ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:00:07 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for October 29, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 29, 2010. 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 California Air Board To Unveil Cap-And-Trade Program For CO2. With voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of California's climate change law, regulators are pressing ahead with a key part of the statute that puts limits on how much the state's companies can pollute. The California Air Resources Board today will unveil new rules and regulations for a cap-and-trade program. It will set a ceiling on the amount of carbon that refiners, power companies and major manufacturers can emit each year. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/29/v-print/3142005/california-air-board-to-unveil.html California Doubles Carbon-Offset Use in Cap-and-Trade Plan to Meet Targets. California environmental regulators plan to let power plants, oil refineries and factories use more carbon offsets to meet pollution targets in the state’s cap-and- trade program for greenhouse gases. Companies in the cap-and-trade program could use the offsets, which are pollution cuts from unregulated sources such as farms and forests, to meet up to 8 percent of their “compliance obligation,” the California Air Resources Board said in a report on its website. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-10-29/california-regulators-double-carbon-offset-usage-in-cap-and-trade-program.html California Unveils Greenhouse Gas Trading Scheme. California unveiled its final draft of a market system to curb greenhouse gases, relaxing expected rules in the face of a weak economy in a measure that could set the tone for the nation's climate policy. By agreeing to give away virtually all necessary permits to factories and power plants when the scheme starts in 2012 rather than sell them at auction, the state with the biggest economy and population is acknowledging the challenges of double-digit unemployment-- and the reality that pollution decreases as the economy slows. Posted. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN2929260420101029 CLIMATE CHANGE Big Partisan Gap on Climate Change Is Widened by Tea Partiers. The partisan divide over alternative energy grew the past two years, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Republican support for increased federal funding for wind, solar and hydrogen technology dropped 20 points from 2008, the survey found. There was a 13-point drop in the same time frame among GOP respondents favoring "better fuel efficiency" for vehicles. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/10/29/29climatewire-big-partisan-gap-on-climate-change-is-widene-54943.html?pagewanted=print Where Does the Country Stand on Climate Change? A new Pew Research Center poll gives us a clearer picture of where the country stands on global warming. According to the poll, the country’s stance on global warming has pretty much stayed the same during the last year. About 59 percent of Americans say there is “solid evidence” that the earth is warming, up slightly from this time last year, when 57 percent of Americans said the same thing. Posted. http://washingtonindependent.com/101897/where-does-the-country-stand-on-climate-change AIR POLLUTION Critics: Valley Air Fee Misses Dirtiest. Motorists who create less than a tenth of the valley's ozone problem could wind up paying most of a $29 million dirty-air penalty, say air quality activists. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District governing board last week approved a $12 annual fee to be paid by valley motorists. The fee is being levied to pay a penalty that was triggered this year when the region failed to meet a federal ozone standard. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/10/28/1403887/criticsair-fee-misses-dirtiest.html#ixzz13lPjLV5L http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x768777434/Valley-could-be-paying-bad-air-fines-for-years Smog Cuts Are Overestimated, Caltech Research Shows. Federal, state and local air pollution agencies might not be getting the smog reductions they are banking on when they regulate emissions sources ranging from nail polish and house paint to cars, trucks and train locomotives. A study published by Caltech scientists in the journal Science this week found that calculations used by regulatory agencies may be overestimating the anticipated smog reductions in Southern California by as much as 10 percent. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_ozone29.315dc86.html Winter Ritual: Get Ready To Check Before You Burn. The Check Before You Burn program is starting back up on Monday. The program, which aims to reduce airborne particulate pollution by regulating fireplace usage, runs each year from November to the end of February. The program is entering its eighth season. Posted. http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/health/106151898.html Ten Tips for Safer, Cleaner Fireplace Burning. Fireplace fires can cause emergencies, and breathing wood smoke is bad for our lungs and our hearts. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District have the following suggestions to keep you and our community safer and healthier. Posted. http://www.independent.com/news/2010/oct/28/ten-tips-safer-cleaner-fireplace-burning/ DIESEL EMISSIONS New Truck Registry At The Port Of Oakland Adds Layer Of Security At Terminals. The Port of Oakland reached a milestone Thursday in its goal to improve security and protect its valuable seaport, the fifth busiest in the nation. Since April, more than 5,000 trucks have signed up with the Secure Truck Management Program, or STEP, a truck registry system that identifies vehicles authorized to pick up and unload cargo at the port's marine terminals. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_16461462 CARB Verifies Longmile Diesel Particulate Filter. The LongMile diesel particulate filter from Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls has been verified as a Level 3+ unit for on-road applications by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The Level 3+ designation means the LongMile has successfully demonstrated diesel particulate matter (PM) emissions reductions of greater than 85% while meeting the NO2 emission standard, noted the company. Posted. http://fleetowner.com/green/archive/carb-verifies-longmile-diesel-1029/ TRANSPORTATION GE Prepares World's Largest Electric Vehicle Purchase. General Electric Co. will order "tens of thousands" of electric vehicles in about a week, a purchase CEO Jeffrey Immelt said will be the largest ever. Immelt did not give a total or reveal the brand of car to be purchased but said the order would help GE as it moves into clean energy technology. The company plans to have half of its 45,000 or so sales workers drive electric vehicles. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/29/11 Amtrak To Replace Locomotives With Greener Model. Amtrak will replace 64 locomotives in the Northeast corridor with a tweaked design that uses less electricity. The government-owned rail service will purchase 70 new electric locomotives between 2013 and 2019, Amtrak will announce today. The trains will have several new systems, including a regenerative braking feature that converts the motor's movement back into electric current. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/29/12 ENERGY California Gets Electric Cabs And Bike Sharing. It’s been a great week for alternative transportation in California. San Francisco Bay area transportation officials have given the green light to seventeen pilot projects aimed at combating climate change, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Thirty-three million dollars in federal funds for the projects have been allocated including deploying electric taxis in San Francisco and San Jose. Posted. http://alttransport.com/2010/10/california-gets-electric-cabs-and-bike-sharing/ Governor Schwarzenegger Applauds Approval of Calico Solar Project in Southern California. San Bernardino, California - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger applauded the California Energy Commission (CEC) decision today to approve the Calico Solar Project, the seventh solar thermal power plant licensed by the state in the past two months, totaling 3,493 megawatts (MW) of renewable solar power. The Calico Project will generate 664 MW of clean, renewable energy and create nearly 900 jobs in San Bernardino County. Posted. http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8352&Itemid=23 The World Series of Renewable Energy. As thousands gathered in San Francisco to watch the Giants play Texas in the first game of the World Series, a coalition of local green groups gathered outside the stadium to remind crowds that California clean energy economy will face its own threat from Texas big oil in next week's election. Posted. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/10/the-world-series-of-renewable-energy OPINION Prop 23: "The Global Warming Proposition".You can usually determine the quality of an apple by looking at the tree from which it came. Proposition 23 is a rotten apple from a depraved tree. Under the crafty guise of the “California Jobs Initiative,” Prop. 23 is nothing more than a filthy piece of legislation aiming to protect out-of-state oil companies at the expense of California’s environment. Pay no attention to the misleading rhetoric of the oil companies: Prop. 23 is dirtier than the L.A. smog circa 1980. Posted. http://tsl.pomona.edu/new/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1477:prop-23-qthe-global-warming-propositionq&catid=56:outside-the-bubble&Itemid=98 BLOGS Bay Area Maps Out Bike-Sharing Effort. The San Francisco Bay area, long a center of cycling aficionados and Zipcar enthusiasts, is about to play host to a $7 million pilot bike-sharing program that will blend the two popular commuting alternatives. The largest pollution-control agency in the San Francisco Bay area is joining forces with several local jurisdictions and transportation agencies to pay for the program, whose aim is to reduce some of the tailpipe emissions that are responsible for more than half of the air pollution in the nine-county region. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/bay-area-maps-out-bike-sharing-effort/?partner=rss&emc=rss How to Make Solar Power Cost Competitive in 5 Years or Less. Last month, after a state senate bill increasing California's renewable energy standard failed to pass, the state's Air Resources Board (CARB) increased the goal on their own, establishing the 33 percent by 2012 renewable electricity standard. California now claims the country's highest renewable energy standard, with Colorado close behind -- 30 percent renewable by 2020. Posted. http://www.greenbiz.com/print/39987 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 15:45:55 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 1, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 1, 2010. 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 California Regulators Move Cap-And-Trade Rules Forward. San Francisco -California regulators issued on Friday proposed cap-and-trade rules they plan to adopt by the end of the year, a key part of a state climate law that is being challenged in next week's election. Under the proposed cap-and-trade rules, scheduled to start in 2012, the state Air Resources Board would place a limit, or cap, on greenhouse-gas emissions for the state that would decline over time. Greenhouse-gas emitters would need to obtain allowances to emit carbon dioxide from the state or other polluters with excess allowances. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101029-720286.html State Unveils New Rule For Battling Climate Change. Regulation would reduce pollution, but voters may suspend entire project. Sacramento - — The most controversial piece of California's efforts to battle climate change, a cap-and-trade program for large polluters, was unveiled Friday by the California Air Resources Board just days before the state's voters will decide whether to put the entire effort on hold. Posted. http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-10-30/news/24545526_1_cap-and-trade-program-climate-change-carbon-dioxide Recession Cut Level Of California's Carbon Cap. Lower pollution levels brought on by California's struggling economy have prompted the state to ratchet down its proposed cap on greenhouse gas emissions for 2012.On Friday, the California Air Resources Board unveiled new regulations for its cap-and-trade program, which places limits on the amount of carbon that the state's largest oil refineries and power companies can emit. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/30/v-print/3144519/recession-cut-level-of-californias.html California Unveils New Climate Law Rules. California plans a soft start to its new cap and trade program, which places tough new restrictions on the amount of greenhouse gases produced by California companies. The California Air Resources Board today unveiled the new regulations for the cap and trade program, which sets a ceiling on the amount of carbon that refiners, power companies and major manufacturers can emit each year. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/10/29/v-print/2137998/california-unveils-new-climate.html California Releases Landmark Global Warming Rules. Roughly 600 of California's major polluters -- from oil refineries to power plants and factories -- will face mandatory limits on the amount of greenhouse gases they emit, starting Jan. 1, 2012, under new rules released Friday by state air regulators. The facilities will be able to trade pollution credits under a new "cap and trade" market, and will be allowed to use projects that offset global warming, such as tree planting, to cover up to 8 percent of their emissions limits. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_16473945?source=rss California Doubles Offset Use in Cap-and-Trade Plan. (Updates with carbon permit price floor starting in the ninth paragraph.) -- California environmental regulators plan to let power plants, oil refineries and factories use more carbon offsets to meet pollution targets in the state's cap-and- trade program for greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/28/bloomberg1376-LB1W7D6S972801-1V45DHVUE5EPMUK6CPPHD594O7.DTL&type=printable California Carbon Auctions in 2015 May Boost Gasoline Prices. California's planned cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases may raise gasoline prices in 2015 when oil refiners are required to start buying carbon dioxide permits for pollution from cars and trucks, a state agency said. The program would regulate carbon dioxide emissions from the vehicles when they burn oil-based fuels. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/28/bloomberg1376-LB27O71A74E901-6ETG1T1AGITGP64MEGHMQPI0NP.DTL&type=printable State Releases Landmark Global Warming Rules. Roughly 600 of California's major polluters -- from oil refineries to power plants and factories -- will face mandatory limits on the amount of greenhouse gases they emit, starting Jan. 1, 2012, under new rules released Friday by state air regulators. The facilities will be able to trade pollution credits under a new "cap and trade" market, and will be allowed to use projects that offset global warming, such as tree planting, to cover up to 8 percent of their emissions limits. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_16473944?source=rss California Unveils Greenhouse Gas Trading Plan. San Francisco - California unveiled on Friday its final blueprint of a market system to curb greenhouse gases, relaxing expected rules in the face of a weak economy in a measure that could set the tone for the nation's climate policy. By agreeing to give away virtually all necessary permits to factories and power plants when the program starts in 2012, rather than sell them at auction, the U.S state with the biggest economy and population is acknowledging the challenges of double-digit unemployment -- and the reality that pollution decreases as the economy slows. Posted. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN2926068420101029?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true California Voters Could Reverse State Level Regulations Modeled After Kyoto Protocol. Americans living in the most industrialized regions of the country have a special stake in the outcome of a California ballot initiative that would suspend implementation of that state’s global warming law until after unemployment drops, according to policy experts who favor a free market response to energy needs. Posted. http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20101101/pl_dailycaller/californiavoterscouldreversestatelevelregulationsmodeledafterkyotoprotocol_1/print Why California's Environmentalists May Defeat Prop 23. Environmentalists are great at visualizing catastrophe - just see An Inconvenient Truth - but even the most doom-filled green would have had a difficult time imagining the past 12 months. From the debacle of the hacked Climategate e-mails to the bitter disappointment of Copenhagen to the slow death of carbon cap and trade in the Senate, the past year has mostly been one of reversals for the U.S. environmental movement. The midterm elections aren't looking any better. Tea Party–backed candidates not only oppose cap and trade, they question the reality of climate change. Posted. http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20101101/hl_time/08599202835500 Calif. Releases Landmark Rulings. About 600 of California's major polluters -- from oil refineries to power plants and factories -- will face mandatory limits on the amount of greenhouse gases they emit, starting Jan. 1, 2012, under rules released Friday by state air regulators. The facilities will be able to trade pollution credits under a new "cap and trade" market, and will be allowed to use projects that offset global warming, such as tree planting, to cover up to 8 percent of their emissions limits. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/rss/ci_16483970?source=rss California Doubles Carbon-Offset Use in Cap-and-Trade Plan to Meet Targets. California environmental regulators plan to let power plants, oil refineries and factories use more carbon offsets to meet pollution targets in the state’s cap-and- trade program for greenhouse gases. Companies in the cap-and-trade program could use the offsets, which are pollution cuts from unregulated sources such as farms and forests, to meet up to 8 percent of their “compliance obligation,” the California Air Resources Board said in a report on its website. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-10-29/california-regulators-double-carbon-offset-usage-in-cap-and-trade-program.html California Regulators Move Cap-And-Trade Rules Forward. San Francisco (Dow Jones)-California regulators issued on Friday proposed cap-and-trade rules they plan to adopt by the end of the year, a key part of a state climate law that is being challenged in next week's election. Under the proposed cap-and-trade rules, scheduled to start in 2012, the state Air Resources Board would place a limit, or cap, on greenhouse-gas emissions for the state that would decline over time. Posted. http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/10/29/california-regulators-cap-trade-rules-forward/ California Carbon Auctions in 2015 May Boost Gasoline Prices. California’s planned cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases may raise gasoline prices in 2015 when oil refiners are required to start buying carbon dioxide permits for pollution from cars and trucks, a state agency said. The program would regulate carbon dioxide emissions from the vehicles when they burn oil-based fuelsPosted. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-29/california-carbon-auctions-in-2015-may-boost-gasoline-prices.html California Reveals Terms Of Nation's First Economywide CO2 Cap-And-Trade System. California regulators have released the country's first comprehensive, mandatory emissions trading system for greenhouse gases. The California Air Resources Board issued a preliminary design last week detailing how approximately 2.7 billion allowances will be distributed to emitters in their effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 -- an amount anywhere between 18 million and 27 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/01/3 Cap and Trade, the California Way. Months after federal cap-and-trade legislation died in the Senate and days before California voters will decide on a fiercely fought ballot initiative to deep-freeze the state’s global-warming-prevention law, state regulators released hundreds of pages of rules on Friday for how the law is to be applied, industry by industry. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/cap-and-trade-the-california-way/?pagemode=print ARB Shows Its Cap-And-Trade Cards Before Voters Play Prop 23 Hand. While most of the rest of California is talking about whether to suspend or continue with AB 32, the state's Air Resources Board has released a plan about how they'd run the landmark greenhouse gas law's central program - the cap and trade program - and they're looking for public comment. Starting in two years, the first phase of the cap and trade program includes electricity and large industrial facilities. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2010/10/30/arb-shows-its-cap-and-trade-cards-voters-play-prop/ Cap-And-Trade Program Unveiled By California's Air Board. With voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of California's climate change law, regulators are pressing ahead with a key part of the statute that puts limits on how much the state's companies can pollute. The California Air Resources Board today will unveil new rules and regulations for a cap-and-trade program. It will set a ceiling on the amount of carbon that refiners, power companies and major manufacturers can emit each year. Posted. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/29/v-print/102816/cap-and-trade-program-unveiled.html California Air Resources Board Reveals Cap And Trade Regulation. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has revealed its greenhouse gas cap-and-trade regulation that will impact transportation fuels. It will provide an overall limit on the emissions from sources responsible for 85 per cent of California’s greenhouse gas emissions and is designed to work in collaboration with other complementary policies to expand energy efficiency programs and reduce vehicle emissions while encouraging innovation. Posted. http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/10/31/california-air-resources-board-reveals-cap-and-trade-regulation/ ARB Releases Proposed Cap-And-Trade Regulation For Comment; Transportation Fuels Impacted In 2015. The California Air Resources Board released its proposed greenhouse gas cap-and-trade regulation. The release begins a public comment period culminating in a 16 December public hearing in Sacramento, California, at which the Board will consider adopting the proposed program. During the public comment period, ARB staff will continue to meet with stakeholders to refine the regulation and develop proposed changes to present at the Board hearing. Posted. http://www.favstocks.com/arb-releases-proposed-cap-and-trade-regulation-for-comment-transportation-fuels-impacted-in-2015/2927250/ California Unveils Final Plan For Cap-And-Trade Scheme. Regional carbon trading scheme on track to launch in 2012. California unveiled the final draft proposals for its planned emissions cap-and-trade programme late last week, prompting a mixed reception from business leaders. While some Californians see the regulations as a positive spur for green jobs, others have criticized the policy as being too ambitious given the current economic challenges faced by the state. Posted. http://www.businessgreen.com/articles/print/2272505 California Reveals Terms Of Nation's First Economy-Wide CO2 Cap-And-Trade System. The California Air Resources Board issued a preliminary design last week for the country's first comprehensive, mandatory emissions trading system for greenhouse gases. California regulators have released the country's first comprehensive, mandatory emissions trading system for greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=california-reveals-terms-cap-and-trade&print=true California Unveils Greenhouse Gas Trading Plan. San Francisco – California unveiled on Friday its final blueprint of a market system to curb greenhouse gases, relaxing expected rules in the face of a weak economy in a measure that could set the tone for the nation's climate policy. By agreeing to give away virtually all necessary permits to factories and power plants when the program starts in 2012 … Posted. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101029/us_nm/us_carbon_california California ARB Releases Proposed GHG Regulation. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released its proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade regulation. The release begins a public comment period culminating in a Dec. 16 public hearing in Sacramento, Calif., at which ARB will consider adopting the proposed program. During the public comment period, ARB staff will continue to meet with stakeholders to refine the regulation and develop proposed changes to present at the hearing. Posted. http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.6791 California Issues Softened ETS Rules. California’s Air Resources Board (ARB) has released draft final rules on the operation of the state’s emissions trading scheme, the cornerstone of the state’s landmark global warming bill, AB 32. The release comes on the eve of US mid-term elections and appears to be framed to help combat attempts to delay its implementation. Posted. http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2159 CLIMATE CHANGE Oil And Tobacco Companies Face Off Against Environmentalists On Prop. 26. Until recently, Prop. 26, which would require the Legislature and local governments to use a two-thirds vote rather than a simple majority to pass fees on businesses, had been overshadowed by other measures. In the last two weeks of the campaign, oil companies have poured millions of dollars into promoting Proposition 26, a measure on Tuesday's ballot that would require a two-thirds vote, rather than a simple majority, for the state Legislature and local governments to assess many fees on business. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop26-20101101,0,2866295,print.story Prop. 23 Is A Money Saver, Valero Contends. The Texas oil company says its big Wilmington refinery would face prohibitive new costs, which it would have to pass on to consumers, if there's no relief from California's new emissions law. The Valero oil refinery sprawls over 140 acres beside the Port of Long Beach, a treeless tangle of steel pipes, smokestacks, boilers and storage tanks fenced in by chain link and razor wire. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1031-prop-23-refineries-20101031,0,1946569,print.story Ballot Initiatives Divide A Usually United Business Front. Propositions that, among others, would suspend California's emissions law and make it more difficult for governments to impose new fees draw less-than-unanimous support. Reporting from Sacramento. California business usually shows singular unanimity on election day. This year is a bit different. With voting Tuesday, the business community has coalesced, as usual, behind Republican candidates, including gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman, who is promising tax cuts and reduced regulation. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-business-election-20101031,0,2963099,print.story GOP Plans Attacks On The EPA And Climate Scientists. If Republicans win control of the House, they plan to go after the Obama administration's environmental policies and the researchers who have offered evidence on global warming, whom they accuse of manipulating data. If the GOP wins control of the House next week, senior congressional Republicans plan to launch a blistering attack on the Obama administration's environmental policies, as well as on scientists who link air pollution to climate change. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-epa-battle-ahead-20101030,0,2933063,print.story Scenarios: Republican Election Impact On Climate Change. Republicans are poised to make big gains in Tuesday's congressional elections, putting them in position to reverse Democrats' drive for comprehensive climate change legislation. President Barack Obama's Democrats, who largely support legislation requiring the first mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas pollution, currently hold majorities in both chambers of the U.S. Congress. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A04Y920101101 Uncertainty In US Energy Policy Is Cleantech’s Real Challenge. Californians will be voting tomorrow on Proposition 23, which would suspend AB32, California’s global warming law introduced in 2006 to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. AB32 is considered a pioneering piece of legislation that could lead the US into a clean energy economy, and startups and venture firms that back them have been drawn to California by the proposed law. Posted. http://venturebeat.com/2010/11/01/uncertainty-in-us-energy-policy-is-cleantech%E2%80%99s-real-challenge/ Chevron Spending $4 million on Prop 26, Prop 23's Stealthier Twin. Chevron CEO John Watson recently insisted his company is neutral on California Proposition 23, even though the so-called Dirty Energy Proposition seems like such a good fit. Chevron's money may be on a different horse, but the company is still in the same race to beat back environmental regulations and protect dirty energy profits. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-tarbotton/chevron-spending-4-millio_b_777093.html?view=print FUELS California Voters To Determine Future Of LCFS. Environmental groups and transportation fuel manufacturers nationwide will be keeping a watchful eye on the results of California’s mid-term elections Nov. 2. On the ballot is a proposition that could effectively halt most of the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) by implementing measures to promote renewable resources and lower carbon fuels. Posted. http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article-print.jsp?article_id=7100 GREEN ENERGY Solar Farm Sparks Heated Debate In California's Panoche Valley. San Benito County officials support a proposed Solargen facility just south of San Francisco Bay, but local farmers and ranchers say it will ruin their livelihoods and further endanger some species. A kind of family feud has erupted in San Benito County's rich slice of Central California farmland over plans to build a massive solar power facility in a valley shared by 20 ranchers and organic farmers and some of the rarest creatures in the United States. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-solar-panoche-20101101,0,3099917,print.story Nissan Shows Tiny Electric Concept Vehicle. Yokohama, Japan -- Nissan showed a two-seater electric vehicle resembling a go-cart Monday that isn't ready for sale but spotlights the Japanese automaker's ambitions to be the leader in zero-emission cars. Nissan Motor is planning to produce 250,000 electric vehicles a year, starting with the Leaf electric car set for delivery in Japan and the U.S. in December, and next year in Europe. Its alliance partner Renault of France is planning to produce another 250,000 electric vehicles a year. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/green-energy/ci_16491364 OPINION Dan Walters: New 'Big Four' Promise Big Impact. Polls tell us that all but a handful of Californians are very unhappy with the direction of the state and hunger for change, even if they disagree vehemently on what kind of change it should be. Change, however, is already in the air, because as Arnold Schwarzenegger exits the governorship he leaves behind four powerful – albeit unelected – agencies that could profoundly remake the state's economy and culture. One of those agencies, the Air Resources Board, predates Schwarzenegger. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/01/v-print/3147922/dan-walters-new-big-four-promise.html http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/11/01/1633955/dan-walters-change-is-in-the-air.html California's Dirty Prop 23. IT'S NOT Plan A, B or even C, but if Congress continues to do nothing on climate change, environmentalists can at least take heart that some states are planning to cut greenhouse emissions on their own. As usual on such issues, California leads the way, with a robust greenhouse gas law mandating a reduction in the state's emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, which its state legislature approved in 2006. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/30/AR2010103003474_pf.html Letter: Face inconvenient truths on Prop. 23. I laughed reading Dan Carter and Francis Farley's letters denouncing Proposition 23 suspending California's AB32 global warming law. They regurgitate emotional talking points like: "Say no to greedy Texas oil companies." Some inconvenient facts: 1. The New York Times reported that the "no on 23 forces" had raised $16.3 million to the yes campaign's $8.9 million, according to California Secretary of State. Where's big greed now? Follow the money. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/ci_16483171 OK Prop. 23 to save money. Vote “yes” on Prop. 23, which will delay the implementation of AB32 until the economy has improved. This is very reasonable. There is no question the regulations and the cap-and-tax program created by AB32 will reduce the number of jobs, slow the economic recovery and increase the unfriendly business environment in California. AB32 is intended to reduce greenhouse gasses. Here is what you haven’t been told: Posted. http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_c3e0d2b6-e484-11df-80c2-001cc4c03286.html Letters Blog: AB32: Powered Up By False Premises. Unlike doctors, there is no Hippocratic Oath for politicians promising to do no harm to their patients. Assembly Bill 32, The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 will do great economic harm to California citizens with no perceptible benefit. Proposition 23 would suspend implementation of AB32 until the state’s unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent. It’s helpful to examine the premises of AB32 and determine their validity. The stated purpose was to “achieve real, quantifiable, cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gases.” Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/letters-273493-powered-premises.html Why California's Prop 23 is Essential to Economy. Reports last month showed that California’s Air Resources Board miscalculated and overstated the state’s diesel pollution levels by more than 300 percent. This egregious error has major policy implications. The ARB, responsible for researching, calculating and implementing California’s air quality standards, originally claimed that California’s off-road machinery uses one billion gallons of diesel fuel per year. The ARB now admits, however, that the actual number is closer to 228 million gallons. Posted. http://www.opposingviews.com/i/why-california-s-prop-23-is-essential-to-economy California Voters Could Reverse State Level Regulations Modeled After Kyoto Protocol. Americans living in the most industrialized regions of the country have a special stake in the outcome of a California ballot initiative that would suspend implementation of that state’s global warming law until after unemployment drops, according to policy experts who favor a free market response to energy needs. Posted. http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20101101/pl_dailycaller/californiavoterscouldreversestatelevelregulationsmodeledafterkyotoprotocol_1/print Why California's Environmentalists May Defeat Prop 23. Environmentalists are great at visualizing catastrophe - just see An Inconvenient Truth - but even the most doom-filled green would have had a difficult time imagining the past 12 months. From the debacle of the hacked Climategate e-mails to the bitter disappointment of Copenhagen to the slow death of carbon cap and trade in the Senate, the past year has mostly been one of reversals for the U.S. environmental movement. Posted. http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20101101/hl_time/08599202835500 BLOGS Prop. 23: Why Did Valero Launch A Crusade Against California's Climate Law? In the most closely watched environmental election fight in the country, national conservation groups, Silicon Valley moguls, Hollywood celebrities and California politicians have waged a scorched-earth campaign against Valero Energy Corp., the nation's biggest independent oil refiner and the principal backer of Proposition 23, a Nov. 2 ballot measure to suspend California's ambitious global-warming law. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/prop-23-valero-global-warming-oil-refineries.html Big Oil Companies Push Prop. 26. When Chevron, California's largest company, looked at how it could wield influence in this election cycle, it shunned Proposition 23, the high-profile ballot initiative to suspend the state's global-warming law. So did Shell, Conoco Phillips and ExxonMobil. But if many of the large oil-producing companies judged the global-warming initiative as too controversial, and unlikely to succeed, they found another way to express their views. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/11/prop-26-a-new-strategy-for-big-oil.html Prop 23: The Whole World Watches as Narrow Interests and the Planet Collide in California. With the election of 2010 imminent, all eyes that are looking hopefully in the direction of a sustainable future are turned towards California, where two key propositions are providing the opportunity for Golden State voters to show, once again that when it comes to protecting the environment, California is the conscience of the country, if not the world. Most visible has been Proposition 23, which seeks to suspend the provisions of State Law AB32, the Global Warming Act of 2006, until the state unemployment rate reaches 5.5% for four consecutive quarters, a level that has only occurred for three years since 1980. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/blog/2010/11/01/prop-23-world-watches-narrow-interests-planet-collide-california/ Guest Post: Prop 23 Threatens California’s Clean Energy Future. 500,000 new jobs in green energy can’t be wrong, says Martin Chavez. Local governments across California are facing an assault on their efforts to create green jobs and foster vital business development through clean technology industries, and it will be up to voters on November 2nd to decide their fate. Posted. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/print/guest-post-prop-23-threatens-californias-clean-energy-future/ San Bernardino Solar Installation Approved. In two months, the California Energy Commission has blazed through seven solar power plant proposals, giving them the go-ahead to start construction in the desert. The most recent, the 664-megawatt Calico Solar Project planned for San Bernardino County, was unanimously cleared Thursday. Regulators from the federal Bureau of Land Management issued their own approval last week. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/calico-solar-installation-approved.html A Big Bet on Natural Gas. Exxon Mobil is the biggest publicly traded company in the world, but its stock price has been lagging over the last year chiefly because a lot of people wonder why it’s making such a big bet on natural gas. Exxon Mobil spent $41 billion a year ago to acquire XTO Energy, doubling its natural gas reserves. And it is building up a massive liquefied natural gas capacity around the globe. Too bad for Exxon Mobil that a gas glut in the United States and elsewhere is causing gas prices to tank, and a boom in shale drilling promises moderate prices for years to come. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/30/betting-big-on-natural-gas/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 15:36:18 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 2, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 2, 2010. 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 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Traders Refocus on State, Regional Programs. Carbon market enthusiasts have largely given up on the idea of federal legislation on greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, most are now looking to establish cap-and-trade in the United States gradually, through the spread of regional programs. Experts see only grim prospects for future leadership on climate change coming from Washington after today's vote count is tallied. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/02/02climatewire-greenhouse-gas-emissions-traders-refocus-on-26503.html Will the Ghost of Cap and Trade Haunt Democrats Tomorrow -- and Beyond? House Democrats are bracing for tough losses across the country today, and the controversial cap-and-trade climate bill is sure to be part of any post-election analysis. The Democrats' anticipated loss of the House will be attributed to the sour economy and unpopular health care reform law, the Wall Street bailout and economic stimulus bills, among other things. But Democrats' vote to support the House cap-and-trade climate bill has played prominently in more than a dozen races across the country…Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/11/02/02greenwire-will-the-ghost-of-cap-and-trade-haunt-democrat-85287.html?pagewanted=print CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG Predicted Voter Turnout Favors Climate Opponents. It's likely that more voters with doubts or denial about climate change will visit polling booths today than in years past, according to analysts and polling. "It's almost a foregone conclusion," Ed Maibach, director of George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication, said of the expected turnout. Republican enthusiasm and the party's rising dismissal of global warming are coinciding to make this an Election Day marked by climate dissent. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/02/02climatewire-predicted-voter-turnout-favors-climate-oppon-92875.html?pagewanted=print Second Poll Shows Californians Back Climate Change Law. A second poll in a week shows Californians remain steadfast in their support for the state's pioneering climate change law and don't want it suspended, as a controversial measure on Tuesday's ballot would do. The non-partisan Field Poll finds 48% of likely voters oppose Proposition 23, which would suspend the 2006 law until California's unemployment rate -- now 12.4% -- falls below 5.5% for a full year. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/11/poll-californians-climate-change-law/1 States, Enviro Groups Urge Court To Let EPA Climate Rules Proceed. Days after the Obama administration asked a federal court not to stop U.S. EPA's climate program from taking effect on Jan. 2, a coalition of 20 states and 13 environmental groups has pledged its support for the agency, saying that despite "extravagant claims of harm" from industry, the new greenhouse gas regulations would hardly hurt them. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/11/02/10/ Oil Firms Bankroll Calif. Climate-Change Measure. In California, voters will decide Tuesday whether to put the state's landmark climate-change law on hold until the jobless rate there goes down. The ballot measure known as Proposition 23 is being bankrolled mostly by oil companies. Supporters aren't saying that global warming is a good thing — or that it doesn't exist. Their arguments have mainly been about economic effects. Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130982095 Study Details Trade-Off Between Growing Crops, Climate Change. A new study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison underscores the often conflicting goals of feeding a growing global population and working to combat climate change. The study, published online Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides a detailed picture of how clearing land for farming also releases greenhouse gases into the environment. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/02/3151569/study-details-trade-off-between.html#ixzz149ETR9u2 Oil Companies for Prop 23 Stress Jobs, Costs Of Climate Measure. Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp., two of the biggest contributors to the $10 million that has been raised to support California's Proposition 23 ballot initiative, will find out today whether the money was put to good use. The state will cast its vote today on the proposition, which would stall California's aggressive climate change law until the state's unemployment rate has been less than 5.5 percent for a full year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/11/02/7/ Calif. Prop. 23: Greens Turn to Public Health Message to Mobilize Latino Voters. Opponents of California's Proposition 23, a measure that would block legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions, have turned to a public health focus to mobilize Latino voters. Research that I recently published with Ed Maibach and colleagues finds that this frame of reference has the potential to engage segments of the public who may otherwise be ambivalent or less concerned about climate change. Posted. http://bigthink.com/ideas/24773 AIR POLLUTION California Venture Capitalist Doerr Helps Fund Fight for Pollution Fees. Hedge-fund manager Tom Steyer and venture capitalist John Doerr, who are defending California’s global warming laws from a challenge at the ballot box, have also put $1.4 million toward a fight over government fees. Steyer, founder of San Francisco-based Farallon Capital Management LLC, gave $1 million last week to the campaign against Proposition 26, which would make it harder for state and local agencies to impose regulatory fees, according to California election records. Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in Menlo Park, gave $400,000. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-01/california-venture-capitalist-doerr-helps-fund-fight-for-pollution-fees.html EPA Plans Late-December Release For New Ozone Standard. Though the Obama administration was initially expected to issue stricter smog standards this summer, U.S. EPA now says it may not be ready to release a final rule until New Year's Eve. EPA is currently reconsidering the George W. Bush-era changes to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone, which is the main component in smog. A final decision is now scheduled to come by Dec. 31, the agency told a federal court yesterday. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/02/2 FUEL EPA Fuel Economy Labeling: Is There A Better Metric?The U.S. Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency face twin and equally daunting tasks as they revise the fuel economy labels as mandated by the 2007 Energy and Independence Security Act. Not only must they incorporate accurate fuel economy, greenhouse-gas emissions and smog-forming emissions ratings for gas-powered passenger vehicles, they also must incorporate plug-in battery-electrics that derive power from other sources. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/01/3149122/epa-fuel-economy-labeling-is-there.html#ixzz149F1FQGc GREEN ENERGY 'Green' Grades Are In For USD, UCSD. Officials at University of San Diego, home to a new solar-panel array, have made steady progress in sustainable efforts during recent years, according to a report card that grades U.S. colleges and universities on energy efficiency. The private university rose from a D+ in 2009 to a B+ this year in nonprofit group Sustainable Endowments Institute's annual sustainability report card. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/02/green-grades-are-usd-ucsd/ PG&E Suspends Northern Calif. Wave Energy Project. Arcata, Calif. -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is suspending a wave energy project it had planned to build off the northern California coast. PG&E says the WaveConnect project had become too expensive and that the technology had not developed fast enough for the project to be viable. The utility had planned to test three or four different wave power generators in an area about three miles off the coast of Arcata. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/31/state/n120259D09.DTL&type=printable Solar Installation Makes Cents. The sun beat down on 1,224 solar panels on the rooftop of east Lodi's Meehleis Modular Buildings Inc. on Monday morning, and a computer indicates 18.1 megawatts of power had been generated by 9:30 a.m. The solar panels atop the Meehleis warehouse can generate 190 kilowatts of power and represent 20 percent of all solar power in the city of Lodi. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101102/A_NEWS/11020315/-1/A_NEWS14 Intel, Kohl’s Lead U.S. in Purchasing Clean Energy. Computer-chip manufacturer Intel Corp. and Kohl’s Corp. department stores lead the U.S. in purchasing electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy, the Environmental Protection Agency said. Intel, for the third year in a row, is the biggest buyer of renewable power by volume, the EPA said in a statement today. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-01/intel-kohl-s-lead-u-s-in-purchasing-clean-electricity-epa-survey-says.html PORTS Port of Los Angeles OKs Creation of Nonprofit to Manage Community Mitigation Projects Despite State Lands Objections. Despite strong objections from the State Lands Commission, a new nonprofit organization approved by the Port of Los Angeles last week will begin meeting within the next six months to decide how to spend the money in a landmark Port of LA community mitigation trust fund. Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1372 OPINION California Vote on Greenhouse Gases Has National Import. The following editorial appeared Sunday in The Washington Post: It’s not Plan A, B or even C, but if Congress continues to do nothing on climate change, environmentalists can at least take heart that some states are planning to cut greenhouse emissions on their own. As usual, California leads the way, with a robust greenhouse gas law mandating a reduction in the state’s emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, which its state legislature approved in 2006. Posted. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/50582893-82/california-emissions-greenhouse-states.html.csp BLOGS Global Warming, Environmental Funds, Parks Featured On California Ballot. Voters in the Golden State headed to the polls Tuesday and faced the usual cluttered politi-prose of ballot initiatives. They can be forgiven if they're tempted to vote "no" across the board, and for environmentalists, that's two-thirds right. Here are the propositions that the green vote cares about: Prop. 23: This measure would suspend -- some say, effectively end -- California's landmark climate change legislation, known as AB 32, until the state experiences unemployment of 5.5% for a full year. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/global-warming-environmental-funds-parks-featured-on-california-ballot.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Prop. 26: A New Strategy For Big Oil Companies? When Chevron, California's largest company, looked at how it could wield influence in this election cycle, it shunned Proposition 23, the high-profile ballot initiative to suspend the state's global-warming law. So did Shell, Conoco Phillips and ExxonMobil. But if many of the large oil-producing companies judged the global-warming initiative as too controversial, and unlikely to succeed, they found another way to express their views. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/prop-26-prop-23-oil-companies-chevron.html Global Warming for Gamers. Think you’ve got the smarts to rein in climate change without crashing the global economy? In the real world, even leaders of nations are having trouble figuring that out. But in the new strategy video game “Fate of the World,” players singlehandedly confront that daunting challenge, while tackling peak oil, overpopulation and saving the rain forest to boot. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/global-warming-for-gamers/?partner=rss&emc=rss ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2010 14:37:16 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 3, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 3, 2010. 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 EPA Plans Late-December Release for New Ozone Standard. Though the Obama administration was initially expected to issue stricter smog standards this summer, U.S. EPA now says it may not be ready to release a final rule until New Year's Eve. EPA is currently reconsidering the George W. Bush-era changes to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone, which is the main component in smog. A final decision is now scheduled to come by Dec. 31, the agency told a federal court yesterday. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/11/02/02greenwire-epa-plans-late-december-release-for-new-ozone-83405.html?pagewanted=print First Fireplace-Use Ban Of The Autumn Issued. The season’s first fireplace and wood stove prohibition has been issued in Fresno, Tulare and the valley air basin portion of Kern counties for Wednesday, Nov, 3 by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The district says it’s imposing the ban because of deteriorating air quality. The daylong mandatory curtailment will be in place from midnight Wednesday, Nov. 3 until midnight Thursday, Nov. 4. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16745 Maersk Gauges CO2, Helps Starbucks Cut Emissions. Maersk Line, the shipping unit of Copenhagen-based A P Moller Maersk A/S, said it’s the first such company to verify its emissions of carbon dioxide, helping companies such as Starbucks Corp. reduce greenhouse gases. Maersk is taking the lead among shipping lines on verifying emissions, Lloyds Register Group, a risk-management company, said today in an e-mailed statement. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-11-02/maersk-ships-measure-co2-help-starbucks-cut-greenhouse-gases.html CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Law Suspension Defeated. Sacramento` -- Voters rejected a controversial proposal to suspend California's landmark greenhouse gas reduction law Tuesday, showing their support for the state's efforts to lead the nation in confronting climate change. The measure, Proposition 23, would have suspended the state's climate law until unemployment dropped below 5.5 percent for 12 months, which economic analysts said was not likely to happen for several years. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/02/MNGN1G2HVN.DTL&type=printable Californians Reject Effort To Suspend Climate Law. In a key test for U.S. environmental policy, Californians voted Tuesday in favor of the state's landmark climate change law, defeating a ballot measure backed by Texas-based oil companies that would have suspended it. They rejected Proposition 23, which would have suspended the air pollution control law until California's unemployment rate -- now 12.4% -- fell to 5.5. % for a full year. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/11/california-backs-climate-change-law/1 Marijuana, Global Warming Props Tracking To Defeat. Los Angeles -- California voters were rejecting the legalization of recreational marijuana in early returns Tuesday night, as well as an oil industry-backed attempt to shoot down the state's landmark global warming law. With 5 percent of the vote in, Proposition 19, which would make it legal for adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana for personal use and to grow pot gardens up to 25 acres, was tracking toward defeat with a 57 percent no vote. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/11/02/politics/p135104D97.DTL&type=printable States, Enviro Groups Urge Court to Let EPA Climate Rules Proceed. Days after the Obama administration asked a federal court not to stop U.S. EPA's climate program from taking effect on Jan. 2, a coalition of 20 states and 13 environmental groups has pledged its support for the agency, saying that despite "extravagant claims of harm" from industry, the new greenhouse gas regulations would hardly hurt them. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/11/02/02greenwire-states-enviro-groups-urge-court-to-let-epa-cli-87934.html Global Warming Law Upheld By California Voters. Sacramento. Californians on Tuesday rejected Proposition 23, a measure funded largely by Texas oil companies, that would have effectively wiped out the state’s global warming law known as AB 32. The vote against Prop 23 was 61.4 percent with 93.8 percent of precincts counted. “The effort to suspend AB 32 was the work of greedy Texas oil companies that wanted nothing more than to keep polluting our state,” says Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16750 Global Warming May Bring Giant, Voracious Crabs To Antarctica. Changing ocean temperatures may allow giant, voracious, predatory crabs to enter the unique continental-shelf ecosystems of Antarctica. Research by scientists at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton in the United Kingdom found that even small increases in water temperature due to global warming could bring king crabs into new areas. King crabs are a popular food source. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/11/global-warming-may-bring-giant-voracious-crabs-to-antarctica/1 Voters Support Clean Energy and Climate Solutions. Yesterday, American voters made plain their anger over the economy and their frustration with the party in power. But they often did something else: they supported clean energy where they could. California voters defeated an oil industry attempt to undermine the state's climate law, and most members of Congress who helped pass clean energy and climate legislation in 2009 kept their seats. The vote in California was particularly significant. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-lehner/voters-support-clean-ener_b_778188.html?view=print California Defends Climate Law, Remains National Bastion of Clean Energy Economy. 61 percent of voters say no to referendum that would've suspended the state's landmark climate legislation. California voters defended their landmark climate law by rejecting Proposition 23yesterday, ending questions over whether the state's 2006 legislation aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions would be suspended until the state unemployment rate fell by more than half. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS134354824120101103 Voters Reject Prop. 23, Retain California Greenhouse Gas Goals. Proposition 23, which aimed to derail California’s landmark global warming-prevention law, has been soundly defeated. With 93 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday morning, 61 percent of voters rejected the proposition and 39 percent voted for it. Voters were sending a message that they want a clean-energy future, opponents of the measure said. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2010/11/02/both-sides-of-prop-23-battle-say-jobs.html Prop 23: Air Pollution Law May Stay in Place. It looks like AB 32 will not be suspended, 58% of the votes on prop 23 are no, with 10 precincts reporting. This measure would have suspended implementation of air pollution control law AB 32 until unemployment drops to 5.5% or less for a full year. AB32 was signed into law in 2006, and says by the year 2020 the level of emissions of greenhouse gases in California must be reduced to the same levels as 1990. Posted. http://www.fox40.com/news/capitolpulse/ktxl-prop-23-air-pollution-law-may-110210,0,1000392,print.story Voters Reject 2-Sided Assault On Climate Law. San Francisco -- California voters yesterday upheld the state's global warming law on two fronts, rejecting a Republican candidate for governor who wanted to delay it while turning aside a referendum funded by oil companies that would have dismantled the measure for years to come. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/03/2 California Votes To Keep Emissions Regs. California voters on Nov. 2 solidly rejected Proposition 23, a ballot measure that would have suspended enforcement of the state’s program of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions until the state’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.5 percent or less for a year. With more than 90 percent of the precincts reporting, 61 percent of voters opposed Proposition 23. In addition, the election of Democrat Jerry Brown to replace Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a retreat on environmental regulation less likely. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=85968 Voters Defeat Propositions Targeting Marijuana and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Recent polls showed fading support for two of the more controversial propositions which were defeated by voters on election day. Proposition 19 would have legalized marijuana. Proposition 23 called for suspending the state's so-called "global warming law". A "win" for the environment and green energy, but a "blow" to businesses in California. That is one way to sum up the defeat of proposition 23. Posted. http://www.kpsplocal2.com/news/local/story/Voters-Defeat-Propositions-Targeting-Marijuana/gGx9re4xFkCFiIBEZ5Mv_w.cspx Voters Weigh Suspension Of Air Pollution Law, As California Reveals Cap-And-Trade Plans. Just ahead of today’s midterm election, California regulators established a preliminary model for a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade system . The system is intended to help the state control industrial greenhouse gas emissions in aggregate in adherence with its progressive, controversial AB32 air pollution law which legislature passed there in 2006. Currently, California requires reporting by (and third-party verification of) facilities and companies that emit 25,000 tons of greenhouse gases or more each year. Posted. http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/02/california-co2-law-midterm-election/ Survey: Texas Ignoring New Greenhouse Gas Rules. Texas has refused to meet new federal greenhouse gas emission rules that go into effect in January, the latest anti-Washington move in an ongoing battle that could halt new construction at the nation's largest refineries and other industry in Texas. The refusal to join 49 other states in agreeing to the new rules is the latest salvo from Texas in its fight with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which Gov. Rick Perry has used on the campaign trail as an example of meddling by the federal government. Posted. http://pottsmerc.com/articles/2010/11/02/news/green/doc4cd082bd2e26d254462788.prt CAP AND TRADE House Goes Republican; Enviros Brace for Climate Changes. A Republican majority swept the House last night, cementing the reality that putting a price on carbon is off the political agenda. Against a backdrop of recession economics and sharp attacks over the Obama administration's policies on health care, energy and stimulus bills, voters effectively pressed the reset button on climate legislation. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/03/03climatewire-house-goes-republican-enviros-brace-for-clim-93751.html?pagewanted=print New Mexico Panel Adopts Cap-and-Trade Plan as Republicans Gain in Congress. A New Mexico environmental panel adopted a cap-and-trade plan to cut greenhouse gases, a measure opposed by the state’s incoming Republican governor. The state Environmental Improvement Board approved on a 4-3 vote the program for restricting carbon-dioxide emissions that scientists link to climate change, the New Mexico Environment Department said yesterday in a statement on its website. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-11-03/new-mexico-panel-approves-carbon-cap-and-trade-plan-awaits-other-states.html California Air Resources Board Announces Draft GHG Program. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released its proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade regulation. The release begins a public comment period culminating in a Dec. 16 public hearing in Sacramento, at which the ARB will consider adopting the proposed program. A key part of ARB's A.B.32 Scoping Plan, the cap-and-trade program provides an overall limit on the emissions from sources responsible for 85% of California's GHG emissions, according to the ARB. Posted. http://www.solarindustrymag.com/e107_plugins/content/content_lt.php?content.6611 California's Proposed GHG Cap-and-Trade Program Out for Public Comment. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has issued its proposed greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32). The proposed regulation builds on the conceptual framework for ARB’s cap-and-trade program, released in November 2009. The 45-day public comment period on the regulation opened yesterday and closes on December 15, 2010. Posted. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/stoel-rives-6442/news/article/2010/11/californias-proposed-ghg-cap-and-trade-program-out-for-public-comment California Cap and Trade Proposal Could Benefit Solar Industry. The California Air Resources Board's new cap-and-trade solar proposal is likely to generate a lot of heat in the form of vehement political debates - but it could help reform the state's energy industry on a broad scale. The Golden State has consistently taken the lead in terms of pioneering forward-thinking energy regulations. Posted. http://www.getsolar.com/News/California/Sacramento-Solar/California-Cap-and-Trade-Proposal-Could-Benefit-Solar-Industry-800212717 GREEN ENERGY Solar-Energy Manufacturing Firm To Open In West Sac. West Sacramento is about to get 100 solar-energy manufacturing jobs, in a boost to the area's green-tech industry. Mounting Systems, a German company that makes products for mounting solar panels, will open its first North American factory in January in West Sacramento's Riverside Business Center. The location also will serve as the company's U.S. headquarters. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/03/v-print/3154089/solar-energy-manufacturing-firm.html VEHICLES Orange County Man Charged With Illegally Importing Prized Muscle Cars. Federal probe involves Nissan model made famous by 'Fast and Furious' movies. SANTA ANA, CA - A former Orange County sheriff's deputy, who operated several now-defunct auto businesses, made his initial court appearance Monday morning on federal charges for illegally importing models of the Japanese muscle car made famous by the "Fast & Furious" movies into the United States and selling them to sports car enthusiasts and collectors. Posted. http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/National_News/ORANGE_COUNTY_MAN_CHARGED_WITH_ILLEGALLY_IMPORTING_PRIZED_MUSCLE_CARS/35665 After Leaf, Nissan plans 3 more all-electric vehicles. Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., which will debut its all-electric Leaf next month, is preparing three more electric vehicles in the next four years, including a small commercial van. The automaker will also design an electric Infiniti car and an urban car that would be smaller than the Leaf. The company did not release other details about the new cars, although it has shown sketches of the electric Infiniti. The zero-emission Leaf will be delivered to 20,000 consumers next month. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/03/9 OPINION Air District's DMV Fine Will Hurt Valley Families. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has struck again, this time to the tune of an additional $12 tax to be added to the existing $7 tax and attached to our vehicle registrations. Of course, this tax only applies to valley residents. The members of the valley air district board are the largest collection of gutless wonders I have ever seen. They are terrified to go after the refineries, or the trucking industry and train industries because of their unions. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x768777727/Air-districts-DMV-fine-will-hurt-valley-families Fine Mobile Polluters. You can count on the government and its agencies to be creative in problem solving. For example, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has ingeniously determined that poor air quality can be improved by imposing a tax on each vehicle registered in the valley. The air district can't take all the credit for this breakthrough, as the federal government assisted by imposing a fine on the valley. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x768777725/Fine-mobile-polluters Spread Pain of Pollution Fine. Regarding the $12 fee added to our annual DMV registration to pay the federal air pollution penalty: I say why not add that fee to all vehicles in California? Many residents of California pass through our valley, spewing exhaust fumes along the way, also. How about the trucking companies all over the U.S. and Canada, whose trucks pass through here? Shouldn't they pay, too? Then there are the railroads and their diesel engines; they contribute to our air quality. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x989072456/Spread-pain-of-pollution-fine Erosion, Global Warming. Re: your Nov. 2 article, “Ongoing erosion is threatening state’s beaches, new study says”: For nearly 100 years, the oceans have been rising close to 1 millimeter a year. Now, because of more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in both the atmosphere and the ocean, the rate has been accelerated to nearly 1.5 millimeters a year. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/03/erosion-global-warming/#ixzz14Exq97zw BLOGS Voters Reject Prop. 23, Keeping California's Global Warming Law Intact. In 2006, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill aimed at rolling back the state's greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. That bill, AB 32, has become the cornerstone of Schwarzenegger's legacy as he travels the world talking about the importance of environmental protection and reducing harmful pollution. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/11/voters-reject-prop-23-keeping-californias-global-warming-law-intact.html Prop. 23: How The West Was (Not) Won. Early on, opponents of Prop. 23, the ballot initiative to suspend California's global warming law, characterized the battle as "David vs. Goliath." As Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for the No on 23 campaign, put it, "It's our slingshot versus their oily club." Among the backers of the measure were Texas-based oil refiners, California business trade associations and anti-tax activists bent on halting the nation's most ambitious effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/11/proposition-23-results-defeat-global-warming.html Voters Reject Prop 23. California voters soundly rejected a ballot initiative that would have suspended a state climate-change law. Proposition 23 would have put the Global Warming Act of 2006 on hold until the state's unemployment rate dropped below 5.5 percent. Opponents consider the vote a win for California environmental advocates. With one-third of the state's precincts reporting, opponents held a wide lead, 60 percent to 40 percent. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inthepeninsula/detail?entry_id=76174#ixzz14ExTIXdt Californians Defend Carbon Caps. California voters embraced the kind of carbon caps that are now out of favor in Washington, D.C., voting to push ahead with the state’s plan to slash greenhouse gases linked to climate change. With most ballots counted, California officials said today that voters defeated, 61% to 39%, a ballot measure to postpone the 2012 effective date for a state cap on greenhouse-gas emissions. Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/11/03/californians-defend-carbon-caps/ Proposition 23: Backers Were Outspent, Out-Organized (UPDATED). The fight over Proposition 23, the ballot initiative to suspend California's global warming law, "will definitely be a David versus Goliath battle," Steve Maviglio, spokesman for the opponents told a reporter in September. "Our slingshot versus their oily club." From the get-go, that's how environmentalists characterized their struggle against Prop. 23 which lost by 61.3% to 38,7% with 96.9% of precincts counted.(UPDATED returns Nov. 3, 9 a.m.) But it was pure spin. As they say in the movie, "Follow the money." Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/proposition-23-defeat-global-warming-climate-change-initiative.html Global Warming for Gamers. Think you’ve got the smarts to rein in climate change without crashing the global economy? In the real world, even leaders of nations are having trouble figuring that out. But in the new strategy video game “Fate of the World,” players singlehandedly confront that daunting challenge, while tackling peak oil, overpopulation and saving the rain forest to boot. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/global-warming-for-gamers/?pagemode=print California Voters Back Weakened Climate Law. California voters on Tuesday rejected a measure to suspend the state’s innovative climate change law. But the state’s emission trading scheme has been substantially diluted to buy off opposition from energy-intensive industries and allay fears about job losses. If it is true that “as California goes, so goes the nation”, the past 10 days have confirmed the lack of political support for tough emissions curbs. Posted. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2010/11/03/california-voters-back-weakened-climate-law/ California's Climate Commitment. “[Climate change] creeps up on you. And then all of a sudden, it is too late to do something about it. ... We don’t want to go there.” Thus spoke Schwarzenegger, California's body-building movie star governor, upon signing four years ago a California law committing the state to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020. Posted. http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/environment/californias-climate-commitment California Votes to Maintain Cap and Trade. A proposition that would have effectively killed key greenhouse gas regulations in California has failed. A ballot proposition in California that would have suspended that state's recent climate change legislation has failed, clearing the way for greenhouse gas emissions regulations there to take effect, including a cap and trade program. The outcome of the election could have implications for greenhouse regulations, and renewable energy, around the country. Posted. http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/energy/25974/?p1=Blogs ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 14:30:47 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 4, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 4, 2010. 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 Grants Available to Replace Tractors. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will administer a new program funded by local, state and federal funds to provide grants to replace certain tractors. The objective of the grants is to replace the older tractors being used in the valley with newer, cleaner-burning tractors. Posted. http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/agriculture/7002-grants-available-to-replace-tractors CLIMATE CHANGE Nichols Says Fee Referendum Won't Derail Calif. Climate Law. California's chief air regulator says a referendum passed by voters this week that alters the definition of an environmental fee does not apply to the state's climate change law, A.B. 32. Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board (ARB), talked to reporters yesterday in the wake of California voters' having rejected one ballot measure on global warming only to approve a second measure that could apply to A.B. 32 (Greenwire, Nov. 3). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/04/5 Prop. 23 Battle Marks New Era In Environmental Politics. Wealthy Californians and conservation groups united in a bipartisan campaign to defeat the oil industry-sponsored initiative to suspend the state's greenhouse gas law. Proposition 23, the oil industry sponsored initiative to suspend California's greenhouse gas law, was touted early on by environmentalists as a "David vs. Goliath" battle. "Its our slingshot vs. their oily club," said Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for opponents. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-global-warming-20101104,0,3173526,print.story Governor Sets Sights On Federal Climate Change Law. Los Angeles, CA -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is seizing on the defeat of an oil-industry attempt to derail California's landmark global warming law, saying Wednesday it provides proponents of clean energy and climate control the perfect opportunity to put those issues back on the national agenda. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/11/03/state/n151054D79.DTL&type=printable Election Results Likely to Proliferate Climate-Related Lawsuits – Study. Climate-related lawsuits are growing rapidly in the United States, even as federal climate change legislation seems to have been put on hold indefinitely following the results of Tuesday's midterm elections. The number of lawsuits either supporting or opposing efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions is set to triple by the end of this year as compared to last year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/04/04climatewire-election-results-likely-to-proliferate-clima-86439.html?pagewanted=print Elections Alter Climate and Energy Landscape. Tuesday's election results will force the White House and its environmental allies to trim their ambitions for sweeping climate legislation and seek more modest bipartisan measures to cut oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/04/AR2010110402490.html?hpid=topnews California Voters Opt To Stay the Course with GHG Emissions Law. Californians who turned out to vote Tuesday, Nov. 2, were decisive in their opinion not to suspend implementation of a much ballyhooed greenhouse gas law. Approved in 2006, the law allows the California Air Resources Board to create many new regulations. Specific to trucking, CARB was given the authority to formulate several trucking regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, including the state’s drayage rule, and truck retrofit rule. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Nov10/110110/110310-02.shtml Obama to Face New Foes in Global Warming Fight. The Obama administration and the new Congress appear headed for early confrontations over the reach of environmental regulation and federal subsidies for fossil fuel development. The administration is moving determinedly forward on a series of actions to limit emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants, to restrict some coal mining practices and to eliminate multibillion-dollar tax breaks for the oil and gas industry. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/business/energy-environment/04enviro.html?src=busln Prop. 23: State's Global-Warming Law Survives Challenge. Opponents of an effort to repeal the state's global warming law said their victory at the polls Tuesday was the work of a bipartisan coalition, including business owners concerned about climate change. They also said it shows strong voter support for creation of a "green" economy. Posted. . http://www.ocregister.com/news/prop-274321-law-warming.html Santa Cruz Carbon Plan Leads To All Roads. If 5,000 Santa Cruz homes install solar panels by 2020, the city will cut its residential electricity use by 25 percent. So dim the PG&E bill and let the sunshine in, say city planners. It’s a bold plan—currently only 500 homes have solar systems—and one of several ambitious goals proposed by the city of Santa Cruz to cut greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent from 1990s levels by 2020. Posted. http://news.santacruz.com/2010/11/03/santa_cruz_carbon_plan_leads_to_all_roads California Rejects Prop 23, Providing a Likely Boost for Green Cars. In a round rebuke of energy interests who had tried to block California's landmark AB 32 emissions law from taking effect next year, voters defeated Proposition 23 at the polls yesterday by a count of 61.4 percent to 38.6 percent. The nearly 23-point margin was the most one-sided result among the state's nine ballot referendums this year, showing that while Posted. http://www.hybridcars.com/news/california-rejects-prop-23-providing-likely-boost-green-cars-28863.html California Voters Say Yes to Clean Energy and to Ending Budget Gridlock. In back-to-back hits to Texas, one day after the San Francisco Giants beat the Rangers, California voters delivered a second great triumph, voting to safeguard the state’s booming clean energy economy by defeating Proposition 23 and saying no to dirty Texas oil. There were nine measures on the statewide November ballot and NRDC took positions on four of them: we supported Propositions 21 and 25, and opposed Propositions 23 and 26. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=print/8352 Prop. 23 Battle Marks New Era In Environmental Politics. Wealthy Californians and conservation groups united in a bipartisan campaign to defeat the oil industry-sponsored initiative to suspend the state's greenhouse gas law. Proposition 23, the oil industry sponsored initiative to suspend California's greenhouse gas law, was touted early on by environmentalists as a "David vs. Goliath" battle. "Its our slingshot vs. their oily club," said Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for opponents. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-global-warming-20101104,0,7146988,print.story Prop. 23 Defeat Sweet For Tom Steyer. Billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer is jubilant. Not only did California voters reject Proposition 23, the measure that sought to suspend the state's landmark global warming bill, but they did so by a staggering 21-point margin. "We had a huge victory," Steyer, co-chairman of the No on 23 campaign, said in a post-election conference call Wednesday. "It was the biggest no of any statewide proposition vote." Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16515271?nclick_check=1 California Vote May ‘Stifle’ Environmental Laws. California’s approval of a ballot measure making it harder to pass regulatory fees may undermine state environmental laws, including planned limits on greenhouse gases, said the Climate Action Reserve, a Los Angeles-based carbon offsets program. Proposition 26 on yesterday’s ballot won by 53 percent to 47 percent, according to the California Secretary of State’s Elections Division. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-11-03/california-vote-may-stifle-environmental-laws.html Election Results Likely To Proliferate Climate-Related Lawsuits – Study. New York -- Climate-related lawsuits are growing rapidly in the United States, even as federal climate change legislation seems to have been put on hold indefinitely following the results of Tuesday's midterm elections. The number of lawsuits either supporting or opposing efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions is set to triple by the end of this year as compared to last year. And by late 2010 or early 2011, the nation could even see some of the more public and contentious climate change legal battles come before the Supreme Court. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/04/2 2 Climate Skeptics May Change State Policies. Republicans solidified their control of governorships with the victories of two climate skeptics in Maine and Florida among a new class of conservative leaders with less enthusiasm for far-reaching plans to combat global warming. Combined with GOP sweeps of gubernatorial races in much of the Midwest and South, the electoral outcomes cast doubts about whether states will move forward with proposed cap-and-trade programs, renewable energy programs and fossil-fuel development, analysts say. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/04/3 China Comes Close To 20% Reduction In Energy Intensity. China will "get close" to meeting its 2010 target of reducing energy intensity by 20 percent, the World Bank reported yesterday. In its latest China Quarterly Update, the World Bank found the Asian economic giant's growth has "moderated" -- declining from 10.6 percent in the first half of the year to 9.6 percent in the third quarter. Economists attributed the cooling economy to a fading of the impact of China's stimulus infusion and a normalizing monetary stance. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/04/6 Lack Of Mandatory Targets Spells End Of Voluntary Cap And Trade In U.S. With chances for national climate legislation looking dim, the only nationwide U.S. cap-and-trade market will die, its owner said before Tuesday's election. Big American companies like Ford Motor Co., Bank of America Corp. and Intel Corp. had all agreed to participate in the market that was started in 2003, Intercontinental Exchange Inc. But the market depended on voluntary emissions reductions, targets that were supposed to be made mandatory once the federal government adopted a cap on carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/04/8 Prop. 23 Defeat Energizes Backers, Opponents Alike. It seems that Proposition 23 was just a test case – a pilot program for a national and global debate on green energy and technology. Proponents and opponents of the ballot initiative alike say that what happened in California will set the stage for a much larger national movement. In a landslide defeat, Californians renounced a ballot initiative that would have killed the state’s landmark climate legislation. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/prop-23-defeat-energizes-backers-opponents-alike-6369 Proposition 26 Could Undercut AB 32? Download audio (MP3) On Tuesday, voters added several lines of new code to the software that governs public budgets in California. Proposition 26 will require a two-thirds vote at the state and local level to pass new fees. That's a daunting prospect for many programs that rely on fees to function. Prop. 26 could undercut the very climate change initiative voters protected at the polls. Posted. http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201011040850/b High-Tech Donors, Sophisticated Outreach Helped Defeat Prop 23. Proposition 23, the ballot initiative aiming to suspend California's greenhouse gas reduction law, was soundly defeated 61 percent to 39 percent, thanks in part to large donations by high-tech entrepreneurs and one of the most sophisticated field operations ever mounted for an environmental issue. "It is the largest public referendum in history on climate and clean energy policy," said Fred Krupp, president of the New York-based Environmental Defense Fund. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/04/5 California Cap-And-Trade Survives Electoral Challenge. Carbon finance, emissions trading & offsets. Californians have voted strongly in favour of cap-and-trade on greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, rejecting a ballot initiative to suspend the introduction of state’s global warming bill, AB-32. In mid-term elections, the same voters also installed the Democrat candidate for the governorship, Jerry Brown, over Republican candidate Meg Whitman, whose platform had included delaying AB-32 by a year. Posted. http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2168 “Carb” Cutting To Proceed On Schedule In California, Voters Nix Prop 23. Groups that sought to postpone air pollution controls in California lost at the polls on Tuesday. An estimated 61 percent of California’s voters said no to proposition 23, and yes to keeping the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32) on schedule. The laws aim to cut the state’s industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions back down to 1990 levels by the year 2020 and are slated to take effect in early 2012. What does AB32 mean for businesses in California and the U.S.? Posted. http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/04/carb-cutting-cal-prop23-fails/ FUELS Ethanol Credits May Be Early Test For Republican Budget-Cutters. With a wave of Republicans riding into Congress on a platform of fiscal conservatism, questions about the fate of ethanol subsidies are bubbling to the surface. Efforts to secure extensions for a tax credit for blending fuel with ethanol and an import tariff for ethanol -- both set to expire at the end of year -- have faced stiff opposition in Congress, but industry players are planning to continue their push for the provisions during the lame-duck session. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/04/4 GREEN ENERGY California Cuts Carbon in Bid to Spur Clean Technology Boom. The state's voters backed a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels. San Francisco --Voters have turned back an effort to suspend California's efforts to tackle climate change, a wide-reaching program ranging from a cap-and-trade market for greenhouse gas emissions to energy efficiency standards for televisions. In 2006 California passed a law—the Global Warming Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32)—that pledged the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emission levels back to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=california-cuts-carbon-in-bid OPINION Brown's Green Vision For California. The governor-elect must now figure out how to pay for California's alternative-energy future and ensure that all the state's residents benefit from new opportunities in the field. During the campaign season, it was easy to dismiss the idea of a green energy future for California as mere campaign rhetoric. But with the second coming of Jerry Brown, the reelection of Barbara Boxer and voter endorsement of state policies to curb global warming, California really is poised to lead the country to a greener future. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-oe-hayden-green-california-20101104,0,5292207,print.story Logue: Big Money Beat Proposition 23. Chico - Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda, said big money defeated Proposition 23, which would have put the brakes on Assembly Bill 32, the state's clean-air act. "We were outspent three-to-one," Logue said in a phone interview Tuesday night. Logue spearheaded the Proposition 23 campaign. AB32 was passed and signed by the governor in 2006. It provides that between 2012 and 2020 greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced to 1990 levels. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_16518946 BLOGS Prop. 23 Campaign Concedes Defeat. Backers of Proposition 23, the ballot initiative to suspend California's ambitious global warming law, conceded defeat, calling the outcome "a victory for Wall Street over Main Street" and vowing to continue their efforts to "save jobs" and curb energy costs. “While the global warming law may attract venture capital dollars to the state, they will not translate into the jobs or economic activity promised by Proposition 23’s opponents,” said Jack Stewart, president of the California Manufacturers and Technology Assn. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/prop-23-defeat-global-warming-climate-change.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Solar Company Solyndra To Close Factory, Cut Jobs. It isn’t easy being green for Solyndra Inc., the controversial Bay Area solar power system manufacturing company. The company said Wednesday that it is shuttering one of its factories to save $60 million in capital expenditures, laying off 40 employees and letting the contracts for more than 100 temporary workers expire. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/11/solar-company-solyndra-to-close-factory-cut-jobs.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 Obama Revisits Energy Policy, Cap-And-Trade And EPA Regulation. Besides acknowledging a "shellacking" in midterm congressional elections, President Obama on Wednesday addressed some of the fronts on which Republicans and "tea party" activists claimed victory: Environmental Protection Agency regulation on greenhouse gas and the cap-and-trade approach to energy policy. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/obama-revisits-energy-policy-cap-and-trade-epa-regulation.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Climate Cues from the Next House Speaker. At the global climate change conference in Copenhagen in December, President Obama pledged to cut United States emissions from 2005 levels by 17 percent by 2020 — if he could get Congress to pass climate and energy legislation. The task proved impossible even with Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. But now, any legislative progress on the issue will depend on the cooperation of the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives and the incoming majority leader, presumed to be John Boehner of Ohio. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/climate-cues-from-the-next-house-speaker/?partner=rss&emc=rss Muddled Up In Climate Politics. For those of us hoping for substantive climate or energy legislation in the near future, Tuesday’s election was a mixed bag at best. And that’s after having lowered our expectations following Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) decision to pull the plug on advancing the American Power Act back in July. If Democrats couldn’t muster the votes or political capital with majorities in both houses of Congress, there was little chance following a mid-term election that was sure to weaken their hold. Posted. http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2010/11/04/muddled-up-in-climate-politics/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 15:13:02 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 5, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 5, 2010. 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 Protect Your Family From 'The Silent Killer'. California's fourth annual Carbon Monoxide (CO) Awareness Week begins November 7, and the California Safe Homes Coalition is urging families to help protect themselves from this deadly gas. Odorless, colorless and tasteless, carbon monoxide is called the "Silent Killer," and is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/04/v-print/3160422/protect-your-family-from-the-silent.html INLAND REGION: Check Air Quality before Lighting Fireplaces. Inland residents are being asked to check the region's air quality before lighting their wood-burning fireplaces this winter. Starting a year from now, wood-burning bans will be mandatory when air quality reaches unhealthful levels, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District in Diamond Bar. For now, compliance is voluntary. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_burn05.488e09d.html CLIMATE CHANGE Prop. 23 Celebrations Turn To Fears Over Prop. 26. Has the popping of Champagne corks been premature? We're referring to the defeat of Proposition 23, which has been hailed as the game-winning home run for California's climate change law. But celebrations have turned to fears about the impact of what some have called its "evil twin" - Prop. 26, which passed Tuesday. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/04/BU1O1G76RL.DTL#ixzz14QRNy9To Obama Shifting Climate Strategy after GOP Gains. Can the administration fight climate change without stressing climate change? The new Congress will usher in an unprecedented number of lawmakers who question the link between human activity and global warming. As a result, the Obama administration is abandoning its two-year quest to convince the public and lawmakers that global warming is a matter of scientific urgency. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/04/AR2010110407204.html California Voters Say Yes to Clean Energy and to Ending Budget Gridlock. In back-to-back hits to Texas, one day after the San Francisco Giants beat the Rangers; California voters delivered a second great triumph, voting to safeguard the state’s booming clean energy economy by defeating Proposition 23 and saying no to dirty Texas oil. There were nine measures on the statewide November ballot and NRDC took positions on four of them: we supported Propositions 21 and 25, and opposed Propositions 23 and 26. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/8352 U.N. Panel Calls For Carbon Levies On Air Travel, Shipping. United Nations - International taxes or carbon tariffs on air and ocean transport are feasible despite opposition in both developed and developing countries, a U.N. advisory group said today in its report on climate change financing. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said generating $100 billion in annual payments to poor countries to help them cope with global warming is a moral imperative. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/05/10 China Could Trade Carbon Credits By 2013. China might have a carbon trading market in place as early as 2013, said Richard Sandor, a pioneer of the carbon credit market, during a climate change forum in Hong Kong yesterday. "Irony of ironies, there's a better understanding of cap and trade in Beijing than in Washington," Sandor said. "In a communist economy, the need to do it is very, very high." China is the world's leading energy consumer and polluter. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/05/10 Attempts to Postpone AB 32 Fail. Attempts to postpone air pollution controls in California failed this week as voters chose to retain the state's Global Warming Solutions Act, also known at AB 32. An estimated 61% of California’s voters on Tuesday said no to proposition 23, which would have frozen the provisions of AB 32 until California's unemployment rate drops to 5.5% or below for four consecutive quarters. Posted. http://www.portworld.com/news/i97740/Attempts_to_postpone_AB_32_fail Will Prop 26 Scuttle California Climate Regulations? California voters handily defeated Proposition 23 on Election Day, ensuring that state regulators can move forward on implementation of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Just last week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued a Proposed Regulation Order establishing a statewide cap-and-trade system, which is subject to final approval on Dec. 16, 2010; having cleared the Prop. 23 hurdle, that regulatory process will now continue apace, unhindered for the time being by other political roadblocks. Posted. http://www.grist.org/article/2010-11-04-will-prop-26-scuttle-california-climate-regulations Prop 23 Is Dead: Long Live California's Green Guinea Pig! “When policies advantageous to moneyed interests confront policies focused on emissions reduction, it is the moneyed interests that will win out every time.” source California's Prop 23 was thumped last night in a 61% to 39% defeat. This suggests that this quote is wrong or isn't nuanced enough. Does this California vote to unilaterally battle climate change make any sense to political economy scholars? Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Green-Economics/2010/1104/Prop-23-is-dead-Long-live-California-s-green-guinea-pig Elias: Defeat Of Proposition 23 Seals State's Status As A Green Leader. A lot of the folks who supported Proposition 23, the soundly defeated plan to suspend California’s climate-change law, insisted they were doing so at least in part to preserve the state’s stature as a leader in a variety of industries, from computer chips to gasoline refining. Not to worry. Computer chip and software companies will continue to be a large presence in places like the Silicon Valley, Orange County, the Conejo Valley corridor along Highway 101 in Ventura County and in San Diego County. And there will be no end to refining gasoline in places like Carson and Richmond. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/04/defeat-of-proposition-23-seals-states-status-as/#ixzz14QSJtRXm Valero, Benicia Wait, Watch After Prop. 23 Loses. It's too soon to say how Tuesday's election result for Valero will affect the company's Benicia refinery, a "disappointed" company official said Thursday. Voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 23, which would have suspended California's greenhouse gas reduction law. The campaign to pass the measure was funded primarily by two Texas oil companies, Valero and Tesoro. Proponents poured more than $10.5 million into the fight, arguing that implementing AB32, the 2006 climate change law, would cost private-sector jobs. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_16530639 VEHICLES California Awards Job-Creating Grants for Electric Vehicle, Biofuel Projects. The California Energy Commission has approved eight grants for energy projects that will combine about $9.6 million in state funding with nearly $12 million in private funds. The projects receiving financing will reduce petroleum use, cut pollution and provide jobs by advancing the manufacture of electric vehicles and vehicle batteries and encouraging the use of biofuels, the commission said in a news release. Posted. http://solarhbj.com/news/california-awards-job-creating-grants-for-ev-biofuel-projects-01087 California's First High-Speed Rail Segment May Run Through The Central Valley. A federal rail agency wants the first $2.5 billion of the project directed to a single segment either between Fresno and Merced or Fresno and Bakersfield. This portion would be the backbone of a line linking San Francisco and Anaheim. The first segment of California's proposed $43-billion high-speed rail system may not be built in the highly populated coastal areas of the state, but in the Central Valley, officials said Thursday. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-high-speed-route-20101105,0,2462904,print.story Going Green with Fleets in Challenging Times. These are challenging times for companies that haul and distribute refrigerated goods. A long recession and slow recovery have put financial pressure on every link in the cold chain. Fuel costs are up 13% this year, and the Energy Information Administration sees even higher prices ahead. Refrigerated truck and reefer trailer operators are finding it difficult—if not impossible—to pass their higher operating costs on to customers, putting pressure on margins that were already razor-thin. Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/carriers-shippers/going_green_with_fleets_in_challenging_times_1105/ New Car Economy Labels Could Reach Showrooms By 2012. If things go as planned, new car buyers will soon see a change to the fuel economy labels on window stickers in dealer showrooms. These changes are being called the most dramatic overhaul in the 30-year history of the fuel economy label. The new labels are being proposed to keep pace with the new fuel- efficient cars and trucks coming to market. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_16513155?nclick_check=1 Roadshow: Chevy Volt May Not Qualify For Carpool Stickers Until 2013 Model. Will solo drivers of the Chevy Volt be able to use the carpool lanes and if so, will it begin for the 2011 or 2012 model year? My dealer called me recently saying that General Motors is ready to begin production on my Volt, but I told him to hold off until I got more information on this. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16524869?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Volvo Revs Up Climate Goals with WWF Partnership. The company, whose brands include Mack Trucks, Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks and UD Trucks, has become the world's first vehicle manufacturer to join the WWF Climate Leaders program. The public-private partnership consists of roughly two dozen of the world's largest companies that have committed to reducing their sizable carbon footprints, including Diversey, Johnson and Johnson, IBM, HP, Sony and Nike. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS4508260520101105 GREEN ENERGY California Vote: Hope for Clean Energy. The fossil-fuel industry might continue to have a tight grip on US politics, but its hold isn’t complete, as this week’s defeat of California Proposition 23 proves. And that should give clean-energy advocates reason for hope, even in the face of what’s likely to be two years of future gridlock in the nation’s capital. Frustration over high unemployment and a stagnant economy inspired many US voters — in particular, anti-government Tea Party supporters — to oust a number of Democratic incumbents at the state and national level in this week’s mid-term elections. Posted. http://www.greenbang.com/california-vote-shows-hope-for-clean-energy_15520.html D.C. Greenlights Solar Energy Site. The federal government gave final approval Thursday to a solar energy plant outside Blythe that is expected to bring more than 1,000 construction jobs to the Riverside County. The Genesis Solar Project, which will be on nearly 1,950 acres of public land about 25 miles west of Blythe, is expected to produce enough energy to power 75,000 to 187,500 homes, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20101105/NEWS07/11050324/D.C.+greenlights+solar+energy+site OPINION Tuesday's Environmental Impact. The Republican takeover of the House puts an end to hopes for a federal bill. But headway will still be made at the state level. From an environmental standpoint, it's hard to figure out whether to celebrate or mourn the results of Tuesday's election. The failure of Proposition 23, which would have suspended California's efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, sends a powerful message that tough economic times haven't blinded Golden State voters to the urgent threat posed by climate change. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-20101105,0,2466423,print.story The Sneaky Threat That Could Cripple California's Climate Law. California voters batted down an oil-industry-backed evisceration of their state's climate program on Tuesday, giving environmental groups one of their biggest victories this year. But in the midst of all the celebration of the defeat of Proposition 23, few are talking about the fact that Californians also passed a proposition that could quietly undo the very law they voted to protect. Proposition 26 has been called Prop. 23's "sneaky, environmentally unfriendly stepsister." Posted. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/11/the-sneaky-threat-that-could-cripple-californias-climate-law/66137/ BLOGS Should Democrats Blame Waxman and Markey? Bloomberg News Representatives Edward J. Markey, left, and Henry A. Waxman during a markup session last year. Environmental advocates and backers of the House climate change measure have been scrambling this week to dodge the blame for the drubbing that Democrats took in the midterm elections. They have produced various spreadsheets and analyses showing that House members who voted for the 2009 climate bill sponsored by Henry A. Waxman of California and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts were just as likely to keep their seats as those who voted against it. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/should-democrats-blame-waxman-and-markey/?pagemode=print Southern California Freeway Pollution: Is Monitoring Adequate? A federal appeals court was asked Thursday to decide what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should do about noxious air pollution along some of Southern California's busiest highways. The case brought against the EPA by the Natural Resources Defense Council has been knocking around the courts for years, with the federal government's stance fluctuating with the politics of successive administrations. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/southern-californial-air-pollution-goods-movement.html Obama Faces Tricky Decision On Polar Bear, Climate Change. Just as President Obama faces a Congress that promises to be more skeptical of climate-related environmental regulation, a federal court has tossed a controversial case back in his lap: the polar bear. The bear was the first species to be listed as threatened due to climate change, setting off a furor among the Alaska delegation -- Lisa Murkowski, among the critics, appears to be a winner in her write-in campaign. Murkowski, Alaska's senior senator has tried to undermine the endangered-species finding. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/obama-administration-faces-tricky-decision-on-polar-bear-climate-change.html Why Prop. 23 Failed. I'm not totally surprised that Proposition 23 failed. Californians --- liberal Californians especially -- like their environment. But I am surprised by the margin and by the utter failure of the argument that now -- in this economy -- is not the time to forge ahead in fighting global warming. But this map from the secretary of state's office, I think, really says it all about why 23 never had a chance. Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/bross/archives/2010/11/why-prop-23-fai.html Go Green Auto Rally is a Different Kind of Event for the Home of the Grand Prix. Long Beach is home to an annual grand prix that has high-performance race cars zooming through city streets. But this weekend, a different kind of racing event starts in the LBC and follows a 100-mile course that ends in Malibu, one that does not necessarily reward its drivers for speed. The Go Green Auto Rally intends to entertain and inform enthusiasts by having up to 200 drivers Saturday and Sunday compete to find out who is the best "eco-driver." Posted. http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2010/11/go_green_auto_rally_long_beach.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2010 12:39:03 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 8, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 8, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE California's Global Warming Law 'Full Speed Ahead' -- But Faces Long Road. California is pushing ahead with efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions after voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposition to suspend the state's global warming law. The 61 percent-to-39 percent vote Tuesday against Proposition 23 re-energized the California Air Resources Board and other agencies charged with implementing the state's climate change agenda. "It's full speed ahead," Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/06/v-print/3163723/californias-global-warming-law.html Climate Scientists Plan Campaign Against Global Warming Skeptics. The American Geophysical Union plans to announce that 700 researchers have agreed to speak out on the issue. Other scientists plan a pushback against congressional conservatives who have vowed to kill regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. Faced with rising political attacks, hundreds of climate scientists are joining a broad campaign to push back against congressional conservatives who have threatened prominent researchers with investigations and vowed to kill regulations to rein in man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-climate-scientists-20101108,0,5458004,print.story In Climate Politics, Texas Aims To Be The Anti-California. The state has filed seven lawsuits against the EPA, and its members of Congress want to check the EPA's efforts to curb greenhouse gases. 'At times they're their own country,' one observer says. For decades, California has set the pace for the country on air pollution and climate change, adopting ever-higher standards for controlling auto emissions and, more recently, greenhouse gases that scientists say have led to global warming. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-texas-climate-20101107,0,2673301,print.story Europe's Military Leaders Differ With U.S. Republicans Over Urgency of Global Warming Problems. Halifax, Nova Scotia -- Cap-and-trade legislation is "dead for the foreseeable future," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said this weekend as military leaders cited climate change as one of the world's top security challenges. Speaking to ClimateWire at the Halifax International Security Forum this weekend, Graham -- once a Republican co-sponsor of major climate change legislation, said the idea of a sweeping bill "just doesn't play with the public anymore." He sidestepped the question of whether rising global temperatures indeed pose a security risk, as did another onetime climate bill champion, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/08/08climatewire-europes-military-leaders-differ-with-us-repu-37563.html?pagewanted=print Concern Over the Environment Rises in Asia. Hong Kong — Perhaps it is because most Asian economies are booming. Or perhaps it is because a series of recent weather-linked catastrophes and headline-grabbing pollution issues have hammered home the point. Either way, climate change and environmental issues have moved up Asia’s list of worries, often topping any concerns about the global economy, according to opinion polls released over the past two weeks. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/business/energy-environment/08green.html?ref=energy-environment&pagewanted=print Taking Reins Of Climate Change Coalition, NY Mayor Bloomberg Vows To Promote Electric Taxis. City authorities are often better placed than national governments to combat climate change, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Saturday, vowing to promote the use of electric taxis as he takes over the leadership of a global coalition of major cities. The billionaire mayor urged delegates at the C40 conference in Hong Kong to wield the power of its large collective population, which accounts for about 1 in 12 people in the world. C40 is a coalition of 40 cities. It was founded in 2005 with the aim of reducing carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-as-hong-kong-mayors-climate-conference,0,2919091,print.story http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ia4AT2Eyupenf1YIPSe7HuTseryw?docId=eff5ca3068cd47d08d18f73bee02e55e http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/11/08/bloomberg-to-america-lay-off-the-chinese/ Climate Panel Offers Ways to Raise Cash to Cope. United Nations — After grappling with a fundamental deadlock between rich and poor nations over climate change, a high-level United Nations panel on Friday proposed a smorgasbord of ways to raise $100 billion annually to help developing countries cope with global warming. The standoff over who should pay the bill for environmental degradation has bedeviled efforts to forge an international agreement to address climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/world/06nations.html?_r=1&src=twrhp&pagewanted=print Pioneering Cap-and-Trade Program to Fade into the Sunset. A tough political atmosphere in which Congress backed away from comprehensive clean energy and climate change legislation may have been the nail in the coffin for one of the voluntary carbon market's early pioneers. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) will discontinue its voluntary greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program next month, according to Intercontinental Exchange Inc., its parent company. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS83245215220101108 New Shipping Lanes in Melting Arctic Will Accelerate Global Warming. But current technology can reduce ship pollution 90%, and a House committee is weighing law to reduce black carbon emissions. In the next few decades, a warming Arctic will open up shorter shipping routes, potentially reducing the amount of fuel needed to travel between ports. But the increased amount of soot in the atmosphere could further accelerate the region's climate change, and the shorter distances won't generate enough fuel savings to offset the impact. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS22256888320101108 Air Board Seeks Public Comment On Cap-And-Trade. With four years of refining and retooling behind it, the California Air Resources Board has released the details of the long-awaited greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade regulation proposal. The release of the proposal ushers in a public comment period that began Monday. On Dec. 16, the Board will hold a hearing in Sacramento to consider the adopting the proposed program.. Posted. http://www.turlockjournal.com/news/article/6451/ Global Dimming’s Dark Days. Dear EarthTalk: I've heard of global warming, of course, but what on Earth is "global dimming?" Max S. Seattle, Wash. Global dimming is a less well-known but real phenomenon resulting from atmospheric pollution. The burning of fossil fuels by industry and internal combustion engines, in addition to releasing the carbon dioxide that collects and traps the sun's heat within our atmosphere, causes the emission of so-called particulate pollution — composed primarily of sulphur dioxide, soot and ash. Posted. http://www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2010-11-08-70695.113116-Global-dimmings-dark-days.html#print U.S. To Weigh 'Different Approaches' To Curbing Ghgs – Clinton. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday that the White House would look at "some different approaches" to limiting greenhouse gas emissions that could gain traction with Congress in the wake of lawmakers' failure to pass cap-and-trade climate legislation. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Co., Clinton sought to assure the South Pacific nation that the demise of a cap-and-trade plan for curbing emissions would not spell the end of U.S. action on climate change. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/08/3 The U.S. Takes A More Detailed Look At Earth's Emissions. The federal government said Friday it will create two new satellite programs to map and monitor the world's land cover. One program, Silva Carbon, seeks to improve knowledge of how much carbon is stored in Earth's forests. The second, the Global Land-Cover Data Initiative, aims to create a more detailed database of satellite images that show how Earth's land cover is changing. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/08/7 DIESEL EMISSIONS Fresno Trucker Hurt By Complying With Air Regulations. David Chidester last year leased $5.5 million worth of new diesel trucks to meet new air standards by Jan. 1 this year. He was trying to play by the rules. But that decision may kill his business. His Fresno-based freight-hauling company is caught between the recession and 2008 diesel rules requiring billions of dollars worth of new California trucks over the next several years. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/11/08/v-print/2150889/fresno-trucker-hurt-by-complying.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/11/07/v-print/2150849/truckers-air-cleanup-hits-snag.html http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/08/3167311/fresno-trucker-hurt-by-complying.html VEHICLES Automakers Change Course In Fuel Economy Debate. After two years of positive interaction, automakers and dealers are vowing to fight an Obama administration proposal to raise fuel economy standards to as much as 62 mpg by 2025. The automakers, buoyed by rising profits and a business-friendly Congress, accused U.S. EPA and the Department of Transportation of understating the cost of fuel-efficient technology by billions of dollars and suggested the industry might go to court. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/08/13 Oak Ridge Engineers Step Into The Realm Of Wireless Battery Charging. While the automobile industry is pouring money into advanced plug-in electric vehicles, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are seeking to pull the plug on charging. For the last two years, engineers with the lab's Power Electronics and Electrical Power Systems Research Center have been working on a way to charge vehicles wirelessly through electromagnetic induction, a phenomenon known to scientists for almost two hundred years. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/08/5 GREEN ENERGY Cogenra Solar's System Includes Practical Twist. A gleaming array of mirrors tucked behind a Sonoma County winery promises a new wrinkle in renewable energy - solar power without all the waste. Solar panels convert into electricity just a fraction of the energy the sun throws at them, typically 15 to 20 percent. The rest is wasted as heat. But the solar array nestled next to the Sonoma Wine Co. captures the heat as well. The winery gets electricity for its lights and bottling machinery as well as hot water - up to 165 degrees - for cleaning barrels. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/08/BU9R1G7Q9L.DTL&type=printable Cost of Green Power Makes Projects Tougher Sell. Michael Polsky’s wind farm company was doing so well in 2008 that banks were happy to lend millions for his effort to light up America with clean electricity. But two years later, Mr. Polsky has a product he is hard-pressed to sell. His company, Invenergy, had a contract to sell power to a utility in Virginia, but state regulators rejected the deal, citing the recession and the lower prices of natural gas and other fossil fuels. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/science/earth/08fossil.html?_r=1&ref=energy-environment&pagewanted=print Facebook Under Pressure To Be Greener. Paris — Facebook, the giant social networking site, is under fire from Greenpeace International, the environmental campaigner, over its construction of a data center in Prineville, Oregon, that will be powered by PacifiCorp, a company that gets 58 percent of its energy from burning coal. Storing and transmitting messages, pictures and other information through Facebook uses a vast and rapidly increasing amount of energy, as the network continues to expand. Its membership passed the 500 million mark in July this year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/business/energy-environment/04iht-rbogface.html?ref=energy-environment&pagewanted=print The Great Transmission Heist. The latest scheme to subsidize solar and wind power to the detriment of rate payers. How would you like to pay higher utility bills to finance expensive electricity from solar and wind power, which you would never use? That's the issue now before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and it deserves more public and political scrutiny before it becomes a reality. FERC has a draft rule that could effectively socialize the costs of paying for multi-billion dollar transmission lines to connect remote wind and solar projects to the nation's electric power grid. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304772804575558400606672006.html?mod=googlenews_wsj New Energy: Climate Change And Sustainability Shape A New Era. A new energy revolution – similar to shifts from wood to coal to oil – is inevitable as climate change and oil scarcity drive a global search for sustainability in power production. But even the promise of renewable energy holds drawbacks. San Francisco — "Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you," a somber President Jimmy Carter said gravely into a television camera on an April night in 1977. A series of oil embargoes and OPEC price hikes had hit the nation hard. Gasoline prices had tripled. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2010/1108/New-energy-climate-change-and-sustainability-shape-a-new-era Industry Could Face Less Funding Without Climate Bill. With climate change skeptics filling many seats of those who had been advocates for national legislation to address the issue, the clean-tech industry could receive less in incentives and tax credits for solar, wind and other alternative energy projects. Congress is more likely to focus on balancing the budget and cutting taxes instead, according to analysts and industry executives. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/08/14 OPINION Renewable Energy Projects. To the Editor: You correctly note in your Oct. 28 editorial “Remember Renewable Energy?” that the process of approving renewable energy development must move faster. But adverse effects of industrial-scale solar and wind projects on water, wildlife and fragile ecosystems should not be ignored in the rush to approval. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has promised to harness the lessons learned from the first generation of renewable energy projects to improve the process — Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/opinion/lweb08energy.html?src=twrhp&pagewanted=print Ballot Measures Guarantee Job Losses, Stagnation. Winners may celebrate but two ballot decisions will have serious, long-lasting consequences for the California economy. The first is the rejection of Proposition 23, which intended to suspend AB 32, the state’s carbon emission law, until the unemployment rate declines to 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. Analyses by the Legislative Analyst’s Office, PRI, and the Small Business Roundtable all agreed that AB 32 would reduce jobs in the state. Posted. http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/columns/oped_contributors/Ballot-measures-guarantee-job-losses-stagnation-106856188.html Sensenbrenner: Keep Climate Panel Alive So I Can Investigate EPA. One of the top climate skeptics in the House is asking GOP leadership to keep the Democrats’ global warming committee alive to investigate the Obama administration’s environmental policies. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), ranking member of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, is making good on his promise to pitch Republicans to revamp the committee to focus on the costs of Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Posted. http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/1110/Sensenbrenner_Keep_climate_panel_alive_so_I_can_investigate_EPA.html The EV Edge. Honda is Finally on Board with Plug-ins. Many people new to the EV world may not understand the importance of Honda’s announcement about the inevitability of EVs. Honda’s new CEO, Takanobu Ito, stated in an interview with Reuters, “It’s starting to look like there will be a market for electric vehicles. We can’t keep shooting down their potential, and we can’t say there’s no business case for it.” Posted. http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=21765 BLOGS On Our Radar: Texas Battles Climate Regulation. Texas officials step up their efforts to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate the state’s carbon dioxide emissions, the highest in the nation. The attorney general, Greg Abbott, has filed seven lawsuits against the agency in the last nine months related to climate rules and other environmental controls. [The Los Angeles Times] The Texas governor, Rick Perry, recently re-elected to his third term, continues to take a hard line against the E.P.A. and federal regulation in general. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/on-our-radar-texas-battles-climate-regulation/?pagemode=print New Exhibit Helps Celebrity Scientist Teach Climate Change. The Chabot Space and Science Center will take on climate change in a big way this month when it opens a new exhibit with the help of a little scientific star power. Science educator Bill Nye, popularly known as "Bill Nye the Science Guy," came to Chabot on Friday to introduce the new "Bill Nye's Climate Lab," which opens to the public on November 20. Nye, wearing his signature blue lab coat and bow tie, addressed a group of reporters on Friday as part of a sneak preview of the new exhibit. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inoakland/detail?entry_id=76554#ixzz14iV0gWYv Legal Experts Disagree On Prop 26's Effect On AB 32. Will Prop 26 make it difficult to enforce regulations under AB 32? That’s been the fear of many environmentalists since the initiative passed on Tuesday. After all, AB 32 — California’s landmark global warming law — will require tough new regulations to enforce, while Prop 26 — a successful initiative that will requires a two-thirds majority to impose fees that address “health, environmental, or other societal or economic concerns” — makes passing new regulations tough, to say the least. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2010/11/05/legal-experts-disagree-whether-prop-26-will-affect/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 12:15:14 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 9, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 9, 2010. 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 Sweeping New Rules Would Slash Sulfur Pollution In Southland. Regulations adopted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District would cut emissions by oil refineries and industrial plants by 2,000 tons a year. But federal regulators say the overall plan also depends on curbing truck emissions. Eleven major oil refineries and industrial plants in the Los Angeles area will be forced to slash sulfur pollution by more than 2,000 tons a year under sweeping new regulations, but the move may not be enough to meet federal health standards for the region unless the state maintains strict curbs on truck pollution. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-air-pollution-20101109,0,6756173,print.story http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/11/08/state/n142626S96.DTL&tsp=1 http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101108-719955.html http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16557425?nclick_check=1 http://www.ocregister.com/news/pollution-275005-plan-epa.html http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=7772706 CLIMATE CHANGE Will Prop 26 Actually Impact California’s Climate Law? Late last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council had a good post explaining why California’s Proposition 26, which voters in the state approved last Tuesday, won’t impact the state’s landmark global warming law, as many have suggested. NRDC’s Kristin Eberhard said the proposition, which would require two-thirds approval in the state legislature for any proposal that imposes a new fee on industry, will not affect the state’s climate change law, AB32, because it only pertains to changes in statute that occur after Jan. 1, 2010. Posted. http://washingtonindependent.com/103030/will-prop-26-actually-impact-californias-climate-law California Passes Environmental ‘Sleeper Threat’ California voters on Tuesday resoundingly struck down a bid to suspend the state’s climate change law, but they passed another lesser-known measure that could make it harder for the state to carry out that law. In a wave of anti-tax sentiment, voters pushed through Proposition 26, which imposes a two-thirds vote on new fees, retroactive to the beginning of the year. Pre-election ads marketed Prop 26 as a way to close a tax loophole, and many voters bundled it with another ballot measure having to do with a supermajority vote. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=print/8368 New Technology Removes Carbon From Natural Gas Before Combustion. A new technology that captures carbon from natural gas before it is burned, thereby reducing emissions by 40 percent, could be tried out at a pilot plant in Boston on a commercial scale. The technology, developed by the Canadian company Atlantic Hydrogen Inc. of Fredericton, New Brunswick, could reduce emissions at a cost that is 80 percent less than those of other post-combustion methods of capturing greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/09/8 FUELS Farm Industry Groups Sue EPA Over E15 Decision. A coalition of farm and food industry groups sued the Obama administration today in an attempt to block its approval of higher levels of ethanol in gasoline. The frequent critics of ethanol -- including the Grocery Manufacturers Association, American Meat Institute, National Council of Chain Restaurants, National Chicken Council, National Pork Producers Council and American Frozen Food Institute, as well as three other food industry groups -- are suing U.S. EPA over its recent decision to allow a blend of 15 percent ethanol and unleaded gasoline for some cars. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/09/1 Scientists Scramble To Bridge The Uncertainty Gap. Skeptics of climate change -- a good number of them about to take seats in Congress -- often point to uncertainties or holes in the science as reasons for delaying or not taking action. But uncertainty is the modus operandi of science, as Vaughan Turekian, chief international officer at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, describes it. Scientists report not only what is known but to what degree it is known. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/09/3 GREEN ENERGY Clean-Power Subsidies Hit $57B Last Year – IEA. Renewable energy was subsidized globally by $57 billion last year, according to International Energy Agency chief economist Fatih Birol. About $37 billion was given to electricity from renewable power and $20 billion to biofuels, the IEA estimated in its "World Energy Outlook," published today. The outlook predicts that $5.7 trillion will be invested in renewables in the next 25 years. This is the first estimate of assistance given to the industry by governments. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/09/4 MISCELLANEOUS District Reduces Electric Lawn Mower Price. A battery-powered lawn mower could be yours for just $25. That’s one of the cut-rate deals being offered by not a discount house, not a department store, not an online retailer, but by the air pollution control people. Prices are being mowed down by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution control District on two models of battery-powered lawn machines – just in time for holiday giving. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16787 http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101109/A_NEWS/11090322/-1/NEWSMAP http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x1003410958/Air-district-slashes-cost-of-non-polluting-mowers http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101108/A_NEWS/101109895 http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/106926013.html OPINION Editorial: Truckers Who Did Right Now In A Bind. David Chidester, owner of a small, Fresno-based trucking firm, did the right thing to cut air pollution and help us all breathe a little easier. In late 2009 Chidester leased $5.5 million worth of the cleanest diesel trucks available, replacing his aging and dirty fleet, to comply with California's stringent new air pollution standards. Sadly, he's about to be punished for it. The California Air Resources Board is preparing to revise the standards that prompted Chidester's investment. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/09/v-print/3169890/truckers-who-did-right-now-in.html BLOGS Passage Of Little-Known Initiative May Disrupt California Climate Plan. While California’s election results offered plenty for state environmentalists to cheer, the passage of a so-called “stealth” ballot initiative could undermine its proposed carbon market. Last Tuesday, voters rejected Proposition 23, which sought to halt California’s landmark environmental law, AB 32, which mandates the state reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2010/11/08/passage-of-little-known-initiative-may-disrupt-california-climate-plan/ Thomas Elias: Loss Of Prop. 23 Makes State Leaner, Greener. A lot of the folks who supported Proposition 23, the soundly defeated plan to suspend California's climate change law, insisted they were doing so in part to preserve the state's stature as a leader in a variety of industries, from computer chips to gasoline refining. Not to worry. Computer chip and software companies will continue to be a large presence in places like the Silicon Valley, Orange County, the Conejo Valley corridor along U.S. 101 in Ventura County and San Diego County. Posted. http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20101109/OPINION/11090302 Coda Electric Car Company CEO Resigns. Coda Automotive Inc., a start-up electric car company in Santa Monica, said Monday that its chief executive, Kevin Czinger, has resigned "by mutual consent." The management shake-up comes barely two months after the company said it would start taking deposits for its four-door, five-passenger sedan and would begin delivering the cars in December. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/11/coda-electric-car.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:49:50 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 10, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 10, 2010. 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 Air Regulators Clamp Down On Lead Emissions From Battery Recycling Plants. Local officials order facilities in Vernon and City of Industry to meet the EPA's new, stricter standard by 2012. Southern California air pollution officials have moved to clamp down on toxic emissions from two battery recycling plants in Los Angeles County. The regulations, announced this week, are designed to meet the first new federal standards for airborne lead pollution in three decades, which were adopted in 2008. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lead-pollution-20101110,0,870583,print.story Bad Economy Delayed Diesel Pollution Rules. A government clash over diesel pollution rules in Southern California could bring penalties that affect federal funding for future transportation projects and cripple growth and employment in the region, a local economist and officials said Tuesday. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may issue a rare disapproval of California's plan for reducing noxious fine-particle pollution in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_pollution10.49250b4.html Carbon Monoxide The Leading Cause Of Accidental Poisoning Deaths In U.S. Carmichael, CA - Carbon monoxide, also known as the "silent killer," is an odorless, tasteless, colorless gas that's a bi-product of combustion. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. Dimitri Stanich with the California Air Resources Board says every year about 35 Californians die as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning and hundreds more are made sick by the gasPosted. http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=105064&catid=2 Lawrence Lab Fined For Toxic Metal Contamination. Livermore, Calif. -- The company that manages the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory has agreed to pay a $200,000 fine for mishandling ventilation equipment that led workers to be exposed to a toxic metal. The U.S. Department of Energy announced the penalty Tuesday. The government said that on two occasions in 2007 and 2008, poor oversight during and after the removal of ventilation equipment led workers to be exposed to beryllium. Exposure to the metal used in the research and development of nuclear weapons may lead to an irreversible and sometimes fatal scarring of the lungs. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/11/10/state/n085941S28.DTL&type=printable In Global Forecast, China Looms Large as Energy User and Maker of Green Power. China’s push for rapid economic development will dominate global energy markets and be the single biggest force in spurring higher oil prices and carbon emissions linked to climate change over the next quarter-century, the International Energy Agency reported on Tuesday. At the same time, however, China is poised to be the driving influence behind the development of renewable energy like wind and solar power, according to the agency’s annual energy outlook. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/business/global/10oil.html?ref=energy-environment&pagewanted=print Sen Durbin Seeks Probe Of Air Quality On Diesel Passenger Trains. It is well known that exhaust from diesel powered vehicles contains heavy particulates that are known to cause a wide variety of illnesses. Some commuter rail systems, such as in Chicago (METRA) and the San Francisco Bay Area (Caltrain), use diesel driven locomotives putting rail commuters in close proximity to diesel emissions. Last week the Chicago Tribune released unsurprising results of investigation of air quality in the METRA trains and train stations. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/green-transportation-in-national/sen-durbin-seeks-probe-of-air-quality-on-diesel-passenger-trains Enviros Challenge EPA Cement-Kiln Standards In Bid For GHG Limits. Environmentalists have mounted a legal challenge to U.S. EPA's new air pollution standards for cement kilns, arguing that the agency was required to limit greenhouse gases in light of its finding that carbon dioxide emissions are a threat to human health and welfare. The Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council were among a handful of advocacy groups that submitted petitions before this week's deadline to challenge the standards. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/10/9 Lead Isotopes Tag The Origins Of Particulate Air Pollutants. Air Pollution: Study finds that 29% of the Bay Area's particulate air pollution comes from across the Pacific. The Clean Air Act sets air quality standards that municipalities in the United States must meet. But some pollution travels from thousands of miles away. Now researchers have developed a method to more precisely identify the origins of small particulate pollutants (Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/es101450t). With it, they determined that 29% of the San Francisco area's particulate pollution comes from eastern Asia. Posted. http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/88/i46/8846news3.html CLIMATE CHANGE Top UN Climate Official Sees Good Prospects For A Limited Deal At Cancun Meeting. Amsterdam - The top U.N. official on climate change says the U.S. and China have moved closer on elements of a global warming agreement under discussion at a major conference next month. Christiana Figueres says "there is a deal to be done" when delegates from most the world's countries convene in Cancun, Mexico. The two-week meeting begins Nov. 29. She says the conference will not seek to complete a full climate change treaty, but will try to adopt decisions on several practical issues to slow the growth of heat-trapping greenhouse gases and to help countries brace for changes brought by a warming world. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-eu-climate-talks,0,5717079,print.story http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-10/climate-change-talks-in-cancun-a-last-chance-for-gases-deal-ramesh-says.html http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101110-713374.html http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/10/10climatewire-venezuelan-climate-envoy-recalls-bloody-palm-21433.html EPA Issues Guidelines For States' GHG Permitting. U.S. EPA has released a long-awaited guidance document that instructs state and local officials how to start issuing permits for power plants, refineries and other large stationary sources of greenhouse gases when EPA's new climate rules take effect next year. State and local officials will need to absorb the information by Jan. 2, when they must begin requiring the maximum achievable control technology for greenhouse gases at new and modified facilities. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/10/1 VEHICLES Largest-Ever Drop In New Car Emissions Recorded In E.U. Average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars sold in the European Union fell by 5 percent last year, putting the European Union well on pace to meet its emission reductions goals. The European Union aims to cut average emissions from new cars to 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer (209 grams per mile) by 2015. Connie Hedegaard, the E.U. commissioner overseeing climate action, said the reduction, the largest annual drop ever recorded, meant that "the industry is on track to achieve the 2015 target," adding that many manufacturers would likely reach their goal in advance. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/10/10 OPINION Editorial: Job Flight Not Air Board's Problem. California seems intent on traveling a road to self-destruction paved with government mandates and regulations that drive businesses and jobs out of state while discouraging new job creation. A prime job-killing, business-punishing scheme is the insistence on achieving radical environmental goals, despite their real-world economic liabilities. The California Air Resources Board has adopted a mandate that utility companies produce 33 percent of their electricity from so-called renewable resources by 2020. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=275211 BLOGS What Does Proposition 26 Mean For Climate Change? Given how low the chances of congressional action on climate change are now, state efforts like California's climate bill, AB 32, are going to pick up a lot of the slack. AB 32 requires the state to cut yearly emissions by 174 million metric tons, which translates into a national reduction of over 7 percent, so a successful effort to repeal or weaken it could have major national implications. Proposition 23, which would have effectively repealed AB 32, lost substantially last week. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/11/what_does_proposition_26_meanf.html Charting China’s Energy Explosion. Workers building houses last month near a coal-fired power plant in Taiyuan in northern China. If your gasoline and electricity bills go up in the years to come, and you want to blame someone other than yourself, a new report by the International Energy Agency has some ammunition for you. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/charting-chinas-energy-explosion/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:20:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 12, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 12, 2010. 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 For Asian Games, Chinese Host City Using 'Iron Fist' to Clean the Air. In recent weeks Guangzhou stopped construction and banned cars. But whether it's improved air quality is unclear. Guangzhou, China—On the eve of the opening of the Asian Games, the world's second largest sports event, host city Guangzhou is looking greener—at least cosmetically. In a last-ditch push to reduce air pollution in this smog-choked industrial powerhouse, capital of China's Guandong Province, a few weeks ago government officials issued a raft of measures, big and small, intended to minimize pollutants. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS384489247920101112 CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change Shocks Scientists. Although evidence of climate change in plants is not showing up where scientists had expected to find it, it’s there nonetheless, they say. The experts had expected to find that evidence in high-elevation flora. Instead they’re finding the earliest reactions to a drier, warmer climate in plants growing between 1,500 and 4,000 feet in the Siskiyou Mountains, said Susan Harrison, an ecology professor at the University of California-Davis. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/nov/11/climate-change-shocks-scientists/?print=1 FUELS Pacific Ethanol Partners With Advanced Fuels Keyes. Kinergy Marketing LLC, a marketing subsidiary of Pacific Ethanol Inc. has entered into an agreement with Advanced Fuels Keyes Inc. to sell ethanol produced by a 55-million-gallon-a-year ethanol production facility in Keyes. The Keyes Company, known as AE Keyes, is retrofitting the facility and expects it to be operational by first-quarter 2011. AE Keyes is affiliated with AE Biofuels Inc. According to the company website, AE Biofuels was founded in November 2005 “as a global developer of large scale next-generation biofuels plants.” Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2010/11/11/pacific-ethanol-partners-with-advanced.html EPA To Collect Natural Gas Emissions Data. This week, the Environmental Protection Agency released guidelines for oil and natural gas companies to measure and report the greenhouse gas emissions produced by their operations annually. The final rule says that oil and natural gas facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent or more per year must track that information starting in January and report it to the EPA annually, beginning March 2012. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/energy/2010/11/epa-to-collect-natural-gas-emissions.html GREEN ENERGY Sunpower Reports $20 Million Profit. San Jose-based SunPower, Silicon Valley's biggest solar panel manufacturer, on Thursday reported a third quarter profit of $20.1 million. Analysts praised the performance, saying the company appears to be on track to finish the year with more than $2 billion in revenue. Shares were up slightly to $14.25 in after-hours trading. SunPower designs and manufactures solar panels for residential, commercial and utility customers in the United States and abroad, where Italy is its dominant market. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_16589153?source=rss&nclick_check=1 VEHICLES General Electric Says It Will Buy 25,000 Electric Vehicles By 2015. The conglomerate, which its CEO noted makes technology that 'touches every point of the electric-vehicle infrastructure,' said its strategy represented the largest-ever electric-vehicle commitment by a company or organization. General Electric Co., saying it wants to help spark the electric vehicle industry, said Thursday that it would purchase 25,000 electric vehicles for its fleet by 2015. The Fairfield, Conn., company said its strategy represented the largest-ever electric-vehicle commitment by a company or organization. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-autos-ge-electric-cars-20101112,0,4146098,print.story GE's Pick Of Chevy Volt For Electric Vehicle Fleet Revs Up EV Market. General Electric Co. has settled on General Motors Co.'s Chevy Volt for its first big purchase of electric vehicles, boosting GE's investment in battery technology and reinforcing Wall Street expectations that GM is about to go public. The corporate heavyweights joined forces yesterday to start prying open an electric vehicle market that has long eluded U.S. carmakers. The GE fleet of electric vehicles (EVs), a slow-moving Trojan horse inside the auto industry, could set the stage for the conversion of other corporate fleets, including that of FedEx. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/12/4 Analyst's Approval Lifts Tesla Stock To Highest Point Since IPO. Boosted by a positive report from a JPMorgan Chase analyst, electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors rose 19 percent in Nasdaq trading. The automaker, which is backed by Toyota and Daimler, rose to $29.36, the highest closing price since the company began trading on June 29. Tesla has gone up 73 percent since its June initial public offering. "We are bullish on TSLA as we believe it is at the vanguard of improving battery costs/durability," wrote JPMorgan analyst Himanshu Patel. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/12/8 OPINION Our View: Air Board's Arrogance Damaging. California seems intent on traveling a road to self-destruction paved with government mandates and regulations that drive businesses and jobs out of state while discouraging new job creation. A prime job-killing, business-punishing scheme is the insistence on achieving radical environmental goals, despite their real-world economic liabilities. The California Air Resources Board has adopted a mandate that utility companies produce 33 percent of their electricity from so-called renewable resources by 2020. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/common/printer/view.php?db=marysville&id=101071 Unintended Consequences: Encouraging Smoking. To the Editor: Re “Scans Cut Deaths of Lung Cancer Among Smokers” (front page, Nov. 5): I am very much afraid that CT screenings would have the unintended consequence of actually encouraging smoking behavior if the screening test is negative. A heavy smoker, concerned that his habit may lead to lung cancer, gets a CT scan, which is negative. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/opinion/lweb12smoking.html?ref=opinion&pagewanted=print Byron Williams: My Question To California Voters: What Were You Thinking? FORGIVE MY (self) righteous indignation, but there is a portion of the California electorate that I must ask a serious question. I'm specifically referring to that unique group who voted no on Proposition 23, yes on Proposition 25 and yes on Proposition 26. My question is what were you thinking? Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/columns/ci_16575475 Diesel Duty. California will never clean up its dirty air without cracking down on pollution from diesel engines, as the federal government made clear this week. The state can adjust air improvement plans to account for the economic downturn. But state regulators still need to curb emissions from diesel-powered trucks, buses and construction equipment -- and soon. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_12_ed_carbdiesel.37fbf79.html Instead Of Fining Us Over Air, Try These Solutions. The fact that the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution control District board elected to add $12 to our yearly auto registration fee without requiring the same for commercial vehicles illustrates they don’t have the guts to enact pertinent restrictions (as they did with wood-burning fireplaces) to reduce pollution. Here are three ways to reduce automotive pollution during critical summer days. Each may require legislative action at the federal and state levels and lots of political guts. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x1801938160/Instead-of-fining-us-over-air-try-these-solutions The Job Killer. In another depressing sign of California’s steadily deteriorating economy, and specifically that of the Victor Valley, Lowe’s in Apple Valley shut its doors over the weekend, adding 81 more people to the jobless rolls. Sadly, we suspect you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Remember, AB32 comes online soon because state voters massively rejected Prop 23 on the Nov. 2 ballot. Of Californians who voted, 61 percent said suspending AB32 dictates regarding the climate was a bad idea. Posted. http://www.vvdailypress.com/common/printer/view.php?db=vvdailypress&id=22929 BLOGS ‘Cool’ Climate Film Takes On ‘Truth’. An earnest non-scientist probing the relationship of people, climate and energy travels the globe describing his menu for avoiding dangerous global warming. Cameras follow every move. The articulate, energetic man, aided by a skilled filmmaker using evocative imagery, distills a momentous but complicated issue to digestible sound bites, jabs at his ideological and intellectual antagonists and delivers an illustrated lecture to a rapt audience. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/cool-climate-film-takes-on-truth/?pagemode=print http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/11/10/controversial-cool-it-documentary-takes-on-an-inconvenient-truth/ Electric, Diesel Or Hybrid Car? Cost And CO2 Calculator Helps Consumers Choose. As the Environmental Protection Agency struggles with how to accurately label passenger vehicles for fuel economy and greenhouse-gas emissions, a new online cost and CO2 emissions calculator launched today to help fill the void. "Electrics, hybrids, plug-ins, all these alternative powertrain cars are a hot topic these days, but there's not a good way to look at the bottom line of what it costs to own one of these," said Jon Lal, founder of BeFrugal.com, a frugal-living website that offers tools to help consumers save money, including its new calculator. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/alternative-car-cost-and-co2-calculator.html California: The Green Guinea Pig. California has a chance to show the world how to balance greenhouse gas reduction with economic prosperity – if they can get it to work. Now that the Republicans control the House of Representatives and Prop 23 has died, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) takes center stage with its rollout of AB32. Without being overly dramatic, California now stands as the world’s best laboratory for figuring out how to balance greenhouse gas reduction policies while encouraging economic prosperity for all. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/342837 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:14:40 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 15, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 15, 2010. 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 EPA Takes A New Look At San Joaquin Valley Air. California's fertile San Joaquin Valley remains plagued with the nation's dirtiest air despite incremental air quality improvements over the past 20 years. Geography, sprawl and the San Joaquin Valley's resident industries - oil production and agriculture - combine to produce unhealthy compounds that become trapped in the valley air. The effects of this bad air on human health in the seven-county (plus parts of Kern County) region are significant - too many residents suffer from asthma, respiratory illness, heart attacks, lung cancer and, thus, premature death. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/15/EDUH1GBH6E.DTL&type=printable CLIMATE CHANGE Figueres Says Un Climate Envoys Can Make An Agreement in Mexico. Climate change negotiators meeting in Mexico beginning Nov. 29 can make an agreement to advance the effort for rolling back global warming, Christiana Figueres, the United Nations diplomat leading the talks, said in a webcast press conference from Bonn. "Cancun has to be the next essential step," she said. osted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/14/bloomberg1376-LBXH3R6JTSEH01-2DFRTQMKGV4KM2UOAAMCLL3DP2.DTL&type=printable Obama Faces Tough Fight Over EPA's Carbon Emission Rules, Beinecke Says. President Barack Obama must fight to defend rules cutting global-warming emissions that some lawmakers have vowed to block, said Frances Beinecke, head of the Natural Resources Defense Council. The Environmental Protection Agency rules covering major polluters such as power plants and similar actions that don’t require congressional approval are Obama’s best chance to curb greenhouse-gas emissions in the near future, Beinecke said today. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-11-15/obama-faces-tough-fight-over-epa-s-carbon-emission-rules-beinecke-says.html Schwarzenegger Pushes For Regional Climate Pact. In the year since an attempt for a global climate-change treaty failed, California has been trying a different strategy to reduce greenhouse gases worldwide. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing state and regional governments around the globe to act, saying the effort must be led locally in the absence of national and international momentum. Starting Monday, the outgoing Republican governor hosts his third and final California climate summit, at the University of California, Davis, just outside the state capital. Posted. http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California/CA_Climate_Summit_California_538394C.shtml Proposition 26 Will Not Stop AB 32. California voters gave AB 32 and clean energy a strong vote of confidence last Tuesday by resoundingly rejecting Proposition 23. Close to 4.5 million people voted against Proposition 23 – more than voted for or against any other item on the ballot. No on 23 got more votes than the winning candidates for governor or US Senate or Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court (who was unopposed). Even counties that voted for Republican candidates voted against Proposition 23, including Butte County, home to the initiative’s author, Assemblyman Dan Logue from Chico. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/8367 Prop 26 Passage Likely To Affect Wide Range Of Pollution Fees. While the proposition aiming to suspend California's global warming law was soundly defeated, another low-profile proposition was passed Nov. 2 that could make it difficult to enact a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions. Proposition 26 reclassifies most regulatory fees on industry as taxes requiring a two-thirds majority vote in government bodies from the state Legislature on down to city councils, and in public referendums. "California just got a lot harder to govern," said Bill Magavern, California director of the Sierra Club. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/15/7 Coverage Of Climate Summit Called Short On Science. Less than 10 percent of the news articles written about last year's climate summit in Copenhagen dealt primarily with the science of climate change, a study showed on Monday. Based on analysis of 400 articles written about the December 2009 summit, the authors of the report for Oxford University's Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism called for a rethinking of reporting on future such conferences. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/14/AR2010111404444.html Wine: Ground-Breaking Fetzer Study Measures Carbon. A new study of carbon sequestration on 1,322 acres of Fetzer Vineyards vineyard and wild land in Mendocino County could make the chemical element a huge resource for the wine industry under California’s evolving greenhouse-gas emissions accounting system. Owners of vineyard property should get carbon-capturing credit for leaving parts of the property undeveloped for soil-friendly viticultural techniques such as composting, mulching and cover cropping, according to U.C. Davis researcher Louise Jackson, Ph.D. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/27030/wine-ground-breaking-fetzer-study-measures-carbon/ Can Social Scientists Help Ease the Nation's Rift Over Climate Change? Stop being so skeptical of climate skeptics, says one researcher who believes there's been a failure to understand the mounting cultural doubt around atmospheric warming. The national discussion on climate change is brimming with economic models, scientific findings and wonky plans to fix it. But something is missing: academic explanations of why people flout reams of scientific conclusions, bristle at the notion of cutting carbon and regard climate change as a sneaky liberal plot. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/15/15climatewire-can-social-scientists-help-ease-the-nations-82753.html Dutton Lets In The Sunlight. State Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton drives an SUV, adamantly opposes the state's global-warming law and thinks the California Air Resources Board is hurting the economy. On solar power, though, Dutton and his environmentalist foes might find some common ground. Workers this month finished a rooftop solar system at Dutton's Rancho Cucamonga home. Someday, Dutton hopes, he'll be off the grid entirely. Are Birkenstocks and patchouli oil far behind? "The handwriting's on the wall," Dutton said. "I don't think we're going about it the right way. But I'm not stupid." Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_polnote15.448cc8c.html Climate Change Threatens Wheat Crop, Farmers Fear. Los Valles De Tlaxcala, Mexico -- In these volcanic valleys of central Mexico, on the Canadian prairie, across India's northern plain, they sow and they reap the golden grain that has fed us since the distant dawn of farming. But along with the wheat these days comes a harvest of worry.Yields aren't keeping up with a world growing hungrier. Crops are stunted in a world grown warmer. A devastating fungus, a wheat "rust," is spreading out of Africa, a grave threat to the food plant that covers more of the planet's surface than any other. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/14/BULI1G54EG.DTL&type=printable FUELS Ethanol Exports Double With Domestic Subsidy. Corn-based ethanol is being exported at record rates as exporters take advantage of a tax credit designed to decrease dependence on imported fossil fuels. The United States exported 251 million gallons of ethanol fuel in the first nine months of this year, more than double the amount for all of 2009. However, the actual figure may be as much as 50 percent higher because ethanol blended with gasoline before being exported is not counted in the total. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/15/8 GREEN ENERGY Zipcar Expansion Seen As Good for Environment: Car Share Service Nearly Doubles Fleet Size in Santa Cruz. After forking over $1,000 to fix his car, UC Santa Cruz graduate student Leslie Taylor decided his days of vehicle ownership were over. When he broke down near Los Gatos several months ago, he said, "I couldn't really walk away from the car. That's the burden of car ownership." Posted. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_16614804?source=most_emailed Activists Fight For Healthier Environment. Environmental activists from across the central valley joined forces Saturday in Wasco demanding environmental changes. Activists came from as far as Modesto to discuss their strategies in fighting for a cleaner and healthier environment. "We just feel like the community cannot be overburdened anymore," said Maricela Mares-Alatorre, who traveled from Kettleman City to attend the conference. Posted. http://www.turnto23.com/north_county/25786269/detail.html Japan, Facing Similar Challenges, Embraces Geothermal Energy. Although both California and Japan have long used geothermal energy on a small scale, its appeal to policy makers and investors is growing. Green-energy ventures like Google's are sinking millions into exploiting the vast reservoirs of steam and heat energy that lie beneath the earth’s surface. The benefits are clear: The energy is clean and readily available. Indeed, it’s literally just boiling in the ground below us. And it could provide energy for millions. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/japan-facing-similar-challenges-embraces-geothermal-energy-6658 For Energy Chief, Race Is On To Find Fuel Alternatives. It's a stunning fall morning in Washington, and Energy Secretary Steven Chu, clad in bike shorts and a snug Stanford University biking shirt, climbs onto his Colnago bicycle and rolls down his leafy street and onto the Capital Crescent Trail. Then it's a 20-minute sprint - breaking the trail's speed limit - to downtown Washington. A Secret Service agent keeps close behind, with the help of a small electric motor. The trees are ablaze across the Potomac as he drops into Georgetown. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/13/AR2010111300229_pf.html VEHICLES Driving Toward an Electric Future. Paul and Cindi Marsh could be any 30-something couple. Not long ago, they bought a foreclosure in midtown Stockton. Cindi works in town; Paul commutes to Sacramento. They have a baby boy, Bacchus ("Bax"), who is teething and - once in a while - chomps down on mama's finger. They could be any couple, except for one thing: Soon they'll be driving a car with no tailpipe. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101115/A_NEWS/11150322/-1/a_news14 Do SUVs Need Smog Checks? Q: Sandi Bowen, a Menifee resident, asked in an e-mail whether sport utility vehicles are still exempt from getting smog certificates. "They used to be, because they were 'off-road vehicles,' " Bowen wrote.”But in today's world, the only 'off-road' they see is the car wash tunnel." A: No, the fact that a vehicle is an SUV doesn't exempt it from smog checks. According to the state Department of Motor Vehicles' website, smog inspections are required for all vehicles, though there's quite a list of exceptions. Posted. http://www.pe.com/columns/on_the_road/stories/PE_News_Local_D_traffic15.43fdfdc.html MISCELLANEOUS Jerry Brown Seeking Something Old, Something New In His Administration. While Gov.-elect Jerry Brown has said little publicly about what his administration will look like, he's privately told longtime allies that he'll seek a mix of younger talent and state government veterans from his first two terms in office nearly 30 years ago. Brown will have the authority to make up to 2,000 appointments, which includes about 400 current board and commission vacancies. Like Brown, at least some of those appointees will come with decades of experience. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/15/v-print/3184969/jerry-brown-seeking-something.html OPINION Opinion: For Bay Area To Compete On Clean Energy, State Legislation Is Needed. In this month's election, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs successfully defended our state's clean economy from Proposition 23, the oil-backed attempt to suspend California's landmark Global Warming Solutions Act. However, this is no time to rest on our laurels. The Bay Area faces another challenge from the south. While this area remains California's epicenter of clean technology development, Los Angeles is poised to surge ahead when it comes to widespread development of decentralized renewable power projects that put these technologies to use. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_16597552?nclick_check=1 Cap-And-Tax Is Dead but Kyotoism Is Alive and Well at the EPA. Cap-and-tax may be dead in Congress but the Kyoto agenda of stealth energy taxes marches on at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Although the Clean Air Act was enacted in 1970, years before global warming was a gleam in Al Gore’s eye, and even though the statute says nothing about greenhouse gases (GHGs), EPA is now “legislating” climate policy. How did this happen? Posted. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Cap-and-tax-is-dead-but-Kyotoism-is-alive-and-well-at-the-EPA-108152744.html#ixzz15N3QDzaT LOIS HENRY: Air Pollution "Deaths" All Over The Map. So, according to the attorney representing a local environmental group, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been twiddling its thumbs on regulations "when people are dying." This was in conjunction with a threat by the federal Environmental Protection Agency last week to withhold the state's highway funding if CARB doesn't get off the stick and come up with a plan to rid our air of "deadly" soot, otherwise known as particulate matter, or specifically PM2.5. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x1613299841/LOIS-HENRY-Air-pollution-deaths-all-over-the-map Deadline To Act On San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Is Today. I grew up in Fresno, and like so many people living in California's San Joaquin Valley, I have asthma. For as long as I can remember, the air here has been killing people. Pollution from cars, trucks, field burning, and agricultural equipment mixes with gases from oil production, pesticides, and the valley's hundreds of mega-dairies to form ozone -- more commonly known as smog. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/opinionshop/detail?entry_id=77020#ixzz15N9EWQNK BLOGS L.A.'S Solar Subsidies: Should The City Council Come To The Rescue? Los Angeles homeowners and businesses have applied for $70 million in rebates from the city utility this year to build rooftop solar panels. That should be good news for green jobs and for the small businesses that have grown up to install solar panels in one of the nation's sunniest cities. And it should be good news for the planet, because the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation's largest municipal utility, imports a sizeable chunk of its electricity from coal-fired power plants outside the state -- energy that distributed solar generation could partly replace. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/rooftop-solar-panels-los-angeles-dwp-rebates.html Is ‘Peak Oil’ Behind Us? International Energy Agency Projections of the world’s liquid energy sources to 2035. Peak oil is not just here — it’s behind us already. That’s the conclusion of the International Energy Agency, the Paris-based organization that provides energy analysis to 28 industrialized nations. According to a projection in the agency’s latest annual report, released last week, production of conventional crude oil — the black liquid stuff that rigs pump out of the ground — probably topped out for good in 2006, at about 70 million barrels a day. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/is-peak-oil-behind-us/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:53:31 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 16, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 16, 2010. 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 San Joaquin Valley Misses Air Pollution Control Deadline. Twenty years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set firm ozone standard deadlines for cities and regions across the nation. The Clean Air Act of 1990 gave San Joaquin Valley until Nov. 15, 2010 to clean up its air but the area failed. Several environmental advocacy groups, including medical professionals fighting for healthy air, and EarthJustice lawyers in Oakland, are filing petitions against the EPA for not enforcing its policies and punishments on the valley's oil, agriculture, and automotive industries. Posted. http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=106271&catid=2 EPA Asked to Enforce Central Valley Clean Air Regs. A dozen public health and clean air advocacy groups petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday to enforce federal standards for clean air in the Central Valley. The petition says that 20 years ago Congress set Nov. 15, 2010 as the deadline for the Valley to meet ozone air pollution limits. But the Valley is far from attaining the standards, the petition says. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16858 America's Dirtiest Cities. At the ballot box this November California voters showed that they are determined to clean up their state's deplorable air quality. They quashed Proposition 23, which would have temporarily suspended key emissions-reduction tenets in the Golden State's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. How temporarily? Until pigs fly, or rather until the state unemployment level dropped to 5.5%--from the 12.4% it's at now. Having survived the challenge (62% of voters rejected Prop 23) the emissions cuts are now set to begin in 2012. A carbon cap-and-trade program will be launched later. Posted. http://www.forbes.com/2010/11/15/americas-dirtiest-cities-business-energy-dirty-cities_print.html New Technology, Standards Turning Apparatus Green. Manufacturers have developed complex systems that convert pollutants into harmless components. The sworn duty of virtually every firefighter on Earth is to protect life and property, so it makes sense that firefighters would want to protect the planet with green apparatus. There's a bit of a disconnect, however, when it comes to the equipment needed for controlling emissions and the firefighting mission. Posted. http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/new-technology-standards-turning-apparatus-green CLIMATE CHANGE Governor Cheers Prop. 23 'S Defeat At Climate Conference. Emboldened by what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called clean energy's "greatest referendum in history," California officials are pushing ahead with a new greenhouse gas deal with foreign countries. Schwarzenegger on Monday launched his third Governors' Global Climate Summit at the University of California, Davis. He said this month's landslide defeat of Proposition 23, a ballot measure backed by oil companies that would have rolled back the state's landmark climate change law, shows broad support among voters for policies to cut greenhouse gases. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/16/v-print/3188044/governor-sees.html Schwarzenegger Pushes New Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Encouraged by what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called clean energy's "greatest referendum in history," California officials are pushing ahead with a new greenhouse gas accord with developing foreign countries. Schwarzenegger today launched the third Governors' Global Climate summit at the University of California, Davis, saying this month's landslide defeat of Proposition 23, an oil industry backed initiative to roll back the state's landmark climate change law, shows broad support among voters for climate change initiatives. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/15/v-print/3187342/schwarzenegger-pushes-new-greenhouse.html Lawyers, Lobbyists, Politicians Scramble To Determine Impact Of Prop. 26. The 'sleeper' initiative on November's ballot could make it nearly impossible for state or local governments to pass oil severance fees, cigarette and alcohol surcharges, toxic waste cleanup levies, and more. It was the "sleeper" ballot initiative of California's election season: Few paid heed to Proposition 26, besides the oil, tobacco and alcohol companies that funneled millions of dollars into promoting it in the final weeks of the campaign. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop26-impact-20101115,0,3435594,print.story Schwarzenegger Action Figure Hero For Global Warming Climate Change. Governor Schwarzenegger was introduced to his third Governors’ Global Climate Summit 3 as an action figure hero for global climate change with a “muscle and heart,” by UC Davis Chancellor Dr. Linda Katehi. Katehi continued that Schwarzenegger had upset the status quo with his leadership on the defeat of California initiative Proposition 23 clean energy supporters framed as the Dirty Energy Initiative which was funded by two Texas oil companies who portrayed their support as being concerned about Californians losing their jobs. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-san-francisco/schwarzenegger-action-figure-hero-for-global-warming-climate-change Leaders At California Summit See Upside In Climate Policies. Government policies aimed at fighting climate change and supporting development of clean energy can drive economic growth and job creation, officials from California and other states and provinces said Monday at a climate summit. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who hosted the summit, suggested that lawmakers in the U.S. and around the world should set aside political differences to agree on policies that favor conservation, energy efficiency and alternative energy. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101115-718049.html Schwarzenegger Pushes For Regional Climate Change Pact. DAVIS, Calif. In the year since an attempt for a global climate-change treaty failed, California has been trying a different strategy to reduce greenhouse gases worldwide. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing state and regional governments around the globe to act, saying the effort must be led locally in the absence of national and international momentum. Starting Monday, the outgoing Republican governor hosts his third and final California climate summit, at the University of California, Davis, just outside the state capital. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2010-11-15-california-climate-pact_N.htm Calif. Summit Seeks To Join Jobs With Climate Regs. Davis, Calif. Unlocking economic prosperity in a low-carbon world was a key theme Monday at a climate-change summit headlined by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is among regional government leaders seeking to join private investors with green technology projects. The outgoing governor of California has been bringing together local government leaders from around the world for three years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after saying the U.S. and other countries failed to take the lead. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9JH05A00.htm Governor Touts Prop. 23's Failure at Climate Summit. Hosting his third and final Governors’ Global Climate Summit on Monday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used the occasion to speak more of shifting political winds than of the warming of the atmosphere. Describing the campaign over Proposition 23 this fall as “an epic battle” between “special interests that profit from fossil fuels” and the forces for a clean energy future, Schwarzenegger said California voters delivered a strong verdict on environmental policy with their overwhelming defeat of the initiative designed to roll back the state legislation to reduce carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/15/governor-touts-prop-23s-failure-at-climate/#ixzz15SuyUwYS Time For GOP to Change Business-Climate Rhetoric. For most of this century, Republicans running for high office in California have proclaimed that only they can stem the tide of jobs and businesses leaving California, a phenomenon they blame on the Democrats they often say have controlled state government for decades. The theme has only worked once, for outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when he seemed to spend more time in the parking lots of small businesses that anywhere else as he ran in the 2003 recall election. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/15/time-for-gop-to-change-business-climate-rhetoric/#ixzz15TAspdzb Schwarzenegger To Broker Subnational Climate Pact. Davis, Calif. -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) will announce a clean energy financing agreement between regional governments today as one of his last acts as governor. At his third and final Governors' Global Climate Summit, a star-studded conference with attendees from 80 countries, Schwarzenegger will unveil the 'R20,' a public-private partnership designed to commercialize technologies, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and generate renewable energy. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/16/4 DIESEL EMISSION Cali. Truckers Fume Over New Diesel Regulations. Barstow, Calif. New California diesel regulations that are going to be phased in over the next few years have some truck drivers fuming about the cost. The California Air Resources Board plans to require almost all trucks that are operated within the state to upgrade their emissions by 2022. The oldest trucks will have to be replaced or upgraded first based on a timetable. Posted. http://www.oaoa.com/common/printer/view.php?db=odessa&id=55873 Industry Stakeholders, Environmentalists Weigh In On Fuel Efficiency Proposal. Chicago — New fuel economy rules for heavy-duty trucks and buses must be economically and technologically feasible and also must be uniform and not allow for a patchwork of inconsistent rules state by state, said trucking stakeholders weighing in during a hearing here on the proposal. The EPA proposed greenhouse gas emissions standards under the Clean Air Act and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under the Department of Transportation has proposed fuel consumption standards under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Posted. http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/11/16/Industrystakeholdersenvironmentalistsweighinonfuelefficiencyproposal.aspx FUELS DOE Loan Guarantee Program Looks To Clear Biofuels. The Energy Department's controversial energy loan guarantee program may greenlight its first biofuel projects soon, allowing such proposals to move beyond DOE internal review for the first time. "We actually have three or four biofuels projects in the late stages of due diligence now," Jonathan Silver, executive director of the department's loan office, said yesterday. No proposed biofuel project had gotten that far before, he said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/16/5 GREEN ENERGY Governor Schwarzenegger Announces 2010 Top Environmental Leadership Awards. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger honored 13 companies and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to California’s environment and economy by awarding them with the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leaderships Award (GEELA) at the Governors’ Global Climate Summit 3. The award recipients were selected for their outstanding environmental leadership by voluntarily working to conserve the state’s precious natural resources, improve the environment and contribute to the economy. Posted. http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8531&Itemid=1 In Japan, A Glimpse Into A Possible Nuclear Energy Future. As part of my whirlwind "energy" trip across Japan, I went to visit the crown jewel of the nation's nuclear future: an experimental fast-breeder reactor called Monju. The remarkable thing about Monju is that it “breeds” fuel, instead of just consuming it. So, in the end, the plant generates more fuel than it uses, theoretically allowing it to continuously recycle its own waste. It's a concept similar to the one that Bill Gates, and a Seattle-based energy company called Terra Power, are also interested in pursuing. Posted. http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/japan-glimpse-possible-nuclear-energy-future-6684 VEHICLES Electric Car Boosters Hoping Bipartisan Support Can Drive Action In GOP Congress. Despite failed attempts at passing electric vehicle-friendly bills over the past year, legislators and business leaders say the technology has an appeal that will survive beyond the lame-duck congressional session. Democratic leaders are sifting through a laundry list of legislative actions to take up before the House officially flips Republican in January. But when it comes to promoting electric vehicles, politicians and business leaders see an opening to show bipartisan spirit. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/16/7 OPINION Why We Need High-Speed Rail and Why Trains Are Needed Now. Rapid rail progress in California (and in America), well, frankly, has been anything but “rapid,” which means America still has quite a ways to go to if we expect to rival what Europe and Asia have already achieved high-speed-rail-wise. Japan, in fact, was an adherent of fast trains well before its first Shinkansen bullet train logged its first revenue mile in 1964. The Asian nation is among the world’s leaders in high-speed rail technology and use. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=print/8384 Putting The Lid On `Fees' If it looks like a tax and acts like a tax, it should be harder to make it bigger. California conservatives didn't have much to celebrate after the last election, but that doesn't mean voters are lefties when it comes to Big Government. Give them a chance and they'll tighten the lid. Proposition 26 is a classic example. The LA Times, which opposed it on the editorial page, pegged 26 as one of the most sweeping ballot-box changes in decades. They got that right (though we certainly disagreed on the editorial page). Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_16622661 BLOGS Climate: At the Governator's Climate Swan Song. I'm back from vacation (I'm sure I was missed), but I didn't go home. I'm out in rather lovely Sacramento today and tomorrow, to moderate a couple of panels at the third Governor's Global Climate Summit. The meeting is outgoing California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's annual gathering of governors and other subnational leaders from around the U.S. and the world, to talk about what states—as opposed to nation-states—can do about climate change and energy on their own. Posted. http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/11/15/climate-at-the-governators-climate-swan-song/#ixzz15TJ9kJXd What the Gov's Global Climate Summit and "Goonies" Have in Common. When the parents aren't taking action, sometimes the kids need to step in and solve the problem in whatever ways they can piece together. I’m at the Governors’ Global Climate Summit in Davis this week, where representatives from more than 80 regional and local governments have come together for two days to try to figure out ways to reduce emissions and put the brakes on climate change. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/11/15/what-the-govs-global-climate-summit-and-goonies-have-in-common/ The Top Ten Way(s) to Slow Climate Change. A significant part of the solution to climate change is sitting on every retail shelf in America, waiting for consumers to notice. Every year, we replace hundreds of millions of everyday appliances and electronics at or near the end of their useful lives. In general, thanks to a combination of regulation, programs like Energy Star, and the general progress of technology, we replace those products with more energy-efficient models. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-bauer/the-top-ten-ways-to-slow_b_784095.html Gloom And Doom On Climate Can Backfire, New Study Says. Talking gloom-and-doom about global warming may backfire with the public, according to a new study on climate attitudes from the University of California, Berkeley. While the researchers' sample is hardly comprehensive or representative of America--the two psychologists conducted one experiment on 97 UC Berkeley undergraduates, and a second with 45 volunteers recruited from 30 U.S. cities via Craigslist--it raises an intriguing question about how environmentalists' outreach on climate change. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-carbon/2010/11/gloom_and_doom_on_climate_can.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:49:24 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 17, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 17, 2010. 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 Capitol Alert: Anti-Smog Campaign Has Paid Off, Report Says. California's four-decade-long crackdown on smog-causing automotive emissions has paid off in sharp reductions in air pollution, a new report by the Environment California Research and Policy Center concludes. Since 1980, the Los Angeles-based center says, peak smog levels have dropped by 70 percent in the Los Angeles area, 50 per cent in the San Diego area and in the Sacramento Valley, 40 percent in the San Francisco Bay Area, and 33 percent in the San Joaquin Valley. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/11/16/2161906/capitol-alert-anti-smog-campaign.html#ixzz15YgGyeit Report: Vehicle Air Pollution Down 85% Since 1975. Air pollution from cars and trucks in Los Angeles and across California has dropped more than 85 percent since 1975 due to clean-air policies, according to a report issued today. "Clean Cars in California: Four Decades of Progress in the Unfinished Battle to Clean Up Our Air" by Environment California Research & Policy Center documents how emissions policies have helped reduce smog in Los Angeles, San Diego and elsewhere. Since 1980, peak smog levels have dropped by 70 percent in the Los Angeles area and 50 percent in the San Diego area, according to the study. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_16629216 Alviso Receives Clean Bill Of Health From EPA. A quarter century after declaring the entire community of Alviso a Superfund site because of asbestos contamination, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is finally giving the sleepy neighborhood on San Jose's northern edges a clean bill of health. The conclusion, which follows extensive air and soil testing by crews clad in white safety suits, represents a key step in removing Alviso from the list of America's most notorious toxic waste sites, erasing what some residents see as an unfair blemish to its reputation. "The word 'Superfund' is derogatory. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_16630592?source=rss&nclick_check=1 Texas Coal-Plant Emissions Fouling Neighboring States -- Sierra Club. Coal plants in Texas contribute to bad air quality in neighboring states for dozens of days each year, according to a report by the Sierra Club. The report says Texas is responsible for 64 days with harmful levels of smog in Oklahoma, 20 days in Arkansas, and 16 in Louisiana. There are 30 coal-fired power plants either proposed or in operation in Texas. The Oklahoma attorney general had expressed concern in May over air pollution in his state from Texas plants in a letter to U.S. EPA. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/17/11 CLIMATE CHANGE Clean-Tech Advocates Hail Schwarzenegger's Legacy. When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, there were 30 clean-tech companies in the Sacramento region. Today, there are more than 100 such companies in the area employing thousands of workers. With weeks remaining in Schwarzenegger's administration, the fledgling green economy in Sacramento and the rest of California owes a debt to Schwarzenegger's stewardship of the state's climate-change law and his administration's policies, clean-tech advocates say. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/17/v-print/3191160/governor-leaves-legacy-of-energy.html Report: India Faces Major Climate Changes By 2030. New Delhi -- A new report says India could be 2 degrees Celsius (3.8 F) warmer than 1970s levels within 20 years - a change that would disrupt rain cycles and wreak havoc on the country's agriculture and freshwater supplies, experts said Wednesday. More flooding, more drought and a spreading of malaria would occur, as the disease migrates northward into Kashmir and the Himalayas, according to the report by 220 Indian scientists and 120 research institutions. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/17/v-print/3191497/report-india-faces-major-climate.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_16635169 Prominent Investors Call For Action On Warming. Washington -- A group of international investors responsible for more than $15 trillion in assets called Tuesday for the world's nations, particularly the United States, to move decisively to combat climate change or face economic disruptions worse than the global recession of the last two years. The statement, signed by 259 asset managers and asset owners whose holdings account for one-quarter of global capitalization, was aimed at world leaders who will meet in two weeks in Cancun, Mexico, for a United Nations conference on climate change. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/16/v-print/3190753/prominent-investors-call-for-action.html International Investors Issue Global Warming Warning. A group responsible for more than $15 trillion in assets calls on nations to combat climate change or face severe economic disruptions. A group of international investors responsible for more than $15 trillion in assets called Tuesday for the world's nations, particularly the United States, to move decisively to combat climate change or face economic disruptions worse than the global recession of the last two years. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-climate-financiers-20101117,0,569310,print.story Schwarzenegger Helps Launch Climate Nonprofit. Davis, Calif. -- Nearly two dozen local government leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas have started their own coalition to harness private investment in their fight against global warming. The nonprofit organization, called R20, was launched Tuesday at the conclusion of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's third and final climate summit in California. Schwarzenegger says local governments are taking action because "we can't afford to wait for national and international movement." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/16/v-print/3190789/schwarzenegger-helps-launch-climate.html http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-climate-summit-california,0,6037694,print.story Schwarzenegger, Regional Leaders Unite to Fight Climate Change. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and about 100 regional leaders from around the world formed an alliance aimed at fighting climate change and shifting to a global green economy. The group, called R20, includes Schwarzenegger, a Republican, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, a Democrat, and local officials from countries including Mexico, Canada, South Korea and Japan, according to an e-mailed release from Schwarzenegger's office yesterday. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/17/bloomberg1376-LC05MY1A74E901-6D5KEDVM9UFA05LD18UF8VJJF7.DTL&type=printable Schwarzenegger Launches New Climate-Change Group. The international organization of states and provinces intends to move ahead on the issue despite the failure to achieve a global climate pact in Copenhagen last year. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday launched an international organization to tackle climate change with leaders from regional governments in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and the United States. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-climate-schwarzenegger-20101117,0,2352602,print.story U.A.E., Australia, U.S. Are Worst CO2 Polluters, Maplecroft Says. The United Arab Emirates, Australia and the U.S. are the worst carbon polluters, where businesses are most in danger of facing pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the U.K. risk analysts Maplecroft said. The U.A.E. dropped 15 places from the previous year to take over from Australia as the worst-performing nation, Bath, U.K.- based Maplecroft said today in an e-mailed statement. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/17/bloomberg1376-LBZGYM1A1I4G01-39F7BOHDC9COAUE9OM21BDG711.DTL&type=printable EPA Tells States Coastal Waters Acidic From Carbon Dioxide Should Be Listed As 'Impaired'. Seattle - States with coastal water that is becoming more acidic because of carbon dioxide should list them as impaired under the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Agency said. The federal agency's memo Monday to states recognizes carbon dioxide as not only an air pollutant but a water pollutant, and notes the serious impacts that ocean acidification can have on aquatic life. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-epa-acid-oceans,0,1593978,print.story Governor Signs Climate Change Memorandum with Brazil, Mexico. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Governor Arnobio Marques de Almeida, Jr. from Brazil and Governor Juan Jose Sabines Guerrero from Mexico Tuesday. The memorandum's intent was to combat climate change and protect tropical forests. The memorandum is focused on reducing greenhouse gas emission from deforestation and land degradation (known as REDD) through improved forest management practices. Posted. http://www.news10.net/news/green/story.aspx?storyid=106478&catid=62 Barclays, NRG Energy Reach First Cap-and-Trade Deal Under California Law. NRG Energy Inc., the largest U.S. independent power producer, and Barclays Plc have completed the first deal for carbon-dioxide permits under California’s planned cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases. Under terms of the trade, to be announced today, permits or carbon allowances will be delivered in December 2012, said Kedin Kilgore, head of U.S. emissions trading for London-based Barclays. The state’s cap-and-trade program begins in 2012 for utilities and manufacturers and in 2015 for cars and trucks. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-11-17/nrg-energy-barclays-make-first-california-cap-and-trade-deal.html UC Berkeley Study Finds Dire Warnings On Global Warming May. Dire messages about global warming could backfire and actually increase skepticism about climate change among the general public, according to a new study by a University of California at Berkeley social psychologist. The study, which will be published in the January issue of the journal Psychological Science, says warnings about the potentially devastating consequences of global warming "threaten people's fundamental tendency to see the world as safe, stable and fair." Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_16632504?nclick_check=1 Tahoe Will Lose Much Of Its Snow In Coming Decades, UC Davis Study Says. Davis -- Children learning to ski at Lake Tahoe this winter will find far less opportunity to enjoy their new sport at middle age. In their 40s, they may also see a lake that has switched from crystal blue to murky green. These are among the findings in the most comprehensive study to date of climate change effects at Lake Tahoe. It was released Monday by a group of researchers from University of California-Davis and the U.S. Geological Survey. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_16633893 http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/17/17climatewire-new-report-predicts-severe-climate-impacts-o-75307.html Court Consolidates 2 Challenges To Emission Regulations. A federal appeals court considering various challenges to U.S. EPA's greenhouse gas regulations said yesterday it would consolidate cases involving two of the four regulations under attack. In doing so, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia acceded to a request from EPA that two of the four regulations under scrutiny should be dealt with together. But the court held off from deciding whether the same three-judge panel would consider all the cases, which the industry groups challenging the regulations would prefer. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/17/7 DIESEL EMISSIONS Diesel, Cleaner, Is Set to Make a Comeback. WHEN Kenneth Ray Earley, a sophomore at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, went looking to replace the gas-guzzling, 1998 Chevy Silverado he’d inherited from his family, fuel efficiency, he said, was top of mind. He looked at Honda’s Civic and Fit models, as well as a Chevy Cobalt and the Toyota Prius hybrid. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/business/energy-environment/17DIESEL.html?src=busln GREEN ENERGY U.K.'s 'Untouched' Market Relies Too Much on Gas, Huhne Says. Britain's electricity market, "left untouched" by government regulations, would rely too much on gas and neglect other fuels needed to limit emissions and price volatility, the minister in charge of energy said today. The U.K. government said it will set out steps later this year, such as guaranteeing electricity capacity, establishing a minimum cost of emitting carbon-dioxide and obliging energy suppliers to source low-carbon power such as wind and nuclear, to help attract investment. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/17/bloomberg1376-LC0XV90D9L3501-2G8C63SVQDLGB4LRE5R4LAUQT1.DTL&type=printable 18 Finalists Compete In The Cleantech Open Business Competition. Since its founding five years ago, the Cleantech Open has become cleantech's most influential business competition. EcoFactor, a Redwood City startup that makes "smart" thermostats, won the Grand Prize in 2009 and went on to raise $5.9 million in venture capital. This year, 300 teams from five regions across the country entered the competition with hopes of winning the $250,000 Grand Prize. The field was narrowed to 81 semifinalists, then 18 finalists, including six from California. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_16629233 Treasure Island Undergoes Major Clean-Up. Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay was for years a military base, but city officials hope to turn it into an emerging new neighborhood. Before that happens, a major clean-up must take place. A gleaming, green neighborhood with stunning views of the city and the bay -- that is what city planners hope the future Treasure Island will look like. The plan for the more than 400-acre island also includes 8,000 homes, a business district, farms and open space. Posted. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=7792989 VEHICLES Electric Cars Are Charging Into The Marketplace. With the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf available by year's end, shoppers will for the first time be faced with choices that include whether they want a gas-powered car. Stalled for nearly a century, electric cars are about to move into the fast lane when the first of a new generation of vehicles reaches dealer showrooms next month. Every major automaker plans some sort of electric or plug-in hybrid offering over the next several years, a wave of competing technologies reminiscent of the beginning of the automobile age. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-autos-electric-cars-20101117,0,7912784,print.story Volt Enters Production, Earns 'Car Of The Year' Honors. The first completed Chevrolet Volt was finished Nov. 9 at General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck plant. Teri Quigley, plant manager at Detroit-Hamtramck, said GM started building the Volts earlier this month, but declined to say how many were finished. Besides the first, which went to a Chevrolet dealer outside of Los Angeles, another for a dealer in Austin has been confirmed as completed. The automaker has not shipped any cars from the plant, but they are expected to reach customers in early December. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/17/14 Pacific Coast Leaders Ink Pacts On High-Speed Rail, Electric Cars. Davis, Calif. -- Pacific Coast leaders on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border signed agreements yesterday aimed at fostering cooperation on transportation infrastructure. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D), British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and a representative of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) agreed to work together on developing a high-speed rail system and a charging network for electric vehicles. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/17/25 MISCELLANEOUS Brown Likely To Retain Most Of Schwarzenegger's Administration. As the gov.-elect's transition effort got underway Tuesday, aides said he isn't looking to restaff every department in the state. Budget director and Air Resources Board chair are named as likely carryovers. Throughout his campaign for governor, Jerry Brown suggested that the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had fallen short, going so far as to ridicule Schwarzenegger in campaign advertisements and repeatedly assert that the movie star was in over his head in Sacramento. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1117-brown-20101117,0,7060626,print.story EPA to Caltrans: Clean Up Your Act! The federal environmental regulator slapped the state transit agency over polluted runoff into storm drains. Caltrans has to stop letting nasty chemicals from local maintenance yards and construction sites leak into rivers and streams, the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The order comes after the EPA snooped around Caltrans facilities and road construction sites in Northern California and found that the state agency in charge of roads, bridges and the like isn’t following regulations on storm-water runoff. Posted. http://www.baycitizen.org/environment/story/epa-caltrans-clean-your-act/print/ OPINION Dan Walters: California Bets Big On Green Future. When California's economy plunged into recession a few years ago, most economists believed it would be a relatively short-lived downturn. That was then; this is now. The consensus now is that while the state's economy may have hit bottom and begun to rebound ever so slightly, it will be several years, at least, before payrolls return to pre-recession levels. California lost a mind-boggling 1.4 million jobs as recession bit, driving its unemployment rate above 12 percent, one of the nation's highest. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/17/v-print/3190994/dan-walters-california-bets-big.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/11/17/1432535/dan-walters-california-bets-big.html#ixzz15Yu8hJcO How to Live With Climate Change. One of the scarier predictions about global warming is the suggestion that melting glaciers and ice caps could cause sea levels to rise as much as 15 to 20 feet over the next century. Set aside the fact that the best research we have - from the United Nations climate panel - says that global sea levels are not likely to rise more than about 20 inches by 2100. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/16/AR2010111606123.html Editorial: Arnold Still Hot For Global Warming. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, oblivious to the adverse effects of his efforts to date, held another pep rally this week for the crusade against the presumed threat of global warming. The "Governors' Global Climate Summit 3" at UC Davis attracted 1,500 attendees from about "80 states, provinces and countries" to pump life back into an anti-global warming campaign that's steadily lost momentum following a series of scientific, economic and political setbacks. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/global-276254-warming-climate.html BLOGS Arnold's Climate Summit: A Final Hot-Air Fest? It was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's third and final "Climate Summit," but the annual gabfest went out with more of a whimper than a bang. For three years, the governor has used his star power to attract other "sub-national" leaders of international provinces and states to California, each time ending his conferences with a flurry of "memorandums of agreement" to cooperate to combat climate change. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/schwarzenegger-climate-summit-r20.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 California Cars 99% Cleaner Than In 1960s, But Smog Levels Still High, Study Says. Automotive emissions standards in California have resulted in cars that are 99% cleaner than they were 50 years ago, according to a new report. Vehicle-related air pollution in the state is down 85% since 1975. Peak smog levels are down. But the Golden State still houses the top 10 most polluted counties in the country, Environment California Research & Policy Center said Tuesday in a new study. State officials should update emissions regulations, according to the report. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/11/california-cars-99-cleaner-than-in-1960s-but-smog-levels-still-high-study-says.html Exploring California's Proposed Climate Change Rules and the Defeat of Prop 23. Today marks the final day of Gov. Schwarzenegger's Global Climate Summit at UC Davis. (Watch it live here.) Gretchen Weber reports on KQED's Climate Watch blog: ...more than 80 regional and local governments have come together for two days to try to figure out ways to reduce emissions and put the brakes on climate change. The idea is that since last year’s UN climate summit in Copenhagen failed to produce a binding… Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2010/11/16/exploring-californias-proposed-climate-change-rules-and-the-defeat-of-prop-32/ Cap-and-Trade Exchange Calls It Quits. The only national carbon cap-and-trade exchange in the United States is shutting down because of Congressional inaction on limiting emissions, company officials say. The Chicago Climate Exchange is a voluntary but legally binding greenhouse gas emissions allowance trading system modeled after a federal cap-and-trade program from the 1980s that successfully curbed emissions tied to acid rain. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/climate-futures-exchange-calls-it-quits/?partner=rss&emc=rss ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:27:18 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 18, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 18, 2010. 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 Air Pollution Causing Valley Residents to Move. The American Lung Association recently named Bakersfield "America's Dirtiest City" based on an annual air pollution study. The findings are nothing new to Central Valley residents. But some of them have decided to become proactive and moved to what they call a "cleaner" environment."I was having two to three asthma attacks a day," said Claudia Blodget, who moved to Tehachapi from Bakersfield. "That's kind of debilitating." Posted. http://www.turnto23.com/news/25832661/detail.html CLIMATE CHANGE Businesses See Risk, Opportunity in Climate Change. Some prominent businesses expect that climate change will bring opportunities for growth, but also risks, including problems in raw material supplies of even such American basics as coffee and jeans. Levi Strauss & Co., for example, makes jeans in 45 countries, and most of them are feeling the impacts of climate change from flooding or droughts, said Amy Leonard, a senior vice president. Levi Strauss and other businesses have a long-term interest in making sure that their supplies of raw materials won't be damaged by climate change, she said. Posted. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/17/1930900/businesses-see-risk-opportunity.html#ixzz15eimB87t NRG Carbon-Trading Deal Is First For California. Barclays PLC and NRG Energy Inc., the largest U.S. independent power producer, have completed the first deal for carbon-dioxide permits under California's planned cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases. Under terms of the trade announced Wednesday, permits or carbon allowances will be delivered in December 2012, said Kedin Kilgore, head of U.S. emissions trading for London-based Barclays. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/17/BUOO1GDJ02.DTL#ixzz15egK5jdY http://www.marketwatch.com/story/barclays-capital-and-nrg-power-marketing-complete-inaugural-california-carbon-allowance-trade-2010-11-17?reflink=MW_news_stmp http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9JI37CO1.htm On Environment, Mixed Reviews for Schwarzenegger. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took a victory lap this week. On the stage of the Mondavi Center in Davis at his third Climate Action Summit, he shared the stage with such luminaries as pioneering chimp researcher Jane Goodall, actor Harrison Ford and, via satellite, British Prime Minister David Cameron. The leaders of Brazil and Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding with Schwarzenegger pledging to preserve tropical forests to prevent climate change. And everyone had great things to say about AB 32, the landmark law to fight global warming that the governor signed in 2006 — and on which he has staked his legacy as the most environment-friendly in California’s history. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=za8lk57ushpxaz&xid=za8l133vocxu4y&done=.za8lk57usidxaz Global Warming Study: Dire Warnings Backfire. The effects of frightening, emotional warnings about global warming might be opposite of their intent: hardening skepticism instead of breaking through it, a new study shows. That could mean that even as the science behind the idea that humanity is altering the Earth's climate grows stronger, the backlash against it grows stronger as well. "There's all this evidence mounting that global warming is real," said UC Berkeley social psychologist Robb Willer, co-author of a new study of the question to be published in January. "But belief in global warming has leveled off, or even declined in recent years. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/warming-276577-global-world.html Arnold Schwarzenegger Focuses On Environment. As California's governor, it may have been Arnold Schwarzenegger's last appearance on a world stage. His third and final Governor's Global Climate Summit concluded Tuesday at UC Davis with the forming of coalitions, signings of memorandums of understanding and other calls to action. There's R20 - Regions of Climate Action, a "subnational public-private alliance that will work toward climate change solutions and building the global green economy." A Pacific Coast Collaborative Leaders Forum- consisting of Schwarzenegger, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell- pledged "actions to protect the Pacific Coast environment and economy." Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/17/BU761GD0QR.DTL#ixzz15ekpFfqc CA’s No on Prop 23: Good for Environment, bad for Supply Chain? A few weeks ago California voters stepped up and soundly rejected Proposition 23, a measure that would have temporarily suspended key emission-reduction procedures in accordance with the state's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The rejection means that California will stay the course towards its ultimate goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent in the next eight years. The emission cuts will go on as planned, starting in 2012. Sixty-two percent of California voters voted against Prop. 23. Posted. http://www.supplychaindigital.com/industry-focus/supply-chain/ca-s-no-prop-23-good-environment-bad-supply-chain GREEN/ENERGY Natural Gas Shift Is Key to Obama's Green-Economy Goal, Deutsche Bank Says. A U.S. energy policy that shifts electric-power generation to natural gas from coal can help President Barack Obama meet his goal of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions, Deutsche Bank AG analysts said. Boosting gas’s share of power generation to 35 percent by 2030, from 23 percent last year, is possible because of an increase in supply taken from shale, Kevin Parker, global head of asset management, and Mark Fulton, head of climate change investment research, said in a report released today. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-17/natural-gas-shift-is-key-to-obama-s-green-economy-goal-deutsche-bank-says.html http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/18/18climatewire-vision-of-green-economy-includes-more-gas-fi-80976.html Orange County Hits Pay Dirt with Clean-Tech Industry. Besides beautiful beaches, Disneyland and the original "Real Housewives" TV show, Orange County might have a new claim to fame. The fastest-growing segment of the county's economy is now the clean-tech market, according to government and industry officials. Hundreds of green companies are settling in the area, long known for its real estate development and medical device industry. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-oc-green-tech-20101118,0,7259456.story California to Approve Two More Utility-Scale Solar Projects. In California, where solar power is king and utility-scale solar projects (defined as bigger than 1 megawatt) seem to be the norm rather than the exception, Brighter Energy is reporting the likely approval of two more huge solar projects for Riverside County. California already has six approved mega-scale solar projects in the works. Now, the potential addition of the 500-megawatt (MW) Palen Solar Power Project, and the 150-MW Rice Solar Energy Project, would add another 650 MW of solar power to California’s astonishing 4,140 MW of solar energy licensed by the state. Posted. http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/news/ca-approve-solar-projects/ More Solar Projects Sprouting Up in California's Central Valley. The solar boom in California’s sunny Central Valley continues, with new projects planned in Visalia and Mendota. The Visalia City Council has asked companies interested in installing solar energy generating facilities to respond to a Request for Proposals approved by the council this week. The project would be installed on 240 acres the city owns near the wastewater treatment plant west of Highway 99. Posted. http://solarhbj.com/news/more-solar-projects-sprouting-in-californias-central-valley-01120 County to Help Vets Find Renewable Energy Jobs. Servicemen and women who have left the military and are looking for work may be able to receive training and job placement in the renewable energy field through the county. San Bernardino County is partnering with Kern County to fund training in the renewable energy industry for 100 veterans — including 50 who have left the military less than 4 years ago. Officials hope to help at least 71 veterans find jobs by June 30, 2012. Posted. http://www.desertdispatch.com/news/county-9712-renewable-energy.html Biz Buzz: 6 Firms Honored For Going Green. Six local businesses were honored Monday by the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce with Green Awards for their environmental practices. The winners were chosen from more than 50 nominees based on their efforts to reduce pollution, conserve resources and improve air and water quality. As part of the awards ceremony, which was held at Embassy Suites, a top sustainability consultant offered tips and advice to local businesses about how to implement the best practices for sustainability. Posted. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/11/17/1374138/biz-buzz-6-firms-honored-for-going.html#ixzz15eeppoI8 Cash for Appliances has $6 Million Left. California's Cash for Appliances program has about $6 million in rebate funds remaining. The program, designed to prompt purchases of energy-efficient appliances statewide, started last spring with $31.7 million. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/18/3194354/cash-for-appliances-has-6-million.html#ixzz15f0TPBd7 Electric Trucks to be Tested at LA-Area Ports. The Port of Long Beach and Vision Motor Corp. of El Segundo, Calif., have entered into an agreement to develop and demonstrate a hydrogen fuel cell/plug-in electric Tyrano Class 8 on-road truck and a hydrogen fuel cell/plug-in electric Zero-Emission Terminal Tractor (ZETT), which is produced jointly by Vision and Capacity of Texas. Vision's zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles will be tested to evaluate their suitability for short distance cargo-hauling (drayage) and terminal operations. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=72237 VEHICLES L.A. Auto Show: Alternative-Fuel Vehicles in Spotlight. Rival Japanese automakers Toyota Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. unveiled prototypes of upcoming electric cars as alternative-fuel vehicles took center stage Wednesday at the start of the Los Angeles Auto Show. Amid buzz about General Motors Co.'s multibillion-dollar initial public offering, major automakers scrambled to show off their latest electric car offerings to hundreds of reporters gathered for a preview of the annual event at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-autoshow-notebook-20101118,0,3637952.story Electric Vehicles Dominate LA Auto Show. More than 50 vehicles, including some of the new electric models, are scheduled to make their debut at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens to the public on Friday at the Los Angeles Convention Center for a 10-day run. Among the world debuts are three premieres from Nissan including the completely redesigned Quest minivan. Land Rover will unveil its new, 5-door Range Rover Evoque and SAAB will showcase its first crossover, the 9-4X. Also making its debut is the new Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. Posted. http://www.pe.com/rss/business/stories/PE_Biz_D_autoshow18.3e4190b.html EPA Says 2010 Fuel Economy Ekes Up. The projected fuel economy of cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. during the 2010 model year inched up to 22.5 miles per gallon from 22.4 mpg the year before, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday. The preliminary data indicate that the average fuel economy of cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. will increase for the sixth straight year, albeit to a level still well below the 35.5 miles per gallon goal the Obama administration has set for 2016. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704648604575620662133432430.html http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/11/epa-car-fuel-efficiency-rises/1 OPINION Viewpoints: California's Green Thinking Should Include Shredded Tires. Earlier this month, California voters resoundingly reaffirmed their commitment to the environment by defeating Proposition 23, which would have suspended the state's climate-change law. This commitment continues a long tradition of environmental stewardship. Today California leads the nation in waste diversion, and we recycle more cans, bottles, computers, batteries, and paper than any other state. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/18/3194048/californias-green-thinking-should.html#ixzz15eme9pKi Opinion: Clean Energy Moves Forward -- And California Leads The Way. This week, I hosted the Governors’ Global Climate Summit 3 at the University of California, Davis. This summit showed the world that the green revolution is moving full-speed ahead, with or without international agreements, and the California voters’ defeat of Proposition 23 was the perfect example of that. Since this summit last gathered, we have seen tremendous progress throughout the world. Norway’s capital city of Oslo has reduced its energy consumption by 70 percent simply by using an innovative and energy-efficient form of street lighting, while the African region of Kavango planted 300,000 acres of trees, which will sequester 30 million tons of carbon dioxide. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=za9naawmkrdbrb&xid=za8lgtw5u7dwqm&done=.za9naawmks1brb Opinion: Looking at Schwarzenegger: How Green was the Governator? Over the last seven years, the question I’ve been most asked by reporters, whether they’re based in California, Washington, D.C., or even foreign countries, has been some version of “How green is Schwarzenegger, really?” My answer has never been that simple – the truth rarely is. Consequently, my comments have sometimes angered those in the administration who felt they weren’t getting enough credit for all the wonderful work they were doing, and sometimes drew barbs from my Democratic friends who had determined that the entire “green governor” image was a complete fraud built on press releases and photo ops. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=za9o48f8jbdfmz&xid=za8ljfuvy35x5e&done=.za9o48f8jc1fmz About California's Proposed Cap & Trade Regulation. The midterm elections have sent a new class of climate deniers to Congress, making it unlikely that Congress will take up climate legislation for the foreseeable future. This leaves national climate leadership where it has been for almost 10 years now: Sacramento. California's election results were mostly hopeful for the climate. Californians elected a pro-climate governor, Jerry Brown, and rejected an anti-climate proposition, Prop 23, a failed attempt to suspend AB32, the state's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-sandler/about-californias-propose_b_784640.html BLOGS Apocalypse Not: Study Says Cool down the Climate Message. Remember that TV ad that represented climate change as an oncoming train? Polar bears falling from the sky and spattering on the sidewalk? If a new study from sociologists at UC Berkeley is any indication, they probably backfired. Sociology Professor Rob Willer says more than two years of testing with college students and subjects recruited over the Internet reveal that if projections of severe climate impacts clash with a person's fundamental view of a safe and stable world, that person is less likely to act on it. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/11/17/apocalypse-not-study-says-cool-down-the-climate-message/ L.A. Auto Show: Chevrolet Volt Wins 2011 Green Car of the Year Award. The Chevrolet Volt was named 2011 Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Thursday, two days after it was named Car of the Year by Motor Trend Magazine.The Volt beat out the Hyundai Sonata hybrid, the Lincoln MKZ hybrid, Nissan Leaf and Ford Fiesta. "As we began the quest to identify finalists, we found this to be an increasingly difficult task," said Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal, which ran the juried competition. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/11/chevrolet-volt-wins-2011-green-car-of-the-year-award.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:52:03 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 19, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 19, 2010. 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 Cleaner Cars on California Roads, Cleaner Air above Them. California’s famous freeways are full of cleaner cars, cutting peak levels of air pollution and enabling many residents to breathe easier. As the Los Angeles Times reports, a new report from the Environment California Research & Policy Center says that vehicles on California’s roads today are 99 percent cleaner than their counterparts from five decades ago. What this means is that while 100,000 miles in a 1960s-era car resulted in 2,000 pounds of smog-forming pollution, the same amount of driving generates only 10 pounds of the compounds. Posted. http://www.fairwarning.org/2010/11/cleaner-cars-on-california-roads-cleaner-air-above-them/ http://egpnews.com/?p=21847 New Anti-Pollution Rules Target Consumer Products. The State Air Resources Board adopted regulations Thursday that will reduce air pollution from 11 categories of consumer products. Those include bug sprays and a variety of household and professionally-used cleaners. Posted. http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=16905 Smog Study Confirms Vast Improvement in Auto Emissions. L.A.’s air is 70 percent cleaner than in 1970. Air pollution from cars and trucks in Los Angeles and across California has dropped more than 85 percent since 1975 due to clean-air policies, according to a report issued Tuesday. The new report comes just one week after California voters defeated a statewide ballot to delay implementation of tougher pollution standards contained in AB 32, California’s landmark air pollution control bill, until the state’s unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent for a full year. Posted. http://egpnews.com/?p=21847&print=1 For Southern California's Inland Valley, Change Is in the Air, and on the Roof. Southern California’s Inland Valley is America’s loading dock. Products from Asia that arrive in the nation’s two busiest cargo seaports, Los Angeles and Long Beach, or that come as air freight directly from China, Japan or South Korea to the Los Angeles or Ontario international airports, are often first deposited in the region’s vast warehouses. Posted. http://solarhbj.com/news/for-southern-californias-inland-valley-change-is-in-air-01122 Household Cleaners to be Reformulated to Clean up California Smog. About 2,000 household cleaning products will be reformulated to reduce smog-forming compounds under a new regulation adopted Thursday in California. The rule will trigger a new, mandatatory wave of “green” products, including window cleaners, general purpose cleaning sprays, degreasers, oven cleaners, metal polishes, furniture sprays, heavy-duty hand soaps and spot removers. Posted. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=household-cleaners-to-be-reformulated CDC: Seven Large Airports Still Allow Indoor Smoking. Seven of the largest U.S. airports still allow smoking indoors, exposing travelers to secondhand smoke, says a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study cites the following large airports that allow smoking in designated smoking rooms, bars or airline clubs: Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Washington Dulles and Salt Lake City. The airports account for about 22% U.S. passenger boardings. Posted. http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2010/11/cdc-seven-large-airports-still-allow-indoor-smoking/131743/1 CLIMATE CHANGE GM Spending $40 Million to Offset Year's Worth of Chevrolet Pollution. In a dramatic move, General Motors is announcing today that its Chevrolet brand will invest $40 million in projects to offset all the global-warning carbon dioxide emissions that its new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. create through the end of 2011. The move comes on the first day that GM is no longer privately held and majority owned by the government. It is now more free to make such decisions, even though the government still has a sizable stake. GM is now a publically traded company. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/11/gm-general-motors-chevrolet-pollution-carbon-co2-offset/1 http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/18/3195848/chevrolet-invests-in-clean-energy.html# Boxer Resigned To Incremental Progress On The Environment A little more than a year ago, Sen. Barbara Boxer staged a rally on the Capitol grounds to introduce the most ambitious effort in the nation's history to curb climate change. On Thursday, the newly re-elected Democrat and environmental champion was thinking smaller -- a lot smaller -- about what Congress might accomplish on the global warming front. That's what the collapse of sweeping anti-global warming legislation this summer and the drubbing Democrats took at the polls two weeks ago will do.. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16650628 Traders, State Officials Applaud First-Ever Swap In Calif. Much to the surprise of state officials, California's carbon market launched itself this week when Barclays Bank PLC and NRG Energy Inc. completed what was the first-ever swap of a greenhouse gas emissions permit to be issued by state regulators after cap and trade goes live in 2012. The deal marks the first time a California carbon allowance has been traded and was viewed by many as a symbolic moment. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/19/6 'Governator' Sees Fighting Climate Change As His Next Role. As Arnold Schwarzenegger's role as California's governor comes to an end, he is already lining up his next gig -- climate change champion. This week, Schwarzenegger, a Republican, launched the R20 climate network, a global alliance of city and state leaders pledging to work together to address climate change. The alliance plans to implement clean technology projects in developing countries financed by industrialized nations. "I always was a big believer in doing things on a global level," Schwarzenegger said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/19/8 DIESEL CARB Amends Reefer Unit Rule. The California Air Resources Board has amended its Transport Refrigeration Unit Airborne Toxic Control Measure to allow 2003 engines to meet a less stringent standard. CARB adopted the change at its Nov. 18 board meeting. It asked owners of TRUs and TRU generator sets with 2003 engines to order compliance technology now to meet in-use standards by Dec. 31. Posted. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=86028 http://refrigeratedtrans.com/refrigeration/equipment/carb_adopts_changes_to_reefer_unit_measure_1119/ Financing Fuel Savings. I s there anyone who has been on our nation’s roads during the last few months that has not seen—and possibly at times been bothered by—road construction and repair accompanied by signage that proudly announces that the improvements have been funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act? Of course, folks in the trucking industry generally applaud road improvements since they tend to increase operational efficiency—unless construction delays happen to affect our personal plans. Posted. http://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/Item/81789/financing_fuel_savings.aspx FUELS California to Update Land Use for Ethanol. The California Air Resources Board yesterday agreed to update the land use change and other indirect effects of biofuels production under their Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS). The board is asking for updates to the land use values for corn ethanol, sugarcane ethanol, and soy biodiesel, and other feedstocks by spring of 2011 to implement the LCFS, which currently penalizes corn ethanol to the extent that it would not be approved for use in the state, while sugarcane ethanol meets the standard. Posted. http://domesticfuel.com/2010/11/19/california-to-update-land-use-for-ethanol/ GREEN/ENERGY Arnold Schwarzenegger: California Shows The Green Revolution is Alive and Well. When the Copenhagen summit on climate change failed to reach agreement last December, many thought it was the beginning of the end for the fight against global warming. But I can report nearly a year later that the Green Revolution is alive and robust in states, provinces, and localities across the world, starting in California. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Global-Viewpoint/2010/1118/Arnold-Schwarzenegger-California-shows-the-green-revolution-is-alive-and-well VEHICLES Electric Car Travels From Alaska To Argentina. An electric sports car completed a 70-day trip on the Pan-American Highway, starting near the Arctic Circle in Alaska and finishing at the world's southernmost city. The SRZero sports car used lithium iron phosphate batteries to power two electric motors. The car's designers and drivers, from Imperial College London, looked for sustainable ways to charge the batteries, such as using geothermal energy in Chena Hot Springs, Alaska. "The SRZero was literally being charged from energy taken straight out of the earth with absolutely zero CO2 emissions," said Alex Schey, a mechanical engineer behind the trip. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/19/10 Mercedes Shows Off Fuel Cell B-Class Car. The Mercedes-Benz contribution to the green car spotlight at the Los Angeles Auto Show this year is word that the German automaker will be making available in the United States a limited number of its new B-Class F-CELL fuel cell powered vehicles. And when we mean limited, we do mean limited – the plans are for “selected customers” to get the first vehicles before year’s end, with a total of around 70 of these environmentally friendly cars being made available on a rental basis in California by 2012. Posted. http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/11/mercedes-shows-off-fuel-cell-b-class-car/print/ OPINION HARROP: EPA to California: Go for It. Has the recent Republican sweep of the House doomed President Barack Obama's clean-energy agenda? Possibly. Has it doomed America's? Hardly. It's simply moved the center for enlightened environmental policy 2,840 miles to the west ---- to California, where it's been before. That's why the thumping Californians gave to Proposition 23 is so globally important. Its passage would have frozen a groundbreaking law that requires a sharp drop in the state's greenhouse gas emissions and stymied less dramatic efforts elsewhere. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/harrop/article_061647d1-9f9a-51af-b334-2ae0ff9413d5.html Science the GOP Can't Wish Away. Watching the raft of newly elected GOP lawmakers converge on Washington, I couldn't help thinking about an issue I hope our party will better address. I call on my fellow Republicans to open their minds to rethinking what has largely become our party's line: denying that climate change and global warming are occurring and that they are largely due to human activities. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/18/AR2010111806072.html UN Climate Change Panel Chairman: Yup, Global Warming Policies Are Really About Redistributing Wealth. Ottmar Edenhofer isn’t exactly a household name, but he’s a big deal in the world of global warming. The German economist is the co-chair of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which produces a lot of the reports and data that continue to get people all, er, hot and bothered about the problem of global warming. Posted. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/un-climate-change-panel-chairman-yup-global-warming-policies-are-really-about-redistributing-wealth-109224694.html#ixzz15kSmJtcy A Promising, Underutlilized Resource: Old Tires. Earlier this month, California voters resoundingly reaffirmed their commitment to the environment by defeating Proposition 23, which would have suspended the state's climate-change law. This commitment continues a long tradition of environmental stewardship -- today, California leads the nation in waste diversion and we recycle more cans, bottles, computers, batteries and paper than any other state. We're "green." Everybody gets that. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/forum/x1206833781/A-promising-underutlilized-resource-old-tires Opinion: Clean Energy Moves Forward -- And California Leads The Way. This week, I hosted the Governors’ Global Climate Summit 3 at the University of California, Davis. This summit showed the world that the green revolution is moving full-speed ahead, with or without international agreements, and the California voters’ defeat of Proposition 23 was the perfect example of that. Since this summit last gathered, we have seen tremendous progress throughout the world. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=za9naawmkrdbrb&xid=za8lgtw5u7dwqm&done=.za9naawmks1brb# BLOGS Schwarzenegger's Post-Governor Plan: Fight Climate Change. Arnold Schwarzenegger will not likely be remembered as California's most beloved governor -- he's leaving office with his approval rating in the 20% range. But history may be kinder to the legacy he leaves on climate action. Addressing global warming eventually became his trademark issue, with the passage of a climate bill that requires California to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 often considered Schwarzenegger's crowning achievement. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/11/schwarzenneger-governor-plan-climate-change.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:28:09 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 22, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 22, 2010. 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 Governor Schwarzenegger Delivers Remarks Highlighting Green Cars at Los Angeles Auto Show. Los Angeles, California - Chairman Nichols: Good morning, everybody. I’m Mary Nichols, the chair of the California Air Resources Board. I want to welcome you all here this morning and thank you for being here. This is an exciting occasion. I have never been surrounded by so many gorgeous and extremely clean and advanced cars. Just to give you one little preview of coming attractions, after today one of the next big highlights on our clean-car agenda here in California is going to be the unveiling of a product that's a strategic plan for how California is going to stay at the very forefront of the new plug-in world of transportation. Posted. http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8582&Itemid=2 California Rules for Reformulation of Household Products to Cut Emissions by Nearly Seven Tons. California has adopted a new regulation that mandates about 2,000 household cleaning products such has window cleaners and metal polishes to be reformulated to reduce smog-forming compounds. The new mandate expects to reduce emissions by nearly seven tons a day in the state. It could also have an impact nationally. Posted. http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20101122/4046/california-rules-for-reformulation-of-household-products-to-cut-emissions-by-nearly-seven-tons.htm CLIMATE CHANGE Study: Lower Carbon Emissions Linked to Recession. Carbon dioxide dioxides, widely considered the chief cause of global warming, decreased from 2008 to 2009, largely because of the global economic slowdown, says a study released Sunday. "There is a close link between the world's gross domestic product and emissions of carbon dioxide," says study lead author Pierre Friedlingstein of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, according to a story by USA TODAY colleague Doyle Rice. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/11/study-lower-carbon-emissions-linked-to-recession/1 http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/21/weak-world-economy-cuts-carbon-pollution-last/ http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/11/22/8/ Task Force Wants Jerry Brown to Create Climate Change Panel. A task force of California politicians, business people, academics and environmentalists is calling on incoming Gov. Jerry Brown to appoint a climate risk council within his office to focus statewide attention on adapting to the effects of global warming. In a report to be released Monday, the 23-member California Adaptation Advisory Panel, a group convened by the Los Angeles-based Pacific Council on International Policy calls for stepped-up data-gathering, monitoring and coordination among state agencies and in the private sector to prepare for a steep sea level rise, diminishing water supplies and the spread of wildfire, as studies have predicted. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-california-20101122,0,4205899.story Cap-And-Trade Likely To Be Buried By New Congress. This is what the 2010 midterm elections will change about U.S. climate policy: Cap-and-trade was dead. Now it will be deader. The Republican rout on Nov. 2 swept in dozens of new representatives and senators opposed to using a cap-and-trade scheme to tackle greenhouse gas emissions. By one estimate, almost half of GOP freshman legislators don't even believe there is sound science behind the theory of man-made climate change. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/21/MNEI1GFHLK.DTL#ixzz1629MKpaA Coalition Advises New Governor to Form Climate Risk Council. A coalition of politicians, business people, academics and environmentalists is calling on incoming Gov. Jerry Brown (D) to establish a climate risk council to help California adapt to the effects of global warming. The California Adaptation Advisory Panel, a 23-member group, launched a report today recommending increased data gathering and coordination between state agencies to prepare for rising sea levels, decreasing water supplies and more wildfires. A climate risk council inside the governor's office could be a "a cross-cutting entity" that facilitates this coordination, much like the White House's Council on Environmental Quality. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/11/22/7/ FUELS CARB to Reduce ILUC for Corn Ethanol. The California Air Resources Board has decided to re-evaluate its greenhouse gas emission modeling regarding indirect land use change (ILUC) considerations for ethanol. The current model used in the state’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) includes life cycle analysis calculations which result in a higher carbon rating for corn ethanol than for gasoline. The decision to re-evaluate the model was made during a board meeting held Nov. 18, during which CARB staff determined they should adopt a form of modeling created by Purdue University. Posted. http://ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=7160 Sparring Continues in Wake of Calif.'s Ethanol Adjustment. The California Air Resources Board's decision last week to revisit the greenhouse gas scores of corn ethanol and other fuels was welcomed by ethanol advocates, but others cautioned against handing them a full victory just yet. The state's low-carbon fuel standard goes into effect at the start of 2011 and is aimed at reducing the "carbon intensity" of fuels used in the state by 10 percent by 2020. To achieve that, fuel refiners, importers and blenders have to use the state's estimates of each fuel's carbon footprint to meet an average emissions standard for the fuel they sell in California. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/11/22/6/ GREEN ENERGY Green Your Home for the Holidays. It's mid-November and the thought of guests descending on your home for the holidays may have you in an all out redecorating rush. Do Your Part this holiday season and go green while you paint, clean, and even accessorize. We all know that paint can completely and inexpensively change the look of any space. But did you know that it's one of the biggest sources of indoor air pollution? That's because conventional paints contain volatile organic compounds - or VOCs - which are known to cause everything from headaches to certain cancers. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/22/v-print/3203418/green-your-home-for-the-holidays.html Energy and the Environment: More Certainty, More Innovation. The U.S. needs to diversify its energy supply. That's a given. But it also must work to restore its leadership in developing and exporting energy technology, not just to curb waste at home but to create markets abroad. Those were just a few of the themes that emerged from the task-force discussion on energy and the environment, moderated by The Wall Street Journal's Jeffrey Ball. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703688704575620843847497452.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Where the Rubber Meets the Rails: BART to San Jose Will Ride On Old Tires. Thousands of cars are expected to be removed from Bay Area freeways with the project to extend BART to San Jose. But cars -- or more specifically, their old tires -- are also shaping up to be a key building material for the job. Construction crews plan to use at least 250,000 old tires, ground up into 3-inch chunks and laid under large sections of the tracks, to act as shock absorbers, reducing vibration and noise along the route as BART is built from Fremont to San Jose's Berryessa neighborhood in the next seven years. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_16675673 Toyota, Panasonic Move into Green-Housing Sector. In what promises to be a fascinating contest between industry leaders in relatively unfamiliar territory, two of this nation's manufacturing giants, Toyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Corp., are attempting strong advances in the housing sector. Both firms believe there are huge opportunities ahead for energy-saving technologies, with the introduction of the so-called smart grid - a next-generation power network that will optimize supply to residential and other properties - likely to accelerate demand for such products. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/21/BUHQ1GE3ES.DTL#ixzz1627qg3kn Salinas-Based Green Vehicles Welcomes New Partner. Salinas residents have been invited to help celebrate the partnership between Green Vehicles and a battery-technology company. The electric car company, set to fully relocate in Salinas within a month, will host a reception today at its Firestone Business Park factory to inaugurate its relationship with Fremont-based Leyden Energy. Posted. http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20101120/BUSINESS/11200325 On The Path to the Smart Grid: PG&E Smartmeters Stirring Up Compliments, Controversy. Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. has started installing SmartMeters for Humboldt County homes, but responses have been mixed locally and across the state regarding the new technology. SmartMeters are designed to transmit power use data electronically instead of having a meter reader physically come by each home or business. The plan is to eventually allow customers to see how and when they are using power so they can find ways to save money and use less, according to PG&E. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_16666525?nclick_check=1 OPINION Editorial: Change Terms of Climate Debate. Political leaders stymied by the partisan polarization and paralysis over energy policy could learn something from folks who gathered at the University of California, Davis, last week. The Governor's Global Climate Summit came on the heels of the landslide defeat of Proposition 23, the initiative backed by three Texas and Kansas oil companies that would have overturned California's pioneering AB 32 law, which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions. George P. Shultz, who was President Ronald Reagan's secretary of state and President Richard Nixon's first budget director, explained the significance of that vote: It's "the only vote on energy policy anywhere in the world." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/21/3199407/change-terms-of-climate-debate.html Editorial: Brown's Appointees Must Address Public Health Aspects Of Global Warming. In Gov.-elect Jerry Brown's new administration, the California Department of Public Health has an opportunity and an obligation to help drive home the implications of climate change. As outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has explained, global warming does not affect only penguins and polar bears. He points to air pollution-related implications on the health of Central Valley children who suffer from asthma. There is a growing realization, led in part by California public health experts, that climate change is having significant implications, and could become worse as temperatures and sea levels rise. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/21/3199408/editorial-browns-appointees-must.html A Year After Climategate, Applying Lessons Learned. A year ago at this time, while policymakers and journalists (including myself) were gearing up for the Copenhagen Climate Summit, a story began percolating in the blogosphere about a voluminous trove of stolen emails sent between prominent climate scientists. The emails purportedly contained evidence that climate scientists had fudged temperature data and interfered in reviews of studies that did not adhere to mainstream views of manmade climate change. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/11/a_year_after_climategate_apply.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gov-arnold-schwarzenegger/a-year-after-copenhagen-c_b_785686.html The EPA Permitorium. President Obama is now retrenching after his midterm rebuke, and one of the main ways he'll try to press his agenda is through the alphabet soup of the federal regulators. So a special oversight priority for the new Congress ought to be the Environmental Protection Agency, which has turned a regulatory firehose on U.S. business and the power industry in particular. The scale of the EPA's current assault is unprecedented, yet it has received almost no public scrutiny. Since Mr. Obama took office, the agency has proposed or finalized 29 major regulations and 172 major policy rules. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704658204575610924168519824.html?mod=googlenews_wsj BLOGS Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Signs Climate-Change Pact at Mexico City Summit. Hoping to place cities at the forefront of global climate-change policy efforts, leaders of more than 100 urban centers, including L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, pledged on Sunday in Mexico City to commit their governments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The so-called Mexico City Pact is a precursor to climate-change talks with world governments opening next week in the Mexican resort city of Cancun. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/mayor-villaraigosa-signs-climate-change-pact-at-mexico-city-summit.html On Our Radar: 2010 May Set Emissions Record. Global carbon dioxide emissions may hit record levels this year, exceeding the previous high set in 2008, a new study estimates. Emissions have rebounded sharply this year in tandem with the recovery of the world economy. [Wired] The same analysis finds that global carbon dioxide emissions dropped about 1.3 percent last year as a result of the recession, a significantly smaller decline than some analysts had expected. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/on-our-radar-2010-may-set-emissions-record/?partner=rss&emc=rss Clean Air Action Plan May Be Getting Cleaner. ...but how's the action? Harbor officials from Long Beach and Los Angeles meet at Banning's Landing today at 2:00 p.m., to vote on updating the joint Clean Air Action Plan to improve air quality at the ports. The Clean Air Action Plan came into existence four years ago - it's a planning document. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2010/11/22/clean-air-action-plan-may-be-getting-cleaner/ Latinos, Asians, Care A Lot About The Environment: Do These Results Surprise You? A new LATimes/USC study had some pretty interesting findings about the environment. You can read more about the study here. What's interesting about it, of course, is that the truths it reveals should and will direct the way environment reporters like me will look at the problems and solutions we've got in southern California going forward. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2010/11/21/latinos-asians-care-lot-about-environment-do-these/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:29:02 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 23, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 23, 2010. 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 Ports Agree to Updated Clean Air Action Plan. The Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions on Monday finally agreed to update an environmental plan that will concentrate on reducing harmful emissions spewed from cargo vessels, cruise ships and locomotives over the next decade. The revised Clean Air Action Plan is expected to reduce the risk of cancer from port-related pollution by 85 percent over the next decade. Posted. http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_16682224 http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16686378 http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16689091 CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change Planning For California Urged. California must work harder not just to curb damaging greenhouse gas emissions, but to plan for the unavoidable impacts of climate change on the state's landscape and economy in coming generations, according to an influential group of policymakers, scientists and business leaders. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/23/BAP21GG2VI.DTL&type=printable Energy Industry Strikes Out on Its Own. A group of utility executives who once lobbied Congress to cap greenhouse-gas emissions say they are now pressing ahead with their own efforts to clean up the industry. "We're making our own destiny," said Chris Gould, vice president of corporate strategy for Exelon Corp. in Chicago, the nation's largest owner of nuclear-power plants and one of the biggest backers of the failed "cap and trade" legislation. The new, take-charge attitude is motivated not only by environmental concerns. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559504575631010457589470.html Climate Change Math in Treaties Flawed by Suspect Pollution Calculations. Euan Nisbet, a University of London earth sciences professor who has traveled the world testing the air for greenhouse-gas pollution, makes his way to a rocky outcropping on the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island on a sunny November afternoon. He takes out a battery-operated pump connected to a thin tube and a plastic bag to capture traces of the wind. “This is a good day for collecting samples,” says Nisbet, 61, looking out to sea. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-23/climate-change-math-in-treaties-flawed-by-suspect-pollution-calculations.html Greenhouse-Gas Pledges Insufficient to Combat Warming, UN Report Finds. National pledges to cut greenhouse gases by 2020 fall short of reductions needed to limit the rise in global temperatures, according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Program. Targets in the nonbinding agreement reached in Copenhagen last year would deliver about 60 percent of the cuts needed to keep the world from warming by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than in pre-industrial times, according to the study released today. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-11-23/greenhouse-gas-pledges-by-nations-insufficient-un-report-finds.html Spectron Handles First California Brokered CO2 Trade. Spectron Group Ltd. handled the first brokered forward-trade agreement for California carbon allowances at $11.50 a metric ton, the London-based broker said today in an e-mailed statement. On Nov. 17, Barclays Plc and NRG Energy Inc., the largest U.S. independent power producer, said they completed the first deal for carbon-dioxide permits under California’s planned cap- and-trade program for greenhouse gases. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-11-23/spectron-handles-first-california-brokered-co2-trade-update1-.html The Warming of Antarctica: A Citadel of Ice Begins to Melt. The fringes of the coldest continent are starting to feel the heat, with the northern Antarctic Peninsula warming faster than virtually any place on Earth. These rapidly rising temperatures represent the first breach in the enormous frozen dome that holds 90 percent of the world's ice. In 1978, when few researchers were paying attention to global warming, a prominent geologist at Ohio State University was already focused on the prospect of fossil fuel emissions trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS84758991620101123 EPA Sets New Rules for Carbon Dioxide Storage. The Obama administration is imposing new rules to protect drinking water and track the amount of carbon dioxide stored underground by "clean coal" technology. The rules, announced Monday, cover an experimental technique to store underground the carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants and other sources. The technique, which involves injecting carbon dioxide in stable geologic formations, is designed to reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/22/AR2010112203699.html U.N. Researchers Find Slow Diplomacy Creates Large 'Emissions Gap'. World governments must commit to steeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to meet their target of limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the U.N. Environment Programme said today. Industrialized and developing nations participating in U.N. climate talks last year crafted a nonbinding agreement, the Copenhagen Accord, to limit global emissions, fund clean energy development and help protect vulnerable countries from climate impacts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/23/4 Carbon-Storage Rules Aim To Protect Health, Measure Emissions. U.S. EPA issued a pair of rules yesterday aimed at promoting development of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology while erecting safety and reporting mechanisms ahead of that build-out. Technology allowing greenhouse gases emitted from coal plants' smokestacks to be captured and then injected underground for long-term storage has long been a darling of some in the utility industry, who see it as an opportunity to develop "clean coal." To date such technology has never been proved at scale. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/23/5 DIESEL EMISSIONS Hybrid Tugboat Cuts Emissions. UC Riverside scientists study what is believed to be the world’s only hybrid electric tugboat at Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. A new study by University of California, Riverside scientists of what is believed to be the world’s only hybrid electric tugboat found that the vessel is effective in reducing emissions at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Posted. http://newsroom.ucr.edu/news_item.html?action=page&id=2498 http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=16951 CARB Allows Lower-Level Upgrades to '03 Reefer Units. Owners of model-year 2003 reefer units that run in California can get more legal use out of them for less cost, thanks to a regulations amendment by the state's Air Resources Board. In its Nov. 18 meeting, CARB's directors approved the installation of Low-Emission (LE) aftertreatment equipment to '03 reefer diesels, which would put them in compliance with CARB exhaust-emissions rules until the end of 2017. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=72270 FUELS EPA Biofuel Storage Rule Marks 'New Round' Of Federal Requirements. The US Environmental Protection Agency's newly proposed rules for underground storage tanks holding higher levels of ethanol and biodiesel could "mark the beginning of a new round of federal UST requirements," the Petroleum Marketers Association of America said. "PMAA has been working closely with the EPA on compatibility issues over the past two years," the group said in its weekly member e-mail, sent Friday. Posted. http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/Oil/6617352 Al Gore Reverses Course On Ethanol Subsidy. Former Vice President Al Gore, who once issued the tie-breaking vote to ensure that ethanol and other renewable fuels would continue to receive lucrative tax credits, has reversed course on the subsidy. The corn ethanol tax subsidy, which provides a 45-cent tax credit for each gallon of fuel blended with ethanol, is set to expire on Dec. 31. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/11/23/6 Will Relaxed California Regulations Trigger Demand For Corn Ethanol? Considering a proposal from the staff of the state Air Resources Board, California regulators have announced that they would consider changing their view on the environmental impact of ethanol, a decision that could keep the corn-based fuel competitive with other bio fuels. Posted. http://www.dailymarkets.com/stock/2010/11/23/will-relaxed-california-regulations-trigger-demand-for-corn-ethanol/ World’s Largest Biodiesel Plant Starts Production in Singapore. Neste Oil has started production at its biodiesel plant in Singapore, the world’s largest with an annual capacity of 800,000 tons. The plant will produce the NExBTL diesel which, according to the company reduces the carbon emissions by 40 to 80 percent depending on the percentage blending with the conventional diesel. The biodiesel from the plant can be either blended with the conventional diesel or used directly. The company claims that the biodiesel is compatible with the all the diesel engines currently in use. Posted. http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/22/worlds-largest-biodiesel-plant-starts-production-in-singapore/ GREEN ENERGY Northrop Opposes Solar Energy Project. Defense contractor says high desert facility might interfere with testing of stealth technology on aircraft. A delay could affect millions of dollars in potential federal stimulus funds. Approval for the first of what could be at least a dozen large solar energy projects planned for the high desert near the Los Angeles-Kern County line is under threat from an unlikely source: the military industry. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-radar-20101123,0,5208504,print.story VEHICLES Wary Of Surges, Utilities Brace For Electric Car Launch. Electric utilities are watching the launch of mass-market electric cars next month with a wary eye, knowing that a cluster of plugged-in cars could potentially overwhelm the grid. The cars also present a potential windfall for the utilities not seen since the spread of air conditioning in the 1950s and 1960s. But executives are worried that high demand in concentrated areas could create difficulties for the utilities and could ruin the opportunity. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/11/23/8/ MISCELLANEOUS Toxic Waste Dump Ruled Out As Cause Of Kettleman City Birth Defects. State Department of Public Health has found no reason for heart and facial deformities in the impoverished community. State health investigators have ruled out a toxic waste dump as the cause of severe birth defects including heart problems and facial deformities in the impoverished Central California farming community of Kettleman City, according to a draft report released Monday. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-kettleman-defects-20101123,0,1615574,print.story http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/us/23town.html BLOGS ‘Take a Lesson,’ Schwarznegger Says on Climate Change. California is just one of 50 states, but its economy, measured individually, is the eighth-biggest in the world, larger than that of Spain, Canada, Brazil, Russia, India or South Korea. Such economic clout makes California ideally positioned to take the lead on energy policy and environmental issues like climate change, even as the United States as a whole has failed to make much progress on either front. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/take-a-lesson-schwarznegger-on-the-environment/?pagemode=print Degrees of Separation From Climate Goals. In the weeks after the chaotic United Nations climate change summit meeting last December in Copenhagen, 140 nations endorsed the meeting’s goal of limiting the rise in global temperature from pre-industrial levels to 2 degrees Celsius or less in this century. Of those countries signing onto the so-called Copenhagen Accord, 85 made pledges to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions and participate in international programs to help developing countries slow the rate of growth of their emissions. Are the two pledges compatible? Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/degrees-of-separation-from-climate-goals/?pagemode=print Gore Annoys Corn Ethanol Lobby. Bloomberg News Fermentation tanks at the Mid-Missouri Energy corn ethanol plant in Malta Bend, Mo. Al Gore has apparently irked the biofuels lobby by suggesting during a panel discussion at a green business conference on Monday that his earlier support for corn-based ethanol subsidies was “a mistake.” Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/gore-annoys-corn-ethanol-lobby/?pagemode=print Gone To Satan's Side On Climate Change. Talk about your ironies. The deniers love to talk about the overwhelming mainstream science behind anthropogenic climate change as a "climate religion." Be sure to tell recently defeated Republican Rep. Bob Inglis that. I am sure he will find that ironic. The South Carolina Congressman blames his loss on "his assertions that atmospheric warming is a scientific certainty." Apparently he did not get the memo that Republicans no longer believe in science. Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2010/11/gone-to-satans.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:38:33 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 24, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 24, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE California Dreaming? The Golden State Takes the Lead in U.S. Efforts to Combat Climate Change. Only two weeks after California voters turned back an effort to suspend the state's program to combat climate change, a cap-and-trade market for greenhouse gas emissions saw its first trade, a swap of a climate-change pollution permit for 2012. "While our federal government is sitting on its hands, California is moving full speed ahead to a clean-energy future," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in his weekly address on November 19. Posted. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=california-leads-us-efforts-to-combat-climate-change Emissions Exchanges Gear Up For California 'Green Rush'. California will become the next test site for emissions trading in the U.S. as exchanges line up new climate-related markets in the state, following the shelving of a national cap-and-trade plan to cut greenhouse gases. Three exchange groups are lining up product launches for California after voters endorsed its 2006 climate law in a referendum earlier this month. Supporters believe California will breath new life into a U.S. carbon-trading market that has fallen dormant after a federal scheme was shelved this summer and interest cooled in other regional initiatives. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730304575632961052313910.html?mod=googlenews_wsj U.N. Seeks Climate Progress; Deal May Be Years Off. Most nations have few hopes for the meeting of environment ministers from November 29 to December 10 in the Caribbean resort of Cancun after U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders failed to agree a treaty at last year's U.N. Copenhagen summit. Sights are lower for Cancun, which will test the ability of the United Nations to reconcile the interests of China and the United States, the top greenhouse gas emitters, and those of 192 other nations in a 21st century world order. All have a veto. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AN3HP20101124 UCSD Students to Join Global Climate Talk. Four graduate students from UCSD will join Scripps oceanography researchers next week at a climate-change summit hosted by the United Nations. The purpose of sending international-relations students -- a first for the school -- is to enhance the dialogue about global warming and its effects, said Erica Jue, one of the students attending the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, in Cancun. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/24/ucsd-students-join-scripps-scientists-global-clima/ Greenhouse Gases Increased to Record in Atmosphere Last Year, UN Reports. Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, the main man-made greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, increased to record post-industrial concentrations last year, the United Nations said. Carbon dioxide, the most important heat-trapping gas, last year rose to 386.8 parts per million molecules of air, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization said today in an e-mailed statement. That’s 1.6 ppm higher than in 2008. The methane concentration increased by 6 parts per billion while nitrous oxide rose by 0.7 parts per billion. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-24/greenhouse-gases-increased-to-record-in-atmosphere-last-year-un-reports.html What's Next for Clean Energy and Climate Policies. There is no doubt that we have our work cut out for us. The current Senate has failed to act on comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation and we now know that the 112th Congress will be a very different landscape with an incoming class of members that is among the most anti-science to date. Yet the outcome of the elections does not change the facts: the U.S. is dangerously dependent on oil, China and other countries are making huge gains in clean energy technologies, and we continue to spew dangerous carbon pollution into the atmosphere. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gene-karpinski/whats-next-for-clean-ener_b_786878.html AIR POLLUTION Socal Ports Officials Seek More Cuts in Pollution. Officials from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have approved a new plan that calls for aggressive cuts in pollution from ships and trains. The plan approved Monday by the ports' harbor commissions seeks to clean up the air around the nation's busiest port complex. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9JLTUEG0.htm http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article/LA-Long-Beach-ports-update-clean-air-action-plan--25125 Sacramento in Top 10 for Worst Air Quality. Welcome to California, the coughing-tearing-wheezing state. The Golden State boasts brilliant sandy beaches and breathtaking snow-capped mountains — and seven cities among the top 10 with the worst air quality in the nation, according to the American Lung Association. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2010/11/23/sacramento-in-top-10-for-worst-air.html Chicoans Asked To Forgo Wood Stoves. A forecast of air quality unhealthy for some people has prompted air quality officials to ask Chicoans to refrain from lighting wood fires today and tonight in open fireplaces and wood stoves. The "Check Before You Light" program is voluntary, but people complying with it have been credited as contributing to recent improvement of winter air quality conditions in Chico. The advisory by the Butte County Air Quality Management District only applies to the Chico urban area. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_16698122 FUELS Can Easing California Regulations Boost Corn Ethanol? Considering a proposal from the staff of the state Air Resources Board, California regulators have announced that they could change their view on the environmental impact of ethanol, a decision that might keep the corn-based fuel competitive with other bio fuels. The analysis calculates that the emissions of heat-trapping gases linked to climate change from the production and use of ethanol is required as part of regulations being put in place to meet a state law requiring a cut in greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://seekingalpha.com/article/238310-can-easing-california-regulations-boost-corn-ethanol California Move Could Make Corn Ethanol an Emissions Boon. The National Corn Growers Association welcomed a decision by California regulators which will begin to reflect ethanol's emissions profile compared to gasoline. However, NCGA remained critical of the timing and the process which allowed immature science to penalize this critically needed fuel. "There are inherent risks in using a computer model to guide regulation or establish policy and this dramatic revision makes that very clear," said NCGA President Bart Schott, a corn grower from Kulm, N.D. Ethanol's reputation has been harmed by the California Air Resources Board's highly publicized effort to implement its low carbon fuel standard, but this is a step in the right direction." Posted. http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-national.php?Id=2357&yr=2010 GREEN ENERGY SDG&E Proposes Piping Methane Gas From Waste. San Diego Gas & Electric is proposing putting methane from landfill waste, sewage plants or farms in its pipelines, a move that would take greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, trash out of landfills and make money. The proposal comes after the company recently approved a first-of-its kind move to use its pipelines to move surplus methane produced at the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment plant to the University of California San Diego and a sewage pumping station in Otay Mesa. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/23/sdge-proposes-using-landfill-sewer-gas/ ENERGY: Utilities Planning Biogas Projects. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. and Southern California Gas Co. plan to purify waste gas from garbage dumps, farm waste and sewage treatment and pump it into utility-owned pipelines, executives from the utilities said Tuesday. Bacteria that break down organic waste in low-oxygen conditions produce methane, which is a key component in natural gas, but also a producer of smog and a cause of global warming. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_9bd3ebe9-3cf9-5aaf-ad91-ab7bb1fc3ded.html UC Davis Begins Smart Lighting Initiative. The University of California Davis aims to greatly reduce the amount of electricity it uses for its buildings and grounds with a newly launched Smart Lighting Initiative. UC Davis is the first large institution in the state to commit to achieving a September state mandate to reduce lighting energy use by 60 percent or more by 2020, and the university intends to reach that goal by 2015. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2010/11/24/uc-davis-begins-smart-lighting.html Los Angeles County Rejects Defense Contractor's Objections to Solar Plant. The battle pitted Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., a giant defense contractor that operates a sensitive radar testing center in the Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles, against a proposed solar power plant project widely supported by local residents and business groups. Solar won. Posted. http://solarhbj.com/news/los-angeles-county-rejects-defense-contractors-objections-to-solar-pv-plant-01145 VEHICLES Nissan Leaf: Electric Car Runs Equivalent of 99 Miles per Gallon. The Nissan Leaf, an electric car aimed at attracting environmentally conscious motorists, will get the equivalent of 99 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, based on government testing. Nissan Motor said Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency's fuel efficiency window sticker, which provides information about the car's energy use, would estimate the electric car will achieve the equivalent of 106 mpg in city driving and 92 mpg on the highway. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/green-energy/ci_16682494 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/11/epa-gives-nissan-leaf-a-rating-equivalent-to-99-mpg.html OPINION Saving at the Pump during that Thanksgiving Drive. The long drive to grandma's house for Thanksgiving is invaluable for family bonds but tough on the pocketbook in these recessionary times. What if your car got 60 miles to the gallon instead of the current 22.4 miles per gallon? The Obama administration is developing new fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks for the 2017-2025 model years with the goal of curbing pollution and saving your pocketbook. California has been a leader in energy efficiency. Since California passed its California Clean Cars law in 2002, 14 other states have passed stronger laws limiting tailpipe emissions. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/opinionshop/detail?entry_id=77597#ixzz16DkY48jC Let's Really Clear the Air. Valley motorists will be hit with a new $12 fee on each car they register. That's the result of a $29 million penalty imposed because the Valley air district, which covers San Joaquin County south to Kern County, violated allowed ozone levels in August. The violation came in the middle of a heat wave and just as back-to-school traffic pushed ozone pollution over the top. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101124/A_OPINION01/11240306/-1/A_OPINION BLOGS World Faces A Greenhouse Gas Emissions Gap, U.N. Says. The emissions reduction pledges made by countries around the world fall well short of what is needed to keep global temperatures from rising by 2 degrees Celsius or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, according to a new United Nations report. The findings of the U.N. Environment Programme's report, released Tuesday, show nations could deliver almost 60 percent of the carbon cuts needed over the next decade to meet the target climate negotiators embraced in Copenhagen a year ago. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-carbon/2010/11/world_faces_a_greenhouse_gas_e.html Climate: Be Afraid of Global Warming. But Not Too Afraid. Over on the mainpage, I have a Going Green column on a forthcoming psychology study that found that news articles and other messages that emphasize the scariest, most catastrophic possible impacts of global warming actually increase climate change skepticism, not the other way around. You can read about it here, and for more detail check out a post by Andrew Revkin on the same subject at Dot Earth. here. Posted. http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/11/22/climate-be-afraid-of-global-warming-but-not-too-afraid/#ixzz16E1rmtAB Report: Cleaner Cars Could Put More Pumpkin Pies on Americans Tables. Environment California has been leading the charge for a cleaner automobile fleet for California and the rest of the country for years. Earlier today, they released a new report, Gobbling Less Gas for Thanksgiving, promoting a “sixty miles per gallon” fuel efficiency mandate for American cars to be in place by 2025. If that goal seems unrealistic considering that the average miles per gallon for the American fleet is only 26.4 miles per gallon today, consider that recent studies show that American cars are 99% cleaner today than they were fifty years ago. Posted. http://la.streetsblog.org/2010/11/23/report-cleaner-cars-could-put-more-pumpkin-pies-on-americans-tables/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:38:35 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 29, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 29, 2010. 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. GREEN ENERGY Capital Region Leads State In Clean-Tech Job Growth, Study Says. Clean-tech companies in the Sacramento region now employ more workers than the local agricultural sector, underscoring the importance of the fledgling industry's role to the area's economy. In a report released today, the Green Capital Alliance, which promotes local green industry, said Sacramento has led the state in clean-tech job growth during the past 13 years and now employs more than 13,000 workers. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/29/v-print/3217524/capital-region-leads-state-in.html Obama Administration Gives Billions In Stimulus Money Without Environmental Safeguards. In the name of job creation and clean energy, the Obama administration has doled out about $2 billion in stimulus money to some of the nation's biggest polluters while granting them exemptions from a basic form of environmental oversight, a Center for Public Integrity investigation has found. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/28/AR2010112804379_pf.html AIR POLLUTION To Clear Up Air Quality, Hong Kong Looks to the Sea. The most potent proof of Hong Kong’s long and abundant maritime history is, increasingly, the ubiquitous haze that blurs the city’s skyline. In this, the world’s third-busiest container port, after Singapore and Shanghai, according to the Hong Kong Marine Department, commercial tankers, ferries and fishing boats exhale noxious fumes into air that already, by the World Health Organization’s standards, is healthy only 41 days of the year. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/business/energy-environment/29iht-rbogship.html?src=busln Is State Being Burned By Woodstoves? Clean air officials in Northern California were startled earlier this year to learn that a county just 200 miles north in Oregon has landed $900,000 in federal stimulus money so that residents can trade in their old, smoky wood-burning stoves for cleaner models. But no such stimulus money is flowing to anywhere in California suffering from wintertime air pollution from wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, which is odd considering the recent spell of cold weather. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_16732865 Holiday Traditions Can Affect Air Quality. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend can have poor air quality due to high particle concentrations primarily from residential wood burning according to the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District. "Combining weather conditions and an increase of wood burning during the holiday weekend can create poor air quality which contributes to health problems," stated Mat Ehrhardt, executive director. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_16709440 UC RIVERSIDE: Project Studies Unique Hybrid Tugboat. The tale of the Carolyn Dorothy almost reads like a children's book story line for the green generation. She's the little tugboat in the harbor that could. Only she did by emitting 73 percent less soot emissions, 51 percent less smog-causing nitrogen oxides and 27 percent less carbon dioxide. UC Riverside researchers have the numbers to prove it. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_tugboat29.3f2eae3.html Air District Eyeing Air Quality During Cold Season. A lot of people in the Bay Area had their fireplaces going Thanksgiving night and that did a job on air quality. While it was OK to burn a fire Friday, authorities preferred people wait until the weekend. When the temperature drops, the firewood burns. That is the plan for the Wiggs family over the Thanksgiving weekend. With a bunch of out-of-town relatives visiting San Rafael, the holiday would not be the same without a crackling fire. Posted. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=weather&id=7811396 Agency's Success Presents New Challenges – Jackson. With U.S. EPA taking intense criticism from Republicans and businesses, Administrator Lisa Jackson said today her 40-year-old agency is battling a new problem: Americans are taking a healthy environment for granted. When EPA was created in 1970, Cleveland's Cuyahoga River was so polluted that it caught fire. Pittsburgh and Los Angeles were choking on smog on a daily basis. And the widespread use of DDT and other toxic chemicals was killing off bald eagles -- the very symbol of the United States. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/29/1 CLIMATE CHANGE Wind Seems Knocked Out Of Obama's Climate Agenda. The fight over U.S. environmental policy will shift next year as Republicans take control of the House of Representatives, leaving the Obama administration chasing smaller victories in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. What's dead for now is the ambitious climate bill that President Obama had backed, which sought to commit the U.S. to reduce industrial pollution 17% from 2005 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/environment/2010-11-29-climatepolicy29_ST_N.htm U.S. Carbon Trading Centers on California. Product Launches Set for the State as Emissions Exchanges Gear Up to Compete in Global Efforts. California will become the next test site for emissions trading in the U.S. as exchanges line up new climate-related markets in the state, following the shelving of a national cap-and-trade plan to cut greenhouse gases. Three exchange groups are preparing product launches for California after voters endorsed the state's 2006 climate law in a referendum earlier this month. Supporters believe California will breathe new life into a U.S. carbon-trading market that has fallen dormant after a federal program was shelved this summer and interest cooled in other regional initiatives. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730304575632961052313910.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Sandy, White Beaches and a 'Toxic' Issue Confront Negotiators as Cancun Talks Begin. To hear climate change negotiators describe it, this week's U.N. global warming summit in Cancun, Mexico, is shaping up like a confab of homebuilders. Delegates say they are "laying foundations," setting up "frameworks" and installing the "building blocks" for a future treaty. They might also need a bomb shelter. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/11/29/29climatewire-sandy-white-beaches-and-a-toxic-issue-confro-40061.html?pagewanted=print Companies Adopt Green Policies on Their Own. London — While politicians bicker over international action on global warming, many companies are taking the lead and cutting greenhouse gas emissions on their own. While such efforts are unlikely to be enough without strong incentives and regulation from governments, environmentalists are encouraged by how seriously some in the private sector are taking climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/business/global/29iht-rboguk.html?_r=1&src=busln&pagewanted=print How to Change the Global Energy Conversation. Forcing countries to agree to emissions caps will never work, argue Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger. Instead, they say, the focus should be on technology innovations. It's time for a rethink on climate change. For two decades, world leaders have been trying—and failing—to hammer out a workable deal on global warming. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704312504575618972157288244.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Even When Frozen, Soils Get Busy Emitting CO2. Microbes have long done the world's dirty work. They gobble up oil spills. They defend our guts against disease. And even in rugged northern latitudes, hosts of bacteria filter through the soil, feeding on falling leaves and decay, freeing carbon and nutrients for each spring's renewal. For a long time, scientists thought the essential role played by soil bacteria in the northern carbon cycle was purely seasonal: During summer, heat-loving bugs would tear through leaf litter and waste with a frenzy, multiplying rapidly. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/29/4 VEHICLES New Hybrid Buses Arriving In Peninsula Communities. New hybrid buses are joining the fleet of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and gradually hitting the streets of Peninsula communities. Last month, the first nine diesel-electric hybrid buses — each costing $650,000 — were unveiled on VTA bus line 66, which connects San Jose and Milpitas. Since then, another 20 buses have been delivered. The hybrids are now being used on bus lines 23 and 68, which connect Cupertino and Gilroy with San Jose. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inthepeninsula/detail?entry_id=77893 Triac, An Electric Car Made In Salinas, Getting Ready To Hit The Streets. Is there a Triac in your future? Maybe -- if your conscience has evolved to a deep shade of green and you have $25,000 to spare on a locally manufactured, three-wheeled gasless electric vehicle with a 100-mile range. I drove one around Los Gatos the other day with Mike Ryan, president of Green Vehicles, the Salinas company that makes them. A prototype, one of just a dozen made so far, it had a stick shift that will be replaced in the upcoming Triac 2.0 with an automatic transmission. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_16693879?nclick_check=1 DOWNEY: Cars 99 Percent Cleaner Than 1960s Models. Here's something you don't see every day: An environmental group is praising cars, instead of denouncing them as the source of much of what is wrong with society today. Environment California recently released a study that found cars are 99 percent cleaner than they were 40-some years ago. The typical automobile that rolled off new-car lots in the 1960s coughed up 1 ton of air pollution every 100,000 miles. Today, in California, the typical new car generates 10 pounds of pollution over the same distance. And it shows, the report said. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/columnists/downey/article_a3702dec-2bbd-53ed-bd70-9383c0332b5b.html Obama Transportation Emission Control Initiatives. As I begin writing a book compiling my Examiner articles from the past two years coinciding with Obama’s first two years in office there is one story I recently picked up that has received little popular press coverage. According to one of my regional transportation air quality contacts President Obama has authorized development of Tier 3 Tailpipe Out Transportation Emission Standards for automobile and truck makers under 12,500 pounds loaded weight. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/environmental-policy-in-national/obama-transportation-emission-control-initiatives Cali Launches VRRRM Program. No, that's not the sound of a Toyota when you apply the breaks. VRRRM is short for Vehicle Repair, Retirement and Replacement for Motorists, a program sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges and launched in the State this weekend, VRRRM calls for repairing, retiring, and replacing around 17,000 vehicles considered to be polluting the atmosphere, in an attempt to remove some 850 tons of pollutants from California.s air within the next three years. Posted. http://www.autoevolution.com/news/cali-launches-vrrrm-program-27172.html As Expected, the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach signed off last week on the first update to their 4-year-old Clean Air Action Plan. The updated plan was approved during a joint meeting of the two harbor commissions. Coming off a successful effort to cut truck emissions at the two ports, the updated plan turns its focus toward ships and trains. Shipping lines will be encouraged to bring their cleanest ships to Southern California and the railroads to use their newest locomotives. Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1386 UC RIVERSIDE: Project Studies Unique Hybrid Tugboat. The tale of the Carolyn Dorothy almost reads like a children's book story line for the green generation. She's the little tugboat in the harbor that could. Only she did by emitting 73 percent less soot emissions, 51 percent less smog-causing nitrogen oxides and 27 percent less carbon dioxide. UC Riverside researchers have the numbers to prove it. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_tugboat29.3f2eae3.html Market Pressure Pushed GM To Produce Volt. More than a decade after pulling the plug on the $1 billion EV1 electric car project, General Motors Co. is back in the game with the launch of its Chevrolet Volt, an extended-range plug-in car. The Volt decision came after executives saw the praise being heaped on Toyota for its Prius gas-electric hybrid. But GM executives did not want to mimic Toyota by making a hybrid, nor did they want to repeat the failure of the EV1 by going purely electric. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/29/15 OPINION LOIS HENRY: Regulating The Truth And Other Hot Air. There I was last week, minding my own business (well, sort of), when this morsel of an e-mail popped up from the California Air Resources Board. CARB will have a workshop Dec. 1 to discuss a new regulation "Prohibiting False Statements." It goes on to read: "The contemplated regulation would forbid dishonest statements offered to the Board or to its staff. Such a regulation would be especially beneficial because the Board's rulemaking and rule implementation relies on accurate technical, scientific, and economic data submitted to the Board." That is so rich it almost makes my teeth hurt. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x1263267080/LOIS-HENRY-Regulating-the-truth-and-other-hot-air A Quiet Orinda Member Sounds Off On Leaf Blowers. JoAnneh Nagler is a Burlingame resident and member of Quiet Orinda, a group seeking to ban the use of leafblowers. Here, she explains her reasoning for asking for such a ban. The news that Orinda's City Council dismissed the issue of prolific leaf blower use in their community is not surprising. As more progressive cities have instituted bans and regulations, Orinda, sadly, sidestepped the health hazards by voting down any attempts to regulate. Posted. http://lamorinda.patch.com/articles/a-quiet-orinda-member-sounds-off-on-leaf-blowers Health Challenge: Climate Change. In Jerry Brown's new administration, the state Department of Public Health has an opportunity and an obligation to help drive home the implications of climate change. As outgoing Gov. Schwarzenegger has explained, global warming doesn't affect only penguins and polar bears. He points to air pollution-related impact on the health of valley children who suffer from asthma. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/11/28/1448575/health-challenge-climate-change.html#ixzz16gwIwZ5k BLOGS Western Climate Initiative Offers Hope Despite Federal Government Paralysis. Canada committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 6% below 1990 levels by 2012 under the Kyoto protocol. Instead, Canada’s emissions have increased by 24%. The Harper government ties its climate action to the US, which didn’t even sign on to Kyoto. There was some hope for legislative action in both countries when Obama was elected, but that hope sank with the most recent US election of climate deniers and the unelected Canadian senate’s obliteration of the House of Representative’s climate bill. Posted. http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/earthmatters/2010/11/29/western-climate-initiative-offers-hope-despite-federal-government The "Green New Deal" meets the "New Austerity" - Making Clean Energy Cheaper. A little less than 18 months ago many in the United States were heralding what appeared to be the beginning of the "Green New Deal" at the national level. It now appears that this ushering in of what I will refer to as "Green New Deal 1.0" was at best premature as efforts to create a national green house gas cap-and-trade regime and related clean energy measures at the federal level have stalled in the face of the "New Austerity"; indeed, there is a real risk that federal and state elections in the U.S. next week could result in a reversal of significant existing clean energy policies at the state and federal levels, most notably policies in California that mirror Green New Deal 1.0. Posted. http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/29/the_green_new_deal_meets_the_new_austerity_-_makin/ California's Year In Climate Action. So, what's the state of California done since the last UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen, a year ago? Let's take a (brief) (but semi-detailed) look. The one most people have heard of is the one the most people did: defeat proposition 23, which would have suspended AB 32 greenhouse gas reduction efforts, notably, carbon trading. We care about that because California's become the US center of efforts to trade and - through trading, reduce - carbon...in the absence of federal action: Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2010/11/28/californias-year-climate-action/ Clearing the Air at Cancun Climate Summit. As COP-16 begins in Cancun, Mexico, world leaders need to understand that global warming isn’t only about carbon dioxide. In a world that is stepping close to a steep and dangerous precipice, doing more to reduce non-CO2 climate change contributors such as methane, black carbon soot, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) might help head global warming off at the pass, according to Professors Veerabhadran Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and David G. Victor at the University of California, San Diego. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/11/clearing-air-cancun-climate-summit/ California's Year in Climate Action. So, what's the state of California done since the last UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen, a year ago? Let's take a (brief) (but semi-detailed) look. The one most people have heard of is the one the most people did: defeat proposition 23, which would have suspended AB 32 greenhouse gas reduction efforts, notably, carbon trading. We care about that because California's become the US center of efforts to trade and - through trading, reduce - carbon...in the absence of federal action. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2010/11/28/californias-year-climate-action/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:30:07 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for November 30, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 30, 2010. 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 Waste Management Receives Air-Quality Honor. Waste Management officials in San Diego operate the country's largest fleet of liquid natural gas trucks, a distinction that recently won the company recognition from the county's air-quality agency. The Air Pollution Control District honored Waste Management with a Blue Sky Leadership Award, an honor given to businesses that show commitment to bettering air quality. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/29/waste-management-receives-air-quality-honor/ EPA's Success Presents New Challenges, Agency's Chief Says. With U.S. EPA taking intense criticism from Republicans and businesses, Administrator Lisa Jackson said today her 40-year-old agency is battling a new problem: Americans are taking a healthy environment for granted. When EPA was created in 1970, Cleveland's Cuyahoga River was so polluted that it caught fire. Pittsburgh and Los Angeles were choking on smog on a daily basis. And the widespread use of DDT and other toxic chemicals was killing off bald eagles -- the very symbol of the United States. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/11/29/29greenwire-epas-success-presents-new-challenges-agencys-c-73961.html?pagewanted=print Road Construction Company Faces Millions Of Dollars In Air Quality Fines. Lake County, Calif. – A company that completed a disputed road project in the south county is facing millions of dollars in fines due to its alleged failure to get the proper air quality permits. International Surfacing Systems, which has offices around California and Arizona, was cited earlier this fall by Lake County Air Quality Management District for several violations, according to Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart. Posted. http://lakeconews.com/content/view/17208/919/ Water District, Cement Companies Struggle with Emissions Rules. The Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District continues to line up support in opposition to proposed emission control Rule 4702 that the district says will increase green house gases, reduce fuel efficiency, result in higher water prices, harm agriculture and place a severe financial hardship on the water district. “It's going to affect every single person in our district,” said water district Operations Manager Steve Minton. “And not in a good way.” Posted. http://www.tehachapinews.com/content/water-district-cement-companies-struggle-emissions-rules/32683 CLIMATE CHANGE Cap-and-Trade Market Spanning North America Weighed by States. California, New Mexico and 10 U.S. Northeastern states may try to create a North American carbon market on their own now that President Barack Obama has given up on cap-and-trade legislation that stalled in Congress. The emissions-trading system would be based on a planned carbon market in California, the most populous state, and an existing regional cap-and-trade program for power plants in the Northeast, according to state environmental officials. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/29/bloomberg1376-LCNWTQ0UQVI801-2DVHRLU62ULOEUHU3LQE07QSCU.DTL#ixzz16mmapQfP http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-11-30/cap-and-trade-market-for-north-america-weighed-by-states-after-obama-fails.html Even When Frozen, Soils Get Busy Emitting CO2. Microbes have long done the world's dirty work. They gobble up oil spills. They defend our guts against disease. And even in rugged northern latitudes, hosts of bacteria filter through the soil, feeding on falling leaves and decay, freeing carbon and nutrients for each spring's renewal. For a long time, scientists thought the essential role played by soil bacteria in the northern carbon cycle was purely seasonal: During summer, heat-loving bugs would tear through leaf litter and waste with a frenzy, multiplying rapidly. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/11/29/29greenwire-even-when-frozen-soils-get-busy-emitting-co2-77544.html As Diplomats Debate, the Climate Doesn't Wait. Once more, as they've done each year for two decades, parties to the 193-nation U.N. climate treaty assembled Monday to debate what to do about global warming, after a year in which its impact came into sharper focus in many realms and regions. The United States' top scientists have attested to shifts in the planet's environment already under way. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112904661.html New Front Opens In War Against Global Warming. Many policymakers and business leaders have come to see the most basic method of slowing global warming - cutting carbon dioxide emissions through a binding treaty - as elusive for now. They are turning their attention instead toward a more achievable goal: curbing other greenhouse gases that are warming the planet. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112905479_pf.html Climate Change Conference Begins in Mexico. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon speaks at the opening of the United Nations climate change conference in Cancun, 29 Nov 2010. The United Nations Climate Change Conference got underway in the Mexican beach resort of Cancun on Monday with calls for decisive action to curb greenhouse gas emissions worldwide as part of an effort to curb global warmingPosted. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Climate-Change-Conference-Begins-in-Mexico-110980424.html Negotiators Eye Ozone Treaty As Shortcut To CO2 Deal. A proposal to curb some of the world's most potent heat-trapping gases by expanding a decades-old treaty appears to be turning heads. With international attempts to broker major climate deals falling short, expanding the Montreal Protocol may represent the best shot at fighting rising temperatures, some analysts say. And overcoming one of the most formidable hurdles to this approach may be on the menu at the global warming summit in Cancun, Mexico. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/30/1 Can Faith Slow Climate Change? The prayer was recited regularly by a young Sally Bingham growing up in San Francisco. Only years later, as an ordained Episcopal Church priest, did Bingham realize something was amiss with the childhood supplication.” There was this terrible hypocrisy," she said. "This disconnect between what we said we believed in and how we behaved." Posted. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=can-faith-slow-climate-change FUELS Al Gore's Billion-Dollar Mistake. In Greece earlier this month, Al Gore made a startling admission: "First-generation ethanol, I think, was a mistake." Unfortunately, Americans have Gore to thank for ethanol subsidies. In 1994, then-Vice President Al Gore ended a 50-50 tie in the Senate by voting in favor of an ethanol tax credit that added almost $5 billion to the federal deficit last year. And that number doesn't factor the many ways in which corn-based ethanol mandates drive up the price of food and livestock feed. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/30/ED8F1GIVH6.DTL&type=printable Breaking Away From Coal. Progress Energy Carolinas, one of the South’s larger utilities, faced a dilemma last winter. Several of its coal-fired power plants were aging and needed scrubbers to reduce emissions and meet North Carolina pollution laws. Executives figured that even tougher regulations were coming from Washington, and overhauling 11 generators at four plants would have cost nearly $2 billion, which would have been passed on to the company’s 1.5 million electric customers. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/business/energy-environment/30utilities.html?src=busln Ethanol Group Asks EPA To Rethink Life-Cycle GHG Analysis. An ethanol trade group wants U.S. EPA to follow California's lead and re-examine the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with corn ethanol production. In a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson last week, the Renewable Fuels Association called on the Obama administration to consider following the lead of the California Air Resources Board, which recently resolved to incorporate new research into its low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) that is expected to lower the emissions penalty for corn ethanol (Greenwire, Nov. 19). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/30/8 Conservative, Liberal Groups Unite To Oppose Ethanol Supports. A coalition of strange bedfellows including the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute, liberal network MoveOn and even a Catholic missionary group came together yesterday on a letter urging Congress to let $6 billion in ethanol tax credits lapse at the end of the year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/30/5 Low Carbon Fuel Could Raise California Fuel Prices Sharply. The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), which will be implemented in California starting in January after the defeat of Prop 23, may be an instructive example of the Law of Unintended Consequences. It mandates that carbon levels in fuel be lowered 10% by 2020, by using biofuel or purchasing emission credits. This is certainly a laudable goal. But Houston, we have a problem. California already has steep gas prices compared to other states. LCFS will almost certainly mean even higher prices. Posted. http://caivn.org/article/2010/11/30/low-carbon-fuel-could-raise-california-fuel-prices-sharply GREEN ENERGY UC Davis Turns to Smart Lighting Systems to Save Energy. UC Davis turned on its new Smart Lighting Initiative recently to slash the amount of electricity it uses to illuminate its buildings and grounds. UCD is the first large institution in California to act on a September state mandate to reduce lighting energy use by 60 percent or more by 2020. What's more, the university intends to reach that goal in half the time -- by 2015. It has a good start: Since 2007, it has already reduced lighting energy consumption by about 10 percent. Posted. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_16740960 Undersea Cable Ends San Fran's Grid Isolation, Provides Cleaner Power. San Francisco -- Construction of a 53-mile, $500 million power line that snakes under the San Francisco Bay into the city here was completed yesterday, providing electricity for the first time from cleaner sources of energy to the north. The Trans Bay Cable, which extends from Pittsburg, Calif., on the east side of the bay under the Bay Bridge, is capable of meeting as much as 40 percent of this city's peak power demand. The line provides access for the first time to wind power projects that until now have been inaccessible. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/11/30/4 VEHICLES Honda Insight: America's First Mass Produced Hybrid Adds To 2011 Lineup. On sale today, the 2011 Honda Insight hybrid with its new standard features and the addition of a value-oriented entry model that offers enhanced value, exclusive content and a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $18,200, plus a $750 destination and handling charge. The range of Insight models for 2011 now starts with a new value-oriented base model, simply designated as "Insight. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/autos-in-atlanta/honda-insight-america-s-first-mass-produced-hybrid-adds-to-2011-lineup-review OPINION What Cancun Climate Talks Could Achieve. Last winter, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton rescued high-profile international climate negotiations in Copenhagen from total failure. Buoyed by House passage of a comprehensive climate bill, Mr. Obama promised that the United States would cut its greenhouse emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and he committed the United States to assist developing countries in adapting to global warming and greening their economies. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112905828_pf.html Time for New Blood at State Air Resources Board. “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.”— Julius Caesar, 62 B.C. Julius Caesar, the Roman general and ruler, made that statement while divorcing his wife Pompeia when she was accused of having an affair with his colleague, Clodius Pulcher, a charge that was never proved. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/nov/29/time-for-new-blood-at-state-air-resources-board/#ixzz16miMlAsA No Pie for 'Air Nazi' Snitch. I read in Richard Beene's Nov. 26 "Bakersfield Observed" column that some moron snitched off the plans of the Bakersfield Track Club for the usual bonfire following its annual Pie Run on Thanksgiving morning. This rat has no conscience or scruples because, due to his political correctness, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District disallowed the bonfire unless actual food was being prepared on a grill. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters/x1263267105/No-pie-for-air-Nazi-snitch Opinion: It Takes a Nation to Save a Planet. The United Nations named 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, but the past year has proved to be a tough one for planet Earth. Last winter, negotiators returned from Copenhagen having failed to reach a meaningful agreement to reduce greenhouse gases. In the spring and summer, the Gulf of Mexico was hit with the largest oil spill in history, due in part to lax oversight by regulatory agencies. Posted. http://www.aolnews.com/opinion/article/opinion-it-takes-a-nation-to-save-a-planet/19737099 MISCELLANEOUS Cleaner Cleaners? A new law in California aimed at cleaning up cleaning products may help reduce air pollution nationwide. The new regulation—passed unanimously on November 18 by the California Air Resources Board (ARB)—will require that makers of household cleaning products, including glass sprays, bug sprays, degreasers, furniture sprays and metal polishes, reduce the amount of toxic solvents known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in these products. Posted. http://www.emagazine.com/view/?5425&printview&imagesoff Deceptive Agency To Punish Deception. On Wednesday a California state agency with a well-earned reputation for deception will hold a public workshop that may well set a new standard for governmental hypocrisy in California – and that’s really saying something. The hearing is the spawn of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which has proposed a regulation [1] prohibiting false statements. Under the new regulation, no one submitting information to CARB could knowingly and willingly “falsify, conceal or cover up by any trick, scheme, or devise a material fact.” Posted. http://watchdog.org/7423/deceptive-agency-to-punish-deception/print/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 12:30:16 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 1, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 1, 2010. 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 Late Heat Spoils Banner Low-Smog Year. Bay Area residents were headed toward a banner year for clean air during a cool early summer, but heat waves late in the season cooked up enough smog to make 2010 a mediocre year for air quality. Ground-level smog concentrations violated federal health standards somewhere in the region on nine days this year, compared with eight days in 2009, and 12 days in 2008, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Only one excessively smoggy day was recorded in 2007, when a less stringent federal smog limit was in effect. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16746147 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2010%2F12%2F01%2Fstate%2Fn063809S75.DTL http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/incontracosta/detail?entry_id=78074 http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=7818020 Backyard Burn Season Begins Today. Today marks the beginning of backyard burn season, which will run through April 30. But officials from the regional Air Pollution Control District are reminding residents that burning can be a significant health hazard both to themselves and to their neighbors. Residential burning will be allowed in San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties with restrictions. Fires to dispose of dry vegetation cleared prior to a construction project are also permitted. The burning of garbage and treated wood is strictly prohibited at all times. Posted. http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20101201/NEWS01/12010319/Backyard-burn-season-begins-today Kettleman City Landfill Fined $300,000. The Central Valley toxic landfill at the center of a birth defect controversy has been fined by the Environmental Protection Agency. The violation - improperly disposing of a cancer-causing chemical. The EPA fined Chemical Waste Management $302,000 stemming from an inspection they did at the facility in April of this year. They punished the facility, after finding a leak of PCB's - a toxic chemical known to cause cancer and birth defects. The EPA says this fine has nothing to do with the investigation into a cluster of birth defects in Kettleman City. Posted. http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=13592997 Iran Shuts Offices Because Of Heavy Air Pollution. Tehran, Iran -- For the second time in a month, heavy air pollution in Iran's smog-filled capital has forced authorities to close government offices and schools and declare a two-day public holiday because of the health dangers of being outdoors. A government committee decided pollution levels in Tehran warranted the closure of all government offices, schools and industries on Wednesday and Thursday because of "polluted and unhealthy" conditions. Critics say each holiday incurs about $130 million in financial losses. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/01/AR2010120101114_pf.html CLIMATE CHANGE Google Creates Climate Change Videos Amid Cancun Talks. Google has come up with its own weapon for fighting climate change as representatives of nearly 200 countries meet for a 12-day conference on the issue in Cancun, Mexico. On its Google Earth website, it offers a series of videos that act as tutorials and will be incorporated into workshops that it's offering at the United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 16), which began Monday. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/12/google-fights-climate-change-cancun-talks/1 DIESEL EMISSIONS Fuel Economy, Emissions Proposal Ready for Comment. The docket is now open for comments on the federal proposal to establish national standards for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for medium and heavy trucks. On Tuesday the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published their joint proposal, which will establish a new way to measure truck fuel efficiency and emissions and set industry performance standards. Comments on the proposal, which was published in the November 30 Federal Register, are due by January 31. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=72310 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Nears Renewal. The Senate Environment and Public Works committee has reauthorized the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act first passed in 2005. Led by Chairwoman Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and ranking member Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., the move if passed will continue a loan program initially set up to reduce diesel emissions via upgrades and modernization of older diesel engines and equipment. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., introduced initial legislation in 2005 and the program was approved by a vote of 92-1. The program is set to expire in the 2011 fiscal year. Posted. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article-print.jsp?article_id=4571 GREEN ENERGY Group Grades Tahoe Sierra Ski Areas on Green Scale. An environmental report card from conservationists says Sierra ski resorts are continuing a trend toward going green. The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that Squaw Valley USA placed first and Alpine Meadows ranked third in the Ski Area Citizens Coalition rating of 82 western ski resorts resorts. Sugar Bowl and Boreal also rated "A," while "B" grades went to Kirkwood Mountain, Homewood Mountain, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe. Posted. http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=109444&catid=2 VEHICLES GM To Add 1,000 Clean-Car Jobs In Mich. As Volt Rolls Out. General Motors Co. will add 1,000 engineering and research jobs in Michigan as the company expands its development of electric and hybrid vehicles. The announcement came as the company officially introduced the Chevrolet Volt, which runs on battery power and a gas-powered motor. GM CEO Daniel Akerson said the Volt was the start of a new commitment by GM to be a leader in clean-car technology after its $50 billion government bailout last year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/01/20 MISCELLANEOUS Kettleman City Toxic Waste Facility Fined For Violations. EPA fines Chemical Waste Management $302,100 for failing to properly manage carcinogenic PCBs. The company — the only one in the state licensed to handle PCBs — says its cleanup exceeded EPA standards. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency levied a $302,100 fine Tuesday against the operator of a toxic waste dump near a Central California farming community beset by unexplained birth defects, saying the company failed to properly manage carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-kettleman-fine-20101201,0,5101568,print.story PG&E To Offset Emissions By Financing Destruction Of Refrigerants. California utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co. announced a deal yesterday to finance the destruction of ozone-depleting chemicals that contribute far more to global warming, by weight, than carbon dioxide. PG&E will purchase and retire 160,000 metric tons of offsets from Environmental Credit Corp. on behalf of utility customers enrolled in PG&E's ClimateSmart program, which funds emissions reductions to compensate for the CO2 associated with electricity generation. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/01/6 OPINION Free Speech Now Forbidden. Philosophers have pondered and debated the question of "what is true?" for eons. Now, thanks to the bureaucrats at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), we have our answer: The truth is whatever CARB says it is, and those who utter forbidden opinions to the contrary will be punished. Sounding like something from George Orwell, CARB is poised to adopt a regulation that literally "forbids" and "penalizes" opposing views. Posted. http://www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2010-11-30-70827.113116-Free-speech-now-forbidden-.html#print A Select Committee for Termination. Putting a global warming panel out of business. Massachusetts Democrat Edward Markey will hold one last media spectacle at his Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming today, allowing such oracles as green activist Robert Kennedy Jr. to preach about the imminent catastrophe of climate change. Let's hope Speaker-designate John Boehner makes it the committee's last hurrah. Current Speaker Nancy Pelosi created this outfit in 2007 as a way to outflank then Energy Committee Chairman John Dingell, for whom climate change is not a religion. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704679204575646763823952070.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Katie Couric's Notebook: Climate Change. The debate over global warming is once again heating up in Washington. Roughly half of the newly elected Republican congress members are climate change skeptics, according to one survey, and some want to roll back environmental regulations. Their position was bolstered by the Climategate scandal, in which a handful of scientists were accused of manipulating data to support climate change. Posted. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500803_162-20024202-500803.html BLOGS What's the Punishment For Burning Wood on Spare the Air Day? You are so busted.Today, for those who care to know, is a Spare the Air Day. In communicating this news, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District used terms such as "illegal" when describing the burning of wood -- and noted that locals "must" not do so. As that vocabulary would imply, this isn't just a suggestion. Failure to adhere to the mandate to not set wood aflame can cost you $400. That's been the law of the land since 2008 -- and a full eight people have felt the burn after burning wood. Of course, that's not a lot of lawbreakers. Posted. http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/12/spaire_the_air_day_wood_fire.php?print=true http://www.baycitizen.org/blogs/pulse-of-the-bay/first-winter-spare-air-day/ In the Energy Race, Echoes of Sputnik. Associated Press Energy Secretary Steven Chu addressing the National Press Club on energy research on Monday. With some House Republicans gunning for the stimulus bill, especially the portion that went to the Energy Department, the energy secretary went on a pre-emptive offensive of sorts on Monday in advance of the Republican takeover over the chamber, telling an audience at the National Press Club that that money was merely a down payment. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/in-the-energy-race-echoes-of-sputnik/?pagemode=print U.S. Needs Critical Boost in Energy Research, Panel Tells Obama. American Energy Innovation Council. The United States needs to more than triple its spending on energy research, development and demonstration projects, from about $5 billion now to $16 billion, and should institute a strategic review of national energy policy every four years, an advisory group of scientists and engineers said in a report to President Obama this week. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/u-s-needs-critical-boost-in-energy-research-panel-tells-obama/?pagemode=print Survey Finds Rising Pollution Concerns. One in four Hong Kongers is considering leaving the city because of poor air quality, according to a survey released by local think tank Civic Exchange. That is an increase from one in five who considered moving in 2008, the last time the same survey was conducted. The potential exodus also risks sapping the city’s intellectual wealth, as 89% of those who said they would consider leaving Hong Kong possessed at least a college degree. http://blogs.wsj.com/hong-kong/2010/12/01/survey-finds-rising-pollution-concerns/ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-01/hong-kong-air-pollution-very-high-at-three-stations-update1-.html Obama, Arnold, Jerry, and the Big Green Dream. The latest UN global climate summit has just gotten underway in Cancun, Mexico with little progress in store, despite 2010 turning out to be perhaps the hottest year on record. That makes the moves underway in California even more significant. Especially since, to President Barack Obama's evident dismay, action in Congress was already dead even before Republicans took over the lower house of Congress. We'll see if there's any action in Cancun, following last year's debacle in Copenhagen, covered here on the Huffington Post. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-bradley/obama-arnold-jerry-and-th_b_790145.html 5 Reasons Why EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gasses Is Good for Labor. With the collapse of climate protection legislation in Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency, acting under a mandate from the US Supreme Court, is stepping in to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. At the end of 2009, it issued an "endangerment finding" that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere "threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations." New regulations are scheduled to go into effect early in 2011. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brendan-smith/5-reasons-why-epa-regulat_b_789737.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2010 12:03:45 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 2, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 2, 2010. 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 Living Near a Major Road Tied To Preterm Birth: Study. Women living near major, heavily-trafficked roads were more likely to give birth prematurely, perhaps due to traffic-related air pollution, according to a Japanese study. But Takashi Yorifuji, of the Okayama Graduate School of Medicine, and his team said it was still too early to see a clear link, while other medical experts said noise pollution might also be a factor. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B10HA20101202 Experts Hone Plan to Burn down Chemical-Laden House. Experts in everything from air pollution to fire barriers honed a complex plan Wednesday to burn the “bomb factory” home on the north edge of Escondido. While they don’t have a turnkey strategy to deal with a situation of this rarity, explosives experts said the developing blueprint seems solid. “The plan is tight,” said Neal Langerman, a San Diego-based chemistry expert. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/01/county-keeping-weather-eye-bomb-factory-house-plan/ Draft Rules for Boilers Were Too Strict -- EPA Air Chief. Having taken comment on controversial new regulations for industrial boilers, U.S. EPA now believes that some pollution limits in the draft rules "were simply too tight to be able to be achievable," the agency's air chief said today, signaling that the agency is readying final regulations that won't be as tough on businesses. When EPA issued the proposal in April, the agency was scrambling to meet a court deadline, said Gina McCarthy, the agency's assistant administrator for air and radiation, on the sidelines of an event in Washington, D.C. There are many industries that use boilers to power their operations, and the agency had very little information on some of them. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/02/2 INLAND EMPIRE: EPA Officials Tour Environmental Trouble Spots. On a tour Wednesday of Inland pollution hot spots, Susan Negrete recalled her frustration at a meeting of the California Air Resources Board. Negrete, who lives just north of the BNSF Railway yard in San Bernardino, was looking for some kind of action to reduce the emissions from the yard that she blames for her children's asthma and some of her own health problems. She is a longtime community activist. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_tour02.47479f7.html Kettleman City: State Air Monitoring Stopped as Birth Defects Increased. State regulators did not monitor air quality at a toxic dump in rural Kettleman City, during a period when there was a spike in the number of area babies born with birth defects. According to an email obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state regulators suspended independent air monitoring for PCBs and pesticides at the Kettleman Hills waste facility in April 2008. The facility processes about 4,000 tons of PCBs per year. Those chemicals have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer and liver failure. Posted. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2010/12/01/kettleman-city-state-air-monitoring-stopped-as-birth-defects-increased Air Pollution Control District Splits From County. The county Air Pollution Control District is now its own separate agency. On Wednesday, the district’s board of directors completed a yearlong process of separating from the county, although the district will continue to contract with the county for most of its administrative services. As of Dec. 26, all of the district’s 23 full-time employees will work for the district rather than the county. The agency’s services and staffing will remain the same. The move was not without some last-minute controversy. Posted. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/12/01/1391776/air-pollution-control-district.html#ixzz16ySLR6kV New Air District Incentive Program Helps Fund Ag Tractor Replacement. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is offering incentive grant funds to help growers comply with pending air quality requirements for ag tractors. Applications are being accepted through Dec. 31, 2010, for program funds which come from a combination of local, state and federal sources. The monetary incentives are designed to help growers replace older, high-polluting off-road tractors with new, reduced-emission tractors. The State Air Resources Board is developing rules that will go into effect in 2014 that will require the retrofitting and/or replacement of high-polluting engines in older off-road agricultural vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, sweepers and other equipment. Posted. http://westernfarmpress.com/equipment/new-air-district-incentive-program-helps-fund-ag-tractor-replacement CLIMATE CHANGE States Want Cap-and-Trade Added to U.S. EPA’s Carbon Regulations. U.S. states with cap-and-trade laws want the Obama administration to add their carbon markets into new federal greenhouse-gas regulations, a California environmental official said. State-run carbon-trading programs should be “treated as equivalents or substitutes” for Environmental Protection Agency regulations for emissions tied to global warming from power plants, oil refineries and factories, Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, said yesterday in a telephone interview. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-02/states-want-cap-and-trade-added-to-u-s-epa-s-carbon-regulations.html Republicans Killing Climate Committee. Republicans plan to eliminate the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which was created in 2007 by the current speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to examine climate change and press for possible caps on carbon dioxide emissions. Climate change matters are overseen by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the Natural Resources Committee; the select committee did not pass legislation but did hold hearings, which will cease in the new Congress. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/us/politics/02brfs-REPUBLICANSK_BRF.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-01/pelosi-s-climate-change-panel-will-become-casualty-of-republican-takeover.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/12/house-republicans-nix-global-w.html http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/12/house-republicans-global-warming-committee/1 http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20024399-503544.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/12/01/1453176/house-republicans-kill-global.html#ixzz16ybshIor Plant Breeders Preparing For Climate Change. This week's United Nations' conference on climate change in Cancun, Mexico may or may not actually accomplish anything about climate change. But crop breeders in India have already created varieties of vital plants for farmers in areas likely to be strongly affected by increasingly erratic weather patterns. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/12/plant-breeders-preparing-for-climate-change/1 Deficit Panel Cuts Energy Subsidies and Perhaps Carbon Emissions, Too. The president's deficit commission proposed slashing energy tax breaks yesterday, a move that could make renewable power more competitive and help chisel down greenhouse gas emissions. But the plan is brimming with political pitfalls and vagueness around whether clean power subsidies might also be axed to curb the nation's rising debt. Some economists and observers had hoped the anticipated report would recommend raising needed revenue through a new tax on carbon emissions, arguing it would decrease both personal income taxes and air pollution. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/02/1 Post-Election Analysis Shows California's Democrats Swung Vote On Climate Measure. California Democrats overwhelmingly voted against a ballot measure in November that would have suspended the state's global warming law, according to an analysis of election results released last night by a nonpartisan policy group. In a survey of California voters, the Public Policy Institute of California found that Proposition 23 -- which would have delayed the onset of A.B. 32 until unemployment improved in the state -- was defeated behind 72 percent of Democratic voters and 64 percent of independents. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/02/3 More Research Needed On Climate Change Effects In Arctic, Oceans -- IPCC Chief. The world needs to invest more to fill "huge gaps" in climate science research, the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said on Tuesday as negotiators gathered in Cancun, Mexico, for the latest round of climate talks. "There are huge gaps in the effort as far as scientific research is concerned," said Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the panel. "What is being done today is certainly far from adequate." Scientists, he said, need to know more about what effect warming will have on permafrost in the Arctic. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/02/9 GREEN ENERGY S.F. Approves Biodiesel Plant After Long Delay. San Francisco's fat can become fuel after a long-stalled biodiesel production facility on San Francisco's southeastern waterfront gained approval from the city's Port Commission. The new operation, owned by Darling International Inc., will produce 10 million gallons of biofuel each year using leftover cooking oil. Darling has been operating at Pier 92 since the 1960s, and already creates tallow by melting down bones, grease and other animal waste products from meatpacking facilities, grocers and restaurants. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/02/BUSB1GK72T.DTL&type=printable Brown May Find It's Not Easy Being Green. Governor-elect's plan to expand the state's green-energy industry could mean sharply higher costs for consumers. Jerry Brown ran for governor promising to revive the economy through an aggressive expansion of California's green-energy industry — but that agenda could prove costly to consumers. Brown wants the state to make major new investments in solar and wind power: building large-scale power plants that run on renewable resources and placing solar panels on parking-lot roofs, school buildings and along the banks of state highways. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-brown-jobs-20101202,0,6338718,print.story An Array of Companies Blooms to Ease the Often Difficult Path to Solar. Saratoga, Calif. -- Here in the Golden State, there's a burgeoning business in selling solar panels for the home. There's also a business in making it less of a headache. Edward Lortz knows about the headache side. Two years ago, he began researching solar panels for his home in Potrero Hill, a San Francisco neighborhood that overlooks the bay. He expected an avalanche of data, but he figured he could handle it. In his 30-year career as a marine engineer, "one of the complaints was that I overanalyze things. Still do." Months went by. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/02/2 DOE Expands Its Efforts In Clean Energy Supercomputing. Clean energy is getting new attention from the nation's top supercomputers. This week, the Energy Department announced its largest-ever awards for computing time on its systems, hosted at Oak Ridge and Argonne national laboratories. The awards of this limited resource were given to a diverse field of 57 projects. A number of the new awards -- as well as many renewals -- target either clean energy technologies or climate research. One of the new awards will go to a research group at Oak Ridge that will study ways to increase the production efficiency of cellulosic ethanol. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/02/8 Wood Chip Electricity Plant Gets Green Light but Raises Red Flags. A wood chip fired electricity generation plant proposed near Ione likely will face appeals that could further delay its operation despite winning approval this week from the Amador County Planning Commission. The Buena Vista Biomass Power project seeks to convert a former coal-fired plant on Coal Mine Road north of Camanche Lake to burn wood waste to generate 18.5 megawatts of electricity. Sacramento Municipal Utility District would buy all of the plant's power production. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101202/A_NEWS/12020324 VEHICLES Air District Offering $1,000 for Old Vehicles. High Desert residents with cars, trucks, vans and other vehicles 20-years-old or older will be able to obtain $1,000 for turning them in to the local air quality management district. The Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District is buying old vehicles that are registered, still operable and have passed a recent smog test in an effort to reduce air pollution in the High Desert. And unlike the Cash For Clunkers program in 2009, residents aren’t required to buy a new car, said Violette Roberts, the district’s community relations and education manager. Posted. http://www.desertdispatch.com/news/air-9813-vehicles-desert.html MISCELLANEOUS EPA Chief Prepares For the Fight Ahead. Not many Environmental Protection Agency administrators are likely to belt out a Stevie Wonder tune when discussing the importance of air quality. But in the midst of a recent interview, Lisa P. Jackson delivered a slightly off-key rendition of the 1973 hit "Living for the City" to make a point about why she does her job: "He spends his life walking the streets of New York City/He's almost dead from breathing in air pollution/He tried to vote but there's no solution/Living just enough, just enough for the city." Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/01/AR2010120107050.html Real Christmas Trees, Even Cut Down, Aid Environment, Advocates Say. Cut down a tree. It's good for the environment. "We've been telling people that for years," said Jane Harris, but she would say that. Her family has operated Harris Tree Farm in Pollock Pines for half a century. Now she has some environmental movement support. The Nature Conservancy is campaigning for people to use real Christmas trees, not the manufactured kind, as a way to lower our carbon footprint. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/02/v-print/3226705/cut-for-a-good-causeeven-chopped.html U.K.'S First Nearly Carbon-Free Gas Power Plant To Be Built Within A Year. The United Kingdom's first almost carbon-free gas-fired power plant should begin operating within a year as part of a government competition to stimulate carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The pilot plant is being built by mining company Powerfuel PLC and Australian cement maker Calix. It will use a pioneering technology to remove carbon from gas, leaving behind hydrogen to drive turbines and generate electricity. The plant will produce 10 megawatts, and is meant as a demonstration to help win funds from the U.K. government and the European Union. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/02/12 Methyl Iodide Gains State OK For Use On Crops. California strawberry growers will be allowed to use a potent pesticide listed by the state as a known cancer-causing chemical despite vocal opposition from public health experts, environmentalists and farm workers. On Wednesday, the state Department of Pesticide Regulation gave final approval to methyl iodide, a fumigant designed to eradicate bacteria, weeds and insects from growing soils. Immediately after the approval, a group of opponents called on Gov.-elect Jerry Brown to reverse the agency's action, which they contend resulted after heavy lobbying by the chemical industry. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/02/BAOQ1GKKKN.DTL&type=printable OPINION The EPA Turns 40. Forty years ago today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency opened its doors, beginning a history of improvements to our health and environment. We reach this milestone exactly one month after the midterm elections strengthened the influence of groups and individuals who threaten to roll back the EPA's efforts. Last month's elections were not a vote for dirtier air or more pollution in our water. No one was sent to Congress with a mandate to increase health threats to our children or return us to the era before the EPA's existence when, for example, nearly every meal in America contained elements of pesticides linked to nerve damage, cancer and sometimes death. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704594804575648673952756954.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Catch a Greenie by His Tail. This week's climate-change talks need to avoid the mistakes of a recent summit on tiger conservation. The annual summit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change began this week in Cancun, Mexico. After talks in Copenhagen collapsed a year ago, no one is really expecting a radical proposal for, say, emission cuts out of Cancun. The first few days have produced only recommendations to phase out incandescent light bulbs and phase in low-energy ones. Whatever the climate in the future, the politics of climate change remains about money. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703377504575649982721474298.html?mod=googlenews_wsj U-T Letters: Global Warming, Dogs And ‘Don’t Ask’. Climate science debate continues. In response to “World must act on global warming” (Editorial, Nov. 28); “Climate legislation is insurance for the planet” (Opinion, Nov. 28); and the interview of Richard Somerville about global-warming scientific communication (A scientific push to engage public opinion” (Local reports Q&A, Nov. 28): All three of these pieces appearing at once leads this skeptic to the conclusion that the U-T has bought into man-made global warming as a worldwide problem of great significance. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/02/u-t-letters-global-warming-dogs-and-dont-ask/ BLOGS Toyota Delivers Prius Plug-In Hybrids to New York City Officials. Yoshi Inaba, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor North America, Inc., made the announcement at a ceremony this morning at New York City Hall and presented the cars to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner of the city department of transportation. The small plug-in test fleet is part of a broader program in the city to reduce its emissions of carbon and greenhouse gases. It is also part of a Toyota’s preparation for launching the plug-in cars in 2012. Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/12/02/toyota-delivers-prius-plug-in-hybrids-to-new-york-city-officials/ PG&E Taps Scrapped Appliances for Carbon Offsets. PG&E's other offset sources include forests and methane capture projects. Photo credit: buildandcreate, Sempervirens Fund. Northern California’s largest utility is looking to old appliances to supply carbon offsets for a customer program, a move that could also bolster a nascent corner of the carbon credit market. Pacific Gas and Electric this week said that it has added a new offset project to its ClimateSmart program, which allows residential and commercial customers to offset the emissions from their electricity use through a surcharge on their monthly utility bills. Posted. http://sustainableindustries.com/blogs/sustainable-industries-blog/2010/12/pge-taps-scrapped-appliances-offsets Does 29 Percent Of L.A.'s Smog Come From East Asia? Bay Area Study: Dust Storms Carry Pollution over Pacific. To think -- all that time we were faulting the scummy smog layer constantly smothering Los Angeles on our own bad habits. Turns out it's been China all along! That is, if L.A.'s Pacific positioning makes it anything like San Francisco. We knew we hated the East for more than freakish Tech War domination... Environmental Science and Technology released some jaw-dropping truths about China's contribution to San Francisco's sky grime last month. And, since were only a few hundred miles down, we're assuming (praying) we can piggyback this blame game for all it's worth. Posted. http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2010/12/smog_comes_from_china.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 11:38:52 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 3, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 3, 2010. 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 Draft Air Pollution Rules for Boilers Were Too Strict, EPA Air Chief Says. Having taken comment on controversial new regulations for industrial boilers, U.S. EPA now believes that some pollution limits in the draft rules "were simply too tight to be able to be achievable," the agency's air chief said today, signaling that the agency is readying final regulations that won't be as tough on businesses. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/12/02/02greenwire-draft-air-pollution-rules-for-boilers-were-too-79802.html State's Kettleman City Study 'Flawed,' Activists Say. A state study of 11 cases of birth defects in tiny Kettleman City in Kings County was incomplete and flawed, activists said Thursday. Last week, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Public Health released a report that found no "conclusive cause" for the birth defects in Kettleman City from 2007 to early 2010. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/12/02/2182949/states-study-of-kettleman-flawed.html#ixzz174DY51T4 EPA Says Regulators Did Not Monitor Air at Toxic Dump. An email from the U.S. EPA said state regulators did not monitor air quality at a toxic dump in rural Kettleman City, during a period when there was a spike in the number of area babies born with birth defects. And earlier this week, the U.S. EPA fined Waste Management 300,000 dollars for failing to properly manage PCBs at the Kettleman Plant. Meanwhile, state regulators, responding late Wednesday, disputed the EPA email, but couldn’t answer specific questions about PCB testing. Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/dec/02/epa-says-regulators-did-not-monitor-air-toxic-dump/ CLIMATE CHANGE Climate: 2010 On Track As 1 Of 3 Hottest On Record. Cancun, Mexico -- A scorching summer that killed thousands in Russia and exceptionally mild winters in the Arctic were among extreme weather events that have put 2010 on track to be one of the three hottest years on record, U.N. experts said Thursday. The data from the World Meteorological Organization show that the last decade was the warmest ever, part of a trend that scientists attribute to man-made pollution trapping heat in the atmosphere. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/03/MN721GL0GS.DTL&type=printable Carbon Capture Project Promises 'Near Zero Emissions'. Construction of the Callide oxyfuel project began at the Callide 'A' power station near Biloela in September last year. The $200 million project is breaking new ground in clean coal energy by reportedly being the first in the world to adapt the technology as an add-on fixture to existing coal-fired power stations. The project uses oxyfuel combustion and carbon capture to enable the gas to be taken to areas where it can be stored deep underground. Posted. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/03/3083831.htm?section=business Schwarzenegger Honored By EPA. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was honored for his environmental leadership Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA's regional administrator, Jared Blumenfeld, presented the governor with the agency's Environmental Climate Change Champion award at a ceremony held at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. The agency said Governor Schwarzenegger has made California a national and world leader in enacting some of the most ambitious policies to fight climate change. Posted. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=7822195 EPA Gives Schwarzenegger Climate Award. U.S. EPA today named California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) a "Climate Change Champion" for his leadership on combating climate change. Schwarzenegger, who leaves office in January after seven years, is the first individual to become a climate champion, although EPA has been handing out environmental awards for 12 years. The category is a new one this year, officials said. At a ceremony in Los Angeles, EPA Region 9 Administrator Jared Blumenfeld singled out Schwarzenegger's staunch advocacy of nation-leading initiatives like A.B. 32, which authorized state officials to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020; Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/12/03/8 FUELS State Awards Grants For Biofuel Studies. The California Energy Commission has granted more than $2.5 million to two local biofuels projects. Clean World Partners, headed by Sacramento River Cats co-founder Warren Smith, will get more than $1.3 million to study the development of a biomethane production plant at the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station in south Sacramento. A partnership between Placer County and G4 Insights Inc. of Canada will receive more than $1.2 million to study the feasibility of a commercial-scale plant that would convert forest waste products into natural gas. Clean World's proposed plant would produce compressed natural gas from organic waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/03/v-print/3229530/state-awards-grants-for-biofuel.html GREEN ENERGY O.C. Landfill Rolls Out 'Green Tractor'. OC Waste & Recycling is taking steps to help keep our air cleaner and save some money. The department that manages Orange County's three landfills introduced a tractor at the Olinda Landfill in Brea Thursday that is partially powered by electricity. County Supervisor Bill Campbell commandeered the non-traditional ribbon cutting ceremony by driving the Cat D7E Track-Type Tractor through a wide-stretching banner. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/tractor-278616-d7e-landfill.html Calif. Caved On Green Initiative, Enviro Groups Say. Environmental groups have blasted Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration for softening its proposed regulations to reduce toxic chemicals in products, saying the governor has caved in to pressure from industry groups. They threatened to sue the state and asked the Gov.-elect Jerry Brown (D) to invalidate the regulations if they become law before a Jan. 1 deadline. California's Green Chemistry Initiative was introduced in 2008 and is meant to remove potentially harmful ingredients in everyday products such as shampoo, cleansers, children's pajamas and others. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/03/25 VEHICLES 1st Calif. High-Speed Rail Segment To Be In Valley. Sacramento - -- California's dream of building a statewide high-speed rail system with trains zipping along at 220 mph will start to become reality with a 54-mile stretch of track deep in the Central Valley, the High-Speed Rail Authority board decided Thursday. The board, facing a looming deadline to capture $3 billion in federal stimulus funding, voted unanimously to lay the first high-speed rails between Borden, south of Madera, through Fresno, to Corcoran, midway between Fresno and Bakersfield. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/03/MNN61GL54K.DTL&type=printable MISCELLANEOUS Chemistry Regulation Called `'A Step Backward'? Sacramento - A coalition of environmental and health organizations has accused the Schwarzenegger administration of gutting a proposed regulation intended to ensure consumer products contain chemicals that are safe for human use and the environment. The regulation would implement California's Green Chemistry Initiative, a program to identify harmful chemicals in products such as toys, makeup and household cleaners, and in product manufacturing. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control is overseeing the planning for the initiative, which would force manufacturers to replace harmful products with safer alternatives. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/03/MN3T1GL7G5.DTL California Toxic Chemical Rules Were Watered Down, Environmentalists Charge. Gov. Schwarzenegger's Green Chemistry Initiative was designed to regulate harmful ingredients in hundreds of thousands of products. Activists allege a sellout to industry; agency says it's focusing on products with the 'biggest impact that are most widely distributed.' A dozen environmental groups have accused Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration of caving in to pressure from business and industry by significantly watering down proposed regulations to reduce toxic chemicals in consumer products. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-chemistry-20101203,0,452088,print.story OPINION Air Board Should Tend to Own Credibility. The California Air Resources Board had been planning to hold a workshop in Sacramento this week on a proposal to “forbid dishonest statements offered to the board or to its staff.” The workshop was delayed until next year, with no explanation given on the CARB website. Perhaps officials figured out that the workshop was likely to take a detour as a parade of speakers testified about the air board’s own problems with what it calls “integrity of information.” Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/03/air-board-should-tend-to-own-credibility/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 12:52:34 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 6, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 6, 2010. 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 San Diego Landfill Cited For High Methane Levels. High methane levels at San Diego's Miramar Landfill led to more than two dozen environmental violations in the past two years and the state declared the dump doesn't meet basic operating standards. The city was cited 14 times for elevated gas levels underground, and an onsite contractor, Fortistar Methane Group, received 12 violations for air pollution and related problems, the San Diego Union Tribune reported Saturday. The recurring problems at Miramar could lead to increased fines, technical assistance and harsher measures for Fortistar, said John Adams, compliance director with the San Diego Air Pollution Control District. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/12/05/state/n124250S88.DTL#ixzz17J0PIRfH http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16784243?nclick_check=1 Hong Kong Air Pollution Hits `Very High' Levels at Three Roadside Stations. Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department reported “very high” air pollution at the city’s three roadside monitoring stations. The Air Pollution Index was 115 in Central, 144 in Causeway Bay and 128 in Mong Kok as of 6 a.m., the department said on its website. Readings above 100 are classified “very high” and trigger a government warning for people with heart or respiratory ailments to avoid prolonged stays in heavy traffic areas. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-05/hong-kong-air-pollution-hits-very-high-levels-at-three-roadside-stations.html Draft Air Pollution Rules for Boilers Were Too Strict, EPA Air Chief Says. Having taken comment on controversial new regulations for industrial boilers, U.S. EPA now believes that some pollution limits in the draft rules "were simply too tight to be able to be achievable," the agency's air chief said today, signaling that the agency is readying final regulations that won't be as tough on businesses. When EPA issued the proposal in April, the agency was scrambling to meet a court deadline, said Gina McCarthy, the agency's assistant administrator for air and radiation, on the sidelines of an event in Washington, D.C. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/12/02/02greenwire-draft-air-pollution-rules-for-boilers-were-too-79802.html CLIMATE CHANGE As California Prepares To Implement Low Carbon Standards Under A.B. 32, Fears Of Energy Price Spikes Mount. California continues to lead the nation in an effort to reduce carbon emissions, but at what cost? According to a report compiled by free market proponent Calwatchdog.org, the potential cost per household ranges from $570 to $6,500 annually, and the price of gasoline would increase 61 cents per gallon by January. However, some economists argue that the studies cited in the report are flawed and politically motivated. Posted. http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_16783685#ixzz17IpGHQcE http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_16783685?source=rss At Climate Summit, They're Feeling Like Deserted Islands. Members of the Alliance of Small Island States, already suffering the ill effects of global warming, are furious that the large nations that are the big emitters of greenhouse gases aren't doing more to ensure their survival. Reporting from Cancun, Mexico — In the scrum of 9,000 negotiators gathered in Cancun to wrangle over a global climate treaty Ronny Jumeau has no patience for diplomatic niceties. "I won't shut up," said the pugnacious chief of the three-member delegation from Seychelles, an Indian Ocean archipelago. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-islands-20101204,0,3114721.story Usual Frenzy Is Gone From Climate Talks, but Results Still Seem Distant. Cancun, Mexico -- Hysteria seems to have taken a holiday from the U.N. climate change treaty talks. Maybe it's the sun, or the calming turquoise waters that greet negotiators each morning. Or maybe it's that expectations for this year's annual global warming summit already are set at the lowest rung. But the anxiety and frenzy that marked last year's conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, are largely absent from this Yucatan peninsula resort town. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/12/06/06climatewire-usual-frenzy-is-gone-from-climate-talks-but-21843.html High Court Will Review Climate Change Lawsuit. Washington (AP) - In a new case about climate change, the Supreme Court will hear an appeal from electric utilities that are trying to short-circuit an effort by states to force cuts in power plant emissions. The court agreed Monday to consider ending a federal lawsuit by eight states, New York City and others that accuse the power companies of being among the largest emitters of carbon dioxide in the world. The suit asks a federal judge to order reductions in the emissions in plants in 20 states. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gjltf4fzGxonC9Qo6ccy5uqqpYzA?docId=b3259cd971154ceabd31c84ecbdff7c7 Mexico Assures Climate Delegates: No Secret Talks. Cancun, Mexico (AP) – Mexico's foreign secretary is telling the global climate conference in Cancun there will be no secret negotiations in the meeting's final days, assuring delegates they will not see a repeat of the last hours of 2009's Copenhagen climate summit. Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa says the Mexico hosts will work with full transparency in the coming days in the difficult, slow-moving annual talks to find ways to combat climate change. Posted. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101205/ap_on_re_us/climate Obama Made ‘Big Mistake’ on Climate Bill, Turner Says. U.S. President Barack Obama made a “big mistake” in pushing health-care legislation before climate change, billionaire Ted Turner said today. “We would have an energy climate change bill in the United States if President Obama had made that his top priority and brought that to the American people and Congress first rather than the health-care bill,” Turner, founder of Time Warner Inc.’s CNN, said today at a conference in Cancun, Mexico. “But he didn’t, and I think it was a big mistake.” Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-05/obama-made-big-mistake-on-climate-bill-turner-says-update1-.html Climate Groups Retool Argument For Global Warming. The number of Americans who believe that global warming is a scientific fact has been dropping, and environmental groups and climate scientists who say the evidence for warming is clear are scratching their heads over this reversal and scrambling to find a new strategy. Three years ago, former Vice President Al Gore won a Nobel Prize for publicizing the threat of climate change with his book and documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth. Posted. http://www.npr.org/2010/12/05/131780926/climate-groups-retool-argument-for-global-warming Action On Greenhouse Gases A 2011 Priority For Senate EPW Panel – Boxer. The political collapse of cap-and-trade climate legislation won't dislodge greenhouse gas emissions reductions from the top of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's agenda next year, Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) vowed today. Briefing reporters on her priorities for the international climate talks proceeding in Mexico (see related story), Boxer framed her hard-fought re-election victory last month -- as well as Californians' rejection of a bid to delay the landmark state global warming law -- as a sign of public support for cutting carbon emissions without a comprehensive climate bill. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/06/2 FUELS What's The Price Of Unsubsidized Ethanol? Depends On Whom You Ask. Ethanol boosters and bashers have conflicting predictions for how fuel pump prices could change if tax credits and other industry supports are allowed to expire at the end of this year, with some predicting a price drop, while others see it going up. Last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) declared in floor testimony, "A lapse in the ethanol tax incentive is a gas tax increase of over 5 cents a gallon at the pump." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/06/3 GREEN ENERGY DWP Quietly Scales Back Villaraigosa's Ambitious Renewable Energy Goal. Leadership upheaval at the agency has resulted in shifting priorities. Under First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner, the agency is revising plans to generate 40% of its power from renewable sources by 2020. As Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa prepares to pick the next general manager of the Department of Water and Power — his sixth in three and a half years — the massive utility is quietly backing away from his ambitious goal of generating 40% of its power from renewable sources by 2020. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-dwp-dysfunction-20101206,0,5400566.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fscience%2Fenvironment+%28L.A.+Times+-+Environment%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Home Wind Power Faces Roadblocks In San Francisco. San Francisco may encourage wind and solar energy use equally, but the number of solar panel installations has doubled to more than 2,000 since a citywide incentive was drawn up 2 1/2 years ago. Meanwhile, the number of wind turbines remains in the single digits. "Wind turbines are less common right now in San Francisco because they're a little more unpredictable," said Tyrone Jue, spokesman for the city's Public Utilities Commission. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/05/BAOR1GLP1M.DTL#ixzz17LoX4KvK MURRIETA: Schools' Energy Savings Lauded. The Murrieta Valley Unified School District has been selected as one of six Green Schools Leadership Awards recipients by the Green California Schools Summit. The awards will be presented in Pasadena on Thursday during the fourth annual summit, a statewide conference and trade show focused on building, running and teaching in high performance schools. The only other Inland school district to be honored this year is San Bernardino City Unified, which will receive a "green building" award for its use of green building standards, summit officials said in a news release. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_sgreen05.24bdacc.html Branson Says Oil May Hit $200 a Barrel Without New Clean-Energy Policies. Oil prices may soar to $200 a barrel if the world doesn’t move more rapidly to a clean-energy economy, Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., said in an interview. “It’s certainly conceivable unless we can start to conserve energy quickly and come up with alternative fuels,” Branson said yesterday in Cancun, Mexico, where countries are meeting to negotiate a new accord to combat climate change. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-05/branson-says-oil-may-hit-200-a-barrel-without-new-clean-energy-policies.html Green Energy Faces Stiff GOP Headwinds On Hill. The Obama administration lavished billions of stimulus dollars on wind-power producers and other renewable-energy interests, but the whirl of the turbines may slow dramatically as budget-cutting Republicans take their seats in the next Congress. The climate - at least on Capitol Hill - has changed dramatically for the wind-power industry, which is dealing with President Obama's stalled green-energy agenda as well as the loss of old friends in Washington and the nation's statehouses and the rise to power of "tea party"-backed Republicans who are skeptical of government supports for the industry. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/5/green-energy-faces-stiff-gop-headwinds-on-hill/ The $200 Billion Global Clean Technology Market May Be Headed For A Fall – Analysts. United Nations -- Investment in clean tech has recovered nicely in 2010 but may fall off a cliff again if governments don't continue their generous support, market analysts warned government officials in Mexico late last week. Private investments in alternative energy projects, advanced battery storage, energy-efficient technologies and other clean-tech industries grew 12 percent in the third quarter this year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/06/3 VEHICLES Green Energy: Why Hybrids Still Need Government Motors. U.S. sales of hybrids are projected to decline for the third year in 2010. More than half were Toyota Priuses and Uncle Sam bought almost a fourth of the GM and Ford hybrids. If more than a dozen years of uninspiring hybrid car sales are any predictor, a new generation of even more expensive plug-in electric models now coming on the market, such as General Motors' (GM) Chevy Volt and Nissan's Leaf, will be a tough sell with consumers. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_50/b4207037558297.htm Auto Execs Say Car Of The Future Won't Be Cheap. Los Angeles — It all sounds so easy: Impose higher average gas mileage standards on the auto industry. Motorists will not only save money, but America will wean itself off oil. Just one problem. In meeting the new regulations, cars could cost thousands more than buyers would ever save on fuel costs, industry leaders and experts warn. "The American public should start getting used to paying more," says Joel Ewanick, General Motors' new marketing chief. High-tech cars built for big increases in gas mileage and lower carbon emissions a decade from now "are not going to be cheap." Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-12-06-autoroundtable06_CV_N.htm Long Life For Electric Vehicles. Oil prices have reached roughly $90 a barrel, the highest since October 2008 when the financial crisis hit and global economies stomped on the brakes. Next year oil could reach $100, but nearly $50 less than the peak in July two years ago. The price of oil should continue to rise as long as economies do. The next time oil skyrockets the world’s auto companies will have protection against the disastrous consequences: electric vehicles (EVs). Posted. http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2010/20100079.html OPINION Dan Morain: Lights, Camera – But Not Enough Action. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the body builder-action hero, is exiting office much like he entered it, heavy on flourish and style, light on substance. He will try one last time to balance California's books, unveiling a final package of concepts Monday as he urges the Legislature to cut another $6 billion from the budget. It will be little more than a feint. There is no magic outside Hollywood. For all his swagger and hubris, Schwarzenegger is bequeathing a worse budget mess to Jerry Brown than the one he inherited from the man he recalled, Gov. Gray Davis. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/05/3231845/lights-camera-but-not-enough-action.html Ethanol on the Run. A left-right coalition is emerging against this energy boondoggle. The political class inevitably invokes the moon shot or Manhattan Project as a model for every unrealistic energy goal, but for once maybe that hyperbole is apt: A left-right coalition is emerging to end ethanol subsidies. Last week, no fewer than 17 Senators signed a letter calling ethanol "fiscally indefensible" and "environmentally unwise." Led by Democrat Dianne Feinstein and Republican Jon Kyl, the group said Congress shouldn't extend certain subsidies that expire at the end of the year, including the 45-cent-per-gallon tax credit for blending ethanol into gasoline and tariffs on cheaper imports. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704679204575646860280389400.html?mod=googlenews_wsj The Queen Of The Road: Clean Air Sticker Renewal, Unsafe Exits And Going Halfsies On A Fastrak Tag. COMMUTER: I have enjoyed having a (Clean Air) sticker on my Prius for the past five years. This was set to expire at the end of this year, but earlier in the year there was a bill being discussed that would extend the stickers to the end of June. I never heard whether it was finally passed and signed into law, so right now I don't know if I have to stop using the carpool lanes Jan. 1, or if I have until the end of June. Do you know what the situation is on this? Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_16762290 Letter: Corn Refiners Object. The Nov. 14, 2010, editorial "A To-Do List for the Lame-Duck Congress," may mislead consumers about high fructose corn syrup. Contrary to misperceptions, high fructose corn syrup is not a protected commodity; rather, it is subject to all of the highs and lows of marketplace supply and demand. According to an October 2009 assessment of U.S. farm programs and the corn refining industry by Promar International, "The net effect of federal programs for agriculture and renewable fuels has been an increase in the price that corn refiners pay for corn. Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/corn-101832-high-syrup.html Defying The Will Of The People, Obama Governs By Regulation. Sitting presidents whose agendas are soundly rejected by voters in midterm congressional elections have two options: They can either accommodate the new political reality, as President Clinton did after 1994; or they can use bureaucratic edicts to advance their unpopular programs, as President Obama is clearly doing now. Given the historic drubbing his party just suffered at the polls, Obama's defiant strategy may prevent a second term for the man who began his first buoyed by an outpouring of good will. Posted. http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/2010/12/examiner-editorial-defying-will-people-obama-governs-regulation#ixzz17JD9K9K1 Perspective: Plug In, Turn Off, Go Clean, When It Comes To Greening the Supply Chain, Never Say Never. Shortly after I joined the staff at the Port of Long Beach more than 20 years ago, I spoke with a colleague about what was then referred to as "cold ironing." I remember that person saying, "It will never happen." The logic was persuasive. At the time, cargo ships were built at shipyards throughout the world, and retrofitting them for one standard of electrical power would be difficult, my colleague asserted. Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1387 BLOGS A ‘Shared Vision’ on Climate, With a Glitch. [Dec. 5, 10:35 a.m. | Updated Rajendra K. Pachauri, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has confirmed the small error in the draft described below. On Sunday morning, he told me he was contacting relevant officials about "the need for correcting the wording that the statement uses."] Cancún, Mexico — The United Nations office managing negotiations toward a new international climate pact on Saturday issued several draft documents for consideration by senior government emissaries in this, the final week of the treaty conference. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/a-draft-shared-vision-on-climate-with-a-glitch/?scp=2&sq=climate%20change&st=cse ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2010 12:38:17 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 7, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 7, 2010. 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 Emissions Rules: Challenging for Local Interests. The Environmental Protection Agency's stringent new emission and performance standards are presenting a challenge to the nation's cement plants, including Lehigh Cement Co. in Tehachapi and CalPortland in Mojave. The EPA final rule, published Sept. 9, 2010 in the Federal Register, requires Portland cement facilities to meet lower emission standards for mercury, total hydrocarbons, hydrochloric acid and particulate matter. Posted. http://www.tehachapinews.com/content/emissions-rules-challenging-local-interests/32744 EPA Seeks To Delay Controversial Boiler Rules. In the face of heavy criticism from industry groups and members of Congress, U.S. EPA is asking to go back to the drawing board with a set of regulations that would limit toxic air pollution from industrial boilers. The final regulations are due next month, but EPA today asked a federal judge to push back the deadline by more than a year so the agency can issue a new proposal and take more comments. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/07/1 CLIMATE CHANGE China and U.S. Narrow Gap in Climate Talks. Cancûn, Mexico — The United States and China have significantly narrowed their differences on the verification of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, officials say, providing hope that a United Nations conference here on climate change here can achieve some modest success. The verification issue, which cuts deeply on matters of national sovereignty and international trust, was a major factor in the torpedoing of last year’s climate negotiations in Copenhagen. But in the intervening year, China has significantly softened its position and the United States has moderated its insistence on the issue. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/science/earth/08climate.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=print http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101206-716423.html Britain Aims for Radical Power Market Reform in Push for Low-Carbon Energy. London -- The U.K. power market is about to face the most radical reform in decades as it becomes increasingly clear that progress toward decarbonizing its energy system in the face of climate change is moving at a snail's pace when it really needs to move like the wind, experts say. While the Obama administration struggles in Washington to find a way to convince Congress to set targets for more low-carbon power, politicians in London are peering at the next question: Once you do that, how do you phase in the changes and keep the lights burning at the same time? Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/12/07/07climatewire-britain-aims-for-radical-power-market-reform-30071.html?pagewanted=print Supreme Court Set To Review CO2 Suits. Washington—The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether eight states and other plaintiffs can proceed with lawsuits that seek to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by utilities. The lawsuit is part of a push by some states for "greenhouse gas" regulations that go further than efforts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The agency started to develop greenhouse-gas standards after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in 2007 that the EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704156304576003323338816658.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/science/earth/07emissions.html?partner=rss&emc=rss Compromise Spirit at Climate Talks In Last Days. It may not last, but a spirit of compromise seems to have settled over the annual U.N. climate conference as negotiators enter its final days looking for agreements on secondary tools for coping with global warming. The open sniping between the U.S. and China that marked periodic talks earlier this year was not in evidence Monday as the second week of the two-week meeting got under way. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/12/07/1460818/compromise-spirit-at-climate-talks.html#ixzz17Rhp0dgr DOE's Chu Eschews Talk of Emission Curbs, Focuses on Science During U.N. Climate Meeting. During a brief appearance at the U.N. climate discussions today, Energy Secretary Steven Chu sounded more like a visiting professor than a senior administration official from a world power. The Nobel physicist treated a packed conference room at the 16th Conference of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change to a lecture on why the ratios of two different kinds of atmospheric carbon dioxide indicate that human activities, not natural processes, are responsible for rising global temperatures. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/12/06/06greenwire-does-chu-eschews-talk-of-emission-curbs-focuse-30412.html Air Regulators Weigh Penalties For 'False Statements'. California air regulators are considering a rule that would seek to ban "false statements" or fake statistics during a regulatory proceeding, despite criticism from some in the state who view the idea as subjective and unenforceable. The California Air Resources Board floated the rule recently only to set it aside temporarily following a minor outcry and public confusion as to its intent. A spokesman yesterday said the agency plans to resume work on a draft next year with a public workshop. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/12/07/27 Branson's Carbon War Room Puts New Focus On Shipping Emissions. Sir Richard Branson's Carbon War Room has opened a new front in the battle against carbon emissions. International shipping, which is not covered by the Kyoto Protocol, accounts for about 2.7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. And, without new policies, emissions from the shipping industry will increase by 150 to 250 percent compared with 2007 figures, according to a study released last year by the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization (IMO). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/07/6 Can RED Hot California Heat Up A Sedated Cancun? In his concession speech after the 2010 mid-term elections, President Obama said that prospects for meaningful US climate change legislation are doubtful for years. With the US and the international community unable to take even modest steps to combat global warming, the State of California has stepped up in a big, big way. Despite record unemployment rates, deficits and unemployment, California voters trounced a measure that would have suspended AB 32, California's landmark climate change law. Posted. http://news.mongabay.com/2010/1207-niles_california_forests_cop16.html California Awards to Recognize Small Businesses for 'Climate Leadership'. The California Air Resources Board is accepting nominations through Jan. 24 for its CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards, which will recognize small businesses from across the state that demonstrate climate leadership. The awards will honor California businesses with fewer than 100 employees that reduced their greenhouse gas emissions, promoted climate-friendly practices and integrated the use of information from the website CoolCalifornia.org into their business operations in 2010. Posted. http://solarhbj.com/news/california-awards-to-recognize-small-businesses-for-climate-leadership-01181 Facing Its Own Potential Losses From Climate Change, Mexico Pushes Emissions Targets. Cancun, Mexico -- Clumps of black, straw-like seaweed dot the beach at Boca Paila on the Yucatan Peninsula. Gnats swarm the deposits. Clumps of grass add to the difficulty of sunbathing in comfort. Marie Claire Paiz loves it. "At one point, Cancun was like this," Paiz, a Guatemalan biologist who directs the Nature Conservancy's Southern Mexico program said, her arms spread wide. Where tourists see nuisance, Paiz and local scientists see unspoiled nature doing its job. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/07/2 Environmental Groups Try To Sell Climate Action As A National Security Measure. United Nations -- Having failed to win over Republicans through a sense of urgency, groups say they will now try to convince lawmakers to pay for action against climate change by selling it as a national security imperative. In a report issued on the sides of ongoing climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, proponents are arguing that the United States can and should take a leadership role in global efforts, regardless of what large developing nations do. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/07/3 Supreme Court Will Hear Challenge To States' Power To Restrict Greenhouse Gases. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed yesterday to hear a high-stakes case examining if states can hold individual power plants accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions. The high court's decision will have no bearing on federal climate regulations set to go into effect next month. But the converse may not be true, some court watchers say. Plaintiffs in American Electric Power v. Connecticut seek to force individual utilities to cap and then rein in their greenhouse gas emissions under federal "public nuisance" common law. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/07/4 N.M. Passes Backstop Cap-And-Trade Plan. New Mexico environmental regulators cemented their commitment to curbing greenhouse gases yesterday with a plan to cap in-state emissions even if the rest of the Western region balks. The state Environmental Improvement Board voted 4-1 to approve a petition from the environmental group New Energy Economy (NEE) that would establish an in-state emissions cap starting in 2012. The board amended the plan to start in 2013, but kept the baseline emissions level at 2010. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/07/5 Investing in the Resilience of Poor People on the Frontlines of Climate Change. If we've learned anything from this summer's destructive floods in Pakistan, unrelenting drought in the African Sahel, or the killer heat wave in Russia, is that we better get ready. Because the "future" of climate change is already here. While scientists cannot conclude that any of this summer's dramatic whether events are definitively caused by climate change, they are consistent with scientific predictions of global warming and a sign of what's to come. We need to take action quickly to prevent the worst case scenarios, but we must also invest in the resiliency of those communities already affected by our changing climate. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-adams/investing-in-the-resilien_b_792426.html?view=print DIESEL EMISSIONS Truckers Say L.A.'S 'Green' Port Costs Them Money. The dispute over who should pay for leasing and maintaining 'clean' rigs could go to the Supreme Court. Alex Mejia said he often sleeps in his truck, grabbing some fitful rest before a new dawn breaks and he is once again hauling cargo at the Port of Los Angeles. The routine marks another working day that, he says, could last 18 hours, much of it spent waiting — for a job order, a load, an operational trailer chassis — before getting back on the road. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-port-truckers-20101207,0,2645612.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Flocal+%28L.A.+Times+-+California+|+Local+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader GREEN ENERGY Altamont Wind Energy Company To Pay $2.5 Million And Replace Turbines To Reduce Raptor Deaths. The largest wind energy producer in the Altamont Pass area of eastern Alameda and Contra Costa counties has agreed to replace 2,400 wind turbines within four years and pay $2.5 million in a legal settlement to reduce deaths of eagles, hawks and other raptors hacked by turbine blades. The settlement between NextEra Energy Resources, the state, and several environmental groups was announced Monday by the state Attorney General Jerry Brown. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_16790686?source=rss E-Waste Goes Overseas As Recyclers Comply With California Ban. Five years after California launched an ambitious effort to control pollution from electronic waste, much of the waste is flowing to developing nations, where it is picked apart by workers exposed to a high-tech cocktail of contamination. Reporting from Sacramento — In the soft morning light, the silver-gray mountain of electronic trash did not look especially hazardous. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ewaste-20101206,0,4526320.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fbusiness+%28L.A.+Times+-+Business%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Schwarzenegger Receives EPA Climate Change Champion Award. Recognizing his groundbreaking work in green energy and clean-technology, and his efforts to fight global climate change, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has honored Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with EPA’s Climate Change Champion Award. “Because of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s leadership, the world looks to California as an example of climate change policies that make sense,” Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest, said in a news release. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2010/12/06/schwarzenegger-wins-epa-climate-change.html Wood Waste Power Catches On In Tree-Covered East Texas. Wind may be more robust in West Texas, but energy companies in the eastern half of the state are banking on another plentiful source of renewable energy: trees. Planners are increasingly looking at biomass plants that run on pine tree waste as an option to meet the state's high power demands. Aspen Power will open the state's first wood waste plant, a $128 million venture in Lufkin, in the spring. Another biomass plant is being planned by Southern Co. just 45 miles away, and two more were approved for permits by state air pollution regulators. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/07/7 VEHICLES Toyota Adopts Tesla’s Laptop Battery Strategy for Electric Cars. Toyota Motor Corp., Daimler AG and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG are turning to laptops for a cheaper way to power their electric cars -- and their sales. Automakers are testing packs of lithium-ion batteries assembled by Silicon Valley startup Tesla Motors Inc. costing less than bigger, car-only batteries favored by General Motors Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. A pack of 6,831 cylinder-shaped cells made by Panasonic Corp. powers Tesla’s $109,000 Roadster sports car for up to 245 miles per charge. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-12-07/toyota-adopts-tesla-s-laptop-battery-strategy-for-electric-cars.html MISCELLANEOUS Bomb House Suspect Pleads Not Guilty In Federal Court. San Diego — The North County man accused of manufacturing explosives in his home near Escondido pleaded not guilty Monday during his first federal court appearance and was ordered held in custody without bail. George Djura Jakubec, 54, appeared alert as he answered basic questions from U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruben Brooks about his identity and whether he understood what was happening. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/06/bomb-house-defendant-pleads-not-guilty/ High-Speed Rail Agency Urged To Rethink Planning. California's nascent high-speed rail program "needs a thorough reassessment" of how it is being planned and managed, a peer review group has concluded. The eight-person group, created after voters approved the $10 billion high-speed rail bond measure in 2008, includes experts in high-speed rail, transportation, finance and planning. It is headed by former Caltrans Director Will Kempton, now executive director of the Orange County Transportation Authority. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/06/BAJ61GMN0B.DTL#ixzz17RnMBAjo OPINION The Myth of the Jolly Green Giant Exposed. Political leaders, NGO representatives and the corporate media have incessantly greenwashed the deplorable environmental legacy of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in a series of photo opportunities, press releases, news conferences and awards ceremonies over the past several months. This disgusting campaign by the Governor and his collaborators to portray Schwarzenegger as the "Jolly Green Giant" is bound to get even worse as Schwarzenegger prepares to leave office. On December 2, Schwarzenegger accepted an award from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Region 9 Administrator Jared Blumenfeld for his "environmental leadership." Posted. http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=8731 Congress Should Let the EPA Do Its Job. The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Sunday, Dec. 5: Forty years ago last week, a Republican president created the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Today, buoyed by last month's electoral tidal wave, Republicans seem poised to undermine some of the most important initiatives that agency ever has undertaken. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/12/07/1460960/congress-should-let-the-epa-do.html#ixzz17RgQAzVo BLOGS Ford Begins Shipping Electric Vans. Ford Motor Co. says it began shipping electric-powered versions of its Ford Transit Connect vans to certain customers in North America. The company is also delivering the vans to the United Kingdom for a demonstration project. The car maker earlier this year said it was working with partner Azure Dynamics to convert the vans, which are normally powered by gasoline or diesel engines, to electric power. Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/12/07/ford-begins-shipping-electric-vans/ Santa Susana Nuclear Facility To Be Cleaned Up By 2017, Agencies Agree. State and federal agencies agreed Monday to clean up a former nuclear research facility in eastern Ventura County by 2017. For decades, community activists and the state Environmental Protection Agency have urged officials to clean up the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a 2,850-acre facility once used to test and develop rocket engines and nuclear reactors. In 1959, a reactor at the facility suffered a partial nuclear meltdown, and some area residents have since complained of health problems. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/12/agencies-agree-to-clean-up-former-nuclear-research-facility.html Boxer Won't Pursue Comprehensive Climate Bill Without Votes. Sen. Barbara Boxer will not attempt passage of controversial legislation meant to curb global warming in the next Congress, unless the political landscape shifts in her favor, the California Democrat said Monday. "We do not have the votes for a comprehensive climate bill," said Boxer, who serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. "We would bring it back on dime as soon as we see a change." The so-called "cap and trade" proposal involves new limits or caps on greenhouse gas emissions from energy-refiniries or power plants. Posted. http://blogs.pe.com/politics/2010/12/boxer-wont-pursue-comprehensiv.html California Auto Insurance Goes Green. California motorists who spend little time on the road could pay significantly lower insurance premiums with new "pay-as-you-drive" auto policies starting in February. To be offered first by California insurance giants State Farm Mutual and the Automobile Club of Southern California, the new policies are designed to reward drivers who drive less. Other insurers are expected to follow. Under current law, drivers are only required to provide insurers with estimates of their projected mileage. This creates an inaccurate system that may not reward those who are truly driving less. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/california-auto-insurance-low-mileage.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 How The Gas Tax Is Under Threat From Green Vehicles. Can Governments Afford To Incentivise Electric Cars? Live in the right part of California and work for the right company and you might be able to buy the new Nissan Leaf for as little as $12,500, as Autoblog has reported, due to the raft of incentives that are available for buyers of the little battery car and other high-mileage, low-emission products. In recent years, lawmakers have been racing to come up with incentives designed to encourage motorists to migrate to clean, efficient vehicles. Posted. http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/06/how-the-gas-tax-is-under-threat-from-green-vehicles/#continued ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2010 14:40:08 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 8, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 8, 2010. 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 Appeals Court Allows Calif. Air District To Impose Fee For Controlling Construction Emissions. Fresno, Calif. (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that air quality regulators in California's smog-laden San Joaquin Valley have the right to charge home builders a fee to control their pollution emissions. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld the local air district's rule requiring developers to reduce emissions from new housing projects by building features like bicycle lanes and energy-efficient cooling systems. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-ca-developers-pollution-fee,0,214198,print.story State Posts Low Smoking Rate, But Also The Most-Polluted Air. Californians may breathe easier because so few of us smoke tobacco, but our health still may suffer because our air remains the most polluted in the United States, according to a report released Tuesday. The 21st annual “America’s Health Rankings” report puts California 26th among states in overall health, based on 22 measures. The report, published by United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention, is aimed at helping individuals and policymakers find ways to improve the public’s health. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/08/state-posts-low-smoking-rate-but-also-the-most/ Federal Appeals Court Rules against Valley Homebuilders. Local rules setting emissions limits from construction projects in the San Joaquin Valley do not preempt the federal Clean Air Act, the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled in a case that pitted the National Association of Home Builders against the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution District. The builders were challenging the district’s “Rule 9510,” which requires development sites to reduce the amount of pollutants they emit. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=17039 http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/12/07/2189106/valley-air-district-wins-court.html Calif. Valley Can Regulate Developers' Emissions. The San Joaquin Valley's local air quality rules requiring construction sites to reduce pollution don't clash with the federal Clean Air Act, the 9th Circuit ruled Tuesday. The federal appeals panel in San Francisco affirmed a district court finding that the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution District's 2006 rule limiting emissions from development projects is not preempted by the federal law. Rule 9510 requires San Joaquin developers to use computer models to establish a baseline level of emissions, and then reduce those levels by 20-45 percent. Posted. http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/12/07/32402.htm Curbing Coal Plant Emissions Key To Downwind States – Report. With the Obama administration considering a crackdown on soot- and smog-forming emissions from coal-fired power plants, U.S. EPA has underestimated the economic harm that is being caused by emissions that travel across state lines, according to a report released today by advocacy groups. The states affected by the pollution lose about $6 billion each year because of the health impacts of emissions from other states, according to the analysis. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/08/23 Hybrid Tugboat Reduces Emissions at California Ports. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the largest container ports in the nation, are home to the first and only hybrid electric tugboat in the world, and researchers at the University of California have found that this has had a big impact on air pollution. The diesel electric drive train on the hybrid tug that allows the use of auxiliary power for propulsion was the primary cause for the overall in-use emission reductions as opposed to the batteries, according to the study (PDF). Posted. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/hybrid-tugboat-reduces-emissions-at-california-ports.html#ixzz17XgiM73Z EPA Seeks To Delay Air Pollution Rule. The Obama administration wants to delay the release of a controversial air pollution rule that has come under fire from myriad lawmakers and industry groups. The Environmental Protection Agency asked a federal court Tuesday to delay by more than a year its court-ordered deadline for issuing rules aimed at slashing toxic air pollution from industrial boilers and solid-waste incinerators to give the agency more time to weigh the flood of comments it received. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46075.html How EPA's Regulatory Surge Missed A Primary Target. It was 20 years ago, during the lame-duck session of 1990, when Democrats and Republicans banded together in an effort to solve a problem that people on both sides of the aisle saw as a stark failure of the Clean Air Act. In the first few years after the law hit the books in 1970, U.S. EPA cracked down on airborne lead, soot and smog. Congress had also ordered EPA to figure out the risks posed by toxic contaminants, but the agency did little to stop mercury and other rare but dangerous chemicals from being released into the air. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/08/1 Federal Court Sides With Calif. Regulators On Sprawl Rule. San Francisco -- A federal appeals court yesterday rejected a lawsuit from a homebuilders group that challenged the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's attempt to regulate sprawl. The district, which presides over some of the worst air quality in the nation, had attempted to regulate so-called "indirect sources" by making construction companies quantify emissions of a given project and build "air-friendly" offsets (such as parks or sidewalks) to mitigate their effect. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/08/10 Pollution Linked To Heart Disease Risk. Tiny cameras used by US researchers can reveal the effects of pollution on human tissues 100 times smaller than human hair. The researchers took photographs of people's eyes, linking air pollution with increased heart disease risk. The researchers focused on retinal blood vessels, which are structured the same as the tiny blood vessels that permeate the body, and can be seen without subjecting the body to surgery. Posted. http://www.hc2d.co.uk/content.php?contentId=16949 Dust Bigger Culprit Than Vehicular Emission For Making Air Quality Bad. New Delhi: An analysis of data generated by air pollution monitoring stations in Delhi — set up for the Commonwealth Games by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology — has not only confirmed what environmentalists and health experts have been worried about for really long but also added a new dimension to the problem of air pollution in Delhi. While levels of particulate matter (PM) are extremely high, dust might actually have a bigger role to play than vehicular emissions. Posted. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Dust-bigger-culprit-than-vehicular-emission-for-making-air-quality-bad/articleshow/7056936.cms CLIMATE CHANGE U.S. And China Maintain Polite Disagreement As Climate Talks Reach Final Days. Cancun, Mexico -- China's pledge to reduce the intensity of its carbon emissions will be bound by domestic law, but it is "premature" to demand the country make internationally binding commitments, a top Chinese negotiator said. Huang Huikang, special representative for climate change negotiations in China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told ClimateWire that China is "poor" and "not at the same level" as the United States and is not yet prepared to agree to mandates. "It's going to be, but this time we cannot say legally binding," Huang said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/08/1 E.U. To Help China Set Up Cap-And-Trade Pilot Program. The European Union is setting up a project to help eight cities in China trade emissions in a collaboration that goes beyond the disagreements between rich and poor nations on greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union will provide expertise on regulations, verification and registries to track purchases of credits, said Jos Delbeke, director-general for climate action on the European Commission. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/08/8 What Cancún Can Take From California. California's climate law which gives carbon credit to developing countries to conserve rainforest is a win-win the world can copy. As negotiators huddle in Cancún to try to eke out some progress on a global climate agreement, they would do well to look north to California for an example of how to achieve real progress while maintaining strong political support. In November, California voters resoundingly defeated well-funded attempts to roll back the state's climate law. Posted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/dec/06/cancun-climate-change-conference-2010-deforestation FUELS Entrepreneur Sees Potatoes On America's Energy Buffet. A South Carolina researcher and entrepreneur sees potato-powered cars as America's solution to its dependence on foreign oil. Janice Ryan-Bohac has been growing especially starchy breeds of sweet potatoes about the size of bowling balls in her business, called CAREnergy LLC. She hopes to convince other farmers and lawmakers to put more money into growing and converting these energy tubers, or "eTubers," into ethanol." There is no alternative that is this ready and cheap," she said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/08/9 GREEN ENERGY California No. 1 In Clean Energy Policy, Firm Says. California leads all other states in clean energy policy, technology, financing and human capital, according to a ranking released Tuesday by the Clean Edge research firm. The ranking is designed to illustrate the environment for clean-tech companies in each of the 50 states. Clean Edge looked at each state's policies to encourage renewable power, the availability of venture capital for local clean-tech companies and the number of patents filed, among other metrics. The scores were adjusted for population, to place smaller states on an equal footing with larger ones. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2010%2F12%2F07%2FBUGP1GN45I.DTL More Renewable Energy Demanded Of State Utilities – Again. Even before California's power companies have met a year-end target of getting 20 percent of their energy from renewables, like wind or solar, state Sen. Joe Simitian is upping the ante. A bill introduced this week by the senator would require utilities to generate 33 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020; a standard Simitian says will go a long way to fighting global warming, spawning green investment and assuring California a local source of energy. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16801599?nclick_check=1 As Congress Stalls, States Take up Greentech Slack. Most don’t expect a newly Republican-tilted Congress to do much about clean energy or climate change, so states are reasserting their dominance as greentech incubators. It helps if they have a lot of rich investors, too. That’s the gist of Clean Edge’s new U.S. Clean Energy Leadership Index, which gives a snapshot of state-by-state greentech support as 2010 draws to a close. To nobody’s surprise, the best state to do green business remains California. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS197450995320101207 Sacramento Has 'Amazing Potential' In Clean-Tech. At the final Greenwise meeting Tuesday, Portland, Ore., Mayor Sam Adams and chef-author-activist Alice Waters, both leaders in the green and sustainable movement, offered words of support for the ongoing effort to turn the Sacramento region into the “greenest region in the country” and an economic hub for clean technology. “I want you to know at the outset, the nation is watching what you’re doing,” said Adams, who was elected Portland mayor in 2008 and leads a city praised as one of the most sustainable in the country. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2010/12/07/sacramento-has-become-a-real-bullet.html The Administration Explores A 'Clean Energy' Standard That Includes Nuclear Power. The subject of the high-level Washington conference yesterday was the future of nuclear power. The theme was much more ambitious -- how to get a national energy plan for 2025 or 2050 when the political process stumbling over next month's agenda and the current bargain price for natural gas dominate industry thinking. And the primary idea emerging from the so-called "Nuclear Energy Summit" was a proposal to create a national clean energy standard that would set an escalating requirement for low-carbon energy production, but would let states and regions choose their way of complying. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/08/2 A Tax Break Helping Fledgling Industries Create Jobs May Expire. The renewable energy industry is raising its voice to save a program it claims kept it afloat after the financial crash. If the program expires, the American Wind Energy Association said yesterday, 15,000 potential manufacturing jobs will vanish; many of the industry's 85,000 total jobs will be at risk. The program is a tax credit called "Section 1603" after its spot in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It lets more wind developers take advantage of the production tax credit, or PTC, a major incentive for renewable energy. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/08/4 Industry Tries To Blunt Conservative Attacks On Light Bulb 'Ban'. The incandescent light bulb, with its frosty glass and trademark tinkling sound, has become a conservative symbol for big, runaway government. Candidates and radio hosts describe looming lighting efficiency standards as a politically driven "ban" on the old bulbs. Conservative ire over efficiency standards was one of a number of issues used against Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), who was attacked for being too moderate to chair the Energy and Commerce Committee, a post he was approved for by a Republican steering committee yesterday (E&E Daily, Dec. 8). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/08/3 VEHICLES Volt, Leaf Named Among 10 Best Drivetrains. The awards keep rolling in for the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, both of which Ward’s AutoWorld magazine has named among the 10 Best Engines for 2011. Never mind that the Leaf has a motor, not an engine. We’ll say this right up front: These awards are well-deserved, and Ward’s is spot-on. The two vehicles were among 38 of the 2011 automobiles with new or significantly revised drivetrains considered by the editors. That is the largest field of candidates ever, and the fact both of these groundbreaking vehicles made the list speaks to the quality of their engineering and the viability of electric propulsion. Posted. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/volt-leaf-named-among-10-best-drivetrains/ MISCELLANEOUS Controversial Chemical BPA Found On Paper Money. Bisphenol-A, a hormone-disrupting chemical linked to cancer, diabetes, early puberty and neurological problems, might now be lurking in your wallet. Twenty-one out of the 22 $1 bills tested in California, 17 other states and Washington, D.C., carried small amounts of the chemical, which is commonly used in plastic bottles as well as in food can liners, adhesives, sports safety gear and dental sealants, according to a report being released today by the group Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/08/MN8H1GN4FQ.DTL&type=printable San Marcos Schools Will Be Unaffected By 'Bomb House' Burn, Officials Say. No special precautions planned. Officials with the San Marcos Unified School District said Tuesday that two schools within two miles of the Escondido house described as a "bomb factory" will remain open, with no special safety plan, when authorities burn the home Thursday, saying authorities have not told them their students are at risk from the operation. "Nobody has contacted the district and told us that we are in any danger or that we needed to take any precautions, so we haven't done so," said Jim Poltl, director of maintenance, operations and transportation, in a voice-mail message to the North County Times. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_5cc7b0d1-6ada-5458-8a00-bd0fea11e879.html Flame Retardants Found In Butter. Chemicals used to prevent or dampen fires in electronics, furniture and upholstery are showing up in our food chain. Researchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Dallas found high levels of the flame retardants known as PBDEs in a sample of butter. The scientists say the contaminated sample was just one of ten samples tested, but the levels were so high the researchers are calling for government health officials to begin inspecting and investigating food samples at all stages of processing. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/flame-retardants-found-butter-7288 OPINION Climate Change Can Be a Conversation Killer. It's that time of year again - the holiday party season. Time to put on your favorite ugly holiday sweater, and carry on awkward banter with coworkers, friends and relatives. For an ordinary individual who works in a relatively noncontroversial field, holiday parties and other social events can be relatively carefree and fun occasions. But for those who work in a climate science-related discipline, these days such events are more like a series of conversational minefields. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/12/climate_change_can_be_a_conver.html Factoring Environmental Degradation Into Economics. By definition, economic externalities are the indirect negative (or positive) side effects, considered un-quantifiable in dollar terms, of other economic acts. For example, a negative externality of a power plant that is otherwise producing a useful good (electricity) is the air pollution it generates. In traditional economics, the harmful effect of the pollution (smog, acid rain, global warming) on human health and the environment is not factored in as a cost in the overall economic equation. And as the economists go, so go the governments that rely on them. Posted. http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Environment_380/Factoring_Environmental_Degradation_Into_Economics.shtml BLOGS Climate Science Survives Climate Diplomacy. Cancun, Mexico — There’s evidence here that science can survive the intense tussles over information that can occur when big policy decisions are shaped by a body of research. Over the weekend, I posted and alerted senior members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change when an errant description of the panel’s 2007 conclusion on the human climate influence found its way into an important draft document listing “elements of an outcome” for long-term action on climate — essentially a draft of what may emerge here when negotiations end on Friday. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/climate-science-survives-climate-diplomacy/?pagemode=print Tentative Signs of Life for Greenhouse Gas Controls. For a patient suffering from paralysis, the movement of a single finger is momentous. So, in the face of a threatened hiatus in government-led action on climate change, what the Environmental Improvement Board of New Mexico has done in the last month or so is worthy of note. It has twice approved plans to cap and/or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, most recently on Monday evening, when a plan for annual 3 percent reductions beginning in 2013 won approval in a 4-to-1 vote. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/tentative-signs-of-life-for-greenhouse-gas-controls/?partner=rss&emc=rss On Climate Treaties and Christmas Trees. On Monday night, Michael Zammit Cutajar, one of the most important figures in two decades of negotiations aimed at a global agreement to avoid dangerous climate change, issued a gentle warning to delegates, officials and others attending a discussion I moderated on social impacts of climate change: Keep track of the difference between a climate treaty and a Christmas tree. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/on-climate-treaties-and-christmas-trees/?partner=rss&emc=rss California Leads Clean Energy Derby. A new ranking of clean energy development in the US has California well out in front, with Oregon running a distant second.Clean Edge, which describes itself as "the world’s first research and advisory firm devoted to the clean-tech sector," has released its "first annual U.S. Clean Energy Leadership Index." Massachusetts, Washington, and Colorado round out the top five. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/07/california-leads-clean-energy-derby/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Regulation Sparks Innovation with Green Cars at the L.A. Auto Show. Get this. The vehicles that automakers claimed was impossible years ago are exactly the ones they have featured at the LA Auto Show. Roland Hwang, the transportation program director for the Natural Resources Defense Council's energy program, walked the show this year and helped hand out the Green Car of the Year award to the Chevrolet Volt. As he did so, he was reminded of a time when automakers were adamant that diesels and clean air do not go hand in hand, that powerful vehicles cannot have low emissions and that no one will buy electric vehicles. Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2010/12/08/regulation-sparks-innovation-with-green-cars-at-the-l-a-auto-sh/ California Is Not Alone. Perhaps the sharpest criticism of our state's effort to curb greenhouse-gas emissions is that it's both expensive and fruitless to go it alone. Well, at least one other state is coming along for the ride: New Mexico regulators on Monday approved an environmental group's proposal for capping greenhouse gas emissions, marking the state's second major attempt in just over a month to get a handle on the pollutants blamed for causing global warming. Posted. http://blogs.redding.com/bross/archives/2010/12/california-is-n.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2010 11:53:18 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 9, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 9, 2010. 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. NEXT 10 – ANALYSIS OF GHG CAP-AND-TRADE Report Minimizes Fears On California Climate Cap-And-Trade System. California's effort to cap carbon emissions by gasoline refiners, utilities and other large polluters will have little impact on consumers and businesses in the state while creating up to 623,000 new jobs over the next decade, according to a new report. Next 10, a San Francisco nonprofit group that supports green technology, estimated the state's cap-and-trade program will increase electricity costs by an average of 2.3 percent to 4.1 percent per household by the year 2020. The forecast – which comes a week before the California Air Resources Board's will vote on whether to approve the new rules for its cap-and-trade program –Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/09/v-print/3244417/report-minimizes-fears-on-california.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/12/09/2191341/report-minimizes-fears-on-california.html http://www.kentucky.com/2010/12/09/1559031/report-californias-climate-cap.html Most In State Found To Support Carbon-Trading Plan. A majority of Californians support creating a carbon-trading market to cut greenhouse gas emissions and using the money to help address the state's widening budget deficit, according to a poll released Wednesday. The poll from the Field Research Corp. comes a week before California regulators are expected to approve the creation of a "cap and trade" system, which would set an annual limit on the state's greenhouse gas emissions and force companies to buy permits to release those gases. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/09/BUNB1GNPUA.DTL Poll Finds Strong Backing For Proposed Emissions Trading Program. California voters are supporting (64 percent) implementing the state’s proposed emissions trading or cap-and-trade program, a recent poll says. The California Air Resources Board is expected to vote on the greenhouse gas emissions trading program at its Dec. 16 meeting. Next 10, which describes itself as a nonprofit nonpartisan research organization, commissioned the poll from the Field Research Corporation as well as five research papers from academic experts to address the multibillion dollar issue of how California should distribute greenhouse gas allowances and the resulting revenue. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=17061 Voters Favor Cap-And-Trade Program. New research commissioned by the nonprofit research organization Next 10 shows that the state’s proposed cap-and-trade program will have a minimal economic impact and the state’s voters are solidly behind implementing the program. In anticipation of an upcoming decision on the trading program by the California Air Resources Board, Next 10 commissioned a poll from the Field Research Corp., and five research papers from leading academic experts, to address how California should distribute greenhouse gas allowances and the resulting revenue. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2010/12/08/voters-favor-capi-in-trade.html New Reports Debate What To Do With California's Cap-And-Trade Revenues. On the eve of a historic vote to establish California's greenhouse gas trading scheme, officials are studying five new reports predicting the plan's positive economic effect. The papers are aimed at analyzing the effect of distributing greenhouse gas permits to emitters mostly free of charge, as California has outlined and is preparing to enact next week as part of its final cap-and-trade regulation. The trading program goes into effect in January 2012 and will cover 85 percent of the state's industrial emissions by the time it ends in 2020 (ClimateWire, Nov. 1Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/09/6 Poll: Californians Still Support Cap-and-Trade. A new poll shows Californians holding firm to their support of California's climate strategy, including cap-and-trade provisions likely to be approved next week. The poll accompanies a sheaf of new studies commissioned by the pro-clean-tech think tank known as Next 10.The Field poll of about 500 Californians, taken right before Thanksgiving, shows two-thirds (66%) of respondents still favor (either "strongly" or "somewhat") the 2006 climate law known as AB 32, including the cap-and-trade provisions (64%). About one in four oppose both. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/08/poll-californians-still-support-cap-and-trade/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Allowance Allocation Under California's Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade Proposal. One of the most notable features of California's recently-proposed cap and trade program for greenhouse gases (GHGs) is a commitment to free allocation of tradeable allowances to all covered entities. But how, exactly, will the California Air Resources Board ("CARB") determine the number of allowances to which each entity is entitled? Industrial Facilities. CARB's allocation of allowances to covered industrial facilities will be based on two main factors: (1) efficiency-adjusted output and (2) transition assistance and leakage prevention. Posted. http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/article.asp?articleid=117734&print=1 CLIMATE CHANGE Bolivian Says Climate Talks May Commit 'Ecocide' Bolivia's President Evo Morales says the Cancun climate conference will be committing "ecocide" if it fails to take decisive action to halt global warming. The Bolivian leader spoke Thursday on the next-to-last day of an annual two-week U.N. negotiating session that will fail once again to achieve a sweeping, mandatory pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In a passionate, 20-minute speech, Morales cited families deprived of water because of warming and drought, and islanders facing the loss of homes from seas rising from global warming. Posted. http://www.sfexaminer.com/news/2010/12/bolivian-says-climate-talks-may-commit-ecocide http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h1DwzHImwkv_R7-YfAsPz6srGomg?docId=864ffa6a26ff487ba00295e7989f9b8d http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/12/08/1400244/climate-talks-host-says-its-time.html AIR POLLUTION San Joaquin Air Regulations Upheld By Court. A federal appeals court has upheld San Joaquin Valley air-quality rules limiting harmful emissions from housing developments and other construction projects, a decision that could boost similar plans in the Bay Area. The National Association of Home Builders challenged regulations passed in 2005 by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District for eight counties, from San Joaquin to Kern, that have some of the nation's dirtiest air. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/09/BA571GNVAN.DTL http://www.forconstructionpros.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=25&id=18752 http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2010/12/08/court-homebuilders-must-mitigate-for.html EPA Again Delays Tighter Ozone Restrictions. Washington—The Obama administration is delaying a decision on whether to tighten limits on ground-level ozone, the third time in less than a year that it has put off the potentially costly environmental rule in the face of congressional and industry pressure. The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it won't be prepared to decide until next July whether to tighten a national air-quality standard for ozone. That would be nearly a year after the agency's original self-imposed deadline for settling the matter. Ground-level ozone is a primary ingredient in smog linked to respiratory illnesses Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703493504576007622632878748.html State Posts Low Smoking Rate, But Also the Most Polluted Air. Californians may breathe easier because so few of us smoke tobacco, but our health still may suffer because our air remains the most polluted in the United States, according to a report released Tuesday. The 21st annual “America’s Health Rankings” report puts California 26th among states in overall health, based on 22 measures. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/08/state-posts-low-smoking-rate-but-also-the-most/ Escondido: Smoke From 'Bomb House' Burn Won't Be Any Worse Than Typical Fire, Air Expert Says. There's no such thing as "safe smoke." But local air pollution authorities say the toxic spiral that's expected to billow and then dissipate over Escondido on Thursday morning ---- during the torching of an explosives-filled home ---- won't be any more harmful than a typical fire. Still, to be on the safe side, if you smell smoke anywhere near the northwest Escondido-area home, which is just west of Interstate 15 and north of El Norte Parkway, head inside, officials say. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_b1d590af-20a9-5b44-904a-2af6d120368f.html Report Links Trucking Labor Dispute To Dirty Diesel Emissions. Worker misclassification in the trucking industry has contributed to the rampant air pollution around America's ports, according to a new report from labor rights groups. The report details the plight of truck drivers who are classified as "independent contractors" rather than being directly employed by operators. That status allows large trucking companies to not only pay the drivers less, but also deny them benefits and the ability to form a union. Industry regulations also require independent contractors to own and operate their own trucks, a measure that the report says creates a ripple effect in air quality. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/09/16 FUELS Popping the Hood on California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard: A Digest special series. LCFS? Sounds like alphabet soup to most people, and a yawner to wide sections of the biofuels industry. And catching up on emissions regulations is, at the best of times, like a visit to the dentist. But here’s our warning: if you don’t master California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and its implications on your business, as it takes hold in the Golden State and is adopted or adapted around the world, as a biofuels investment you won’t raise a dime, your investors will be stranded, and you won’t distribute much fuel, if any, in the long term. Posted. http://biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2010/12/09/popping-the-hood-on-californias-low-carbon-fuel-standard-a-digest-special-series/ GREEN ENERGY Can Politicians Act Quickly for $342B in Clean Power Investments? A lot of numbers have been floating around on the benefits of renewable energy, particularly given the U.N. climate change talks going on this week in Mexico. The latest set of data comes from the Pew Charitable Trust, which issued a report Wednesday saying $2.3 trillion in clean power project investments could materialize in next 10 years if G-20 countries adopt aggressive policies. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS108215967720101208 Solano Economic Development Corp. Learns About 'Going Green'. In his book "The Lorax," Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, wrote, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,/Nothing is going to get better./It's not." What's getting better in California -- because state residents care and most recently indicated their wishes in last month's midterm elections -- is energy efficiency, helped in part by state "government policies in place and building standards and codes that are leading the nation," a University of California, Davis, leader in energy efficiency said Wednesday. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_16814700?nclick_check=1 Tax Package Includes Ethanol; Democrats Working On Renewable Energy Credits. A tax package currently being negotiated by Senate Democrats is likely to include an extension of an ethanol tax credit at 45 cents per gallon and may include a renewable energy tax grant program, although perhaps in a different form than the way it currently exists, senators said today. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), an opponent of the ethanol tax credit, said her "understanding" is that the ethanol blending tax credit would be extended at the current 45-cent-per-gallon level. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/09/1 FERC Chief Urges Renewables Industry To 'Embrace' Gas. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman said the renewable energy industry should partner with the natural gas industry to provide reliable electricity at lower prices. "I think there is much to gain in a partnership between renewable energy and natural gas," FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said at a forum sponsored by the American Council on Renewable Energy in Washington, D.C. A U.S. influx of unconventional natural gas -- mostly shale gas -- and an expansion of pipeline infrastructure has lowered gas prices to about $4 per million British thermal units from the $6 to $10 per million Btu several years ago. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/09/7 Sunpower Completes 1.1MW Solar Array For California College. Solar developer and manufacturer SunPower Corporation has completed a 1.1 megawatt solar power system for a community college in Southern California. Bakersfield College, one of the oldest continually operating community colleges in the country, will be able to generate about a third of its electricity from the solar panels. The 3.1-acre parking lot canopy structure contains nearly 3,700 SunPower solar panels with a single-axis tracking system that can track the sun through the day. Posted. http://www.brighterenergy.org/20555/news/solar/sunpower-completes-1-1mw-solar-array-for-california-college/ San Francisco Eyes 100% Renewable Electricity Target. As it celebrated completion of the largest municipal solar array in California, San Francisco has pledged to draw up plans generate all its power from renewable sources. Mayor Gavin Newsom opened the five megawatt Sunset Reservoir solar array yesterday, and used the occasion to announce a $250,000 project to devise a strategy to switch the city to 100% renewable electricity by 2020. Posted. http://www.brighterenergy.org/20486/news/solar/san-francisco-eyes-100-renewable-electricity-target/ VEHICLES Lawmakers Urge EPA To Ditch Fuel-Economy Letter Grades. A bipartisan group of 53 lawmakers is urging the Obama administration to scrap plans for assigning letter grades to fuel-economy ratings on new vehicles and instead display miles-per-gallon information. At issue are designs by U.S. EPA and the Department of Transportation for designs for fuel-economy labels. One proposal is a vertical label showing grades from A for the most fuel-efficient cars to D for gas guzzlers, the other displays mpg ratings and fuel-savings information. EPA has said the letter grades provide "simple, straightforward energy and environmental comparisons. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/09/13 MISCELLANEOUS Minority Groups Demand Feds Pull California High-Speed Rail Funds. The latest hurdle thrown in the path of California's high-speed rail project arrived Wednesday when a statewide group of minority-owned companies and small businesses demanded the federal government pull $3 billion from the initiative. The complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday alleges that the California High-Speed Rail Authority "utterly failed" to attract a diverse group of businesses while handing out more than $500 million in contracts. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county/ci_16810219?source=rss&nclick_check=1 http://www.modbee.com/2010/12/08/1464092/high-speed-rail-panel-raises-concerns.html http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-rail-complaint-20101209,0,1463775.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fscience%2Fenvironment+%28L.A.+Times+-+Environment%29&utm_content=Google+Reader http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/09/14 OPINION California Board Shouldn't Retreat On Diesel Pollution Reductions. California has succeeded in environmental protection where few other states dared go by clamping down on pollution while building a mighty economy over the past 50 years. In choreographed synchronicity, air quality improved, jobs multiplied and technology flourished. California not only allowed people to breathe better, but it also enabled innovations such as hybrid cars, low-emitting power plants, and clean paints and solvents. The brilliance of California's environmental leadership is that regulation has created new markets, which in turn created jobs and saved lives. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_16809656?nclick_check=1 BLOGS Climate Battle Takes to the Streets. Chanting the Spanish equivalent of "The fight continues!", hundreds of protesters made their way through the streets of downtown Cancun Tuesday, to call for dramatic action on climate change. Located about an hour by bus away from the Moon Palace where the UN talks are being held, the procession brought together climate activists from around the world, members of Mexico's indigenous communities, and dozens of journalists eager to report on one of the few major protests at COP16. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/08/climate-battle-takes-to-the-streets/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:16:14 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 10, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 10, 2010. 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. NEXT 10 – ANALYSIS OF GHG CAP-AND-TRADE Carbon Emission Plan Questioned. The carbon cap-and-trade program California will soon embark on was designed to reduce greenhouse gases while spurring a new generation of eco-friendly technologies to drive a green economy and clean up the air. Both environmentalists and business leaders, however, say the proposed regulations the California Air Resources Board will vote on next week need much more work before they can accomplish those goals. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/09/carbon-emission-plan-questioned/ Cap and Trade Could Be No Big Deal for California's Economy. As state regulators hone details of a California cap-and-trade market slated to begin in 2012, a series of reports released this week weigh the potential economic impacts of such a program. And what did researchers come up with? Not much. The five reports, commissioned by San Francisco-based non-profit research organization Next 10, found that a carbon trading program will have minimal positive or negative economic effects and would be unlikely to substantially raise electricity prices, and or drive businesses from the state. Posted. http://sustainableindustries.com/blogs/sustainable-industries-blog/2010/12/cap-and-trade-could-be-no-big-deal-californias-economy Cap and Trade Could Generate Billions for California. In November, Californians chose to move forward with, not derail, the state’s sweeping climate change law when they defeated Proposition 23, which would have suspended it. A key milestone in the implementation of that law will take place next week, when officials adopt regulations for a cornerstone emissions trading – or cap and trade – program. With the economy in the tank and what some call a jobless recovery, there’s much at stake in the ultimate design of an emissions trading program that could generate billions in revenue annually and create jobs. Posted. http://newamericamedia.org/2010/12/post-12.php Why California Should Adopt a Global Warming Gas Emission Fee. Failed states are growing in number–Somalia, the Congo, Afghanistan, Iceland, Greece, Ireland, and California? If California can’t eliminate its structural deficit and get expenditures and revenues to match, the future is likely to be very grim. Governor-elect Brown faces an enormous challenge – but brings a breadth of experience and wisdom to the task. Hopefully, he will encourage some out-of-the-box thinking and be able to engineer some cross party cooperation. How bad is it? Despite increasingly Draconian cuts, California needs to find $28 Billion to begin closing the budget gap. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/12/california-global-warming-gas-emission-fee/ CLIMATE CHANGE Mexican State Seeks To Join California In Carbon Emissions Effort. Reporting from Cancun, Mexico — The Mexican state of Chiapas, home to the left-wing Zapatista revolt of the mid-1990s, is now eager to join a most capitalist enterprise: California's upcoming cap-and-trade market for carbon emissions. Chiapas Gov. Juan Antonio Sabines Guerrero and California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Linda Adams are making the rounds of the global climate talks in Cancun, touting a deal: California companies will pay Chiapas to protect its rainforest. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-chiapas-california-20101210,0,3329767.story Environmental Concern Is Not Anti-Growth. The quandary with climate change is this: No issue presents as great a gulf between knowledge of what needs to be done and what is being done. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere continues to tick up dangerously. To reverse this trend in time, we must confront three underlying forces driving the global warming debate: who cares, who counts and who pays. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/09/EDGI1GO3FH.DTL#ixzz17jPiidZj Japan Adviser Proposes $6.3 Trillion Carbon Market. Mutsuyoshi Nishimura, Japan's chief climate-protection negotiator during the three years through 2008, proposed a $6.3 trillion carbon market to advance talks that have stalled since 1997. The world could potentially sell 250 billion metric tons of carbon-dioxide allowances to emitters in the 10 years through 2020 or a later timeframe, generating "a huge chunk of new wealth" that could help poor nations cope with global warming and other needs, Nishimura said yesterday in an interview at United Nations talks in Cancun, Mexico. He handed to Bloomberg a document outlining the plan. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/12/08/bloomberg1376-LD4XLF0D9L3501-5F1EHB5A4QOEJ2RV6CLUIH9C78.DTL#ixzz17jRyDCqq No Climate Deal Yet on Last Day of U.N. Talks. The United Nations conference on climate change entered its final scheduled day on Friday with differences remaining on major issues, but with the prospect of a modest but successful outcome still alive. Small groups of negotiators worked through the night on some of the thorniest issues, among them how to keep the frayed 1997 Kyoto Protocol from falling apart and how to ensure that countries are making progress toward their goals of reducing emissions that contribute to global warming. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/science/earth/11climate.html?partner=rss&emc=rss Forest Plan Hangs In Balance At Climate Conference. Pedro Chuc May climbs a big zapote tree, braces himself against the trunk with a rope sling and uses his sharp machete to slash v-shaped cuts in the rough bark to let the tree's resin - the base for natural chewing gum - flow into a cut-off soda bottle below. Chuc May's ancient Mayan chicle-tapping technique doesn't harm the trees, if done right, but it earns him only about $450 per year. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/09/AR2010120903957.html Cancun Climate-Change Summit Hinges On U.S.-China Transparency Issues. China and the United States, the reigning world heavyweight champion carbon emissions polluters, have wrestled over a single complicated issue for about a week at the climate-change meeting in Cancun, Mexico. The outcome, some say, could determine the success or failure of the two-week-long gathering that ends Friday. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/10/AR2010121002876.html EPA Scrambles to the Finish Line on Greenhouse Gas Rules. With just three holiday-packed weeks left until the start date for the first nationwide regulations on greenhouse gases, U.S. EPA is rushing to finish a set of small rules that are intended to make sure the program goes off without a hitch on Jan. 2. Within the past week, the agency has sent two rules to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review, following up on another rule that was cleared for release on Dec. 1. All the last-minute regulations show the pressure to ensure a smooth transition for the agency's climate rules, which have prompted dozens of lawsuits and will be subjected to further scrutiny when the Republicans take control of the House next year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/12/10/4/ U.S. Climate Cash Pledge in Doubt. The secretary of state's offer to spend tens of billions of dollars over the next several decades is being met with strong resistance back in Washington. Republicans wielding power next year will have no appetite to spend discretionary money on climate-related issues, especially when they doubt the underlying science. And the demise of comprehensive climate legislation leaves the administration without the long-term funding stream it had envisioned using to cover much of its pledge. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46222.html#ixzz17jInrLPO California Considers Cap-And-Trade Options, Report Finds They’ll Have Little Impact on the Economy. California has long pioneered the nation in environmental regulation—even suing the national Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2007 to allow the state to abide by its own auto emission regulations. Californians recently reaffirmed their pioneering spirit by rejecting Prop 23, which would have dismantled parts of AB 32, the legislation that will bring California into near compliance with the provisions of the international Kyoto Protocol, which the U.S. chose not to sign on for. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2010/12/09/california-considers-cap-and-trade-options-report-/ AIR POLLUTION State Rolls Back Diesel Pollution Limits. State officials are taking a step back from reducing air pollution. The California Air Resources Board is planning on rolling back diesel emission limits for trucks, buses, bulldozers, backhoes and other construction equipment. The move will “extend relief to businesses, particularly the construction industry, which is really suffering,” said Karen Caesar, board spokeswoman. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/state-rolls-back-diesel-pollution-limits-7356 ESCONDIDO: Air Safe During, After Fire, Authorities Said. Air quality in Escondido was pretty dang good Thursday ---- a little better than normal, actually ---- despite the torching of an explosives-filled home in an unincorporated area in a northern part of the city, a county official said. Toxins in the air increased for a few moments immediately after the house was set ablaze at 1954 Via Scott, said Robert Kard, director of the county's Air Pollution Control District. No additional toxins were recorded outside the immediate burn area by nearby monitoring devices, he said. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_b2bafec9-46a8-5fcd-a272-e5ecdffbda20.html E.P.A. Delays Tougher Rules on Emissions. The Obama administration is retreating on long-delayed environmental regulations — new rules governing smog and toxic emissions from industrial boilers — as it adjusts to a changed political dynamic in Washington with a more muscular Republican opposition. The move to delay the rules, announced this week by the Environmental Protection Agency, will leave in place policies set by President George W. Bush. President Obama ran for office promising tougher standards, and the new rules were set to take effect over the next several weeks. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/science/earth/10epa.html?partner=rss&emc=rss Port to Unveil Shore-Side Power for Ships. The Unified Port of San Diego on Saturday plans to become the second California port and the fifth port in the world to power cruise ships with shore-side electricity. The new electrical system allows the floating hotels to turn off their diesel engines while in port and plug into the power supply at the dock, resulting in a significant reduction in harmful air emissions. On Saturday, the port will showcase its $7.1 million project with Holland America’s ms Oosterdam, which will be powered by the shore system. The project was partially funded by the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District Board through a $2.4 million in state grants. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/09/port-unveil-shore-side-power-ships/ California Shippers Want Fewer Fuel Regulations. The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association told 9th Circuit judges on Thursday that California's fuel regulations overstep federal laws that regulate maritime commerce. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) limits the use of sulfur in fuel for ships sailing within 24 miles of the state's coast, but the shipping group says the board should only regulate ships that travel within the three-mile limit of the California coast. Posted. http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/12/10/32503.htm GREEN ENERGY Governor Schwarzenegger Celebrates Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Line Groundbreaking. Imperial, California - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today celebrated the groundbreaking of the 117-mile Sunrise Powerlink transmission line. Spanning from Imperial County to San Diego, the 500 kilovolt transmission line will have the capacity to deliver enough clean energy to power 650,000 homes, and is expected to create approximately 2,000 direct jobs. “The construction of the Sunrise Powerlink is a huge win for the people of California,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “This transmission line opens the door for additional green investments and job creation in the Imperial Valley, while helping us meet our renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals and improving the reliability of our power grid. Posted. http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8829&Itemid=1 1MW Solar Array Unveiled At Los Angeles Cruise Terminal. A one-megawatt rooftop solar photovoltaic system has been unveiled at the World Cruise Ship Terminal in the Port of Los Angeles, California. The 71,500 square foot system at Berths 93A and B was engineered and constructed by Silicon Valley-based Cupertino Electric, Inc. It uses 5,140, 210-watt crystalline silicon solar modules and a self-ballasted racking system that does not penetrate the terminal’s roof. Posted. http://www.brighterenergy.org/20625/news/solar/1mw-solar-array-unveiled-at-los-angeles-cruise-ship-terminal/ UC Davis Stadium Wins National Recycling Award. Recycling and composting at Aggie Stadium this fall brought UC Davis victory in a nationwide competition held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. UC Davis had the highest combined rate for recycling and composting waste from a football game among 77 colleges and universities participating in the Wastewise Game Day Challenge. More than 89 percent of all waste at the stadium on Oct. 23 was either recycled or composted — instead of being sent to the landfill. UC Davis also ranked fifth for both its low per capita waste generation and its high per capita reduction of organic waste on the competition day. Posted. http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=9709 Green Christmas Ideas: Oh Christmas Tree! How To Recycle, Re-Use, Or Re-Purpose Thee? The decision to go artificial or real, live or cut is a very personal one. OK, we’re talking Christmas trees here. The Christmas tree is often the center of holiday decorations. For many the ornaments on the tree are a way to revisit memories. For others the tree is another place to display their own decorating style. Once you decide to go with a natural tree, you can enjoy the beauty and fragrance through the season, but when the holidays are over you must do something with the tree — but throwing it in the trash simply does not sound like an eco friendly waste disposal option. Posted. http://greencelebrity.net/2010/12/08/green-christmas-ideas-oh-christmas-tree-how-to-recycle-re-use-or-re-purpose-thee/ OPINION Viewpoints: U.S. Must Act On Climate Change – The World Can't Wait Any Longer. If the climate change talks in Cancún are lumbering toward an anticlimax, it isn't for lack of urgency. A report released at the U.N. conference a week ago warns that by 2030 climate change will indirectly cause nearly 1 million deaths a year as well as $157 billion in damage. The greatest impact will be borne by the world's poorest nations, which have contributed least to the greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/10/3247409/us-must-act-on-climate-change.html#ixzz17jJAKwZI Keeping It Clean. Those hoping that a Democratic Congress and administration would make progress on clean energy this year have been deeply disappointed. Not only was the House's cap-and-trade climate bill crushed in the Senate by unified GOP opposition, but even a modest bipartisan effort to set a national standard for renewable power generation fell by the wayside. Now, one of the federal government's few existing clean energy programs — grants for wind and solar developers approved as part of the 2009 stimulus package — may end in the coming weeks unless the lame-duck Congress acts. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-energy-20101210,0,2920496.story BLOGS Chiapas to California: Preserving Forests for Dollars? The Mexican state of Chiapas, home to the left-wing Zapatista revolt of the mid-1990s, is now eager to join a most capitalist enterprise: California’s upcoming cap-and-trade market for carbon emissions. Chiapas Gov. Juan Antonio Sabines Guerrero and California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Linda Adams are making the rounds of the global climate talks in Cancun, touting a deal: California companies will pay Chiapas to protect its rain forest. "California has opened its international market for carbon credits,” Sabines told a meeting of 700 forest advocates Wednesday, adding that Chiapas has the “best inventory of soil, forest and jungle” in Mexico. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/cancun-climate-forests-carbon-trading-california-chiapas.html U.N.: Climate Change Causes Cancer. A funny thing happens when you look at international news: You see coverage of climate change. Sure, some of the news is the same old same old about emissions and the international community's inability to agree on how to address the problem. But sometimes there are whole new revelations about how climate change will affect us. For instance, at the Cancun climate talks, the U.N. released a report revealing that as long-frozen glaciers melt and extreme weather events distribute water in unfamiliar ways, we'll be kicking up persistent organic pollutants and getting re-exposed to the notoriously toxic substances, which include DDT. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=78729#ixzz17jUif6Hf Senate Dems Give Boost To Renewable Energy in Tax Plan. Renewable energy backers just won the first round in their battle to renew a federal grant program that kicked off construction on hundreds of wind and solar projects the last two years. Senate leaders folded the renewable energy incentive program into the latest version of a tax cut package that was unveiled last night, reversing a decision by the White House and congressional Republicans to leave the grants out of the deal. The move is expected to help bolster support for the tax package among some Democrats who accused the White House of capitulating to Republican demands by agreeing to renew all of the Bush-era tax cuts in exchange for an extension of unemployment benefits. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=78785#ixzz17jX5TsRZ Climate and Energy Beyond Cancún. Two weeks of talks in Cancún, Mexico, aimed at building the foundation for a new international climate agreement are scheduled to end within hours. I’ll be posting updates periodically, but from home. I left the climate negotiations in Cancun on Wednesday to get back to work at Pace University and to limit time away from my family. I’m still keeping track via Webcasts, Twitter and digital contact with participants. John Broder is there to track events on the ground for the news pages of The Times, and it helps to have other media, non-governmental observers and scholars on hand. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/climate-and-energy-beyond-cancun/?partner=rss&emc=rss ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2010 11:11:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 13, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 13, 2010. 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 Delays of EPA Rules Anger Environmentalists. Reporting from Washington — A recent spate of decisions by the Obama administration to delay crucial pollution regulations is helping mend fences with an alienated business community but is angering the president's allies in the environmental movement that helped him to victory in 2008. Among the rules that the Environmental Protection Agency has delayed implementing have been stronger restrictions on air pollution and coal ash residue. Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/11/business/la-fi-epa-20101211 Pollution Board Says Fee Working. Five years ago, air quality cops began forcing San Joaquin Valley developers either to build cleaner projects or to pay a fee to prevent pollution elsewhere. It was an innovative and contentious rule, the subject of two major lawsuits and more than 3,000 one-on-one meetings. And then something happened: The construction industry collapsed. Building plans were canceled. Some builders shifted their attention to more pressing matters. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101212/A_NEWS14/12120317 Court Upholds Valley Air District Rule. A federal appeals court ruled this week that air quality regulators in the smog-laden San Joaquin Valley have the right to charge home builders a fee to control their pollution emissions. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld the local air district's rule requiring developers to reduce emissions from new housing projects by building features such as bicycle lanes and energy-efficient cooling systems. If they don't do enough to preserve air quality, they must pay fees that have averaged about $500 per house. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/12/10/1467199/court-upholds-valley-air-district.html#ixzz180mHwv7m China Delegation Visits County Air Pollution Control District. Representatives from government agencies involved in environmental protection in Hangzhou, China, located in southeastern China, visited the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District December 9. The greater Hangzhou area has a population of 8 million. The delegation is touring California to learn about environmental programs, and visited the District to hear about local air pollution control issues and strategies. Posted. http://www.independent.com/news/2010/dec/11/china-delegation-visits-county-air-pollution-contr/ CLIMATE CHANGE Court Refuses to Delay EPA Restrictions on Emissions. A U.S. appellate court has turned down a request from utilities, oil refiners and the state of Texas to effectively delay the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions by the Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, EPA and state agencies can begin to insist that companies use the "best available control technologies" to restrict emissions of carbon dioxide to obtain air permits. The companies and Texas had sought a court order blocking the EPA from moving ahead until the resolution of a lawsuit challenging the agency's finding that greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants and large industrial facilities endanger the health of Americans. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/11/MN9O1GPFER.DTL#ixzz18192sYny U.N. Climate Change Conference Adopts Broad Pact. The U.N. climate change conference adopted a package of measures Saturday focused on tempering the effects of a warming planet, breathing new life into a process that many had declared moribund. Although the steps taken here were fairly modest and do not mandate the broad changes that scientists say are needed to prevent dangerous climate change in coming decades, the result was a major step forward for a process that has stumbled badly in recent years. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/11/MNAN1GPERO.DTL#ixzz1819mCwFT A Near-Consensus Decision Keeps U.N. Climate Process Alive and Moving Ahead. World leaders this weekend hailed an agreement on climate change that commits all major economies to greenhouse gas emission cuts and launches a fund to help vulnerable countries while sidestepping political land mines like the future of the Kyoto Protocol. The Cancun Agreements, as the two documents are being dubbed, effectively put meat on the bones of the 12-paragraph Copenhagen Accord that world leaders crafted in Denmark last year. The deal was finished by bleary-eyed diplomats from 193 countries with the exception of Bolivia at 3:15 a.m. Saturday amid a standing ovation. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/12/13/13climatewire-a-near-consensus-decision-keeps-un-climate-p-77618.html Climate Deal Signals Forest Defense Investment Will `Pay Off,' Lobby Says. The United Nations climate agreement may encourage billions of dollars of private investment in protecting forests by allowing for emissions savings to be more accurately measured, according to the Tropical Forest Group lobby. A group of envoys representing 193 nations agreed on a plan to protect forests, known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, or REDD. Rates of tree- felling, or deforestation, will be measured and financing established for projects in developing nations that use plants to soak up carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas blamed for climate change. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-13/climate-deal-signals-forest-defense-will-pay-off-lobby-says.html Analysis: Carbon Markets to Struggle after Cancun. Global carbon markets will struggle after the deal reached at annual U.N. climate talks did little to ensure mandatory emissions caps would be extended next year. The modest deal forged after two weeks of talks in Cancun commits rich countries, from 2020, to finance $100 billion a year in climate aid for poor countries. It also sets a target to limit the rise in average world temperatures to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BB15820101212 Analysis: Next Climate Test: How to Adapt. Climate negotiators left this tourist city upbeat about a modest deal to control global warming, but the world still faces daunting choices on how to cope with rising seas, health woes and mass migration. Because nations are unlikely to make deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to prevent climate change, world leaders must work out how developing nations will adapt to more severe weather predicted in coming years that will hit food and water supplies. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BB1BQ20101212 EPA Wins Crucial Victory in Carbon Regulation Legal Fight. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has secured a major victory in the long-running legal battle challenging its right to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Late last week, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected a raft of cases brought by business groups arguing that the EPA had overstepped its authority in introducing regulations designed to curb carbon emissions. Critics of the rules, which include utilities, oil refiners and the state of Texas, have argued the regulations will damage the economy and maintain that the EPA used flawed evidence to reach the landmark ruling that allows it to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the existing Clean Air Act. Posted. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/1932022/epa-wins-crucial-victory-carbon-regulation-legal-fight VEHICLES Electric Vehicles May Bring New Sticker Shock: Multiple Mileage Ratings. According to the government, the car with the highest mileage per gallon on the market doesn't use a single drop of gasoline. The 2011 Nissan Leaf, which was scheduled to be delivered to its first California customers this weekend, runs entirely on battery. But the Environmental Protection Agency says it can travel 99 miles on the equivalent of a single gallon of fuel. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-ev-ratings-20101212,0,7410201.story Clearing the Air on Electric Cars. Ever since electric cars began commanding headlines a few years back, some have questioned whether the vehicles are really better for the environment. Typical arguments look more or less like this one posted by a Facebook user in response to a CNNMoney.com story: "What is the point of the plug-in when electricity has a carbon footprint since it's generated mostly by coal?" Close to half of the country's electricity does come from coal, so it's a reasonable question. Posted. http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/13/autos/electric_car_myths/ Olivier Chalouhi of Redwood City -- world's first buyer of all-electric Nissan Leaf. Whooshing down Highway 101 toward his home in Redwood City from San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, Olivier Chalouhi was a happy man -- the world's first buyer of the all-electric Nissan Leaf to take possession of his new car. "It's great on the highway," said Chalouhi, the sound of wind, but not the growl of a gasoline engine, audible in the background as he spoke over the phone. "When you accelerate, it sounds like you have a jet engine or a turbine under the hood," the excited new owner said (using a hands-free device on the freeway, of course). "You have to hear it -- it's very futuristic." Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_16837323 GREEN ENERGY Renting a Really Green Christmas Tree. David Van Middlesworth no longer has to worry about accidentally killing his Christmas trees. The 56-year-old entrepreneur owns an electric car and powers his Pacific Palisades home with solar panels. The idea of cutting down a tree each year for Christmas and then discarding it at the end of the season always grated on him. So one year, he bought a tiny potted Monterey pine, hoping it would be his family's holiday tree for years to come. But the little tree died just a couple of months before the next Christmas. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-living-christmas-trees-20101211,0,1981112.story Weighing Choices for Eco-Conscious Holidays. No one is suggesting that we trade holiday joy for principled asceticism; even the most committed environmentalist might fold at the smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree. But when making holiday plans, factoring in environment impacts along with budget, convenience and personal preference may make your choices better informed, if not always easier. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/10/HOV61GH775.DTL#ixzz181Ajpe5G Mission Bay, Emeryville Projects Win $1.35M Grants. Two Bay Area redevelopment projects have secured additional funding from the state’s Catalyst Projects for California Sustainable Strategies Pilot Program. The projects include TMG Partners' Emeryville Marketplace, a redevelopment of an existing retail and office complex in Emeryville, and San Francisco’s Mission Bay, a massive redevelopment of 303 acres of industrial land into housing, office and biotech space, that will each receive $1.35 million for being designated gold level projects. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2010/12/08/state-program-awards-grants-to-mission.html Marin Energy to Allow Producers to Sell it Power. Marin Energy Authority, the agency providing a renewable energy alternative to PG&E’s current offerings through Marin Clean Energy, has created a program that it hopes will help stimulate local renewable energy assets. Starting Jan. 1, the Feed-In Tariff program will allow local residents and property owners who have small-scale renewable generation systems, like solar or wind, the opportunity to sell the electrical output directly to Marin Clean Energy. It will then sell it back to consumers. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/27838/marin-energy-to-allow-producers-to-sell-it-power/ Novato Landfill Plans Huge Energy Plant. The Redwood Landfill and Recycling Center will build a power plant in 2011 designed to generate seven megawatts of energy by recycling landfill gases produced by waste decomposition into electricity. Groundbreaking is anticipated by the end of the second quarter for the new center to be located at 8950 Redwood Highway operated by Waste Management Corp. Redwood Landfill’s management team is working with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the California Air Resources Board to obtain the necessary air quality permits for the facility, which could play an important role in Marin’s future energy supply – and lead to less reliance on foreign natural gas and fossil fuels. Posted. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/27830/novato-landfill-plans-huge-energy-plant/ City Adds 'Greener, More Efficient' Leaf-Sweeping Machines. The city of Merced said it added the “Trackless Leaf Loader” to its leaf-sweeping program this year. It is a greener, more efficient machine that collects leaves, mulches them and shoots them into a truck to get turned into compost. The new equipment does leave behind more residue, but city streetsweepers follow behind to clean up the remaining leaves, the city said in a news release. The city had been using 21-year-old leaf sweepers that no longer complied with air pollution control rules. Posted.http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/12/10/1688018/city-adds-greener-more-efficient.html#ixzz180rVhdlb MISCELLANEOUS Business Lobby Braces for New World under Gov. Jerry Brown. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto stamp killed the bill twice in the last two years, and the business community cheered. But last Monday it returned – a measure that would keep employers from looking into consumer credit reports as part of their hiring process. This time, much to the consternation of business leaders, Assembly Bill 22 might become law. "The general tenor of this office is that this bill has a better shot with Jerry Brown," said Haley Myers, legislative aide to the bill's author, Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/12/3251489/business-lobby-braces-for-new.html Silver Lining in Dark Economic Times: Recycling Rates Soar. For the past three years, Mark Schwede has been coming to Ranch Town Recycling in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood, dropping off cans and bottles every couple of months to make a few extra bucks. As the economy worsened, he began to notice a change. "Before, it was mostly people with shopping carts," he said. "Now you're seeing nicer cars here." The trend has taken off around the state. As California's economy has worsened, the state's recycling rates have soared, with more people than ever cashing in beverage containers instead of throwing them in the trash or leaving them at the curb. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_16843798?nclick_check=1 OPINION EDITORIAL: CARB Singing A New Diesel Emissions Tune. A leading California policy-enforcement agency is backing away from strict limits on diesel exhaust emissions, apparently in acknowledgment of a prevailing argument that we can't have environmental regulations and a functioning economy at the same time. The California Air Resources Board, which holds that diesel exhaust causes cancer, serious lung ailments and as many as 9,200 deaths a year -- a disputed statistic -- has revealed a proposal to ease restrictions on emissions from diesel-powered trucks, buses, construction vehicles and other equipment. The goal, CARB says, is to "extend relief to businesses, particularly the construction industry, which is really suffering." Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/editorials/x259751605/EDITORIAL-CARB-singing-a-new-diesel-emissions-tune?utm_source=widget_21&utm_medium=latest_entries_widget&utm_campaign=synapse Letter: OK, So 'Pollution' Was a Harsh Word. I have very much appreciated the banter responding to my letter to the editor about "air pollution from Sierra Nevada Brewery." I would like to clarify a few points. 1) Apologies for the use of the word "pollution." I looked the word up: "defile, taint, make impure." In my mind's eyes/nose, the odor of the barley and hops is impure. However, I do concede there are worse odors. Posted. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/ci_16839135 BLOGS California Voters’ Support for State Climate Change Law Rises. Memo to Texas oil companies Tesoro and Valero: The return on your investment in California environmental politics is falling faster than the snow on the Sierra Nevada. The petroleum refiners bankrolled Proposition 23, a measure on the November that would have suspended AB 32, California’s landmark global warming law. But they found themselves outspent and out-organized by a coalition of venture capitalists, hedge fund managers, renewable energy companies, environmental justice activists and some high-profile Republicans like California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Posted. http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2010/12/11/california-voters-support-for-state-climate-change-law-rises/ Fighting to Improve Mother's Air Quality. Tuesday I went to Congress to meet with congressional staffers about protecting the air we breathe. And I wasn't alone. A total of 284 national and state medical society and public health groups and other clean air advocates are calling on Congress to defend the Clean Air Act. We want Congress to reject any measure that would block or delay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from doing its job to protect all Americans from life-threatening air pollution. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-taylormiesle/fighting-to-improve-my-mo_b_795052.html Tax Deal Kills 1603 Grants, Renewable Industry? Bernie Sanders fans aren't the only people paying close attention to the tax deal this week. Some renewable energy advocates say the deal could wreak havoc on the industry - and one of the growing parts of the state's economy. So what's their complaint? They're worried about the future of the Treasury grant program known in the industry as 1603 grants - cash money on the barrel for projects, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. When the program began, the federal government offered only a tax credit for energy projects. The grants came about because few companies - in this economy, and at this point in the evolution of energy interests - needed a credit. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2010/12/13/1603-grants-tax-deal-so-whats-going-happen/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:58:07 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 14, 2010 From: rblake@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 14, 2010. 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. ZERO EMISSIONS VEHICLES Plan Unveiled to Bring Plug-In Cars to California. Low gas prices, weak batteries and a lack of cooperation between carmakers and utilities caused past efforts to introduce electric vehicles to fizzle. But this time, advocates say, an alliance of automakers, utilities and regulators are squarely behind an ambitious project to make California a national leader in accommodating electric vehicles for the mainstream car market. Their plan to build charging terminals in thousands of homes, office buildings, shopping malls and other sites within the next decade was released Monday. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jMz_N88LgT2nuY9dQOnaxf3BP5eQ?docId=55bd043d5fa84b90a5ef682a23498c56 http://www.modbee.com/2010/12/13/1470283/group-wants-plug-in-cars-to-hit.html http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/14/plan-unveiled-to-bring-plug-in-cars-to/ http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/13/3254997/group-wants-plug-in-cars-to-hit.html Group Wants Plug-In Cars to Hit Calif. Mainstream. An alliance of automakers, utility companies, regulators and clean-air advocates are touting an ambitious plan to make charging a car in California easier than fueling at a gas station within the next 10 years. The California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative released the plan Monday as the first mass-market, all-electric cars - the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt - hit California roads this month. The plan outlines steps to get charging stations easily installed at homes and then in high-traffic public areas and apartment buildings to encourage drivers to switch from gasoline-powered vehicles to plug-in electric vehicles. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16847492 http://www.modbee.com/2010/12/13/1469920/group-wants-plug-in-cars-to-hit.html#ixzz186pAvYPp http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101213/A_NEWS/101219971/-1/A_NEWS14 http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/13/group-wants-plug-in-cars-to-hit-calif-02/ Group Pushes For 1M Calif. Electric Vehicles By 2020. A group of public and private officials, including representatives of Tesla Motors Inc., Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and Better Place, issued a report Monday calling for 1 million electric vehicles on California roads by 2020. The report was released at Universal Studios Hollywood where the electric car in "Back to the Future" was introduced 25 years ago. "It's a bright, clean new world when automakers, electric utilities, infrastructure providers, regulators, public health organizations and others join hands to support a new transportation plan for California," said Diane Wittenberg, executive director and chairman of the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2010/12/13/group-pushes-for-1m-calif-electric.html California Plans Charging Network for 1 Million Electric-Powered Vehicles. California, the U.S. state that buys the most cars and trucks, set up an alliance of state agencies, utilities and automakers aimed at creating a charging network to handle 1 million electric vehicles by 2020. The California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative said today at a conference at Universal Studios in Los Angeles that it will work to simplify the process of installing home-chargers and seek to ease restrictions on vehicle charging in apartments and condominiums. The group, made up of 30 agencies, organizations and companies, will promote installation of public charging equipment and off-peak charging rates. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-13/california-plans-charging-network-for-1-million-electric-powered-vehicles.html Energy Independence: Gas Prices and Plug-In Vehicles. What comes first, the chicken or the egg? Pretty interesting plans coming out of California to create a very robust charging infrastructure to support electric cars. Such a plan it seems should help more and more early adopters plug-in. Obviously, you can’t have the chicken without the egg, and you can’t have viable, short-range electric cars without some place to charge them. Posted. http://www.favstocks.com/energy-independence-gas-prices-and-plug-in-vehicles/1429816/ Think City Wins California "Zero Emissions Vehicle" Approval. The California Air Resources Board has certified the Think City small electric car as a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV.) The designation has numerous ramifications for Think in California and the 12 other states that subscribe to CARB's electric vehicle mandates, but on a more basic level, it means that the downsized EV is one step closer to hitting roads next year. Vehicles that meet ZEV requirements are subject to a host of effective subsidies for the carmaker that builds them and the consumers who buy them. In the United States, most of those buyers will initially be public and private fleets. Posted. http://www.plugincars.com/think-city-wins-carb-zev-approval-106562.html US: THINK City Approved By CARB as a ZEV. THINK has announced that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved the THINK City as a zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV). The approval paves the way for THINK to sell the battery-electric THINK City in California, 12 other states and the District of Columbia that have adopted California's ZEV requirements. A THINK spokesperson commented: "CARB certification is critical for fleet sales, not just in California, but in the other CARB states as well. These states make up more than 35% of the automobile market in the US and represent a significant share of the fleet market." Posted. http://www.automotiveworld.com/news/powertrain/85105-us-think-city-approved-by-carb-as-a-zev California Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative Talks EV Plans for California. The mass EV adoption is being billed as a good thing for the environment and as a means to reducing our reliances on foreign oil. The promise of mass adoption of EVs is something that electric companies are looking at with a love/hate relationship. The load that EVs will put on the electrical grid will mean that the electric companies need to improve the infrastructure in some areas, and the cost of all the improvements in the grid could mean that everyone ends up paying more for their electricity. Posted. http://www.dailytech.com/California+Plugin+Electric+Vehicle+Collaborative+Talks+EV+Plans+for+California/article20388c.htm Group Pushes To Make California The U.S. Mecca Of Electric Vehicles. A lobby group consisting of vehicle manufacturers, regulators, clean air advocates, and motorist associations unveiled a plan on Monday to make California the leading state in the country to have electric vehicles on its streets. To make their plan viable, the group wants to install plenty of charging terminals in homes, malls, office buildings, car parks, and other accessible areas in the next ten years. Posted. http://empowerednews.net/group-pushes-to-make-california-the-u-s-mecca-of-electric-vehicles/184692/ The Key to Electric Car Adoption? Make It Simple. With Nissan delivering its first Leaf this evening and the Chevrolet Volt now in production, the hard work is set to begin: "Getting the blueprint in place for a supportive rollout, so electric vehicles become a sustainable piece of the marketplace," said Diane Wittenberg, the executive director of the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative. She unveiled a report Monday that outlined 10 major recommendations "to pave the way for healthier, cleaner and cheaper transportation options for the 21st century." Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/the-key-to-electric-car-adoption-make-it-simple-says-new-ev-collaborative-plan.html AIR POLLUTION Environmentalists Sue Exxon Mobil over Air Laws. The largest U.S. oil refinery released 8 million pounds of illegal pollution in the last five years, violating federal air pollution laws thousands of times, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by environmental groups. The lawsuit against ExxonMobil is the latest by Sierra Club and Environment Texas as part of their campaign to rein in what they call "illegal emissions" by dozens of refineries and chemical plants that operate in the Texas Gulf Coast. In recent months, the groups have reached multimillion-dollar, out-of-court settlements with Shell and Chevron Phillips after filing similar suits. The groups say this is the largest of the lawsuits based on the size of the plant. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/14/3256710/environmentalists-sue-exxonmobil.html http://www.modbee.com/2010/12/14/1471278/environmentalists-sue-exxonmobil.html#ixzz186oNoBGa http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/14/AR2010121403512.html http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/14/environmentalists-sue-exxonmobil-over-air-laws/ CLIMATE CHANGE Scientist Warns of Quake Risk From 'Carbon Capture'. Efforts to stem global warming by pumping emissions of carbon dioxide deep into the Earth's crust could trigger widespread earthquakes, a Stanford geophysicist warned Monday. Although those quakes would not be particularly destructive, they would be widely felt and disruptive - and it would also cost billions of dollars to create thousands of disposal sites for the greenhouse gas, said Mark Zoback, one of the country's leading seismic experts. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/13/MNUQ1GQ3AQ.DTL#ixzz186nquylG Scientists See the Southwest as First Major U.S. Climate Change Victim. A 60-year drought that scorched the Southwest during the 12th century may be a harbinger of things to come as greenhouse gases warm the Earth, according to research published yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study's authors used tree rings to reconstruct a portrait of droughts that struck the Southwest over a 1,200-year period stretching back to 900 A.D. They believe that understanding the droughts of the past could help water managers plan for future dry periods that are expected to become more intense as climate change worsens. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/12/14/14climatewire-scientists-see-the-southwest-as-first-major-78170.html One Republican, Unhappy With His Party's Position on Carbon, Prepares a New Agenda. Sen. Lindsey Graham is concerned that the Republican Party faces political dangers by resisting efforts to reduce carbon dioxide and other air pollution. That assertion seems to challenge GOP campaigns this year, in which candidates often rejected the science behind climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/12/14/14climatewire-one-republican-unhappy-with-his-partys-posit-93728.html Climate Funds Move Beyond Wind, Solar. The poor performance of some sectors aiming to slow climate change is pushing money managers to cast further afield for investments that both carry green credentials and are likely to post better returns. Some renewable-energy stocks, such as those in solar and wind industries, have fallen spectacularly in recent years, belying hopes that they were poised to break out. Money managers say this poor performance is due in part to a lack of hoped-for policies to help these industries grow. As a result, say the managers, they are looking at other areas of the market that are part of the climate-change story, such as recycling and energy efficiency. Even eBay Inc., as a promoter of reusing goods, fits the bill. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703727804576011583311567892.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Developers Eye New Opportunities in California. Mexican project developers are eyeing opportunities to generate California compliance offsets. California regulators set to approve rules for the US state’s future cap-and-trade system next week, and developers south of the border are racing to supply the new market with carbon credits. “We have a demand for offsets and we don’t yet have the supply that we need, so we hope there is a rush,” Linda Adams, head of the state’s Environmental Protection Agency, said at a side event to the UN climate summit in Cancun. Posted. http://www.pointcarbon.com/news/1.1491122 White House Science Adviser Sees Price on Carbon Emissions 'Eventually'. The White House "has lost some momentum" on energy and climate policy, presidential science adviser John Holdren said yesterday, but that doesn't mean it's giving up. In remarks to a scientific meeting here and later, in a session with journalists, Holdren said he was optimistic about the prospects for making progress on climate despite long odds. Democrats failed in their effort to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation this year. Republicans, set to take control of the House next month, have made it clear they plan to block as much of President Obama's climate and energy agenda as possible. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/12/14/3/ Cap and Trade Could Generate Billions for California. In November, Californians chose to move forward with, not derail, the state’s sweeping climate change law when they defeated Proposition 23, which would have suspended it. A key milestone in the implementation of that law will take place next week, when officials adopt regulations for a cornerstone emissions trading – or cap and trade – program. With the economy in the tank and what some call a jobless recovery, there’s much at stake in the ultimate design of an emissions trading program that could generate billions in revenue annually and create jobs. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=node/8477 Timber Companies and Greenhouse Gases. Later this week, the California Air Resources Board is expected to approve a major set of new rules regarding greenhouse gas emissions. As many industries are forced to go on a low-carbon diet, timber companies are in position to benefit. For one thing, trees are big storehouses for carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. For another, the industry has had a lot of input in shaping the rules. Posted. http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201012140850/a California’s Strong Climate Law Gets Green Light. In a significant victory, California voters last month soundly defeated Proposition 23, the industry-backed ballot initiative that would have blocked the Golden State’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32). It marked the first time a global warming law was put before voters. By a stunning 61% to 39%, Californians endorsed a clean energy future and preserved the momentum for global warming action. “With the world’s eighth largest economy, California can influence not just national climate policy, but global policy as well,” said Steve Cochran, EDF’s vice president for climate. Posted. http://www.favstocks.com/californias-strong-climate-law-gets-green-light/1429810/ GREEN ENERGY Will A GOP-Led House Un-'Green' The Capitol? Just outside the doors of Congress, the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree glows with strands of energy-efficient LED lights. Inside the Capitol, thousands of compact fluorescent light bulbs illuminate the final days of the session. Staffers print with recycled paper, eat with compostable forks and grab sodas from low-emission vending machines. Congress has gone to great lengths in recent years to reduce its carbon footprint, with a substantial share of that effort stemming from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "Green the Capitol" initiative. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/13/AR2010121305889.html Maximizing Small-Business Assets. Across the United States, small-business owners are finding new ways to reduce costs to maximize the bottom line. One place to cut costs and increase efficiencies can be the traditional office printer. A few simple steps can greatly reduce printing costs while helping the environment, a win-win scenario. Here are a few suggestions: Establish a Printing Policy—Direct employees to print in color only when preparing clientfacing documents and presentations. Expand page margins when printing to get more on each page. Posted. http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8868&Itemid=1 San Francisco Eyes Goal Of 100% Green Power By 2020. Outgoing Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) last week launched an initiative that he says will result in 100 percent renewables to meet this city's power demand within a decade. Newsom, who becomes lieutenant governor of California next month, announced the program during a speech commemorating the completion of the Sunset Reservoir Solar Project, which at 5 megawatts is the largest municipal solar facility in the state. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2010/12/14/3/ Study Shows U.S. Installations Are High. The United States installed $3.6 billion worth of solar energy in 2009, according to a survey by the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research released today. Its domestic value added up to $2.6 billion, with the rest going to foreign markets. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/12/14/5/ BLOGS 'Revenge of the Electric Car' Trailer Debuts on Youtube. It's been four years since "Who Killed the Electric Car?" riled up greenies with an incendiary documentary about General Motors' EV1 and its ultimate demise in the claws of a car crusher. Now director Chris Paine is back, not so much with a follow-up to his acclaimed film but the next chapter in EVs' convoluted history. "Revenge of the Electric Car" won't be in theaters until early 2011, but the trailer was released on YouTube Friday and is already pulling in impressive numbers. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/revenge-of-the-electric-car.html Global Warming Protesters Ramp Up With Climate Talks' Failure. The failure of global climate negotiations to slow greenhouse gas emissions is fueling protest movements in the U.S. and other countries, as the effects of sea level rise, longer droughts and stronger storms begin to take a toll. More than 190 nations sent some 9,000 government officials, scientists and technicians to Cancun over the last two weeks, but the diplomatic arm-wrestling yielded little progress. That didn’t sit well with thousands of environmentalists and social activists, many of them from California, who converged on the seaside resort to pressure negotiators. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/cancun-climate-protests-photos-cop-16-images.html Columbia River Coal Export Facility Challenged On Greenhouse Gases. Plans to open the first major coal export facility on the West Coast are likely to be delayed until next year because of an appeal filed by a coalition of environmental groups, which say shipping coal to Asia throws a wrench in U.S. efforts to reduce international greenhouse gas emissions. On Nov. 23, commissioners in Cowlitz County, Washington, approved the 5.7-million-ton-a-year shipping facility on the Columbia River. The appeal argues that efforts to shut down coal-fired power plants in the U.S. are fruitless if American coal, unburned here, goes to power plants in China. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/coal-export-columbia-longview-china.html Energy: Will the Tax Bill Be Good for Renewable Energy? Amid all the political agony over the tax compromise taking shape in Congress right now there are side measures that could be incredibly important for renewable energy in the U.S. The final bill is obviously still evolving, but the compromise agreed to by Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell contains a few provisions that will impact the alternative energy industry—potentially for good and ill. That includes: An extension of the 50 cent per gallon tax credit for liquid coal transportation fuels, provided in Sections 6426 and 6427 of the federal tax code. This is one environmentalists are against, vociferously—liquid coal can be incredibly polluting for the climate, producing more than twice as much carbon pollution as convention fuels. Posted. http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/12/13/energy-will-the-tax-bill-be-good-for-renewable-energy/#ixzz186sDkXiR Electric Trucks Pick Up Speed. While the delivery of the first Nissan Leaf electric car to a California buyer over the weekend made headlines, there’s been relatively little attention paid to the small but growing electric truck and bus market. As the workhorses of the economy, delivery trucks, city buses and other heavy-duty vehicles don’t carry the cachet of, say, a Tesla Roadster electric sports car. But electrifying urban fleets could go a long way to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants as well as helping wean the United States off imported oil. Posted. http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2010/12/14/electric-trucks-pick-up-speed/ Carbon Storage Could Be Shaky Proposition. Some say storing carbon underground as a way to curb greenhouse gas emissions is risky. The container has to last essentially forever, and what if an earthquake rips through the seal? But new research is showing that pumping CO2 underground could itself trigger earthquakes. Stanford University geophysicist Mark Zoback looked at saline aquifers, one of the main types of geologic formations under assessment for carbon sequestration. He found that adding CO2 gas could increase the geologic pressure underground and set off a quake. Not a big one, mind you. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/14/carbon-storage-could-be-shaky-proposition/ Climate Change Endangers Public Health in the United States. The Cancún climate conference has ended with many issues unresolved and U.S. commitments will be hampered by the expected attacks from the incoming Congress on the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases. Meanwhile the urgency for solutions is rapidly increasing and leading medical and public health groups across the country agree: climate change is hazardous to our health. In the past two decades, extreme heat events have killed tens of thousands around the globe, including populations here in the United States. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cecil-b-wilson-md/climate-change-endangers-_b_796425.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:51:51 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 15, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 15, 2010. 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 Affordable Housing Groups Oppose New Air Rules. New rules designed to limit home construction in areas with high air pollution in the Bay Area are meeting resistance from a surprising source - advocates for affordable housing. The guidelines, approved by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in June and set to go into effect Jan. 1, will be discussed at a meeting today. The recommendations identify areas where the district says the amount of air pollution should give developers pause. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/14/BAQP1GP2BS.DTL#ixzz18CKZXw3d Ways To Measure And Reduce Black Carbon Emissions. San Francisco -- Could a network of cell phones improve air pollution monitoring? That's the hope of Nithya Ramanathan, an assistant research professor of computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles. She's part of a team that has developed a system that relies on cell phones to report concentrations of black carbon, a particle produced by burning fossil fuels and biofuels like wood and dung. Tiny particles of black carbon are potent warmers. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/15/2 CLIMATE CHANGE Court Order on Greenhouse Gas Rules Provides Comfort to Industry Challengers. When a federal appeals court announced Friday that it wouldn't stay U.S. EPA's greenhouse gas regulations, it was not the completely decisive win for the Obama administration it may have seemed. In the order (pdf), the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia also said the three cases it will hear on the regulations will be dealt with collectively, or "coordinated" in legal terms, a decision that was a partial victory for industry groups challenging the rules. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/12/14/14greenwire-court-order-on-greenhouse-gas-rules-provides-co-4226.html Bay Area Group Sees Opportunities For Calif.'S Entrepreneurs In China. San Francisco -- California is positioned to attain a solid foothold in Chinese markets if policymakers here continue on a path that began when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed the state's climate change measure into law in 2006, says a study from a Bay Area economic group. The report, from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, says China's emergence as the leading global supplier of solar panels and its internal focus on other clean-tech sectors (including electric cars) could provide "a market for California products and services and ... a source of investment." Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/15/3 Stern Says More Cooperation Needed Before A New Climate Treaty Is Ready. Todd Stern, the White House's lead negotiator at climate talks that concluded last week in Cancun, Mexico, sympathized yesterday with countries that want to replace the Kyoto Protocol with a new agreement. In a briefing at the State Department yesterday, Stern said Japan, Australia, Russia and Canada hesitate to extend the protocol -- the current agreement that obligates some countries to cut their emissions -- after its first phase ends in 2012. The United States has not ratified the protocol; China and India are not subject to its emissions targets. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/15/4 Timber Companies Stand To Benefit From New Climate Law. California timber firms could emerge as big winners in the state’s fight against global warming; earning millions of dollars through the sale of carbon credits if a new set of rules are approved by the Air Resources Board this week. The plan has stoked controversy among environmentalists who assert it gives the timber industry too good a deal, enabling them to clear-cut trees at the expense of the overall vitality of the forests, while the timber industry claims the plan will help them promote the storage of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, in the trees on their land. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/timber-companies-stand-benefit-new-climate-law-7469 Benicia May Hire Web Designer for Climate Action Plan. The city soon may be looking for a web designer to spruce up its climate protection website, which hasn't been updated in a year. The City Council recently heard plans for the project, which is among 13 Benicia Climate Action Plan "implementation strategies" on which the city will focus in 2011. Also, city officials told the council they're developing program guidelines, marketing plans and outreach materials for programs meant to encourage residents to replace plumbing and lighting fixtures with more efficient ones. The City Sustainability Commission is expected to review this work next month. Posted. http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_16863236 California Climate Law Details to Get Grand Unveiling. As politicians around the nation become increasingly hesitant about taking action against global warming, California is pushing ahead this week with two much-awaited steps that will have broad implications for climate policies at home and elsewhere. The decisions by state regulators in separate meetings Thursday amount to the grand unveiling of California's climate strategy after years of debate and exhaustive policy-crunching. Posted. http://solveclimatenews.com/news/20101215/california-climate-law-details-get-grand-unveiling DIESEL Sacramento Area Grant Program for Diesel Reductions Popular in 2010. SECAT (Sacramento Emergency Clean Air & Transportation Grant Program) had a banner year in 2010, closing out the application process early due to “overwhelming response” and ending its first decade with over $75 million already allocated to help replace on-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles in the Sacramento area with lower emission vehicles. Posted. http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/42261/Sacramento_Area_Grant_Program_for_Diesel_Reductions_Popular_in_2010 EPA Gifts $5 Million to Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to Promote Clean Big Rigs. Big rig trucks use a lot of diesel fuel but for a good and worthy cause. The backbone of our overland supply transport network puts on a significant number of miles every year, and the Environmental Protection Agency decided the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy was worthy of a $5 million award to help promote cleaner rig trucks. Posted. http://www.trucktrend.com/features/news/2010/163_news101215_epa_clean_energy_big_rigs/index.html VEHICLES California to Build an EV Charging Network in the State. An alliance of automakers, utilities and regulators in California have joined hands to build a charging network that could handle 1 million electric vehicles in the state by 2020. The California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative came up with a plan to build charging a charging infrastructure across homes and businesses within the next decade, right after the first Nissan LEAF was delivered to a customer in the state. The first shipment of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt also left the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant on Monday. Posted. http://alttransport.com/2010/12/california-to-build-an-ev-charging-network-in-the-state/ GREEN ENERGY A Push to Make Air Travel More Environmentally Friendly. More than 43 million Americans are expected to fly over the winter holidays, and among them will be many conflicted eco-conscious travelers. Airplanes release huge quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming."I do fly, and I feel very guilty about it," said Nadine Mellor, 44, of San Francisco. "I try to lead a low-carbon lifestyle -- we don't own a car, and as a family we're making a conscious effort to reduce our carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_16857759?source=rss Renewable-Energy Program Has Chance Of Extension. Congressional approval could happen as early as Wednesday to extend the 1603 cash grant program, which covers up to 30% of the cost of projects such as solar-panel installations. But amendments could derail the proposal. A federal stimulus program that has helped keep renewable-energy projects afloat during the recession could get a second wind despite industry fears that it might become a casualty of partisan bickering in Congress. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-fi-solar-grants-20101215,0,2050149,print.story Sen. Murkowski Summons A Delayed FERC Study On Renewable Energy Integration. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) yesterday asked Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Jon Wellinghoff to produce a FERC study on integrating wind power and other renewable energy resources into the nation's power grids, firing what appeared to be an early warning shot on next year's energy debates. FERC contracted in May 2009 with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to make a comprehensive analysis of frequency disturbances that could occur on the grid as large amounts of intermittent renewable energy are added. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/15/5 OPINION Viewpoints: Air Resources Board Should Give Clean Energy a Level Playing Field. There is a hugely flawed assumption that dirty energy is somehow cheaper than clean energy. The oil rig in the room, which nobody likes to mention, is that fossil fuels receive enormous amounts of public subsidies. That's right. You and I are subsidizing oil companies with billions of dollars every year – $550 billion globally, to be exact – while they are reaping huge profits. Oil production is among the most heavily subsidized businesses in the United States. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/15/3258135/air-resources-board-should-give.html#ixzz18CRyY42z Renewable Power Costs Much More. I have noticed that there have been a lot of complaints about the MID raising electric rates. I wonder if they realize that both the MID and the Turlock Irrigation District are now required to get 30 percent of their power from renewable resources. This cannot include hydroelectric power. These renewable sources can cost as much as four times as much as natural gas generation. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2010/12/14/1472021/renewable-power-costs-much-more.html#ixzz18CXw78bz BLOGS Oakland Plans to Become an Environmental Leader. One of the City of Oakland's goals is to become a model green city, according to its sustainability program. For the past year and a half, the city has been hashing out an Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP) to identify and prioritize what it can do to lower its greenhouse gas emissions and reduce energy use. The first draft of the plan was launched on Earth Day 2010 in April, and focused on reducing the city's greenhouse gas emissions by more than a third of what they were in 2005 by the year 2020. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inoakland/detail?entry_id=79082#ixzz18CnsnaeS Carbon Storage Could Be Shaky Proposition. Some say storing carbon underground as a way to curb greenhouse gas emissions is risky. The container has to last essentially forever, and what if an earthquake rips through the seal? But new research is showing that pumping CO2 underground could itself trigger earthquakes. Stanford University geophysicist Mark Zoback looked at saline aquifers, one of the main types of geologic formations under assessment for carbon sequestration. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/14/carbon-storage-could-be-shaky-proposition/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Urban Light Pollution Boosts Air Pollution. Living in Manhattan, where on a good night you only see a couple stars in the sky and it's never truly dark due to light pollution, this one particularly hits home for me: BBC News reports that a new presentation at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco shows how bright city lighting makes air pollution worse. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/urban-light-pollution-boosts-air-pollution.php California’s Climate Laws Undermined by Weak Transpo Policies, Investment. A new report from NRDC and Smart Growth America — which examines what all 50 states are doing to curb greenhouse gas emissions from transportation — lauds California as the most progressive state on policy, but points out that its transportation and spending priorities don’t match the bold blueprints, particularly as it relates to public transit. Posted. http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/12/14/californias-climate-laws-undermined-by-weak-transpo-policies-investment/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:23:52 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 16, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 16, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE Calif. Opens Hearing On Major Greenhouse Gas Rules. Sacramento, Calif. -- California air quality regulators have begun hearing testimony on what would be the nation's most sweeping greenhouse gas regulations. The Air Resources Board is expected to pass a key piece of the California's 2006 climate law, called AB32, at its meetings Thursday or Friday, with the hope that other states and nations will follow the lead of the world's eighth largest economy. California's rules would set up the largest U.S. carbon trading market as the way to enforce the state's gradually tightening cap on emissions. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/16/v-print/3261788/calif-set-to-adopt-cap-and-trade.html California Air Board Set To Adopt Cap-And-Trade Program. Officials hail the program as flexible and sensitive to economic conditions. It would begin in 2012 by capping emissions from the 600 biggest industrial facilities. California regulators Thursday are expected to adopt the nation's most comprehensive carbon trading regime, creating a market-based way to lower greenhouse gas emissions at a time when similar efforts have stalled in Congress. The program is the centerpiece of the state's 2006 global warming law, which aims to slash carbon dioxide and other planet-heating pollution to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-cap-trade-20101216,0,7325206,print.story Calif. Set To Adopt Sweeping Cap-And-Trade Rules. Sacramento, Calif. (AP) — California air quality regulators are poised to adopt the nation's most sweeping regulations to give power plants, refineries and other major polluters a financial incentive to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Air Resources Board was expected to pass this key piece of the California's 2006 climate law, called AB32, at its meetings Thursday or Friday, with the hope that other states and nations will follow the lead of the world's eighth largest economy. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iEheH7i-aOISdEStgTBkAXkkQfyg?docId=4f2d21ae205b4cd2ac0e5dfcb3c4710c In Depth: 'Cap And Trade' Taking Aim At Emissions. State Air Resources Board expected to approve initiative that could increase energy costs but promises greater efficiency and increased revenue. John Reed (left) and Peter Petersen of American Repower Resources in Carlsbad display fuel control valves the company uses to convert dirty diesel engines to run on natural gas. Emissions timeline: (appears in article link). Cost vs. benefit. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/16/depth-taking-aim-emissions/ California To Adopt 'Cap And Trade' To Combat Climate Change. Taking the lead where Washington has wavered, California today is expected to adopt the nation's most ambitious plan yet to curb global warming. The California Air Resources Board is all but certain to vote to approve comprehensive "cap and trade" regulations designed to cut greenhouse gases. The regulations would impose limits, or "caps," on emissions from large industrial polluters through permits, or allowances, that could be traded on a market. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_16868556?source=rss New Air Rules May Be Boon For Timber. Companies could earn tens of millions selling carbon credits if plan approved. California timber firms, including a leading North Coast company, could emerge as big winners in the state's fight against global warming, earning tens of millions of dollars through the sale of carbon credits if a new set of rules is approved today by the state Air Resources Board. Related Links: California set to adopt sweeping cap-and-trade rules . Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20101215/ARTICLES/101219664/1350?Title=New-air-rules-may-be-boon-for-timber California Scheduled To Adopt Cap-And-Trade Rules. San Francisco (Dow Jones)--California regulators are scheduled Thursday to adopt the nation's first large-scale cap-and-trade program for greenhouse-gas emissions as part of the state's four-year-old climate law. Under the proposed rules, scheduled to start in 2012, the state Air Resources Board would place a limit, or cap, on greenhouse-gas emissions for the state that would decline over time. Power plants, refineries and other industrial facilities that emit carbon dioxide and can't cut their emissions by the required amount could obtain pollution allowances from the state or buy them from other emitters with excess allowances. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101216-710970.html Calif. Air Board Set To Vote On 2 Crucial Issues. Sacramento - The California Air Resources Board is set to vote on two controversial environmental issues at its meeting today and Friday: adoption of the nation's first broad-based cap-and-trade program and the easing of diesel pollution rules. The cap-and-trade program is the last major element of AB32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act, which puts the state on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The act requires that rules to meet that goal be in place by the end of this year. Postedl http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/16/MNDG1GQ3JR.DTL&type=printable California Poised To Enter Carbon-Trading Market. Today could be seen as the biggest day yet for California's climate change law, assuming, as expected, the state Air Resources Board signs off on the rules to implement it. It will also be a big day for Aaron Singer, CEO of San Francisco startup Pacific Carbon Exchange, which is engaging in an enterprise thought dead in the water not so long ago: carbon trading. "It's the official starting gun for California and for Western regional carbon markets," Singer said. "It means we get to make this business a growing reality." Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/16/BUO21GQG0D.DTL&type=printable Calif. Set To Adopt Cap-And-Trade For Polluters. Sacramento, Calif. California air quality regulators are poised to adopt the nation's most sweeping regulations to give power plants, refineries and other major polluters a financial incentive to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Air Resources Board was expected to pass this key piece of the California's 2006 climate law, called AB32, at its meetings Thursday or Friday, with the hope that other states and nations will follow the lead of the world's eighth largest economy. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9K4TIPO0.htm Calif. Set To Adopt Cap-And-Trade Regulations For State's Major Greenhouse Gas Polluters. Sacramento, Calif. (AP) - California air quality regulators are poised to adopt the nation's most sweeping regulations to give power plants, refineries and other major polluters a financial incentive to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Air Resources Board was expected to pass this key piece of the California's 2006 climate law, called AB32, at its meetings Thursday or Friday, with the hope that other states and nations will follow the lead of the world's eighth largest economy. Posted. http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/market_news/article.jsp?content=D9K4TIPO0 Here Comes Cap-And-Trade – California Style. The California Air Resources Board is set to vote tomorrow on whether to approve the cap-and-trade provisions at the heart of the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32). The program is designed to reduce greenhouse gasses in California to 1990 levels by 2020, by setting caps on the amount of carbon pollution large facilities can emit and requiring companies to buy permits to release those gases. The hope is that companies can reduce carbon pollution by using green technologies that emerge. Businesses could also buy offsets, such as planting trees, to counteract the pollution they create. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2010/12/15/ca-cap-and-trade/ Top 10 Climate-Change Denier Arguments Debunked: Part 1.There’s no doubt that historically, temperatures and greenhouse gas fluctuations are nothing compared to the increases we’ve seen in the past century. Snow in the South, ice gain in Antarctica and scientists seemingly fudging climate data: is the global warming debate over? Definitely. But skeptics aren’t on the winning side. Global warming deniers have gleefully seized on recent scandals and misinterpreted data to bolster their collection of arguments, but there are these pesky things called facts that keep getting in the way of their agenda. Posted. http://www.alternet.org/environment/149101/top_10_climate-change_denier_arguments_debunked%3A_part_1/null Thursday Must Read: State to Adopt Cap-and-Trade Today; High Court Approves Open Primaries. Stories you shouldn’t miss: 1. California regulators are poised to adopt landmark climate-change rules today — a cap-and-trade system designed to significantly reduce greenhouse gases and boost the state’s growing green-tech industry, the Chron and Mercury News report. The California Air Resources Board is set to approve a cap-and-trade system that is similar to one that failed to pass the US Senate this year. Posted. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/gyrobase/blogs/Post?id=92510&year=2010&month=12&day=16&basename=thursday-must-read-state-to-adopt-cap-and-trade-today-high-court-approves-open-primaries&mode=print Lonely Road For Cap And Trade. California is the lab rat in the cap & trade maze. One day after the midterm congressional elections, President Obama was already talking about cap & trade in the past tense: "Cap & trade was just one way of skinning the cat. It's not the only way," the President told reporters. "It was a means, not an end. And I'm gonna be looking for other means to address this problem. Senator Joe Lieberman put it more bluntly. "Cap and trade is off the table," Lieberman said. "We have to start on the presumption that the table is clean, that nothing is on it." Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/15/lonely-road-for-cap-and-trade/ DIESEL EMISSIONS Air Board Weighs Delay In Trucking Rules. California air pollution regulators, responding to the tough economy, are expected Friday to roll back many smog-cutting mandates for diesel trucks and off-road construction equipment. Under current rules, the oldest and most polluting trucks in a few weeks will have to be retrofitted with costly controls to reduce toxic diesel soot pollution. Officials with the California Air Resources Board say easing the rules is necessary to help the ailing trucking and construction industries. In addition, diesel pollution has abated significantly because of the near-collapse of the homebuilding industry and a slowdown in goods movement. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_diesel16.3a4021f.html Emissions Meeting Expected To Draw Protests. San Andreas - Dozens of environmental groups, including several serving the central Sierra Nevada, are lining up to oppose aspects of a carbon emissions rule the California Air Resources Board will consider today. Virtually all the groups support limits to carbon emissions, but some environmental advocates say the forestry protocols in the rule would allow loggers to clear-cut forests and make extra money by receiving carbon emission credits for it. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101216/A_NEWS/12160321/-1/A_NEWS14 Uncertainty Over Air Rule Frustrates Some Truckers. A $5.5 billion rule requiring truck companies to clean up their rigs may be delayed, but not all truckers are happy. Some companies have already sunk big bucks into complying with the rule, passed by the California Air Resources Board in 2008. "They keep changing the rule, and nobody knows what it's going to be next," said Al Nunes, owner of A.C. Trucking in Manteca, who has spent half a million dollars to comply, although half of that was covered by funds from an air quality and highway improvement bond approved by voters in 2006. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101216/A_NEWS/12160320/-1/A_NEWS14 OOIDA: Pending CARB Rules Create Disparity For Out-Of-State Truckers. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has asked the California Air Resources Board to change two major diesel emissions rules slated for discussion this week. Both California’s greenhouse gas emission rule and its in-use heavy-duty diesel regulations create a disparity between in-state and out-of-state motor carriers, and threaten the movement of goods protected by the Interstate Commerce Clause, OOIDA has stated in written comments from Association President Jim Johnston. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Dec10/121310/121510-01.shtml GREEN ENERGY Arnold’s Green Legacy. Schwarzenegger has a decidedly mixed track record on the environment. Last Thursday, December 9, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger spent time doing one of the things he does best—anchoring a media event focusing on one of his favorite topics, green energy. In this case, the event—in which the GOP governor tightened bolts with a gold wrench—was the groundbreaking for San Diego Gas & Electric’s 117-mile Sunrise Powerlink transmission line whose aim is to move electricity created from renewable sources to urban areas. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1890583 Corn Ethanol Subsidy Gets A One-Year Extension From The Senate. Corn ethanol advocates scored a win on Capitol Hill yesterday when controversial subsidies were passed as part of a larger $858 billion tax package -- bringing the fuel a step closer to getting a one-year reprieve from losing government backing. Though incentives for the fuel source may now be poised for passage in the House, there is no denying it has been a rocky year for the ethanol industry. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/16/4 Obama Promises Clean-Power Opportunities For Tribes. The Obama administration vowed today to topple barriers that have prevented American Indian nations from developing vast renewable energy resources and introduced the creation of a new tribal energy office at the Department of Energy. DOE's new Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs -- announced at today's second annual White House tribal nations conference -- is aimed at improving the department's efforts to engage tribal governments in national energy priorities and promote energy development on tribal lands. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/16/3 VEHICLES Fisker To Sell Luxury Electric Cars In China. U.S. carmaker Fisker Automotive Inc. will open sales of its luxury electric car to China. The California-based electric car manufacturer will team with China Grand Automotive Group to sell the Karma in the group's top local outlets, which also carry luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Lamborghini. The Karma will make its Chinese debut at the Shanghai Auto Show in April and will hit markets in the fall. "With its vast network of experienced retailers, CGA will give Fisker an instant and credible footprint in the region," said CEO Henrik Fisker. He added that China's goal of reducing harmful emissions and smog make the country a natural fit for electric vehicles. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/16/16 BLOGS Does Your Datacenter Pollute? A recent Associated Press article tells us that Microsoft’s backup power plans at their Quincy, MA datacenter are being challenged by a group concerned about diesel emissions. Microsoft is looking at adding 13 diesel generators as standby power sources, and the group challenging the plan wants the state Ecology department to require that the generators have filters, presumably on their emissions. In the US the EPA has implemented a series of standards for diesel engines that directly address pollutants, with the most stringent standard known as Tier 4i (interim) due to take effect on January 1, 2011. Posted. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/datacenter/does-your-datacenter-pollute/593 Cleaning Up Dirty Diesels Is a Good Investment in Our Communities. Air districts representing the areas of California with the worst air quality – the greater Los Angeles area and San Joaquin Valley – expressed concern yesterday over the proposed relaxations to the state diesel regulations. Their letter explains that it is impossible for these regions to meet federal air standards without significant reductions in emissions from diesel trucks and off-road equipment. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dbailey/cleaning_up_dirty_diesels_is_a.html Weakening of California Global Warming Law. It is great that California voters overwhelmingly defeated Proposition 23, the initiative that would not let AB32, the global warming law, go into effect unless the state unemployment rate falls below 5.5 percent. Californians sent a clear message that they support legislation to take on climate change, even though the federal government hasn't managed to pass a comprehensive climate and energy package. Thus, it makes it even harder to understand why the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the regulatory agency responsible for establishing the rules for the cap and trade program, has decided to weaken the rules. Posted. http://www.internationalrivers.org/en/blog/payal-parekh/2010-12-16/weakening-california-global-warming-law ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:50:30 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 17, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 17, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE California Air Regulators Approve Carbon-Trading Plan. The cap-and-trade system will limit emissions from 600 major industrial plants in the state, starting in 2012. Firms could buy pollution offsets from timber companies that preserve carbon in forests. California regulators Thursday voted to cap the greenhouse gas emissions of the state's major industries and establish the nation's first broad-based carbon trading program. The move marks another bellwether moment for a state that has led in environmental policy, coming as national climate legislation to regulate greenhouse gases and curb climate change has stalled in Congress. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1217-climate-cap-trade-20101217,0,7038845,print.story State Regulators Approve the Nation's Biggest Cap-And-Trade Plan. Sacramento, Calif. -- California regulators voted yesterday to approve the most comprehensive U.S. cap yet on greenhouse gases and create the biggest carbon market in the country. The California Air Resources Board voted 9-1 to approve the state's cap-and-trade plan, the keystone of its effort to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 under A.B. 32 and the nation's first economywide, market-based greenhouse gas scheme in the absence of federal action. California has the world's eighth-largest economy and the highest gross state product in the United States, at $1.7 trillion in 2009. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/12/17/17climatewire-state-regulators-approve-the-nations-biggest-84198.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/17/1 California Adopts Cap-And-Trade Program. Sacramento - The California Air Resources Board has approved the creation of the nation's first broad-based program to put a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and to begin charging large emitters for the excess carbon dioxide they put in the air. After an all-day meeting on Thursday, the board voted 9-1 for the proposal, which will take effect in 2012 and means California is once again moving forward with climate-change policy while efforts on the national level have stopped. "The comment 'the world is watching' is sometimes an idle comment. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/17/MN6B1GRO7F.DTL&type=printable California Air Resources Board Oks Cap-And-Trade Rules. The state took a major step toward the development of a low-carbon economy by approving a cap on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by refiners, utilities and other energy companies. After a 10-hour meeting Thursday, the California Air Resources Board voted 9-1 to approve the rules for a cap-and-trade program, which will reduce the amount of carbon emissions from the state's 500 largest polluters. "This is a historic venture," said Mary Nichols, the air board's chairman. "The step we are about to take is one that we will all look back as a capstone of this (Schwarzenegger) administration's work." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/17/3264543/california-air-resources-board.html#mi_rss=State%20Politics California Approves Stringent Pollution Curbs. San Francisco — California regulators on Thursday adopted the nation’s most comprehensive rules to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases, a move that will put the state far ahead of the rest of the country in energy reform. The regulations, which reward industries most effective in achieving the cuts by allowing them to sell credits to polluters, will create the largest market for carbon trading in the country. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/science/earth/17cap.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=print California Adopts Cap And Trade. San Francisco --California regulators late Thursday adopted the first large-scale cap-and-trade program in the U.S., in a move officials say will protect the environment without hurting the state's still-struggling economy. In a 9-1 vote, the state Air Resources Board voted to adopt rules, scheduled to start in 2012 that place a limit on greenhouse-gas emissions for the state that will decline over time. Power plants, refineries and other industrial facilities that emit carbon dioxide and can't cut their emissions by the required amount will be able to obtain pollution allowances from the state or buy them from other emitters with excess allowances. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703395204576024650186378260.html California Oks Rules To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Despite Congress' failure this year to pass a climate law, California regulators have approved the nation's largest system of financial incentives to get the owners of power plants, refineries and other major polluters to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The state's Air Resources Board voted overwhelmingly, 9-1, late Thursday to pass the key piece of California's pioneering 2006 climate law, which had a Jan. 1, 2011, deadline for enacting the so-called cap-and-trade system. In November, Californians defeated a ballot proposition to suspend the law. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/12/california-greenhouse-gas-rules/1 Calif. Regulators OK Major Greenhouse Gas Rules. Sacramento, Calif. (AP) — Hoping other states will follow suit, California regulators overwhelmingly approved the nation's most extensive system giving owners of power plants, refineries and other major polluters financial incentives to emit fewer greenhouse gases. The Air Resources Board voted 9-1 Thursday to pass the key piece of California's 2006 climate law — called AB32. "We're inventing this," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the state's air quality board. "There is still going to be quite a bit of action needed before it becomes operational." Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jRiu-0wi41fco8ZFE5dwmiTwhZyg?docId=f029f62fa02e4e8381f3a23110165abd Calif. Regulators OK Major Greenhouse Gas Rules. Sacramento, Calif. California regulators have approved the first system in the nation to give polluting companies such as utilities and refineries financial incentives to emit fewer greenhouse gases. The Air Resources Board voted 9-1 Thursday to pass the key piece of California's 2006 climate law -- called AB32 -- with the hope that other states will follow the lead of the world's eighth largest economy. California's new rules will set up the largest U.S. carbon trading market as the way to enforce the state's gradually tightening emissions cap. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9K5D9901.htm Air Board Caps State Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Sacramento — California air regulators on Thursday adopted a plan that places a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and establishes carbon allowances that large polluters can buy and sell to meet their operational needs. The cap-and-trade program is a key component in the overall strategy to reach the emissions-reductions goal spelled out in AB 32, the state’s landmark climate-change legislation. The bill calls for greenhouse-gas emissions to be rolled back to 1990 levels by 2020, about a 15 percent reduction from today’s levels. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/16/air-board-caps-state-greenhouse-gas-emissions/#ixzz18OLiBLaY California Emissions Trading Program Cleared To Start. The California Air Resources Board Thursday endorsed the state’s cap-and-trade regulation under the state’s greenhouse gas reduction law, AB32. The cap-and-trade regulation, along with several complementary measures, will drive the development of green jobs and set the state on track to a clean energy future, CARB predicts. “This program is the capstone of our climate policy, and will accelerate California’s progress toward a clean energy economy,” says CARB Chairman Mary Nichols. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=17128 State: Yes On Cap-And-Trade Climate Rule. California's smog agency approved new "cap and trade" rules late Thursday to help curb global warming, the first of their kind in the nation. The rules, opposed by some business and industry groups, would place a cap on overall emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, which climate scientists say is the main driver of global warming. The cap would shrink over time, and the businesses under it would be allowed to trade allowances for emissions among themselves -- those with unneeded allowances because of lower emissions able to sell them to those needing more. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/cap-280656-trade-state.html CARB Passes Landmark GHG Trading Regulation. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) passed a landmark regulation today. Known as the Cap and Trade regulation, the rulemaking is key to the state's success in implementing the greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions mandated by AB32, the climate change law implemented in 2006. Under the regulation, facilities that emit more than 25,000 metric tonnes per year of CO2 equivalent emissions will be issued allowances (equal to one metric tonne of CO2 equivalents) by the state, the total of which from all affected sources equals a statewide cap. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-bakersfield/carb-passes-landmark-ghg-trading-regulation California Passes Nation's Most Extensive Cap and Trade Rules Against Pollution. California now has the nation’s most extensive cap and trade rules to regulate carbon emissions. The Air Resources Board voted to approve the new rules last night after hearing hours of often contentious testimony. The A-R-B voted nine to one to approve the measure after a day of testimony from nearly 200 witnesses. Before the vote, A-R-B Chair Mary Nichols reminded everyone about the program's significance. "We know that it is a historic venture and we know that we will not have gotten everything right." Posted. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2010/12/16/california-passes-nation's-most-extensive-cap-and-trade-rules-against-pollution- Schwarzenegger Applauds Greenhouse Gas Proposal. Sacramento, Calif. (KGO) -- California is about to lead the nation again -- this time on the issue of global warming. But there is concern that the state's cap-and-trade regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions could drive business out of the Golden State. The cap-and-trade program is the centerpiece of Gov.'s Schwarzenegger's landmark global warming law which mandates that California reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels in 10 years. "This is not just about global climate change. That's one of the reasons why I believe in it. Posted. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/state&id=7848563 State Oks Nation's Largest Carbon-Trading Market. After a personal plea from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and more than six hours of testimony from environmentalists and business groups tonight, state pollution regulators approved sweeping rules aimed at reducing greenhouse gases in California and controlling climate change. The 9-1 vote by the Air Resources Board now places California – with an economy roughly the size of Italy – alongside a host of nations that have enacted a market-based system to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/state-oks-nations-largest-carbon-trading-market-7541 DIESEL EMISSIONS Calif. to Give Industry More Time for Diesel Rules. California air regulators to give business more time to comply with diesel emission standards. Businesses will have more time to comply with California's tough diesel emissions standards for trucks, buses and construction equipment under new, relaxed rules expected to be adopted by air quality officials. The Air Resources Board was expected to vote on Friday on amendments to its on-and-off-road diesel emissions standards, giving businesses more time to replace or upgrade aging equipment with filters, and exempting more vehicles from coverage under the rules. Posted. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12419926 Companies Dependent On Diesel Fuel Worry About What California Will Decide On Limit Rules. Two very different industries are interested in what happens with state rules that limit diesel air pollution from heavy machinery. KPCC’s Molly Peterson reports on an issue before the Air Resources Board. Air quality officials have targeted diesel engines – the soot and chemicals they spew can harm human health and warm the climate. In a slow economy, the companies that make and use bulldozers, backhoes and other heavy trucks – all with diesel engines – worry that the present deadlines for cleanup could eviscerate their businesses. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/12/17/arb-scrubbers/ Senate Passes Diesel Clean-up Bill - House Action Expected Soon. Great news from Capitol Hill today: Today, the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, a bill that could lead to cleaner school buses, less pollution from trucks serving our ports, and the introduction of new, cleaner technologies into the construction and farm equipment world. The bill is the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010 (S. 3973), which authorizes $500 million in diesel clean-up funds over the next five years. Now the action moves to the House, where we are hopeful that the House will pass its version of DERA (H.R. 6482) before the end of the current session. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rkassel/senate_passes_diesel_clean-up.html LA Harbor Commission Closes Clean Truck Class-7 Loophole. The Los Angeles Harbor Commission voted Thursday to include Class 7 trucks in the same emissions rules that already apply to Class 8 trucks. The move will prevent carriers from using the smaller trucks to move empty chassis and lighter containers through the Port -- a carrier tactic seen as a way of thwarting the strict emissions requirements imposed on Class 8 trucks. As well, the harbor Commission has banned the practice of "dray-offs" within the Harbor District or adjacent public streets. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=72478 AIR POLLUTION Proximity To Freeways Increases Autism Risk, Study Finds. More research is needed, but the report suggests air pollution could be a factor. Children born to mothers who live close to freeways have twice the risk of autism, researchers reported Thursday. The study, its authors say, adds to evidence suggesting that certain environmental exposures could play a role in causing the disorder in some children. "This study isn't saying exposure to air pollution or exposure to traffic causes autism," said Heather Volk, lead author of the paper and a researcher at the Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "But it could be one of the factors that are contributing to its increase." Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/16/health/la-he-autism-20101217 http://www.examiner.com/children-s-health-in-providence/highway-air-pollution-and-autism-could-where-you-live-cause-the-disorder http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20025991-10391704.html http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/12/17/study-finds-link-autism-air-pollutants/ OPINION Work Is Not Complete On California’s Cap-And-Trade Plan. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adopted a cap-and-trade system in time to meet the December 31, 2010 deadline for regulatory action under AB 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Yet much remains to be done. Instead of a complete regulation that companies and the public can fully understand, there are “placeholders” for missing pieces and CARB staff will be adjusting other elements as work progresses next year. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=zcr2qqwcx7th6i&xid=zcr1jj8tbb97to&done=.zcr2qqwcx8gh6i# Cool the Planet With Natural Gas. Existing gas-powered generators can reduce CO2 emissions in the electricity sector by 10%. What if the near-term solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions actually began with the increased use of fossil fuels? This is a real possibility because using natural gas to generate energy results in much lower emissions of carbon dioxide than does using coal or oil. And in recent years we've unlocked vast new supplies of natural gas. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703395204576023441488023236.html?mod=googlenews_wsj BLOGS One Small Step for CARB, Many More Steps to a Clean Energy Economy Remaining. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today voted to approve California’s first-of-its-kind carbon market to reduce pollution across the California economy. While we will continue to work with CARB to ensure the program is implemented effectively, the program as designed will position California to make good on its AB 32 pledge to reduce GHG emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020. In the meantime, much work remains to finalize and implement the suite of policies developed under AB 32 to steer California towards a clean energy future. Here are some key developments to keep your eye on. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ajackson/one_small_step_for_carb_many_m.html It's (Sort of) Official: Cap Trade Is (Almost) Here. After a ten-hour hearing in which board members endured more than 170 speakers, the California Air Resources Board voted to "endorse" a 200-page set of rules for what will be the world's second largest cap & trade program (after Europe). "It's an exciting program," said Board chair Mary Nichols. "It's a very big step forward." Not that the job is done. Several facets of the regulation will now undergo a fine-tuning process, with another report back to the board in July of next year. Eventually it will find its way to the state's Office of Administrative Law for review, and finally to the governor's office, to be signed as an executive order. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/16/its-sort-of-official-cap-trade-is-almost-here/ California Establishes Carbon Market. While cap and trade may be dead in Washington, it's alive and well in California. Late Thursday the California Air Resources Board approved the establishment of a carbon market that will allow the state's greenhouse gas emitters to buy and sell emission allowances. The new regulation will cover 360 businesses representing 600 facilities. It has two phases: in 2012 all major industrial sources and utilities will be covered; by 2015 distributors of transportation fuels, natural gas and other fuels will also be included. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-carbon/2010/12/california_establishes_carbon.html Air Board Oks California Greenhouse Gas Cap-And-Trade Plan. It looks like California will have a cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions after all. The California Air Resources Board approved cap-and-trade regulations Thursday and now the state has until 2012 to implement the scheme. The trading program puts a limit on the amount of greenhouse gasses that can be released. Businesses that exceed the cap in a given year must reduce emissions or buy credits or allowances to offset emissions above the cap. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2010/12/agency-approves-ca-cap-and-trade.html California Launches Cap-and-Trade. California moved ahead with its groundbreaking 2006 climate law on Thursday when the state's Air Resources Board voted overwhelmingly to institute policies encouraging major polluters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reports AP. Officials said they hoped to set a good example for other states by setting up a cap-and-trade system that would limit greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2012. California is attempting to "fill the vacuum created by the failure of Congress to pass any kind of climate or energy legislation for many years now," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the board that voted 9-1 for the measure. Posted. http://slatest.slate.com/id/2278355/ Climate: California Approves Carbon Cap-and-Trade. OK, so a national carbon cap-and-trade program is, as we've said many times before, extremely dead. And at this point, no one has any idea what form energy and climate legislation might take over the next couple of years, or whether anything's really possible. Climate change hasn't gone away, even if many people are pretending that it has—NASA has reported that 2010 will likely be the hottest climate year on record. But that's not translating to national action any time soon, even if the international climate process has come back from the dead. Posted. http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/12/17/climate-california-approves-carbon-cap-and-trade/#ixzz18OSDx7aP California Passes Cap & Trade Bill - Creates World's Second Largest Emission Trading Scheme. The California Air Resources Board yesterday passed a statewide cap and trade bill for greenhouse gas emissions, creating the second-largest emissions trading scheme in the world after Europe's. A 9-to-1 vote brings into effect what CARB chairman Mary Nichols calls the capstone of the state's climate policy, which aims to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/california-passes-cap-and-trade-bill.php The Golden State Green Lights Cap and Trade. California’s carbon market is on its way. The state’s Air Resources Board on Thursday approved rules for the country’s first large-scale cap-and-trade program. The program represents a capstone in the state's efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions as mandated by the 2006 California Global Warming Solutions Act. Commonly known as AB 32, the law requires California to cut emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://sustainableindustries.com/print/8443 California Approves Cap and Trade. Yesterday California regulators voted to cap the greenhouse gas emissions of the state’s major industries and establish a carbon trading program. California’s 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act requires the state to reduce emissions by 15% from today’s levels by 2020. “This is an historic venture,” said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board. Posted. http://greenbuildingelements.com/2010/12/17/california-approves-cap-and-trade/ California Blazes a Trail With the First U.S. Carbon Trading Program. Cap-and-trade is coming to California. The market-based system intended to cut greenhouse gas emissions is the key part of the Golden State’s effort, set into law four years ago, to cut its emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Yesterday the California Air Resources Board finally approved the complex set of rules, which will go into effect in 2012. Posted. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/12/17/california-blazes-a-trail-with-the-first-u-s-carbon-trading-program/ Cali Dons Emissions Cap (and Trade). While Congress failed miserably in the past year to pass new energy regulations or curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, California voters resoundingly voted for measures to boost alternative energy use in the biggest state, and now regulators are charging ahead with rules for a system to make California law a reality. California voters in November defeated by a nearly two-to-one margin an oil-industry backed referendum aimed at putting off a 2006 law that requires utilities to get much of their power from renewable sources like wind and solar. Posted. http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/capital/2010/12/17/california-air-board-approves-emissions-cap-and-trade-rules#ixzz18OKCByF2 California Approves First US Carbon-Trading Scheme. California has become the first US state to approve a carbon-trading plan aimed at cutting greenhouse emissions. State regulators passed a "cap-and-trade" framework to let companies buy and sell permits, giving them an incentive to emit fewer gases. The aim is to create the second-largest market in the field, after Europe's. State officials hope the scheme will be copied across the US, but opponents warn it may harm California's growth and lead to higher electricity prices. Posted. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12016137 The Energy Future Ain’t What It Used To Be. The price of natural gas and electricity will be low over the next quarter-century, and crude oil will become more expensive but not radically so, the Energy Department predicted on Thursday, in a report that contradicts widely held notions. And even without a national global warming law, American carbon dioxide emissions will not inexorably set new records; they will stay below the rate of 2005 for the next 15 years because of economic forces, the forecast said. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/the-energy-future-aint-what-it-used-to-be/?partner=rss&emc=rss ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:17:29 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 17, 2010. From: gmassey@ARB.CA.GOV California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 17, 2010. We apologize for today's delay with the newsclips which was due to technical problems. Thank you for your patience. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE California Air Regulators Approve Carbon-Trading Plan. The cap-and-trade system will limit emissions from 600 major industrial plants in the state, starting in 2012. Firms could buy pollution offsets from timber companies that preserve carbon in forests. California regulators Thursday voted to cap the greenhouse gas emissions of the state's major industries and establish the nation's first broad-based carbon trading program. The move marks another bellwether moment for a state that has led in environmental policy, coming as national climate legislation to regulate greenhouse gases and curb climate change has stalled in Congress. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1217-climate-cap-trade-20101217,0,7038845,print.story State Regulators Approve the Nation's Biggest Cap-And-Trade Plan. Sacramento, Calif. -- California regulators voted yesterday to approve the most comprehensive U.S. cap yet on greenhouse gases and create the biggest carbon market in the country. The California Air Resources Board voted 9-1 to approve the state's cap-and-trade plan, the keystone of its effort to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 under A.B. 32 and the nation's first economywide, market-based greenhouse gas scheme in the absence of federal action. California has the world's eighth-largest economy and the highest gross state product in the United States, at $1.7 trillion in 2009. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/12/17/17climatewire-state-regulators-approve-the-nations-biggest-84198.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/17/1 California Adopts Cap-And-Trade Program. Sacramento - The California Air Resources Board has approved the creation of the nation's first broad-based program to put a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and to begin charging large emitters for the excess carbon dioxide they put in the air. After an all-day meeting on Thursday, the board voted 9-1 for the proposal, which will take effect in 2012 and means California is once again moving forward with climate-change policy while efforts on the national level have stopped. "The comment 'the world is watching' is sometimes an idle comment. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/17/MN6B1GRO7F.DTL&type=printable California Air Resources Board Oks Cap-And-Trade Rules. The state took a major step toward the development of a low-carbon economy by approving a cap on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by refiners, utilities and other energy companies. After a 10-hour meeting Thursday, the California Air Resources Board voted 9-1 to approve the rules for a cap-and-trade program, which will reduce the amount of carbon emissions from the state's 500 largest polluters. "This is a historic venture," said Mary Nichols, the air board's chairman. "The step we are about to take is one that we will all look back as a capstone of this (Schwarzenegger) administration's work." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/17/3264543/california-air-resources-board.html#mi_rss=State%20Politics California Approves Stringent Pollution Curbs. San Francisco — California regulators on Thursday adopted the nation’s most comprehensive rules to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases, a move that will put the state far ahead of the rest of the country in energy reform. The regulations, which reward industries most effective in achieving the cuts by allowing them to sell credits to polluters, will create the largest market for carbon trading in the country. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/science/earth/17cap.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=print California Adopts Cap And Trade. San Francisco --California regulators late Thursday adopted the first large-scale cap-and-trade program in the U.S., in a move officials say will protect the environment without hurting the state's still-struggling economy. In a 9-1 vote, the state Air Resources Board voted to adopt rules, scheduled to start in 2012 that place a limit on greenhouse-gas emissions for the state that will decline over time. Power plants, refineries and other industrial facilities that emit carbon dioxide and can't cut their emissions by the required amount will be able to obtain pollution allowances from the state or buy them from other emitters with excess allowances. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703395204576024650186378260.html California Oks Rules To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Despite Congress' failure this year to pass a climate law, California regulators have approved the nation's largest system of financial incentives to get the owners of power plants, refineries and other major polluters to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The state's Air Resources Board voted overwhelmingly, 9-1, late Thursday to pass the key piece of California's pioneering 2006 climate law, which had a Jan. 1, 2011, deadline for enacting the so-called cap-and-trade system. In November, Californians defeated a ballot proposition to suspend the law. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/12/california-greenhouse-gas-rules/1 Calif. Regulators OK Major Greenhouse Gas Rules. Sacramento, Calif. (AP) — Hoping other states will follow suit, California regulators overwhelmingly approved the nation's most extensive system giving owners of power plants, refineries and other major polluters financial incentives to emit fewer greenhouse gases. The Air Resources Board voted 9-1 Thursday to pass the key piece of California's 2006 climate law — called AB32. "We're inventing this," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the state's air quality board. "There is still going to be quite a bit of action needed before it becomes operational." Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jRiu-0wi41fco8ZFE5dwmiTwhZyg?docId=f029f62fa02e4e8381f3a23110165abd Calif. Regulators OK Major Greenhouse Gas Rules. Sacramento, Calif. California regulators have approved the first system in the nation to give polluting companies such as utilities and refineries financial incentives to emit fewer greenhouse gases. The Air Resources Board voted 9-1 Thursday to pass the key piece of California's 2006 climate law -- called AB32 -- with the hope that other states will follow the lead of the world's eighth largest economy. California's new rules will set up the largest U.S. carbon trading market as the way to enforce the state's gradually tightening emissions cap. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9K5D9901.htm Air Board Caps State Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Sacramento — California air regulators on Thursday adopted a plan that places a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and establishes carbon allowances that large polluters can buy and sell to meet their operational needs. The cap-and-trade program is a key component in the overall strategy to reach the emissions-reductions goal spelled out in AB 32, the state’s landmark climate-change legislation. The bill calls for greenhouse-gas emissions to be rolled back to 1990 levels by 2020, about a 15 percent reduction from today’s levels. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/16/air-board-caps-state-greenhouse-gas-emissions/#ixzz18OLiBLaY California Emissions Trading Program Cleared To Start. The California Air Resources Board Thursday endorsed the state’s cap-and-trade regulation under the state’s greenhouse gas reduction law, AB32. The cap-and-trade regulation, along with several complementary measures, will drive the development of green jobs and set the state on track to a clean energy future, CARB predicts. “This program is the capstone of our climate policy, and will accelerate California’s progress toward a clean energy economy,” says CARB Chairman Mary Nichols. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=17128 State: Yes On Cap-And-Trade Climate Rule. California's smog agency approved new "cap and trade" rules late Thursday to help curb global warming, the first of their kind in the nation. The rules, opposed by some business and industry groups, would place a cap on overall emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, which climate scientists say is the main driver of global warming. The cap would shrink over time, and the businesses under it would be allowed to trade allowances for emissions among themselves -- those with unneeded allowances because of lower emissions able to sell them to those needing more. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/news/cap-280656-trade-state.html CARB Passes Landmark GHG Trading Regulation. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) passed a landmark regulation today. Known as the Cap and Trade regulation, the rulemaking is key to the state's success in implementing the greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions mandated by AB32, the climate change law implemented in 2006. Under the regulation, facilities that emit more than 25,000 metric tonnes per year of CO2 equivalent emissions will be issued allowances (equal to one metric tonne of CO2 equivalents) by the state, the total of which from all affected sources equals a statewide cap. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-bakersfield/carb-passes-landmark-ghg-trading-regulation California Passes Nation's Most Extensive Cap and Trade Rules Against Pollution. California now has the nation’s most extensive cap and trade rules to regulate carbon emissions. The Air Resources Board voted to approve the new rules last night after hearing hours of often contentious testimony. The A-R-B voted nine to one to approve the measure after a day of testimony from nearly 200 witnesses. Before the vote, A-R-B Chair Mary Nichols reminded everyone about the program's significance. "We know that it is a historic venture and we know that we will not have gotten everything right." Posted. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2010/12/16/california-passes-nation's-most-extensive-cap-and-trade-rules-against-pollution- Schwarzenegger Applauds Greenhouse Gas Proposal. Sacramento, Calif. (KGO) -- California is about to lead the nation again -- this time on the issue of global warming. But there is concern that the state's cap-and-trade regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions could drive business out of the Golden State. The cap-and-trade program is the centerpiece of Gov.'s Schwarzenegger's landmark global warming law which mandates that California reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels in 10 years. "This is not just about global climate change. That's one of the reasons why I believe in it. Posted. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/state&id=7848563 State Oks Nation's Largest Carbon-Trading Market. After a personal plea from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and more than six hours of testimony from environmentalists and business groups tonight, state pollution regulators approved sweeping rules aimed at reducing greenhouse gases in California and controlling climate change. The 9-1 vote by the Air Resources Board now places California – with an economy roughly the size of Italy – alongside a host of nations that have enacted a market-based system to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/state-oks-nations-largest-carbon-trading-market-7541 DIESEL EMISSIONS Calif. to Give Industry More Time for Diesel Rules. California air regulators to give business more time to comply with diesel emission standards. Businesses will have more time to comply with California's tough diesel emissions standards for trucks, buses and construction equipment under new, relaxed rules expected to be adopted by air quality officials. The Air Resources Board was expected to vote on Friday on amendments to its on-and-off-road diesel emissions standards, giving businesses more time to replace or upgrade aging equipment with filters, and exempting more vehicles from coverage under the rules. Posted. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12419926 Companies Dependent On Diesel Fuel Worry About What California Will Decide On Limit Rules. Two very different industries are interested in what happens with state rules that limit diesel air pollution from heavy machinery. KPCC’s Molly Peterson reports on an issue before the Air Resources Board. Air quality officials have targeted diesel engines – the soot and chemicals they spew can harm human health and warm the climate. In a slow economy, the companies that make and use bulldozers, backhoes and other heavy trucks – all with diesel engines – worry that the present deadlines for cleanup could eviscerate their businesses. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/12/17/arb-scrubbers/ Senate Passes Diesel Clean-up Bill - House Action Expected Soon. Great news from Capitol Hill today: Today, the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, a bill that could lead to cleaner school buses, less pollution from trucks serving our ports, and the introduction of new, cleaner technologies into the construction and farm equipment world. The bill is the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010 (S. 3973), which authorizes $500 million in diesel clean-up funds over the next five years. Now the action moves to the House, where we are hopeful that the House will pass its version of DERA (H.R. 6482) before the end of the current session. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rkassel/senate_passes_diesel_clean-up.html LA Harbor Commission Closes Clean Truck Class-7 Loophole. The Los Angeles Harbor Commission voted Thursday to include Class 7 trucks in the same emissions rules that already apply to Class 8 trucks. The move will prevent carriers from using the smaller trucks to move empty chassis and lighter containers through the Port -- a carrier tactic seen as a way of thwarting the strict emissions requirements imposed on Class 8 trucks. As well, the harbor Commission has banned the practice of "dray-offs" within the Harbor District or adjacent public streets. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=72478 AIR POLLUTION Proximity To Freeways Increases Autism Risk, Study Finds. More research is needed, but the report suggests air pollution could be a factor. Children born to mothers who live close to freeways have twice the risk of autism, researchers reported Thursday. The study, its authors say, adds to evidence suggesting that certain environmental exposures could play a role in causing the disorder in some children. "This study isn't saying exposure to air pollution or exposure to traffic causes autism," said Heather Volk, lead author of the paper and a researcher at the Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "But it could be one of the factors that are contributing to its increase." Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/16/health/la-he-autism-20101217 http://www.examiner.com/children-s-health-in-providence/highway-air-pollution-and-autism-could-where-you-live-cause-the-disorder http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20025991-10391704.html http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/12/17/study-finds-link-autism-air-pollutants/ OPINION Work Is Not Complete On California’s Cap-And-Trade Plan. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adopted a cap-and-trade system in time to meet the December 31, 2010 deadline for regulatory action under AB 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Yet much remains to be done. Instead of a complete regulation that companies and the public can fully understand, there are “placeholders” for missing pieces and CARB staff will be adjusting other elements as work progresses next year. Posted. http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=zcr2qqwcx7th6i&xid=zcr1jj8tbb97to&done=.zcr2qqwcx8gh6i# Cool the Planet With Natural Gas. Existing gas-powered generators can reduce CO2 emissions in the electricity sector by 10%. What if the near-term solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions actually began with the increased use of fossil fuels? This is a real possibility because using natural gas to generate energy results in much lower emissions of carbon dioxide than does using coal or oil. And in recent years we've unlocked vast new supplies of natural gas. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703395204576023441488023236.html?mod=googlenews_wsj BLOGS One Small Step for CARB, Many More Steps to a Clean Energy Economy Remaining. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today voted to approve California’s first-of-its-kind carbon market to reduce pollution across the California economy. While we will continue to work with CARB to ensure the program is implemented effectively, the program as designed will position California to make good on its AB 32 pledge to reduce GHG emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020. In the meantime, much work remains to finalize and implement the suite of policies developed under AB 32 to steer California towards a clean energy future. Here are some key developments to keep your eye on. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ajackson/one_small_step_for_carb_many_m.html It's (Sort of) Official: Cap Trade Is (Almost) Here. After a ten-hour hearing in which board members endured more than 170 speakers, the California Air Resources Board voted to "endorse" a 200-page set of rules for what will be the world's second largest cap & trade program (after Europe). "It's an exciting program," said Board chair Mary Nichols. "It's a very big step forward." Not that the job is done. Several facets of the regulation will now undergo a fine-tuning process, with another report back to the board in July of next year. Eventually it will find its way to the state's Office of Administrative Law for review, and finally to the governor's office, to be signed as an executive order. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/16/its-sort-of-official-cap-trade-is-almost-here/ California Establishes Carbon Market. While cap and trade may be dead in Washington, it's alive and well in California. Late Thursday the California Air Resources Board approved the establishment of a carbon market that will allow the state's greenhouse gas emitters to buy and sell emission allowances. The new regulation will cover 360 businesses representing 600 facilities. It has two phases: in 2012 all major industrial sources and utilities will be covered; by 2015 distributors of transportation fuels, natural gas and other fuels will also be included. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-carbon/2010/12/california_establishes_carbon.html Air Board Oks California Greenhouse Gas Cap-And-Trade Plan. It looks like California will have a cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions after all. The California Air Resources Board approved cap-and-trade regulations Thursday and now the state has until 2012 to implement the scheme. The trading program puts a limit on the amount of greenhouse gasses that can be released. Businesses that exceed the cap in a given year must reduce emissions or buy credits or allowances to offset emissions above the cap. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2010/12/agency-approves-ca-cap-and-trade.html California Launches Cap-and-Trade. California moved ahead with its groundbreaking 2006 climate law on Thursday when the state's Air Resources Board voted overwhelmingly to institute policies encouraging major polluters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reports AP. Officials said they hoped to set a good example for other states by setting up a cap-and-trade system that would limit greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2012. California is attempting to "fill the vacuum created by the failure of Congress to pass any kind of climate or energy legislation for many years now," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the board that voted 9-1 for the measure. Posted. http://slatest.slate.com/id/2278355/ Climate: California Approves Carbon Cap-and-Trade. OK, so a national carbon cap-and-trade program is, as we've said many times before, extremely dead. And at this point, no one has any idea what form energy and climate legislation might take over the next couple of years, or whether anything's really possible. Climate change hasn't gone away, even if many people are pretending that it has—NASA has reported that 2010 will likely be the hottest climate year on record. But that's not translating to national action any time soon, even if the international climate process has come back from the dead. Posted. http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/12/17/climate-california-approves-carbon-cap-and-trade/#ixzz18OSDx7aP California Passes Cap & Trade Bill - Creates World's Second Largest Emission Trading Scheme. The California Air Resources Board yesterday passed a statewide cap and trade bill for greenhouse gas emissions, creating the second-largest emissions trading scheme in the world after Europe's. A 9-to-1 vote brings into effect what CARB chairman Mary Nichols calls the capstone of the state's climate policy, which aims to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/california-passes-cap-and-trade-bill.php The Golden State Green Lights Cap and Trade. California’s carbon market is on its way. The state’s Air Resources Board on Thursday approved rules for the country’s first large-scale cap-and-trade program. The program represents a capstone in the state's efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions as mandated by the 2006 California Global Warming Solutions Act. Commonly known as AB 32, the law requires California to cut emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://sustainableindustries.com/print/8443 California Approves Cap and Trade. Yesterday California regulators voted to cap the greenhouse gas emissions of the state’s major industries and establish a carbon trading program. California’s 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act requires the state to reduce emissions by 15% from today’s levels by 2020. “This is an historic venture,” said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board. Posted. http://greenbuildingelements.com/2010/12/17/california-approves-cap-and-trade/ California Blazes a Trail With the First U.S. Carbon Trading Program. Cap-and-trade is coming to California. The market-based system intended to cut greenhouse gas emissions is the key part of the Golden State’s effort, set into law four years ago, to cut its emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Yesterday the California Air Resources Board finally approved the complex set of rules, which will go into effect in 2012. Posted. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/12/17/california-blazes-a-trail-with-the-first-u-s-carbon-trading-program/ Cali Dons Emissions Cap (and Trade). While Congress failed miserably in the past year to pass new energy regulations or curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, California voters resoundingly voted for measures to boost alternative energy use in the biggest state, and now regulators are charging ahead with rules for a system to make California law a reality. California voters in November defeated by a nearly two-to-one margin an oil-industry backed referendum aimed at putting off a 2006 law that requires utilities to get much of their power from renewable sources like wind and solar. Posted. http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/capital/2010/12/17/california-air-board-approves-emissions-cap-and-trade-rules#ixzz18OKCByF2 California Approves First US Carbon-Trading Scheme. California has become the first US state to approve a carbon-trading plan aimed at cutting greenhouse emissions. State regulators passed a "cap-and-trade" framework to let companies buy and sell permits, giving them an incentive to emit fewer gases. The aim is to create the second-largest market in the field, after Europe's. State officials hope the scheme will be copied across the US, but opponents warn it may harm California's growth and lead to higher electricity prices. Posted. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12016137 The Energy Future Ain’t What It Used To Be. The price of natural gas and electricity will be low over the next quarter-century, and crude oil will become more expensive but not radically so, the Energy Department predicted on Thursday, in a report that contradicts widely held notions. And even without a national global warming law, American carbon dioxide emissions will not inexorably set new records; they will stay below the rate of 2005 for the next 15 years because of economic forces, the forecast said. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/the-energy-future-aint-what-it-used-to-be/?partner=rss&emc=rss ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:34:50 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 20, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 20, 2010. 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. DIESEL EMISSIONS California Eases Diesel Soot Crackdown. The construction industry gets a break, but the rules remain the nation's toughest. Reporting from Sacramento — California regulators on Friday delayed the state's pioneering crackdown on diesel soot from trucks and construction equipment, bowing to industry demands for relief during a stubborn economic recession. The newly relaxed rules "balance the needs of citizens for cleaner air," said Mary D. Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board. "And they provide meaningful relief to industries that are very hard hit." Posted. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/18/local/la-me-diesel-pollution-20101218 California Backs Off Strict Diesel Rules. Sacramento - -- California's air regulators significantly scaled back the nation's toughest diesel pollution rules Friday, giving owners of trucks and other diesel-powered machines more time and more options to reduce their emissions. The changes, which were prompted by the economic downturn that has idled many trucks and construction machines, also came after the California Air Resources Board acknowledged that some of the original rules had been based on a major miscalculation of how much pollution the engines produce. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/18/MNTO1GS7LN.DTL&type=printable California Delays Diesel Air Pollution Rules Til 2014. California's construction and trucking industries will get more time to comply with stringent new diesel emissions regulations. Citing the sluggish economy, the California Air Resources Board on Friday voted unanimously to push back the implementation of the new rules by four years to 2014. The rules require businesses to retrofit existing trucks, bulldozers, front loaders and other heavy equipment to lower diesel emissions. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/20/v-print/3270946/california-delays-diesel-air-pollution.html California's Tough Smog Rules Delayed. California air pollution regulators decided Friday to give the state's struggling trucking and construction industries a reprieve on tough emissions-control rules that would have started taking effect Jan. 1. The Air Resources Board voted unanimously to delay for several years various rules adopted two years ago that require diesel truck and construction equipment owners to replace older, more polluting engines or retrofit them with soot traps. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_diesel18b.3cd37e8.html AIR POLLUTION EPA Clamps Down On Gold Mines' Mercury Emissions. RENO, Nev. -- Conservationists are hailing a new federal rule to cut emissions of the toxic metal mercury from the nation's gold mines, calling it a long overdue measure to protect the health of people and the environment. The regulations announced Friday will reduce airborne mercury pollution from the mines to about 1,200 pounds a year, a 77 percent reduction from 2007 levels, said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The rule represents the first national standard for mercury air emissions from gold mines, the seventh largest source of such pollution in the country. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/17/3265879/gold-mines-face-epa-rules-for.html CLIMATE CHANGE California Leads Way On Global Warming. Washington failed miserably to take action on climate change this year. The nation's best hope is California, which made a historic leap forward last week when its Air Resources Board approved a broad-based cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases. It was no simple task to get here. After the Legislature passed AB32, the state contended with enormous pressure to scale or roll it back. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/20/EDDA1GS8B9.DTL&type=printable Cap And Trade: Details On Emissions Up In The Air. Businesses as different as breweries, drug factories and power plants will have to trade in California's new carbon market, created this week by state regulators as a way to fight global warming. But many companies aren't sure what the rules will be. As approved by the California Air Resources Board on Thursday, the nation's largest cap-and-trade system for lowering greenhouse gas emissions is dizzyingly complex and still incomplete. It treats different industries in different ways. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/18/BUKO1GRUPP.DTL&type=printable 3 States In Regional Compact Raid Pollution Funds. Two of the 10 Northeast states that agreed to dedicate millions of dollars to reduce carbon emissions and promote green energy have reneged on their promise, instead diverting substantial funds to saving their budgets. New York and New Jersey over the past year have raided accounts set up under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the first mandatory U.S. cap-and-trade program for carbon dioxide. The accounts were created to pay for energy efficiency programs aimed at reducing the region's pollution by 10 percent by 2018. Citing their example, New Hampshire dipped into its fund in June to help balance its budget. Posted. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=132183628 First Major Cap And Trade Market For Greenhouse Gas Approved In California. The California Air Resources Board has approved the first program in the United States that’ll cap greenhouse gas emissions and charge polluters for the carbon dioxide they release. The state board voted as national efforts to counter global warming are at a standstill. Voters last month beat down a proposition to suspend AB 32 - the state's landmark climate law: it lost by 22 percentage points. With that obstacle gone, little could stop a four-year plan to create what's known as a cap-and-trade market. Posted. http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/12/18/arb-cap-final/ Calif. Suggests A Way To Mesh Its Climate Rules With Epa's. California has proposed a way to mesh its nascent cap-and-trade system with U.S. EPA's new limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other stationary sources. California air regulators sent EPA a letter last month setting out their case for controlling emissions through a market-based system that allows industry to trade emissions rights among themselves, rather than reduce emissions at each facility, as EPA's regulations would do. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/20/4 California Enacts New Cap and Trade Program. It has been difficult for the US federal government to pass sweeping legislation that will spur renewable energy development, but California's new cap and trade program shows that states can lead. New Hampshire, USA – Again and again renewable energy advocates have rued the U.S. federal government's failure to come up with real clean energy goals for the nation to stand behind. Posted. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/print/article/2010/12/california-enacts-new-cap-and-trade-program Environmental Group Takes Aim at California's Cap-and-Trade Program. The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental organization, contends that the cap-and-trade program approved Thursday by the California Air Resources Board contains loopholes that would promote forest clear-cutting. Regulations like the new one in California have the potential to significantly boost the use of solar electricity as a cost-competitive way to generate electricity while limiting emissions of greenhouse gases. Posted. http://solarhbj.com/news/environmental-group-takes-aim-at-californias-cap-and-trade-program-01226 California Embraces Cap And Trade. This last Thursday, California regulators voted to approve the basic fundamentals of the cap and trade system that will implement the state’s landmark 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32). Under the law, the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) is to develop a set of regulations to implement the law itself. These regulations are the more detail-oriented, “where the rubber meets the road” rules for industry to follow beginning in 2012. CAP’s Araceli Ruano has the story. Posted. http://theenergycollective.com/josephromm/48828/california-embraces-cap-and-trade Last Potential Barrier To Implementation Of EPA Climate Rules Falls. It is now full-speed ahead for federal climate regulations set to take effect on Jan. 2 after the final legislative challenge to their implementation was put on ice Friday afternoon. West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) said he is postponing his push for a vote on his bill to enact a two-year timeout on U.S. EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gases due to lack of bipartisan support. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/20/1 FUELS Carmakers, Engine Makers Challenge Rule Allowing 15% Ethanol in Gas. U.S. carmakers and engine manufacturers asked an appeals court to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its October decision allowing the sale of gasoline with 15 percent ethanol. Organizations including the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers today asked the federal appeals court in Washington to review whether the EPA’s “partial waiver” allowing so-called E-15 fuels violates the Clean Air Act. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-12-20/u-s-carmakers-engine-makers-challenge-rule-allowing-15-ethanol-in-gas.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSJHJiBMH9ohykKMYQY1cwuNQ8Ug?docId=91005cc9ab7246a0a91b4329588b743c http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2010/12/20/auto-engine-makers-challenge-epa.html More Ethanol On Roads, But Trouble In Garages? It seems like a great idea: Increase the amount of renewable ethanol from grain at the gas station and decrease America's reliance on foreign oil. But a push to add another 50 percent to the ethanol content of some automobile fuel has opened a barrel of worms. Automakers say they don't know how it will affect their cars; power-equipment and boat manufacturers are predicting calamitous mis-fueling; and gas station owners are looking at a slew of legal and logistical impediments. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/19/AR2010121903838_pf.html A Climate Skeptic Sends Money To A 'Carbon Neutral' Fuel Program. The Senate's leading climate change critic has sought to direct $1.5 million toward research on low-carbon fuel derived from ponds of algae, a move that doesn't alter his position that global warming believers should "get a life." An earmark promoted by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) would send $750,000 to the University of Tulsa to continue its work on converting oil from the water-soaked plants into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/20/3 GREEN ENERGY State To Phase Out Energy-Sucking Light Bulbs. Say goodbye to your 100-watt incandescent light bulbs. On Jan. 1, it’ll become increasingly challenging to find one on a store shelf in California. That’s because the state has ordered a phaseout of the high energy-consuming light bulb. The state is pressing to have the old incandescents replaced with newer, more efficient bulbs, such as compact fluorescents, halogens and light-emitting diode light bulbs, or LEDs. And beginning in 2012, 100-watt incandescents will be off the shelves completely. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/state-phase-out-energy-sucking-light-bulbs-7558 OPINION Editorial: California Leads Way On Global Warming. Washington failed miserably to take action on climate change this year. The nation's best hope is California, which made a historic leap forward last week when its Air Resources Board approved a broad-based cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases. It was no simple task to get here. After the Legislature passed AB32, the state contended with enormous pressure to scale or roll it back. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2010%2F12%2F19%2FEDDA1GS8B9.DTL Editorial: Lead The World? Yes, But Do It Wisely. When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, California's economy was strong and the state's trailblazing efforts were courageous. Although the Golden State was ahead of the nation in adopting a comprehensive program to cap greenhouse gases, it didn't seem as if the state would be an outlier for long. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/19/3266412/lead-the-world-yes-but-do-it-wisely.html?storylink=lingospot The Wind Subsidy Bubble. Green pork should be a GOP budget target. Ethanol isn't the only heavily subsidized energy source that won a multibillion dollar jackpot in last week's tax deal. The other big winner was the wind industry, which received a one year extension of a $3 billion grant program for renewable energy projects. Talk about throwing good money after bad. Despite more than $30 billion in subsidies for "clean energy" in the 2009 stimulus bill, Big Wind still can't make it in the marketplace. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703395204576023820064646268.html Opinion: Our View On Energy: Electric Car Market Gets Useful Jump-Start. When Toyota unveiled its gasoline-electric Prius hybrid in Japan in 1997, car executives here scoffed that the car was little more than an expensive novelty. When Honda began selling the first hybrid in the U.S. market in 1999, the two-seat Insight was derided as cramped and impractical. OPPOSING VIEW: Subsidies? Just say no. Eleven years later, more than 2 million Priuses have been sold worldwide, and there are about 1.5 million hybrids on the roads here, including models from the U.S. automakers. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2010-12-20-editorial20_ST_N.htm Editorial: Even Warming Skeptics Can See Taxes Are Real. In pushing to suspend California’s “cap and trade” system to curb carbon dioxide emissions via November’s failed Proposition 23, opponents of the anti-global warming law argued that the state’s wobbly economy cannot afford the added burden of higher energy costs that the law will inevitably bring. Most Shasta County residents shared that sentiment, but California voters as a whole did not. Posted. http://www.redding.com/news/2010/dec/20/even-warming-skeptics-can-see-taxes-are-real/?print=1 Editorial: Does Dirty Air Put Us On Road To Autism? We in the Central Valley know all too well about the problems associated with air pollution -- respiratory ailments and, as the California Air Resources Board maintains, thousands of premature deaths annually. New research suggests yet another reason to fear our notoriously smoggy air: autism. Air pollution might be a factor in causing the childhood development syndrome, according to a study by the Saba Research Institute of Children's Hospital in Los Angeles. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/editorials/x1680088357/EDITORIAL-Does-dirty-air-put-us-on-road-to-autism Clean Air Industry Vitally Important. Like thousands of people in our region, I visited the LA Auto Show this past month. The LA Auto Show is unique as the international showcase for new hybrid and electric vehicles. This year, the plug-in Chevy Volt and all-electric Nissan Leaf took center stage alongside Santa Monica’s own Coda, which is releasing its all-electric sedan in 2011. Other manufacturers such as Mitsubishi, Volvo, Honda, and Toyota also displayed new electric and hybrid vehicles that are scheduled to reach consumers in the next couple of years. Posted. http://www.smmirror.com/?ajax#mode=single&view=31512 Editorial: More Bold Steps On Protecting State's Coast. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's environmental legacy certainly includes Assembly Bill 32, the law that aims to reduce carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Equally significant, and less well known, is his support for conserving California's diverse coastal and marine wildlife and habitats along the 1,100-mile coastline. During his tenure, much of the process for creating a network of regional marine protected areas has come to fruition. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/20/v-print/3269439/more-bold-steps-on-protecting.html BLOGS Treasury Grant Program For Renewable Energy Projects Extended By Congress. The 1603 Treasury grant program -– a popular government incentive for renewable energy projects -– was extended Thursday night as Congress passed a major tax cut deal. The measure, which covers up to 30% of the cost of solar, wind and other alternative energy installations, was considered a key buffer for the industry during the recession. It was due to expire at the end of the year. Smaller startups and companies were especially pleased with the renewal, which President Obama is expected to sign by Friday afternoon. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/treasury-grant-program-for-renewable-energy-projects-extended-by-congress.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Ruling Change On Diesel Particulate Emissions. The California Air Resources Board has amended its diesel particulate emission regulations for businesses with the aim of reducing today’s levels by 50 per cent by 2014; and by 70 per cent by 2020. Amendments to the Truck and Bus regulation and Off-Road regulation have been formed with the aim of targeting fleets adversely affected by the economy to take into account the fact that emissions are now lower than previously predicted. Posted. http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/12/19/ruling-change-on-diesel-particulate-emissions/ ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:26:09 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 21, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 21, 2010. 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. DIESEL EMISSIONS Clean-Air Rules On Diesel Emissions May Be Helping California Keep Its Cool. Soot, which comes from diesel engines and the burning of biomass, accounts for 1.5 million deaths per year globally. Clean-air rules on diesel trucks may be helping California keep its cool New data show that two decades of air-pollution regulations in California for trucks running on diesel fuel have cut levels of black carbon, the main component of soot, in half. New data show that two decades of air-pollution regulations in California for trucks running on diesel fuel have cut levels of black carbon, the main component of soot, in half. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/20/AR2010122004296.html EPA Awards $5M Grant to Retrofit Trucks for Clean Diesel. The EPA has awarded $5 million to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to help Southern truckers and businesses buy cleaner big rigs. The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $5 million to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to help Southern truckers and businesses buy cleaner big rigs. The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $5 million to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to help Southern truckers and businesses buy cleaner big rigs. Posted. http://eponline.com/articles/2010/12/21/epa-awards-5m-grant-to-retrofit-trucks-for-clean-diesel.aspx House Passes DERA - $500M Diesel Retrofit Program Headed to President's Desk. Just a few moments ago, the House of Representatives passed a bill that will help accelerate the clean-up of America’s millions of dirty diesels. This bill, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010 (S. 3973/ H.R. 6482) will be on President Obama’s desk for his expected signature shortly. As I wrote in greater detail last week, the bill authorizes $500 million in diesel clean-up funds over the next five years. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rkassel/house_passes_dera_-_500m_diese.html Diesel Prices Keep Going Up, Up And Away. On-highway diesel prices have risen 52.2 cents a gallon since this time last year. Washington — "Up, Up and Away" is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by The 5th Dimension. The lyrics talk about taking a trip in a beautiful balloon. Something else is going up, up and away these days and there's nothing beautiful about it — diesel prices. The average weekly retail on-highway diesel prices jumped another 1.7 cents to $3.248 for the week ending Dec. 20, according to the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy. Posted. http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/12/20/Dieselpriceskeepgoingupupandaway.aspx CLIMATE CHANGE California Approves Cap and Trade, But Toughest Decisions Lie Ahead. What was left to do later is almost as revealing – and important – as what was done. California’s environmental bureaucracy took a series of huge, grinding steps forward last week, approving several measures that make the state an unquestioned world leader on climate policy. Exactly where that path is leading, however, remains unclear. The state Air Resources Board and the Public Utilities Commission voted last Thursday and Friday to adopt a cap-and-trade system, approve a subsidy program for energy efficiency by major utilities and finalize regulations against diesel soot from trucks. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS335987064520101221 Study: Rivers Now a Source of Greenhouse Gases. Rivers may be a significant source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, scientists now find. Their calculation suggests that across the globe the waterways contribute three times the amount of nitrous oxide to the atmosphere as had been estimated by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations scientific body charged with reviewing climate change research. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20026295-501465.html Global Rivers Emit 3 Times IPCC Estimates of Greenhouse Gas Nitrous Oxide. What goes in must come out, a truism that now may be applied to global river networks. Human-caused nitrogen loading to river networks is a potentially important source of nitrous oxide emission to the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction. http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/12/21/global-rivers-emit-three-times-ipcc-estimates-of-greenhouse-gas-nitrous-oxide.html EPA Delays Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rules. The Obama administration, facing industry complaints about confidentiality, is delaying a measure to force companies to disclose the amount of fuel and solvents associated with their greenhouse-gas emissions. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/12/epa-delays-greenhouse-gas-reporting-rules/1 CO2-Market Talks between EU, Switzerland to Start in Early 2011: The European Union and Switzerland will seek to connect their greenhouse-gas markets in a bid to step up the fight against climate change. EU governments authorized the start of talks to link the emissions-trading systems of the 27-nation bloc and Switzerland. The EU system is the world’s biggest greenhouse-gas market. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-20/co2-market-talks-between-eu-switzerland-to-start-in-early-2011.html Biting Winters Driven By Global Warming: Scientists: Paris — Counter-intuitive but true, say scientists: a string of freezing European winters scattered over the last decade has been driven in large part by global warming. The culprit, according to a new study, is the Arctic's receding surface ice, which at current rates of decline could to disappear entirely during summer months by century's end. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hwIixVf3dEodLigiCqing9TAv-6A?docId=CNG.3b29b364e92472d3587fc96ce6d6698b.301 EPA Won't Delay Emission Rules, Jackson Tells Issa. U.S. EPA won't reopen the public comment period for the guidance on its new climate regulations or give businesses more time to prepare for them, Administrator Lisa Jackson said yesterday in response to an inquiry by the incoming chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Starting on Jan. 2, 2011, the developers of new power plants, refineries and other high-emitting industrial facilities will need permits showing that they are using the best technology available to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/21/5 AIR POLLUTION Shaky Science Plagues New Clean Air Laws. Diesel operators must reduce their emissions, but have a little more flexibility in doing so thanks to some changes to the state's clean air laws. The reason for the change: The California Clean Air Board made a "major miscalculation" regarding the pollution generated by diesel. After the admission, diesel operators requested lenience, and the board granted their request. That will save polluters from spending billions on costly retrofits, but could in turn increase asthma rates. The miscalculating is in part due to reduced usage of heavy machinery. Posted. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Shaky-Science-Plagues-New-Clean-Air-Laws-112199259.html FUELS Fuel Industry Challenge to EPA Rejected by Court. A federal appeals court rejected an oil industry challenge to a new Environmental Protection Agency rule requiring more biofuels in gasoline and diesel, saying the agency properly carried out its mandate on energy independence. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington today turned down claims that regulations on fuel sold in the U.S. were retroactive and that the EPA missed a crucial deadline in setting up the regulation. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-21/fuel-industry-challenge-to-epa-rejected-by-court-update1-.html Used Cooking Oil Converted to Bio Diesel Helps Vehicle Fleets Reduce Emissions. New Leaf Biofuel is a San Diego based biodiesel company focused on transforming the way companies fuel their vehicle fleets. New Leaf BioFuel collects used cooking oil from roughly 1,000 local restaurants and converts it to biodiesel fuel. It sells the biodiesel to distributors who sell the fuel to customers running green fleets of diesel trucks. Vehicles run cleaner and quieter on biodiesel and the fleet emissions are much better. Posted. http://www.fieldtechnologies.com/used-cooking-oil-converted-to-bio-diesel-helps-vehicle-fleets-reduce-emissions/ GREEN ENERGY SF Shutting Down Power Plant Jan. 1. San Francisco's last fossil fuel power plant will start the new year by shutting down. The Potrero Hill plant, one of the dirtiest in California, will cease operations on Jan. 1, state officials are expected to announce today. The plant, operated by Houston-based GenOn Energy Inc., formerly Mirant Corp., could be fired up in the event of a dramatic power emergency before being decommissioned permanently on Feb. 28, officials said. "Cross your fingers," said Yakout Mansour, president of the California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state power grid. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/21/MN7G1GTAGE.DTL&type=printable Fuel Cells Popping Up In California. An office park in Alhambra is about to start drawing a quarter of its electricity from the devices. It joins commercial properties in more than 40 cities statewide. Behind a chain-link fence next to a parking structure at an office park in the San Gabriel Valley sit five softly humming gray boxes that could change the way homes and offices are powered. On Tuesday, the boxes — each somewhat bigger than an SUV — will begin generating enough electricity to power about a quarter of the complex, saving the property owner about $500,000 a year in electricity bills. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fi-bloom-box-20101221,0,2576333.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews+%28L.A.+Times+-+Top+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Wind Energy Company Moving Headquarters To KC. A California-based wind turbine manufacturer is moving its headquarters and production operations to a site in Kansas City International Airport, where the company plans to create more than 200 new jobs over the next six years. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon hailed Nordic Windpower USA as the type technology company his administration has been working to bring to the state. His administration approved $5.6 million in incentives for the company to make the move. Posted. http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California/MO_Wind_Energy_Missouri_Incentives_545711C.shtml VEHICLES Long-Gone Madera Co. Town Begins High-Speed Rail Line. Madera -- When the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced that it wanted to start building its future 800-mile train system near Borden, a cry arose across the state: "Where the heck is Borden?" It's a fair question, said Fermin Huarte. "I think I'm probably one of the few people around here who even realize where Borden is," said Huarte, 77, who lives about a half-mile from where the town once thrived -- west of Highway 99 and north of Avenue 12. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/12/20/2205511/long-gone-madera-co-town-named.html California To Spend Another $1.2 Billion To Extend First Leg Of High-Speed Rail. After coming under attack for approving a multibillion-dollar "train to nowhere," California will spend another $1.2 billion to bring the line closer to "somewhere," that is, from the outskirts of Fresno to an area near Bakersfield. The California High-Speed Rail Authority board voted unanimously Monday to extend construction of the first segment of track across as many as 120 miles in the Central Valley at a cost of up to $5.5 billion. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16908398?source=rss&nclick_check=1 GMC Shows Heavy-Duty Off-Road Pickup Concept. General Motors is showcasing a new heavy-duty off-road concept pickup aimed at commercial users and consumers alike who operate their vehicles in rougher-than-normal terrain. The GMC Sierra All Terrain HD concept is an exploration of heavy-duty truck capability combined with greater off-road versatility, GM said. The concept features a modified, production-based 4WD chassis and the Sierra’s Duramax diesel/Allison 1000 six-speed powertrain. Posted. http://fleetowner.com/management/news/gmc-heavy-duty-off-road-pickup-1221/ Next Jeep Compass Could Get Diesel Power. Jeep‘s entry-level Compass model could get a diesel powerplant when the current soft-roader is replaced with an all-new model in 2013. According to officials at Chrysler, the replacement vehicle for both the Compass and Patriot could get an oil-burner which would be sourced from Chrysler’s new Italian owners at Fiat. Currently the Compass is sold with a diesel engine in other markets, although that powerplant is made by Mercedes-Benz, making 164-hp and 236 ft-lbs of torque while getting 43-mpg. Posted.http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2010/12/next-jeep-compass-could-get-diesel-power.html All-Electric Trash Truck Cleans Up a Dirty Job. The makers of a new all-electric trash truck soon to be plying the streets of a Paris suburb promise that the only fumes coming from the truck will involve rotten fruit and expired cheese, not clouds of diesel exhaust. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/all-electric-trash-truck-cleans-up-a-dirty-job/ MISCELLANEOUS Californians Continue To Kick The Cigarette Habit. The state's percentage of smokers drops faster than the national average. Gender, income and other factors affect results. The percentage of California adults who smoke has continued to drop more than the national average, according to new data released Monday by state health officials. Still, deep disparities exist depending on gender, education, income, ethnicity and region. Overall, Californians remain significantly less likely to smoke than people in the rest of the country, with 13.1% of adults surveyed statewide saying they smoked last year compared with 21% of adults nationwide. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-smoking-20101221,0,5647414.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Flocal+%28L.A.+Times+-+California+|+Local+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader OPINION An Air Of Unfairness. Thumb down. Some trucking company operators are fuming over the state Air Resources Board decision Friday to delay by four years a $5.5 billion rule requiring the companies to clean up their rigs. The recession, which hit truckers just as hard as everybody else, is the reason for considering the delay. But there are understandable complaints by some that the state keeps changing the rules and that those who already have sunk money into meeting the new standards and the current compliance deadline are being put at a competitive disadvantage to the foot draggers. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101221/A_OPINION01/12210306/-1/A_OPINION Wallets To Get Leaner On Too Much CARB. The California Air Resources Board did what Congress, the United Nations and President Barack Obama failed to do: approve a cap-and-trade scheme to curb greenhouse gas emissions that may well deliver a near-lethal blow to commerce and economic freedoms. Even advocates concede that, if fully implemented, the new Draconian controls won't turn the global thermostat down a fraction of a degree, which ostensibly is why they are needed. That's especially true considering China and India alone plan to increase emissions more than California will reduce. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/california-281056-emissions-new.html Why Cancun Trumped Copenhagen: Warmer Relations On Rising Temperatures. The climate change talks in Cancun, Mexico, didn’t solve all the world’s climate problems. But they were hugely successful. Through the Cancun Agreements, 194 countries reached landmark consensus (even the US and China) to set emissions targets and limit global temperature increases. http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/1220/Why-Cancun-trumped-Copenhagen-Warmer-relations-on-rising-temperatures ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:21:23 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 22, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 22, 2010. 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 EPA Sends Updated Carbon Monoxide Standard To White House. U.S. EPA has sent the White House Office of Management and Budget a proposed update to the national air quality standards for carbon monoxide, signaling that the agency is just about ready to come out with a draft rule. EPA is under a court-ordered deadline to decide whether to change the limits on ambient levels of carbon monoxide (CO), a chemical that is best known for its deadly effects indoors but is also linked to public health impacts in the outdoor environment. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/21/3 CLIMATE CHANGE Cap-and-Trade Rules: Hold the Applause. There has been a lot of cheering over the Dec. 16 decision by the California Air Resources Board to adopt rules setting up the nation’s first cap-and-trade system for reducing carbon emissions. While the regulations represent an important first step and contain several positive elements, their flaws are serious and shouldn’t be ignored. As the regulations now stand, their ultimate result could be a massive giveaway to the state’s biggest polluters. Posted. http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/?q=print/8502 EPA To Double Down On Climate. The Obama administration is expected to roll out a major greenhouse gas policy for power plants and refineries as soon as Wednesday, signaling it won’t back off its push to fight climate change in the face of mounting opposition on Capitol Hill. The Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to a schedule for setting greenhouse gas emission limits, known as “performance standards,” for the nation’s two biggest carbon-emitting industries, POLITICO has learned. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=0B6F4294-B06E-28EB-6F698FE46275EDF2 EPA Girds For Texas Permitting Takeover. U.S. EPA is a day away from seizing control of a Texas program that issues air pollution permits to power plants, refineries and other large sources of greenhouse gases, the agency said yesterday in a final warning to state officials. If the Obama administration proceeds with the takeover -- a rare occurrence in the 40-year history of the Clean Air Act -- it would be the most dramatic step in EPA's feud with Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and his appointees, who have fought federal climate rules in court and have refused to limit the amount of planet-warming emissions released by Texas businesses. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/22/1 GREEN ENERGY Nordic Windpower Leaving California. Nordic Windpower, a Berkeley-based wind turbine manufacturer that is currently spread among three locations, announced Tuesday that it is leaving California and moving to Kansas City. The small company, which makes large two-bladed wind turbines, has 50 employees. Ten work in Berkeley; the others work at an assembly facility in Idaho and a technology office in the United Kingdom. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_16913416?source=rss Audit: Calif. Agencies Overstate Stimulus Jobs. Sacramento, Calif.—A state audit on Tuesday found that some California agencies inflated the number of jobs created by the federal stimulus program. In a sampling of five state agencies, the California State Auditor found that two overstated the number of jobs by 617 positions. For example, the Water Resources Control Board did not follow guidelines and triple-counted the number of jobs created with the money. It ended up overstating the number of jobs by 71. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16914453?nclick_check=1 'Energy Independence' Bill Alt-Fuel, Vehicles Measures. Two House members have introduced legislation that aims to reduce domestic oil imports by supporting a range of alternatives including biofuels, electric vehicles, rail transport, and heating oil and propane conservation measures. The bill, presented by Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Mike Castle (R-Del.) and called the "Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act of 2010," corresponds to a Senate-proposed measure of the same name that was introduced in July by Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Tom Carper of Delaware and Tom Udall of New Mexico (E&E Daily, July 16). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/22/6 VEHICLES UC Davis Professor Is Charged Up Over His New Chevy Volt. For Andrew Frank, his new Chevrolet Volt is literally the car of his dreams. The University of California, Davis, engineering professor is often considered "the father of plug-in hybrid vehicles," a field that is entering into the mass marketing stage with this month's rollout of the new Volt. "I've been working on this idea for 30 years," said Frank, as he handled his new car's plug-in cords like a proud father. "This is kind of like a culmination of all my work." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/22/v-print/3274808/uc-davis-professor-is-charged.html BYD To Expand Electric Bus Production. Chinese carmaker BYD Co. Ltd. will expand into green buses next year. Spokesman Paul Lin said the company already has two electric buses running in China and is in talks to send more to Hong Kong, Europe and the United States. The buses are made at a plant in Changsha that can produce about 1,000 buses a year. The company has already promised 500 buses each to Shenzhen and Changsha, though Lin said the company hopes to secure more contracts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/22/9 An Electric Vehicle For The Frugal. A company based in Salinas, Calif., is working on a gasless electric vehicle that's more wallet-friendly than its rivals in the market. The Triac car is the product of Green Vehicles, a company started in 2007 by Mike Ryan, who had just earned computer science and electrical engineering degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and Ehab Youssef, an intellectual property lawyer. The $25,000 auto is "centered around what we call the Green Core," Ryan said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/12/21/8 Oil-Absorbing Boom To Be Remade Into Volt Parts. Plastic boom materials used in the cleanup of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill will be recycled for parts in the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car. General Motors Co. announced it will use 100,000 pounds of plastic resin from the booms for vehicle components. The parts, which are used to deflect air around the vehicle's radiator, also contain 25 percent recycled tires from another GM plant. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/12/21/21 OPINION Rodents Foretell A Brutal Winter, Climate Change. In the waning days of summer, I noticed some shredded newspaper on the floor of the shed where I keep gardening tools. It was impossible to miss the tiny tears when I opened the door and daylight flooded the dark space. The rodent-like vandalism hadn't happened last year when I moved into the bungalow. The roof of the shed was leaking in 2009, and until I made the badly needed repairs the shed smelled of cold, rotting, damp wood. But it has stayed clean and dry since, making it more inviting for critters seeking shelter. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/22/v-print/3275355/rodents-foretell-a-brutal-winter.html A Clean New Year As Potrero Hill Power Plant Shuts. San Francisco will be ringing in the New Year with a new and far cleaner chapter in the city's environmental history. State officials have given notice to the city's last fossil-fuel power plant, currently operating in Potrero Hill. The plant, one of the dirtiest in California, will be terminated on Jan. 1. It's hard to overstate either the importance of this event, or the torture of the journey it took for San Francisco to get to this place. During its decades of operation, it burned both diesel and natural gas, right in spitting distance of a densely packed residential neighborhood. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/21/EDEK1GTQBJ.DTL#ixzz18s0i0Yvk BLOGS Alternative mobility tops list of 2011 green trends. Luxury green vehicles and alternative mobility, such as peer-to-peer car-sharing, top the list of "Green Things to Watch in 2011," a new report from the global market research firm JWT. "A lot of people have been wondering if the recession hurt the momentum of the green movement, but it is still very much alive," said Ann Mack, director of trend spotting for JWT, a New York firm that counts Ford Motor Co. and Microsoft among its clients. More luxury green vehicles will enter the marketplace, following a trail blazed by San Francisco electric sports-car maker Tesla, the report said. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/2011-green-trends.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Seeking a Meaningful Price on Carbon. One month ago, Wesleyan University hosted a weekend conference called “Pricing Carbon.” It was a revival meeting of sorts, bringing together about 500 economists, campaigners, scientists, students and lawmakers seeking, despite recent setbacks, to apply the age-old “polluter pays” principle to carbon. A prime goal of many attendees, from carbon campaigners Charles Komanoff and Peter Barnes to James Hansen of NASA, was to explore various strategies for creating a carbon tax that American consumers could accept. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/seeking-a-meaningful-price-on-carbon/?pagemode=print Congress Waddles Ahead on Cleaning Up Diesel Fuel. From our colleagues at Green: On Tuesday, presumably one of the last days of the 111th Congress, the House gave final passage to a five-year extension of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, which aims to clean up old diesel engines. The bill authorizes the $500 million in spending over the next five years, but does not actually appropriate any money; that is a battle for the next Congress. Diesels need a clean-up strategy that is different from the one used for cars. Posted. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/congress-waddles-ahead-on-cleaning-up-diesel-fuel/?scp=6&sq=environment&st=cse So Much for La Nina. Pacific Ocean conditions that often portend a dry winter sure haven't so far. Scientists like to joke that “climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.” The relatively soggy winter so far is a classic example of that. A closely-watched oscillation in the Pacific is in the La Nina phase this winter, creating colder-than-normal surface temperatures and distorting weather patterns. Usually a La Nina means drier-than-normal conditions for Southern California in particular and often for northern parts of the state as well. Not this year--at least not so far. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/21/so-much-for-la-nina/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:01:58 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newclips for December 23, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 23, 2010. 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 Air District: Think Twice About Fireplace Use During Holidays. Valley air district officials may be willing to look a bit Scrooge-like as Christmas approaches -- if it results in more breathable air in the valley. Officials with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District are urging residents to think twice about burning that traditional Yule log in their fireplace this holiday season. Consider first, they ask, the health and well-being of your neighbors. “Share the good cheer of the holidays, not wood smoke," Seyed Sadredin, the air district's executive director, said in a statement Wednesday. "The fires that seem so cozy and inviting," he added, "can actually cause your neighbors distress."Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x2146356981/Air-district-Think-twice-about-fireplace-use-during-holidays Tehama County Tractor Program Provides Benefit To Brentwood Farms. As part of a state air pollution control grant, the Tehama County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement Tuesday that would help a sixth local farmer replace an older, less efficient tractor. Brentwood Farms, of Orland, is the latest county farm to benefit from the program. The grant will reimburse $27,640 to the dairy farm for a portion of the cost of a John Deere Model 5095M diesel engine tractor that will replace an older model already in use. The Tehama County Air Pollution Control District has been soliciting applications from county farmers to replace tractors through the Carl Moyer Air Quality Attainment Standards. Posted. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_16928794 A Cell Phone That Detects Air Pollution? Berkeley high-tech company is developing a tiny sensor that could boost air quality in West Oakland. Circled by three freeways, scattered with industrial factories and a stone’s throw from one of the largest ports in the United States, West Oakland has a high pollution rate. According to a report released in 2009 by the Alameda County Public Health Department, because of their proximity to diesel emissions, the cancer risk rate for West Oakland residents is twice as high as for other people in the Bay Area, and the area has one of the highest rates of asthma hospitalization in the county. Posted. http://www.baycitizen.org/environment/story/cell-phone-detects-air-pollution/print/ CLIMATE CHANGE San Diego Blood Bank Launches Fundraising Campaign. The San Diego Blood Bank launched a $1 million fundraising campaign Wednesday to replace its fleet of 38-foot-long blood mobiles, which together collect half of the organization's donated blood. A plea from board president R. Elaine Hanson began, "The state of California recently adopted stricter anti-pollution regulations which obligate the blood bank to progressively decommission seven out of eight of its existing bloodmobiles. As a consequence, we need an extra $1 million for our bloodmobile fleet." Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/22/san-diego-blood-bank-launches-fundraising-campaign/ Can a 'Global Thermostat' Turn Climate Change Around? Global Thermostat sounds too good to be true: It's a startup company that aims to address the threat of climate change by capturing carbon dioxide from the air, and then making productive use of it. The CO2 could be used to help plants grow faster in greenhouses, as a feedstock for algae, for enhanced oil production, as an ingredient in bottling plants, as a natural refrigerant, or as a circulating fluid in a geothermal energy installation. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS307584726120101223 EPA Announces Plans To Regulate Power Plant, Oil Refinery Emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it would regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and oil refineries next year, targeting the nation's two biggest sources of carbon dioxide. The move, which comes as part of a legal settlement with several states, local governments and environmental groups which have sued EPA under the Bush administration for failing to act, highlights the Obama administration's intent to press ahead with curbs on carbon despite congressional resistance. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-23/epa-plans-modest-pace-for-setting-new-standards-on-greenhouse-gases.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-carbon/2010/12/epa_announces_plans_to_regulat.html Clean Air Standards Coming for America's Biggest Carbon Polluters. In a big step forward to protect Americans’ health and well-being, EPA is announcing today a two-year plan to set clean air standards for power plants and oil refineries, the two largest industrial sources of the dangerous pollution that drives global warming. Following on the heels of the Obama administration’s breakthrough clean car standards, EPA is now taking the next logical steps under the Clean Air Act and the Supreme Court’s landmark global warming decision in 2007. Posted. http://theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/48944/clean-air-standards-coming-americas-biggest-carbon-polluters DIESEL EMISSIONS Groups File Petition To Stop Drayage-Truck Registries. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), the New Jersey Motor Truck Association and the Port Drivers Federation 18 have jointly filed a petition with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to prohibit the formation of mandatory drayage truck registries being compiled by various ports as well as one currently used by California Air Resources Board (CARB) since 2007. Posted. http://fleetowner.com/management/news/groups-file-petition-drayage-truck-1223/ FMCSA Posts Proposed HOS Revisions. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has posted long-awaited proposed revisions to the hours of service rule. Key provisions: * Keep the 34-hour restart but require two consecutive off-duty periods from midnight to 6 a.m. in that period. * Keep the 14-hour workday but require completion of all on-duty work-related activities within 13 hours to allow for at least a one-hour break. * The agency favors cutting the daily driving limit to 10 hours but is looking for comments on whether or not to keep the 11-hour limit. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=72526 FUELS Strong Ethanol Industry An Important Step. When Mark Twain said truth is more of a stranger than fiction, he might as well have been talking about ethanol. The public discourse, which recently celebrated ethanol as a good way to create jobs and combat foreign oil dependence, now has turned negative on ethanol. Separating fact from fiction in the ethanol debate is not easy. "Food versus fuel" is a nice catch phrase, but worldwide, biofuel production accounts for less than 1 percent of total agricultural acreage. Corn ethanol refineries use only cornstarch, preserving the high quality protein for animal feed markets. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/23/EDJV1GTUN8.DTL&type=printable New Interest in Turning Gas to Diesel. Washington — Diesel and jet fuel are usually made from crude oil. But with oil prices rising even as a glut of natural gas keeps prices for that fuel extraordinarily cheap, a bit of expensive alchemy is suddenly starting to look financially appealing: turning natural gas into liquid fuels. A South African firm, Sasol, announced Monday that it would spend just over 1 billion Canadian dollars to buy a half-interest in a Canadian shale gas field, so it can explore turning natural gas into diesel and other liquids. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/24/business/energy-environment/24fuel.html?src=busln&pagewanted=print NASCAR Gives Ethanol Green Flag; Who Will Follow? When it comes to ethanol, price, fuel economy and engine performance matter to lots of American drivers. The ethanol industry fights hard to shape public opinion of the fuel, and it has now found a new way to get its message across in a partnership with NASCAR. Our series on ethanol concludes with a report from Harvest Public Media's Jessica Naudziunas on the ethanol industry's attempt to answer longtime critics of the alternative fuel. Posted. http://www.npr.org/2010/12/23/132082997/nascar-gives-ethanol-green-flag-who-will-follow Fuel Vs. Food: Ethanol Helps Boost Meat Prices. The U.S. corn crop is enormous. But about a third of it doesn't go to cereal or cows — instead, it helps run your car. To boost our use of renewable fuels, the federal government subsidizes corn-based ethanol. This has the meat and dairy industries up in arms over the high cost of their main feed. The rise of ethanol has pitted livestock producers against the oil industry.In part 2 of our ethanol series, Harvest Public Media's Kathleen Masterson reports on what supporting ethanol means for the food we eat. Posted. http://www.npr.org/2010/12/22/132082743/if-your-meat-prices-rise-you-can-blame-ethanol Milpitas Schools Receive Two Of Three Green Awards From State Architect. Milpitas Unified School District was recognized by the California Department General Services' Division of the State Architect with two statewide awards this month for boasting a nationwide achievement. Milpitas Unified won awards in two of the three categories for the first ever Grid Neutral awards for kindergarten through 12th-grade schools that have shown leadership in energy efficiency, on-site alternative energy generation and environmental responsibility. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/milpitas/ci_16922075?nclick_check=1 OPINION Robert Lawrence: CARB Diet Bad For California Economy. The California Air Resources Board adopted last week a "cap-and-trade" program, beginning in 2012, to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The regulations are based on Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, and are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. However, California's cap-and-trade program is little more than a complex tax that does not induce green energy investment and runs a serious risk of harm to California's economy. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=281411 Trapper Keepers. By Storing Carbon, Timber Companies Stand To Profit Under Cap-And-Trade. But At What Cost? When the California Air Resources Board last week approved a landmark cap-and-trade plan, it marked a monumental step in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But some unlikely critics worry that the new policy was something of a misstep. The new regulations — which fulfill the keystone aspect of A.B. 32, the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act — aim to reduce the state’s carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Posted. http://www.northcoastjournal.com/news/2010/12/23/trapper-keepers/ BLOGS Climate Change and ‘Balanced’ Coverage. Jonathan Kingston for The New York Times Steve Ryan, a physical scientist at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, checks an infrared analyzer that measures the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air in parts per million. In an article this week on the relentless rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, I outlined one of the canonical projections of climate science: if the amount of carbon dioxide doubles, the average surface temperature of the earth is likely to increase by 5 or 6 degrees Fahrenheit, a whopping change. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/climate-change-and-balanced-coverage/?pagemode=print California Leads the US in Comprehensive Climate Protection. California has long been leading the US towards environmentally sound policies, starting with air quality standards in the early 1970s. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32) established a comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve quantifiable, cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gases. 2010 was an exciting year for AB32. Oil companies tried to defeat AB32 on the ballot, but then were themselves defeated - the ballot didn’t pass. Posted. http://environmentalresearchweb.org/blog/2010/12/california-leads-the-us-in-com.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 09:59:07 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 24, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 24, 2010. 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 Please Don't Burn Wood This Weekend, Bay Area Air Quality Officials Advise. The stockings may be hung by the mantle with care, but hold off on that blazing yule log -- air quality officials are asking residents to voluntarily refrain from wood burning this weekend to prevent the need for a Spare the Air alert. Although the weather forecast for the Bay Area this weekend isn't calling for conditions that could trap smoke near the ground and result in unhealthy breathing conditions, the air district is making a pre-emptive strike in its request. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16936801?nclick_check=1 CLIMATE CHANGE Cap And Rave: Pollution Regs Fuel Cleantech. Bay Area ready to clean up. The Bay Area cleantech industry says California’s cap-and-trade program will be a boon to Bay Area cleantech companies, especially a San Francisco cluster already active in the voluntary carbon market. But just how big a boon will depend on the final structure of the system when cap and trade launches in the state in 2012. Cap and trade is a market mechanism that caps pollution and provides financial incentives to polluters to reduce emissions. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/print-edition/2010/12/24/cap-and-rave-pollution-regs-fuel.html VEHICLES California Rebates For Buying Electric Cars Could Run Out Fast. With $8 million in state coffers for the program and the Nissan Leaf now hitting the market, funds for the $5,000 rebate may be depleted by mid-2011, an electric-vehicle advocate estimates. California consumers counting on a $5,000 state rebate for purchasing an electric car may be in for a shock: The money may not be there when they go to collect. The state Air Resources Board, which is offering the program for eligible electric and other zero-emission vehicles, has $8 million in its coffers. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-autos-ev-tax-20101224,0,2332908.story How One Regulatory Proposal Could Discourage EVs. Government regulations, when done right, are supposed to either prohibit bad behavior or encourage the right ones. I came across one proposal that may have it backwards. Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration and California Air Resources Board are mulling rules that would push the average car sold to a mandated 60 miles per gallon by 2025. The green lobby is pushing to include one new rule that could discourage some of the technologies that they want to see sold in greater numbers. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat/archives/2010/12/how_one_fuel_economy_proposal_could_discourage_evs.html OPINION Energy Independence Is Patriotic. The conservatives who are bending over backward to bash American ingenuity and deride modern and green technologies are hurting our economic competitiveness. Do they want China to 'eat our lunch'? "As goes General Motors, so goes the nation." A year and a half ago, that old saying seemed ominous. GM was in bankruptcy, and our country was in the depths of the worst economic downturn since the 1930s. But for a feel-good story, it's hard to top what's happened since: Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-brune-environment-20101224,0,1008428.story?track=rss Another View: Don't Believe Hype Of E-Waste Scrap Recyclers. I suppose stranger things have happened, but those who read "Recycling group fights for more than just a pledge" (Forum, Dec. 12) would have found the president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, which is an industry association chock full of electronic waste exporters and a defender of the toxic e-waste trade, attacking the Basel Action Network, a leading e-waste watchdog group that has fought tirelessly for nine years to stop this global injustice, for not having been more diligent in catching electronic waste exporters. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/24/v-print/3279051/dont-believe-hype-of-e-waste-scrap.html Let's Have A Merry, Clean-Air Christmas. A Yule-log fire is a cozy, traditional way to enjoy Christmas celebrations and get-togethers. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is asking residents to consider another, less cheery valley tradition: fireplace soot. Residential wood burning, even at Christmas, can have a profound effect on air quality. Wood fires can release up to 24 tons per day of harmful particulate matter into the air, the agency says. Valley residents are encouraged to think of their neighbors' health first. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/editorials/x2146357099/Lets-have-a-merry-clean-air-Christmas?utm_source=widget_21&utm_medium=latest_entries_widget&utm_campaign=synapse Blood Supply Threatened by Green Extremism. This week San Diego’s non-profit blood bank announced that stricter pollution regulations will force seven of its eight bloodmobiles off the road. It says it needs to raise “an extra $1 million” to upgrade or replace what appear to be perfectly good vehicles. Blogger Sylvia Cochrane has the fully story here. The new regulations are linked to a controversial body called the California Air Resources Board. Anthony Watts, who lives in California, has written about this body over at his superblog WattsUpWithThat. Posted. http://climatechange.mensnewsdaily.com/2010/12/23/blood-supply-threatened-by-green-extremism/ BLOGS Obama Administration Files WTO Complaint Against China Over Wind Power Subsidies. The Obama administration on Wednesday backed the United Steelworkers union in its accusation that China is giving an illegal boost to wind power manufacturers there. By filing a case with the World Trade Organization, the U.S. is challenging the Asian superpower’s speedy ascent in the clean-tech and renewable energy market. The complaint concerns a Chinese government incentive program that subsidizes turbine makers. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/obama-administration-files-wto-complaint-against-china-over-wind-power-subsidies.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:04:31 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 27, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 27, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change Effects Vary Widely Between Rich And Poor Countries. Cancun, Mexico -- When Ulamila Kurai Wragg visited New York in 2009 to speak about the frightening climatic changes taking place in the Cook Islands, some audience members stunned her. "I was hearing, 'There's no such thing as climate change. What proof have you got?' “Wragg recalled.”The experience I had in New York was not easy to forget," said the member of the Cook Islands delegation to this month's United Nations climate summit in Cancun. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_16947877?nclick_check=1 Obama Pushed To Deliver On Climate. Jan. 2 isn’t just your ordinary Sunday. It’s the day the Obama administration will officially start regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and critics have issued dire predictions of economic destruction. With all the fiery rhetoric about how damaging the regulations could be, the White House is under pressure to fulfill its pledge to tackle climate change while avoiding the appearance that it’s hindering job growth. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=1605B4EB-F1E3-E75E-65B79621A5229A0A Next Year Offers Little Cheer for Those Battling Climate Change. Austin, Texas - For advocates of action to prevent climate change, 2010 was mostly a year to forget. It began with gloom, after the collapse of the Copenhagen climate meetings in December 2009. The mood darkened further as it became clear that cap-and-trade legislation to combat greenhouse gas emissions would not pass the U.S. Congress. A sliver of hope came from a modest agreement at climate meetings in Cancún, Mexico, earlier this month, on a more solid multinational commitment to finding ways to cut emissions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/business/energy-environment/27green.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print GREEN ENERGY State Mandate Will Power Green Job Growth, But Not In Sacramento. A new state mandate requiring utilities to buy more of their power from environmentally friendly sources is transforming communities around California with new solar farms, wind farms and geothermal projects. But in Sacramento, the local utility is already so "green" that it has met state requirements to use renewable power sources. The potentially unfortunate result: Sacramento lacks a major driver for the kinds of jobs springing up elsewhere. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/26/v-print/3278901/state-mandate-will-power-green.html Dangerous Patriot Games for Renewable Energy. Have you heard about China's secret plan to build itself a shield against climate change while everyone else roasts? Neither have we. But national rivalry always lurks around an industry as dependent on government support as renewable energy. Just before Christmas, egged on by the United Steelworkers, the U.S. Trade Representative said China's subsidies to its wind power firms blocked American competitors like General Electric. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203731004576045733497760812.html Greener Refrigerator Set To Enter U.S. Market In 2011. Greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide may not get as much global attention, but policymakers and business leaders view curbing these emissions as a way that nations can shrink their carbon footprints. Refrigerators have a role in this story. For decades, Americans have known only two types of household refrigerators: the pre-1996 fridge that uses an ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerant - commonly known by its trademark name, Freon - and the subsequent models that use the global-warming refrigerant called hydrofluorocarbon (HFC). Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/26/AR2010122602479_pf.html On The Greenbeat: California Electric Car Rebates Could Run Dry; Carsharing Catches On With Major Automakers. Here’s the latest action we’re following on the GreenBeat today: California’s electric car rebates could run out — The state fund that pays $5,000 rebate California offers for zero-emission cars is currently funded with $8 million, enough to pay out 1,600 car buyers. But the amount of money available doesn’t match the pace of electric car rollouts, and would likely run out by mid-2011, according to advocacy group Plug In America, the Los Angeles Times reports. Posted. http://venturebeat.com/2010/12/27/on-the-greenbeat-california-electric-car-rebates-could-run-dry-carsharing-catches-on-with-major-automakers/ MISCELLANEOUS California To Rewrite Toxic-Chemical Regulations. California will take another stab at writing regulations that limit the toxic chemicals in consumer products after too many people said the rules weren't strict enough. The state's Department of Toxic Substances Control will miss a deadline Sunday to approve the new regulations, designed to remove harmful chemicals from toys, makeup, household cleaners and other products. California's regulations could eventually influence how other states govern such chemicals. “Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/26/BA201GVJFU.DTL&type=printable OPINION Failure To Act Led To New Carbon Regs. Unless and until Congress crafts legislation setting out a sound national policy to address our energy future as well as global climate change, it should not bar the Environmental Protection Agency from using its existing authority to require large new sources of greenhouse gases to install the best available control technology at the time they are constructed. The source of EPA's authority — indeed in the view of the Supreme Court, its mandate to deal with greenhouse gases — is the Clean Air Act of 1970. Congress made significant midcourse corrections to it in 1977 and then again in 1990. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/26/v-print/3281787/failure-to-act-led-to-new-carbon.html Climate Change Optimism. This editorial appeared in the Baltimore Sun on Thursday, Dec. 23: The best news to be found on the climate change front this month was a report that the polar bear, a threatened species that has come to symbolize the dangers of global warming, may yet be saved - if greenhouse emissions are reduced over the next two decades. Unfortunately, that's a big "if." International climate talks that ended early this month in Cancun, Mexico, produced no legally binding agreement. They weren't expected to - nor is the stalemate expected to break in the near future. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/27/v-print/3283041/climate-change-optimism.html Diesel Nudge. Cleaning California's air at the cost of commercial devastation would be a Pyrrhic victory at best. Delaying some diesel emissions rules shows a recognition that the state economy has tanked. But air quality regulators should beware of easing rules further: California will never meet clean up its unhealthy air without cracking down on diesel pollution. The state Air Resources Board last week pushed back deadlines for new pollution rules covering diesel-powered trucks, buses and construction equipment. The board adopted regulations in 2007 and 2008 governing those vehicles. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_27_ed_dieselrules.109d37.html BLOGS Out With the E-Waste, in With the … Recycling cellphones, computers and other electronic waste can be a challenge, as my colleague Elisabeth Rosenthal has observed on this blog. But next month, the Lower East Side Ecology Center in New York City plans 10 e-waste recycling events throughout the boroughs at which any type of working or nonworking computers, televisions, DVD players, phones and other gadgets and audiovisual equipment will be accepted from both households and small businesses. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/ Wintry Weather and Global Warming. Here was the scene out our back door here in the highlands of the Hudson River Valley early Monday morning: Countless similar scenes have been recorded early in the Northern Hemisphere winter across western Europe and big swathes of the United States. So it wasn’t surprising to read the takeaway line in an op-ed article over the weekend by Judah Cohen, a commercial weather analyst, on the seeming paradox of unusually wintry winters in many populous parts of the Northern Hemisphere even as the world warms: It’s all a snow job by nature. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/wintry-weather-and-global-warming/?partner=rss&emc=rss When Clean Energy Is Not So Clean. The Environmental Protection Agency’s move to regulate greenhouse gas emissions should be a boon to so-called “clean energy.” But as examples from Colorado to California to upstate New York illustrate, the real definition of clean energy is hard to come by. And limiting greenhouse gas emissions could lead to a host of other environmental issues. The latest example, pointed out by the New York Times this morning, is a controversy in Colorado over processing uranium for nuclear reactors. Posted. http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/daily-brief/2010/12/27/when-clean-energy-is-not-so-clean#ixzz19L5IOK3h ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:21:52 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- **ADDENDUM** ITEMS Newsclips for December 27, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ADDENDUM ITEMS TO Newsclips for December 27, 2010. ADDENDUM SMUD Officials Back Policy Review. Thank you for the editorial, "Lead the world? Yes, but do it wisely." The piece raised a meaningful call for policy alignment and balanced implementation. It is important that California approach cap and trade thoughtfully. As a society, we are in a transition to a low-carbon future, with the emphasis on transition. As in any important transition, long-term, sustainable success comes from balancing priorities, which in this case include both economic and environmental well-being. We too are looking forward to clarification on the regulations that will govern how we deal with CO 2 emissions in the future. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/26/3280324/letters-to-the-editor.html#ixzz19Lh7SztJ Why The Late Reassessment? Re “Lead the world? Yes, but do it wisely" (Opinion, Dec. 19): The editorial board suggests that Gov.-elect Jerry Brown convene an independent review of the state's climate strategy because there are serious risks in a "go-it-alone" mode. We agree. But why didn't you say this months ago? The facts haven't changed. We've known for nearly a year that California is in go-it-alone mode with federal climate legislation dead and the Western states not ready to adopt cap and trade. Yet as recently as Sept. 26, regarding the ballot measure to suspend AB 32, you dismissed the problem of higher costs on industries, noting only that it will "give them an incentive to be more efficient." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/26/3280324/letters-to-the-editor.html#ixzz19LgpNGdM Raise Sales Tax On Fuel. The Bee's editorial seeks "cheaper, less convoluted and more enforceable ways to reduce emissions." While I myself would prefer our leaders to wait for scientific proof that CO 2 emissions are a major cause of global warming before acting, there is a very simple way to reduce carbon emissions: raise sales taxes on fuels. This would accomplish the same effect as cap and trade, at lower costs because it would not need any new bureaucracy, it would avoid the opportunities for corruption that would inevitably be involved in the administration of cap and trade, and it would avoid pumping millions more tax dollars into the coffers of those who already profit so handsomely from the murky carbon credit business. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/26/3280324/letters-to-the-editor.html#ixzz19LgZ5RSL ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2010 11:31:43 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 28, 2010 From: rblake@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 28, 2010. 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 Mary Nichols Hopes to Carry on at California Air Resources Board. In 1979, Gov. Jerry Brown tapped Mary Nichols, then an up-and-coming environmental lawyer, to lead the state's top clean air agency. Decades later, Brown is widely expected to reappoint Nichols as chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board as he pushes ahead with the state's landmark greenhouse gas reduction policy. "There is so much at stake in California in terms of climate change and energy policy, and there is so much need for continuity," said Mark Baldassare, president of the Public Policy Institute of California. "Mary is someone who is very knowledgeable about the issues and who is committed to carry out those policies." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/28/3284071/mary-nichols-hopes-to-carry-on.html#ixzz19QXvFxHv Ranchers, Pecan Growers and Experts Say Coal-Fired Power Plant Emissions Killing Texas Trees. Along a stretch of Highway 21, in Texas' pastoral Hill Country, is a vegetative wasteland. Trees are barren, or covered in gray, dying foliage and peeling bark. Fallen, dead limbs litter the ground where pecan growers and ranchers have watched trees die slow, agonizing deaths. Visible above the horizon is what many plant specialists, environmentalists and scientists believe to be the culprit: the Fayette Power Project — a coal-fired power plant for nearly 30 years has operated mostly without equipment designed to decrease emissions of sulfur dioxide, a component of acid rain. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-vegetative-wasteland,0,4272967.story CLIMATE CHANGE Can Carbon Emissions Markets Accelerate Smart Grid Progress? The California Air Resources Board (ARB) recently initiated rule making for the state’s cap and trade regulation as part of AB 32, and it’s an important tactic towards reducing California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The first step to reduce the state’s GHG emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020, and then an additional 80% reduction target by 2050. Other tactics include standards for cleaner vehicles, low-carbon fuels, renewable electricity and energy efficiency, and the state’s big three investor-owned utilities (IOUs), Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison have already been building the percentages of electricity supplied by renewable energy sources. Posted. http://theenergycollective.com/christine-hertzog/49025/can-carbon-emissions-markets-accelerate-smart-grid-progress GREEN ENERGY Electric Car Rebates Running Low. In California, buying an electric car or zero-emissions vehicle means you may also qualify for a $5,000 rebate. It's a major incentive in the state's push to go green, but there might not be enough money to go around, the Los Angeles Times reports. The state Air Resources Board has $8 million dollars for the program, which is enough for 1,600 car buyers. But Jay Friedland, legislative director of Plug In America, doesn't think that will be enough. "There's likely to be more than that sold before July," he told the Times. "We believe the rebates will run out." Posted. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/green/Electric-Car-Rebates-Running-Low-112525389.html SM To Consider Wind, Solar Energy. Santa Maria will explore the possibility of harnessing energy from the sun and the wind. An upcoming feasibility study will present practical and cost-effective scenarios for alternative energy production on city property for future City Council consideration, according to the Santa Maria’s top utilities official. Wind and solar facilities could be located at the municipal wastewater treatment plant, city landfill, or other civic-owned properties, Utilities Director Rick Sweet said in a Dec. 9 report to the City Council. Posted. http://www.lompocrecord.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_8ebb9f0a-1259-11e0-8f24-001cc4c002e0.html A Renewable Market: Giant Machines Generating Green Energy. A longtime Santa Maria manufacturer that built its reputation serving the oil and gas industry is getting a big boost from renewable energy. Atlas Copco Mafi-Trench Co., better known as Mafi-Trench in the region, builds turboexpanders — huge machines that use the differences in heat and pressure among gasses to spin a turbine. That spinning can power the processes used to refine natural gas and other chemicals or, in the case of geothermal power, generate electricity. Posted. http://pacbiztimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2070&Itemid=1 How to Grow Green Jobs – Business 101. In his recent feature story for the Washington Post, “Retrained for green jobs, but still waiting on work,” Michael A. Fletcher implies that there’s no future in green jobs because a few people in Florida can’t find them. But if you look at other parts of the country and across the world, it’s evident that green jobs are, in fact, growing. The answer to green jobs is Business 101. Just like any other industry, businesses in the clean energy sector need more customers before they can hire more workers. Clean energy businesses are finding customers in California and New England, and also abroad across Europe, China and Brazil where a commitment to reducing carbon air pollution is strong and growing. Posted. http://www.favstocks.com/how-to-grow-green-jobs-%E2%80%93-business-101/2730475/ OPINION Opinion: U.S. Should Lead On Transportation, Not Be Playing Catch Up. The modern assembly line, telephone, polio vaccine, airplane, air conditioning, breakfast cereal, shopping cart, integrated circuit, solar cell and more: American inventions all. America has a long, proud history of changing the world, making it better, leading the way with epic efforts. But that is no longer the case with transportation and, most notably, with high-speed rail. At the seventh World Congress on High-Speed Rail held in Beijing this month, thousands of national transportation officials from around the world shared successes. More than 30 functioning high-speed lines and another 30 in construction were represented, including every industrialized country in the world -- except the U.S. Could we really be the only one right in continuing to rely primarily on petroleum-powered planes and cars? Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_16945394?nclick_check=1 Editorial: New Nuclear Power Is Vital To Nation's Future. IN AMERICA'S effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease our dependence on imported oil and move toward energy independence, no new clean technology should be ignored. Solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, clean coal and eventually fusion sources of energy must be pursued. All of the above are either in the beginning stages of development or are unlikely to produce major quantities of energy for many years. However, there is one available source of energy that shows considerable promise in producing large amounts of electric power in a relatively short time. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_16952183 Editorial: EPA Blows Off Congress, Voters. After his climate agenda was dealt a major setback by Republican victories in November, President Barack Obama said, "Cap-and-trade was just one way of skinning the cat; it was not the only way." Now his administration has announced its intention to skin the cat another way, despite questionable underlying science and certain economic harm. Legislative efforts to impose costly cap-and-trade restrictions on greenhouse gases, ostensibly to curb global warming, already had ground to a halt in the Democratic-controlled Congress before November's balloting. After the election, the president acknowledged his preferred method to reduce emissions would be dead on arrival in the new Congress, where Republicans will have control of the House and have picked up six seats in the Senate. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/regulations-281791-congress-epa.html Larry Bell: Climate Change: Hot Sensations vs. Cold Facts. As 2010 draws to a close, do you remember hearing any good news from the mainstream media about climate? Like maybe a headline proclaiming "Record Low 2009 and 2010 Cyclonic Activity Reported: Global Warming Theorists Perplexed"? Or "NASA Studies Report Oceans Entering New Cooling Phase: Alarmists Fear Climate Science Budgets in Peril"? Or even anything bad that isn't blamed on anthropogenic (man-made) global warming--of course other than what is attributed to George W. Bush? (Conveniently, the term "AGW" covers both.) Remember all the media brouhaha about global warming causing hurricanes that commenced following the devastating U.S. 2004 season? Opportunities to capitalize on those disasters were certainly not lost on some U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change officials. Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/warming-281849-global-sea.html EDITORIAL: California's 'Cap-And-Trade' Escapade. The fact that the lame-duck Congress balked at endorsing "cap-and-trade" legislation didn't deter California from approving its own version of the extreme green scheme for restricting industrial emissions. The move bolsters the state's reputation as the left coast's home for ideas out of left field. Soon Americans will witness what happens when global-warming hysteria worsens an already sick economy. California's Air Resources Board approved a cap-and-trade system on Dec. 16 that covers 360 businesses at 600 locations statewide. In its first phase, starting in 2012, electric utilities and other large manufacturers will receive free permits allowing emissions at their current levels. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/27/californias-cap-and-trade-escapade/ EDITORIAL: Bloodmobiles Targeted By Climate Crazies. The San Diego Blood Bank is scrambling this holiday season to raise big bucks to replace its fleet of bloodmobiles. There's nothing wrong with these life-saving vehicles - unless you're one of the eco-extremists at the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This state equivalent of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved an "On-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles" rule designed to force businesses to "retrofit" or replace all of its engines to a 2010 model-year equivalent within the next few years. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/27/bloodmobiles-targeted-by-climate-crazies/ BLOGS Global Warming: Farmers Will Need to Adapt to Changing Climates—but They've Done So in the Past. Of all the projected impacts of climate change, the scariest one in a world is the effect warming could have on our ability to feed ourselves. Scientists have looked at the impact of major heat waves in the past, and have found that such abnormally hot weather tends to hurt agriculture, with maize productivity levels falling by more than 30% in Italy during the blistering summer of 2003. A study from last year predicted that there was more than a 90% chance that average growing-season temperatures by the end of the century would be hotter than the most extreme levels seen in the past—and that such hot weather could wilt out crops. Posted. http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/12/27/global-warming-farmers-will-need-to-adapt-to-changing-climates%e2%80%94but-theyve-already-done-so/#ixzz19Qh4cmn4 ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:35:19 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 29, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 29, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE Solano County Plan Focuses On Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Doing its part to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Solano County has drafted an action plan, which is up for review by the public. The plan recommends 31 measures and 94 implementing actions that the county can take to reduce both emissions and communitywide contributions to global climate change. Solano County's Draft Climate Action Plan and the study of environmental impact is available for public review for 45 days. The goal of the draft, according to staff, is to reduce unincorporated Solano County's greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below 2005 emission levels by the year 2020. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_16964047?nclick_check=1 GREEN ENERGY Redwood City among Bay Area Cities to Participate in Regional Bicycle-Sharing Pilot Program. Roughly a year from now, 100 bicycles are expected to be placed throughout downtown Redwood City for people to rent and ride as part of a $7 million regional bike-sharing pilot program. The bicycles will be available at hubs including the Redwood City Caltrain station, according to the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. The bulk of the funding for the program is coming from a $4.29 million grant issued by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which is supporting the initiative because of its potential to reduce climate change. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_16961253 OPINION Global Warming Grinch. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez's bizarre warning to Santa about the North Pole. Two days before Christmas, Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey sent a bizarre open letter to the North Pole to warn Santa about the "dramatic melting of the Arctic sea ice" due to the effects of carbon emissions. "I am worried about your safety and your ability to deliver billions of Christmas gifts if the ice cap on the North Pole no longer stays frozen all year," the senator wrote. " Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203513204576047942299675336.html Note To Global Warmers; It's Winter, Snow Happens. Those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest know that every year about this time, the temperature drops and snow falls from the sky. We know this time as "winter", and so far it has happened every year in recent memory. Some winters are colder than others, and some winters have more snowfall than others. We accept that here. It's called "life", and we deal with it. But to some, this annual phenomenon is caused by something sinister, and it must be dealt with. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-spokane/note-to-global-warmers-it-s-winter-snow-happens SINGER: No Proof Man Causes Global Warming. International climate negotiations collapsed in December 2009 in Copenhagen (soon dubbed "Flopnhagen") - and the just-completed round in Cancun, Mexico, achieved little. Basically, the public no longer trusts the science being dispensed by the United Nations. Also, major developing countries, including China and India, refuse to sacrifice economic growth for an uncertain goal. Yet, in most policy discussions- and in Al Gore's movie - it is still assumed, without question, that the warming trend, since about 1900, is human-caused. But there is no good evidence to support this belief except constant repetition of the mantra "The science is settled." Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/28/no-proof-man-causes-global-warming/ EDITORIAL: California's 'Cap-And-Trade' Escapade. Golden State pushes climate change over business climate. The fact that the lame-duck Congress balked at endorsing "cap-and-trade" legislation didn't deter California from approving its own version of the extreme green scheme for restricting industrial emissions. The move bolsters the state's reputation as the left coast's home for ideas out of left field. Soon Americans will witness what happens when global-warming hysteria worsens an already sick economy. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/27/californias-cap-and-trade-escapade/print/ BLOGS Ford to Install Engine Start-Stop Technology on Gasoline-Powered Cars. Traffic jams could start to get quieter in 2012 when Ford begins to install its Auto Start-Stop technology on gasoline-powered cars sold in North America. The technology, currently used on hybrid Ford vehicles, cuts off the engine when a car is stopped at a traffic light and switches it back on when the driver’s foot leaves the brake pedal. Ford says Auto Start-Stop will improve fuel economy of conventional cars between four and 10 percent. And engine shutoffs will result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2010/12/29/ford-to-install-engine-start-stop-technology-on-gasoline-powered-cars/ House Energy Chair Upton Calls EPA Climate Change Plan 'Unconstitutional Power Grab'. In an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, the incoming House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) teamed up with Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, to write that the Environmental Protection Agency's plan to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases "represents an unconstitutional power grab that will kill millions of jobs -- unless Congress steps in. Posted. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-carbon/2010/12/house_energy_chair_upton_calls.html The Nissan Leaf Breezes Into Carlsbad. A local family gets a special opportunity to test-drive the all-electric car, which is not yet available at dealerships. A Carlsbad family had a unique chance to test-drive a very modern car recently—the Nissan LEAF. At the Tamarack beach parking lot, Darren Lister told Patch that the LEAF acronym stands for the "leading, environmentally friendly, affordable family car." It's a completely electric car, which, of course, has no gas tank. Its batteries are charged through a port built in to the nose of the car. Posted. http://carlsbad.patch.com/articles/the-nissan-leaf-breezes-into-carlsbad Broken Glass and Dust Provide Insights to Climate Change. Our future climate may be revealed in the way a drinking glass shatters. At least, according to research by National Center for Atmospheric Research scientist Jasper Kok. Analyzing the patterns of broken glass help revel similar patterns in the fragmentation of dust particles -- and its these dust particles in our atmosphere that play a big role in the planet's climate. Watching how dust fragments could lead to better weather forecasting and clearer understanding of long-term climate change. Posted. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/broken-glass-and-dust-provide-insights-to-climate-change.php ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:39:35 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 30, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 30, 2010. 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 Union Sues to Block 100 New Jobs for Central Valley. Construction of a 500,000 square foot distribution center in Visalia should be stopped because the company planning it as well as the city of Visalia have violated state environmental and public health laws says Teamsters Joint Council 7 in a lawsuit filed Wednesday. VWR International LLC of West Chester, Pa., which sells medical lab materials, announced the warehouse, its second in California, in August. It will be nearly twice as large as the other California facility, which is in the Bay Area city of Brisbane. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=17233 New Law Will Require Carbon Monoxide Detectors. If you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector in your home, this may be the last winter you can make that choice without committing a crime. A state law designed to prevent carbon monoxide casualties – like the recent deaths of a Mount Shasta retiree and Castella father and daughter – requires many Californians to install the detectors by this summer. The law applies to homes with a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace or an attached garage. Owners of single family homes must install the devices by July 1, 2011. Posted. http://www.mtshastanews.com/features/x9843289/New-law-will-require-carbon-monoxide-detectors CLIMATE CHANGE Obama Supporting EPA Carbon Permit Requirement In Spite Of Strained Economy. Obama couldn’t get his cap and trade agenda through Congress, so he is taking a backdoor approach instead. The Environmental Protection Agency has been given permission to require companies to purchase a permit, or pay a tax, for releasing greenhouse gases into the air, according to a www.foxnews.com article on Tuesday. January 2nd is the target date for what environmental scientist Ken Green of the conservative American Enterprise Institute refers to as, “Job killers. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/christianity-politics-in-national/obama-supporting-epa-carbon-permit-requirement-spite-of-strained-economy Massachusetts Sets Targets to Slash Carbon Emissions. Massachusetts officials on Wednesday announced a plan to curb heat-trapping gases emitted by homes, cars and businesses in the state by 25 percent below 1990 levels over the next decade. The targets set by the plan are the highest allowed under climate legislation passed by the state in 2008 and among the most stringent in the nation, placing Massachusetts in the company of California, New Mexico and other states that have taken strong action to address global warming. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/science/earth/30climate.html?_r=1&ref=us&pagewanted=print GREEN ENERGY Utilities Seek Fresh Talent for Smart Grids. Granville, Ohio — Speaking to a classroom of seventh and eighth graders at the middle school here, Lisa Magnuson shared a popular dictum from the power industry: if Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, could see how his technology had evolved over the last century, how would he react? “He’d be amazed,” offered one student, mentioning that his cellphone can play music, display movies and send text messages. And if Thomas Edison, the pioneer of power distribution, were to return? Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/business/energy-environment/30utility.html?sq=climate change&st=cse&scp=6&pagewanted=print When Homeowners Can Profit from Solar Power, We'll all Win. The stock and real estate markets may be iffy, but there is one thing you can bank on in 2011: The sun will shine. And in the Coachella Valley, the sun will shine a whole lot! Our bright sunny winters are the lifeblood of the valley's tourism. But today, abundant sunlight also translates into a marketable commodity: renewable energy. Per state law, California utilities are obligated to increase the amount of renewably generated electricity to 33 percent of their “energy portfolios” by 2020. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20101230/COLUMNS26/12290363/When-homeowners-can-profit-from-solar-power-we-ll-all-win Electric Wheel. A new generation of hybrid and electric vehicles hits the streets of Sacramento this month: the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf. With hybrid and electric vehicles expected to be increasingly common in the future—Ford plans to release a hybrid plug-in in 2012—SN&R asked Bill Boyce, an electric transportation supervisor with SMUD, about what was involved in becoming a green car owner. Posted. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1896492 Fancy This Fun-sized Fuel Sipper. Mazda has done very well with its MAZDA3 compact sedan and hatchback. But the world needs smaller cars, too, so the MAZDA2 represents the company’s entry in the subcompact segment. And, as the manufacturer responsible for the enormously successful MX-5 Miata, Mazda provides some Zoom-Zoom with it. It’s a good exercise to look at a couple of other small cars. Take today’s Honda Civic. Available in four-door and two-door coupe body styles, it’s relatively huge compared to its cute little ancestor. Posted. http://news.ebpublishing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=413:fancy-this-fun-sized-fuel-sipper-&catid=40:san-leandro-automotive&Itemid=111 El Dorado County Firm Earns Green Certification. Unique Aeriography, located in Camino, CA has been awarded a Sustainable Business Certification by the Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Program for dedicated efforts in reducing their environmental footprint. The low altitude aerial photography firm implemented green measures such as: installing a programmable thermostat to control heating and air conditioning; replacing appliances with Energy Star efficient units; upgrading the air conditioning system with a high EER unit; installing a tankless …Posted. http://my.edhtelegraph.com/detail/167934.html OPINION Viewpoints: Suggestions for Improving Cap-And-Trade Program Here. The California Air Resources Board's new "cap-and-trade" regulation would limit greenhouse gases at unnecessary expense. The goal, articulated in AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. While the new regulation has been applauded by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, environmentalists and electric utilities, and survived Proposition 23, the likely impacts of the program have not been publicized. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/30/3287997/suggestions-for-improving-cap.html#ixzz19c6gcTMs Climate Change. I'd like to do a thought-experiment: "Let's pretend" for grownups. Let's pretend that it's been proved that our sun is moving into a cycle of slightly greater output of energy: a trivial matter for the sun, but important on Earth since there would be a period of climate change. The question would be what humans could do to moderate the effects of this sun-caused climate change? Some bright scientist might note the "greenhouse effect" on our neighbor Venus, whose surface is very hot not just from Venus' nearness to the sun, but also from its (mostly) carbon dioxide atmosphere, which very efficiently traps heat. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/29/climate-change/#ixzz19cDJLbdg The EPA Goes After Carbon. The following editorial appeared in the Miami Herald on Wednesday, Dec. 29: The Clean Air Act turned 40 this year, as did the Environmental Protection Agency, which was created to enforce that new law and others Congress adopted to reduce all types of pollution. But it has taken this many years for the EPA to begin flexing its regulatory muscles to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the principle culprit linked to climate change. Posted. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/30/1993744/the-epa-goes-after-carbon.html#ixzz19cFYG3Wz BLOGS Schwarzenegger's Environmental Legacy: Green or 'Olive-Drab'? Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's long effort to cast himself in the role of a national environmental champion is losing luster in the waning weeks of his administration, as green groups protest last-minute deals with polluting businesses. "How green is he?" asked Bill Magavern, the Sierra Club's California director. "We came to the conclusion that he's olive-drab." How many disappointments in the eyes of environmentalists? Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/arnold-schwarzenegger-environmental-record.html Obesity Caused By What You Breathe? At least one study found that air pollution — known to contribute to asthma — also spurs both obesity and diabetes in young mice, suggesting that it may also contribute to the ubiquitous problems in humans. Ohio State researchers found that young mice exposed to air pollution had larger and more fat cells in their abdominal area and higher blood sugar levels than mice eating the same diet but breathing clean air. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=79968#ixzz19c2d8rd1 Another Setback for a West Coast Coal Port. Reuters A worker unloading coal at a storage site by a railway station in Shenyang, China. When my colleague Elisabeth Rosenthal wrote last month about the growth of coal exports to China from all over the world, she noted that the Port of Tacoma in Washington had nixed proposals for a new coal export terminal in the area. Now the state government has blocked a proposed export terminal in the southwestern corner of Washington, which could have provided another outlet for coal companies like Peabody Energy, which have found in Asia a growing market for coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/another-setback-for-a-west-coast-coal-port/?pagemode=print ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. You will receive an automatic email message confirming that you have successfully unsubscribed. Also, please read our listserve disclaimer at http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/disclaim.htm . The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our website at www.arb.ca.gov. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 10:53:41 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for December 31, 2010. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 31, 2010. 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. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! AIR POLLUTION California Clean Air Fund Gets $1 Million. • Settlements benefit education and air quality research• Some money also goes to help community colleges. The California Air Resources Board is distributing $1 million to a state clean air fund as a result of settlements with over 58 companies that violated clean air laws, CARB says. The settlements also provide a small amount of money that will be used by community colleges. California law requires that companies doing business in the state meet clean air standards and routinely check to make sure their equipment complies with CARB rules. Posted. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/templates/print.cfm?ID=17252 Texas Spared EPA Takeover of Carbon-Emission Rules as Court Weighs Move. A federal appeals court temporarily blocked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from taking control of Texas’s carbon-emission rules while it considers the state’s bid to fend off federal intervention. Texas filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington yesterday, saying the EPA didn’t give adequate notice or allow for comments on a proposed federal takeover of the state’s air permitting program on Jan. 2. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-12-31/texas-spared-epa-takeover-of-carbon-emission-rules-as-court-weighs-move.html CLIMATE CHANGE A Snow-Filled Glimpse Of America's Future. "Welcome to the New Normal." Those words should be displayed at New York's airports as a welcome to bedraggled travelers during the Northeast's latest "snowpocalypse." Why? Because the Big Apple's much-lamented paralysis this week is a critical cautionary tale for everyone. The episode warns us about the kind of thing that's likely coming to the rest of America as we now willfully mix three toxic problems. The first of those is global climate change. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/31/EDDO1H1SI3.DTL&type=politics E.P.A. Limit on Gases to Pose Risk to Obama and Congress. With the federal government set to regulate climate-altering gases from factories and power plants for the first time, the Obama administration and the new Congress are headed for a clash that carries substantial risks for both sides. While only the first phase of regulation takes effect on Sunday, the administration is on notice that if it moves too far and too fast in trying to curtail the ubiquitous gases that are heating the planet it risks a Congressional backlash that could set back the effort for years. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/31/science/earth/31epa.html?partner=rss&emc=rss EU Carbon Advances for First Year in Three as Economy Recovers. European Union carbon permits snapped two consecutive years of decline amid signs the region’s economy is recovering from recession. Allowances for December 2011 delivery in the world’s biggest cap-and-trade program gained 8.3 percent this year after falling 23 percent last year and 29 percent in 2008. They traded at 14.24 euros a metric ton today on London’s ICE Futures Europe exchange. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-12-31/eu-carbon-advances-for-first-year-in-three-as-economy-recovers.html DIESEL EMISSIONS CARB Takes Another Bite Out of Emissions. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has passed two amendments to previous diesel engine emissions-control measures that will mandate particulate matter [PM] reductions from current levels by an additional 50% by 2014 and 70% by 2020. The new amendments exempt about 150,000 lighter diesel-powered trucks from diesel particulate filters [DPF] rules while delaying initial compliance date for the retrofitting of heavier trucks – allowing them to operate another eight years before being required to use a truck that meets 2010 emissions standards. Posted. http://trailer-bodybuilders.com/truck-trailer/carb-takes-bite-out-emissions-1230/ GREEN ENERGY Rose Parade Moving At A Crawl Toward Being Green. The annual New Year's Day tradition is far behind other major public events in the trend to offset environmental impact. It was September, and the Tournament of Roses was proud of its newly signed sponsor, American Honda Motor Co. The automaker, promoters said, not only was the first-ever presenting sponsor, it was "employing Honda's innovative environmental technologies to help the Rose Parade function more efficiently and reduce its carbon footprint." Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-parade-green-20101231,0,1295875,print.story OPINION Job-Killing Carbon Deal Benefits Big Businesses. Democrats based much of their 2010 midterm congressional election campaign on the risible claim that Republican candidates wanted to “outsource jobs.” Set aside the fact that this claim was as ineffective as it was ludicrous. More importantly, President Barack Obama’s carbon-control scheme, which begins next week, provides conclusive evidence that it was the Democrats who planned to do the outsourcing. Carbon-limitation laws will send American manufacturing jobs overseas. Posted. http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/2010/12/job-killing-carbon-deal-benefits-big-businesses#ixzz19hzBr9q9 Will His Failures Save The State? Here's the hard truth. Nothing worked for Schwarzenegger because the system itself doesn't work. Will we learn the lessons of his defeats ? As he leaves office, Arnold Schwarzenegger is emphasizing his successes as governor. But it is his failures that need more public attention, because they may represent his greatest and most lasting contribution to California. To understand this governorship, one must recognize a fundamental dichotomy. On matters in which Schwarzenegger had a healthy amount of control — orders he could execute with a pen, legislation that could pass with a simple majority of the Legislature, even ballot initiatives he could champion and pay for personally — the governor has much to brag about. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mathews-arnold-20110102,0,6881413,print.story A New Day for CA. Entering 2011 “another year older and deeper in debt,” quoting a Johnny Cash tune, I’m surprisingly optimistic. I predict that 2011 will be a new day as California climbs out of its gigantic financial hole. Estimates of how steep the mountain “range” from $30 billion-plus short-term to $500 billion-plus over the long term. As we all know, the first step to solving any crisis is defining the problem. Amazingly, I do believe the incoming Governor-elect Brown gets it. Expect the “solutions” as battle ground for 2011. Posted. http://www.sanclementetimes.com/view/full_story/10816898/article-A-New-Day-for-CA?instance=guest_opinion Killing Us To Save The Environment. In my hometown, San Diego, the Blood Bank fields eight "Bloodmobiles" (diesel-powered motor homes converted to clinics to accept blood donations from volunteers) which host more than 1,800 blood drives to benefit over 150,000 patients in 50 area hospitals every year. A new Regulation ("The Truck Rule") adopted in 2008 by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) requires all on-road diesel powered vehicles (trucks, buses, motor homes, etc.) to meet 2010 emission standards, either by replacing the engine or the whole vehicle. Posted. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=40905 Op-Ed Piece On Warming A 'Bundle' Of Lies. A climatologist and former NASA scientist says a recent op-ed claiming global warming is responsible for cold weather isn't true. Dr. Roy Spencer is disputing Judah Cohen's claim made in his New York Times op-ed, "Bundle Up, It's Global Warming," that global warming is responsible for the winters of recent years and for this year's extreme winter weather experienced by parts of the U.S, Europe, and AsiaPosted. http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1263156 BLOGS EPA's CO2 Rules Old-Hat for California. A much-hyped EPA ruling to regulate greenhouse gases in 2011 doesn't really change much for California. A lot's being made of the move by the federal Environmental Protection Agency's move to start regulating greenhouse gases in the new year, but policy analysts are greeting it as a relative non-event in states like California (and Massachusetts), which are already moving ahead with their own carbon regulation strategies. "It’s really a complement to what we’re doing with AB 32," said California Air Resources Board spokeswoman Gennet Paauwe. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2010/12/30/epas-co2-rules-old-hat-for-california/ Schwarzenegger Names Key Transportation Appointments. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced appointments to key transportation posts Thursday, including the reappointment of former Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle to the California High-Speed Rail Authority board. Pringle, who currently heads the panel overseeing development of the state's $43-billion San Francisco-to-Anaheim rail system, was one of two prominent board members scrutinized this fall by the state attorney general for serving in multiple offices that could have clashing financial and other interests. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/12/schwarzenegger-transportaion-yvonne-burke.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lanowblog+%28L.A.+Now%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Schwarzenegger's Environmental Legacy: Green Or 'Olive-Drab'? Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's long effort to cast himself in the role of a national environmental champion is losing luster in the waning weeks of his administration, as green groups protest last-minute deals with polluting businesses. "How green is he?" asked Bill Magavern, the Sierra Club's California director. "We came to the conclusion that he's olive-drab." How many disappointments in the eyes of environmentalists? Let them count the ways…Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/12/arnold-schwarzenegger-environmental-record.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 The 2010 Climate B.S.* of the Year Award. Welcome to the 2010 Climate B.S.* of the Year Award. 2010 saw widespread and growing evidence of rapidly warming global climate and strengthening scientific understanding of how humans are contributing to climate change. Yet on the policy front, little happened to stem the growing emissions of greenhouse gases or to help societies prepare for increasingly severe negative climate impacts, including now unavoidable changes in temperature, rainfall patterns, sea-level rise, snowpack, glacial extent, Arctic sea ice, and more. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/gleick/detail?entry_id=80061 Science, People and the Planet in 2010. I’m looking forward to visiting Ira Flatow and his crew at Science Friday this afternoon to discuss notable developments over the past year and peek ahead. Also on board will be the writer and author Paul Raeburn, Robin Lloyd of Scientific American and Ron Cowen of Science News. Managing risk on an increasingly crowded and human-exploited planet will surely be a prime theme, with the avoidable Gulf of Mexico oil gusher being a prime example. In many instances, science increasingly delineates dangers, but societies choose to ignore the information. Posted. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/31/science-people-and-the-planet-in-2010/?partner=rss&emc=rss Climate PR Effort Heats Up. Hey America! Are you ready to get wonky on global warming? After a year that started with fallout from the “Climategate” e-mail release, saw the cap-and-trade bill die in Congress, and ended with a gang of Republican climate skeptics winning House and Senate seats, global warming experts are going back to basics. Environmentalists, scientists and lawmakers have renewed public relations efforts to put global warming plainly before Americans' eyes and also rebut opponents who say nothing is happening. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46770.html ====================================================================== You are subscribed to the newsclips mailing list. To UNSUBSCRIBE: Please go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php and enter your email address and click on the button "Display Email Lists." To unsubscribe, please click inside the appropriate box to uncheck it and go to the bottom of the screen to submit your request. 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